Ten on Tuesday

1.  Today is my only daughter's birthday.  She is 9 years old. She came into this world super quick with a couple of pushes and weighed in at 9 pounds.  Jason was taking a Series 6 test and had the proctor hold his phone since my water broke a few minutes before he went into the test center.  He literally ran through the hospital and came in the delivery room just in time for me to push her out.  My sweet Emory Hope. 

2.  For Emory's birthday we went to NYC to celebrate her birth and the birth of my sweet Lolly.  This was so special for me because Lolly is the only person I have watched enter this world and witnessed the first breath.  Betsy and Lee are the best hosts and we had an amazing time.  I wish I could tell you every detail, because you know I love New York, but I'll hit the highlights.  First of all, traveling with a sling and a heavy coat are not easy, but Em is a trooper.

3.  On Friday we arrived in time to pick Hattie up from school.  Sweet cousin reunion.  We went and had cookies at momofuko milk bar and then got the girls' nails done at Dashing Diva.  After their nails were dry they said, "Can we go home and play now?".  It was then that we remembered what was important to them, time together.  Not stuff, just playing.  Andrea happened to be in the city cashing in on her spa day at Bliss so met up with her and Kari Jo for dinner at Jacob's Pickles.  I love resteraunts that consider themselves southern in NYC.  All of the sandwiches, including hamburgers, were served on biscuits and the appetizer special was fried pickles.  I have never had an entire spear fried but that is how Jacob likes them.  The food was good but the company was awesome.  It is so encouraging to be around such Godly women who are in all stages of parenting; from 18 going to college all the way to one who just started to walk, and everywhere in between.  Although most of our communication is electronic, I consider these women true friends.

4. The American Girl store was our first stop on Saturday.  We had brunch and celebrated Em's birthday.  Little did she know that her grandmother had given me an envelope with enough birthday money in it to buy a new doll and have her (the doll's) ears pierced.  She was elated and quickly chose McKenna, the gymnast.  We toted McKeena all over Manhattan. The rest of the day was spent playing and celebrating Lolly's birthday.  Betsy made her a beautiful cake and she was not afraid to eat it.  So sweet.

5.  After church on Sunday we did a double decker bus tour of lower Manhattan.  You could get on and off if you needed to shop.  I loved it.  I am kind of obsessed with the neighborhoods of New York and I wanted the bus driver to tell us every detail.  I really want to do an even more intense tour one day when it is a little warmer.  I am sure I drive Betsy insane with my, Who lives in this neighborhood?, kind of questions. (Selling New York on HGTV is awesome.  Who are those people?  Walking around the city at night, when you can see in people's apartments is awesome.) The only time we got off of the bus was in Soho and we stopped by Old Navy.  Guess what?  I saw three girls from Macon who were there on a girl's trip.  Such a small world!

6.  Monday we went to Queens to the Museum of the Moving Image.  They had a Muppet exhibit showing and since our girls had just fallen in love with the Muppets from the latest movie, we all had a blast.  I loved the Muppets growing up and even cried when we went to see the movie so I wanted to look at everything in the exhibit.  This is not my usual behavior in a museum.  They also had a big interactive section where you could make stop motion movies, do voice overs, apply sound effects, and add music to a scene from a movie.  (I would like to thank Lee for keeping the little ones so we could just take the big girls. We were there for a while.)

7.  After the museum, Lee took the girls to Hippo Park and I went to Central Park to run.  That's right, to run.  I always want to and never do it but this time I did.  It was amazing.  I went to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Resevoir and it was heaven.  I mean it.   First of all, it felt good to run (it is 1.58 miles and I did it twice).  It was a little cold but the view was insane.  Here I was in the middle of the city, running around a lake, with the beautiful buildings all around me and the sun starting to set.  This is the picture I took with my phone while actually running.  (And yes, I did think about Charlotte, Miranda, and Carrie.)

8.  Betsy said she could tell a difference in my demeanor after my run.  Not that I was in a bad mood before, but she could just tell I was refreshed.  Note to self: exercise at Tybee and you will stay more mentally stable.

9.  So we got back on a Tuesday and on Wednesday I went on a field trip to Atlanta.  Can you believe it?  It was a good gig because I didn't have to ride on the bus and got to ride with a bunch of moms that I like but don't always get to spend time with.  While we were eating lunch at The Varsity, I had a conversation with another mom about really knowing our children's love language.  I used to think that was all so hokey but now I totally buy it.  For example, I think Emory's language is physical touch.  That is not really how I show her love.  I probably give her more gifts than touch because that is what comes naturally (my boys are easier for me to touch).  On our New York trip I really tried to consciouslly think to touch her.  I would tell myself, "Hold her hand.  Rub her back.  Let her lay in my lap."  I hate that it doesn't come naturally, but grateful that I am aware and can put it into practice. 

10.  I have the flu.  I am too old to have a fever, right?  Whenever I was sick my Nana would make me soup, and then probably a pile of food for when I felt better.  She always showed love through cooking and it was hard for her to give that up when she went to live in an assisted living facility.  As I was craving some of her vegetable soup today, I dreamed she was in my kitchen cooking.  She will be 91 in May and was always a wonderful example to me of how to open your home and use food as a way to minister to others.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  How can my buddy be 5? 

2.  Packy has been to alot of BIG birthday parties this year so I thought he would want a BIG party too.  I told him he could invite his entire class plus his friends outside of class and we talked about the different places where we could go (which are painfully limitied in Macon in February).  I think it stressed him out a little bit.  He finally said he would just like to go to Burger King (like last year) and just invite his 3 friends from church.  Done.  Thank you Pac for being easy.  (We did breakfast.  Come at 9 in the morning, leave at 10.  Bring your family.)

Friends:

 And siblings.

3.  It is a tradition at our school to post a birthday sign on the fence at the entrance of the school.  (Thank you for my Cricut, Mom.  Even though I don't really scrapbook anymore, it still comes in handy.

4.  Does anyone trust the shout Color Catcher?  Really trust it?  Like red shirt with white clothes trust?

5.  Jason is helping teach a Sunday School class on the book You Can Change.  This past week we discussed the chapter When Do You Struggle?  It was a good discussion about how we grow during times of struggle and how God uses dark times to draw us closer to Him.  Jason asked the question; Do you ever miss a time suffering because you were so close to God at the time?  When things are going good in your life do you forget to spend time with Him?  I have a friend who had breast cancer a few years ago.  When she received her diagnosis she was at peace and actually had joy.  I thought she was insane.  She told me that she when she was in times of suffering, she and her husband drew closer to God and to each other (they had lost a child earlier).  I remember not understanding this at all.  I was mad at God for her.  It wasn't until my own experience that I realized how God uses dark suffering as a time to really love on you.  Really prove that He is your Father and that you are His child.  While I don't wish for suffering, I understand Jason's question. I know the sweetness that comes when you are clinging with all you have to a God that loves.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  James 1:2-3

6. This made me laugh.

7.  Packy's birthday cake at Burger King.  You might be a redneck if...

8.  Quote by Tim Keller:

When I forget the gospel I become dependant on the smiles and evaluation of others.

Isn't that so good?  Are you looking to others for your value?  If you are constanly looking to people, you will constantly be disappointed. 

9.  My tip of the week: Chew gum while baking.  Gum helps me not cram my mouth full of cookie dough.

10.  Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday and I expect (and get) nothing.  This year I did cook a fun dinner for our family and did some light decorating.  After desssert we went around the table and said what we love about each member of the family.  I wish I had a picture of Jay's face as he said what he loved about his sister.   (I made these cookies for Emory's class and Jason said they were his new favorite cookie.)

11.  I bit my mouth while chewing gum today and it started bleeding.  I am so my mother.

12.  I am going to watch someone turn 1 on Saturday.  Can you guess who it is?

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Guess who is in a sling due to a broken clavicle?  Her brother fell on her.  Totally an accident.  She is now in a sling for 3 weeks.  Do you think this has slowed her down?  Not one bit.  She is actually dancing, sling and all,  in her school talent show with some of her friends to Let's Hear if For the Boy from the movie Footloose (2011 version, of course.) Let's be honest, she enjoys the attention.
2.  Yesterday I wore jeans and tennis shoes.  I know this is a pretty typical mom outfit, but I watch alot of What Not to Wear, and Stacey and Clinton abhor this look.  I knew I had given up on even trying to put an outfit together.  Now you know I am not a fancy mom and feel perfectly fine wearing my workout clothes all day.  But jeans and tennis shoes are a different story.  It lets me know that I am tired.  (And if this is a look you are not afraid of that is great.  I just have WNTW guilt.)
3. The past few weeks I have been given lots of opportunities to share parts of  my story with different people.  All for very different reasons.  I have said before that I don't think God brings you through hard times in vain.  He shows you his grace and mercy and then you can share how God has worked in your life with other people.  I thought I would be emotionally exhausted, but I'm really not.  I remember one of my friends mentioning before that God doesn't ever ask you to do something without giving you the strength to do it.  He equips us to do what he asks us to do.  It's not our strength, but His.
²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  Hebrews 13
4.  Another reason I don't think I am emotionally spent is because I have stayed close to Him.  I have been in His word and in prayer.  I know that I am just a vessel that he is using.  It is nothing of my own power. Nothing I can say can change a person's heart.  That takes the pressure off of me and allows me to really put myself out there.  As long as I am willing to be used, the results are off of me. They are up to God. I can share with someone, pray for and with them, but what they decide to do is completely out of my hands.  This gives me such peace.  If I take on other people's issues as my own, and worry about what decisions they are making, then I am making myself much more powerful than I am, and not trusting God.  He is in control, not me.  I am just trying to be a willing servant.
5. Jason was giving the dog a bath on Sunday.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  We blow dry our dog after a bath because he is a Westie and you just have to.  What was odd was that I saw Jason grab my brush to brush him.  MY BRUSH?  So when I politely asked (yelled), What are you doing with MY brush?  Jason told me he had been using my brush to brush the dog for years. Years.  What???  Then he reassured me that he always cleaned the dogs hair out when he was finished.  Really Jason? Really?
6.  Packy loves all holidays.  Yesterday we bought his class Valentines.  When he got antsy during the big kids homework time I got them out and had him write his name on each one, all 32.  That went faster than I thought it would so I decided to give him his class list and have him write all the names of his friends (not required).  Check.  Finally he got treat bags and put a treat and a card in each bag and sealed them up.  Note to self: give Packy projects to do during homework time.

7.  When we look at a hard situation we often see hopelessness and pain.  God looks at it and sees how he is pouring out grace and mercy.  This thought has been helpful as I have seen people hurting recently. 

8.  Favorite Joyce Meyer quotes of the week (I don't ever watch her but she is one of the 13 people I follow on Twitter.)

* Attitudes don't just happen, they are the products of our choices.

*When we are truly confident and secure, the opinions of others cannot control us.

*Don't judge others.  God likes variety and we've all got our own little brand of "strangeness."

*If you don't get your mind straightened out, you'll never get your life straightened out.  You have to think about what you're thinking about. 

9.  I participated in a webinar last night (which is why this is pushed back 2 days).  It was from Positive Parenting Solutions and I participated through the Do Not Depart website.  The first thing the lady said was that her vision for us was to not even remember the last time we raised our voice at our kids.  I have told you before I am a third generation yeller and I am trying to change that.  The one thing I took away was that our kids have attention baskets that need to be filled every single day.  It does not have to be a big production.  Just 10-15 minutes of one on one.  Easier said than done, right?  Something to strive for.

10.  Jay's new line goes something like this: I've broken a bone.  Just not my own.  While he is not proud of breaking Emory's collar bone, he is enjoying a little of the attention he is receiving for being a part of the process.  Just happy it was an accident.