The Moody News

2009-04-21T06:48:00.003-05:00

Did have a nice encouraging post on motherhood brewing but I had to skip it in lieu of a comment on this Miss California controversy. In the pageant, she was asked about her beliefs on gay marriage by Perez Hilton. She answered the question honestly and he exploded. I just heard him on the Today show and he actually said that people should leave their politics at the door of the pageant and be relevant to all Americans, blah blah blah blah. I was in shock. If you don't want to hear a political answer or someone's personal opinion on a politically-charged topic, don't ask a political question. What he was saying was so incredibly moronic...if you are too much of a baby to handle the truth, D-O-N-'T A-S-K. What a little brat...get over it! It's YOUR fault this whole thing happened!

AAAAaaahhhh!

2009-04-13T14:45:00.003-05:00

1 Sing, choirs of new Jerusalem,
your sweetest notes employ,
your sweetest notes employ
the paschal victory to hymn
in songs of holy joy,
in songs of holy joy,
in songs of holy joy!

2 For Judah's Lion burst his chains
and crushed the serpent's head,
and crushed the serpent's head;
Christ cries aloud through death's domains
to wake the imprisoned dead,
to wake the imprisoned dead,
to wake the imprisoned dead.

3 Triumphant in his glory now
to him all power is given,
to him all power is given;
to him in one communion bow
all saints in earth and heaven,
all saints in earth and heaven,
all saints in earth and heaven.

4 All glory to the Father be,
all glory to the Son,
all glory to the Son,
all glory to the Spirit be
while endless ages run,
while endless ages run,
while endless ages run.

Happy Easter!

Right of Conscience in Medicine - Sign Petition

2009-04-06T06:31:00.001-05:00

Please go to www.freedom2care.org and click on the top where it says “Patients-comment here” to help us in this fight. This will lead you through a process where you can register your disagreement with the proposed changes.

Menu Planning for April

2009-03-31T20:05:00.002-05:00

So as I mentioned in my last menu planning post, I have been focusing on meals that can be prepared in advance of dinnertime. And I have to say: it's working so well! We are all so much happier and very well-fed. It helps with my sanity, makes for a much more fun and free afternoon and enables us all to eat together. The Buffalo Chicken Lasagna that I made last month was fabulous and so was the Baked Spaghetti (the latter is going to be a repeat for April). The Farmhouse Chicken was a huge hit - you should make it, your family will thank you!

The only "problem" is that I have had to be more creative and organized with my recipes and I don't really mind that one bit! Right now I'm working on a way to compile all the "winners" into a notebook or some other other printable format so that I can access the hard copies easily and I'm going to try to plan one month's worth of recipes at a time, taking a cue from Simple Mom's recent post on this topic (love this blog!). I didn't really use any of her recipes but I used her idea to plan a theme for each day.

M0ndays - pasta
Tuesdays - soup, salad, and/or sandwiches
Wednesdays - stir fry
Thursdays - crock pot or casserole
Sunday - easy

So today, I printed off a blank calendar for the month of April and started filling it in. I used the cookbook Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites as my main source for this month and found more than enough recipes to fill in every spot! Unfortunately, most of these recipes are not online but if they pass the test, I'm going to add them to my file. And if you're nice, I might just figure out a way to upload the finished product to this blog! My own cookbook of sorts...fun!

So here is a sampling of what's on the menu -

Cheddar-Bacon twice baked potatoes (can be frozen!), salad
Mexican Chicken Soup (didn't get around to making it last month but it sounds fabulous!)
Chicken Spaghetti Bake
Sloppy Joe Squares, roasted carrots
Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ham & Swiss Muffins (double the recipe, freeze half), fruit
Cheeseburger meatloaf, asparagus
Asian Chicken Stirfry
Cauliflower Soup (I made this last month and forgot to mention it...it was a huge hit. Elliot loved it and so did the friends we shared it with!)

To make things easier, I sometimes make the dish vegetarian and omit the meat. Like tonight I made a delicious taco casserole (from the same cookbook) and used black beans instead of ground beef and honestly, you couldn't even tell! Ryan loved it and didn't even notice that the meat was missing. Charlie thought it was too spicy but Elliot ate more it than I did. Anyway, you really can do this on dishes like this where meat is just one ingredient. I always add a bit of olive oil, though, just to add some yummy fat.

I also never measure spices. I just add some and taste, add some and taste. That saves a lot of time and means less mess to clean up. I've never had a problem doing this.

For all of the recipes above, the prep work will be done in advance and just baked or warmed at dinnertime.

Enjoy!

Politcs, The Environment & Such

2009-03-25T19:32:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in this post a few weeks ago, I'm really curious about why non-black Christians would vote for Obama. Seriously, I've been wanting to know. And I've been trying to find out. I've come across some black Obama supporters and honestly, I think that they have a different perspective. Their excitement over his rise to power, at least in the cases of the folks I've talked to, really did overpower any other reasons. And I'm fine with that (or at least mostly fine with it...as fine as I can be, I guess...). At least it's a reason. Anyway, here is an excerpt from the online exchange I had recently with an avid Obama supporter:

THEM: In terms of liking Obama....Well first I have to say that race never entered into it for me. I only mention that because you asked why a "white Christian" would vote for him. The color of his skin wasn't an issue for me either way, BUT once he was elected, I allowed my kids to stay home from school to watch his inauguration because I felt like it was so significant historically to watch a non-white become President.I have been impressed with Obama (his blunder last night aside) from the first time I saw him speak, I think it was in 2004. I agree with his position and ideas on the environment. I LOVE his stance on disabilities (http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf). I am comfortable with his plan to get us out of the Iraq tar-baby that Bush-Cheney got us into, not to mention the end of Guantanamo. The big question most people have is about abortion. Honestly, I do NOT think most so-called pro-life politicians are going to do a thing to lower abortion rates. It hasn't happened yet, and frankly, if they did overturn Roe v Wade, they would have nothing to campaign on. I think they know that, and I think they will never really act to turn back that clock. I feel like a better anti-abortion strategy is to work toward incentives to NOT need an abortion. Sex education. Adoption credits. Things like that. So basically, abortion is a non-issue for me politically. Anyway, that's a brief synopsis of my thoughts on it! :)

ME: Thanks for enlightening me as to your position. I don't care either way about the race issue either, I only mentioned it because it was def. a factor in this election. And the only Christians that I heard give a reason for their choice happened to be black and honestly, I thought their perspective was skewed.I am def. impressed with him...speakers and leaders like him do not come around very often. So I agree with you on that for sure.I most disagree with his socialist philosophy and economic plans. This is what really scares me more than anything else, honestly. What he says and does is so contrary to the ideals on which our country was founded and looking at history, socialism does not work. People are not motivated by their own innate goodness and any philosophies or way of life that depends on humans consistently doing the right thing just for the right things' sake will undoubtedly fail. And my experience with socialized medicine (military health care) has just proved that all the more in my mind.I do agree with you about the abortion thing and it is really a card that people like to throw down as a mandate to vote Republican BUT that being said, he does seem to me to be on a campaign against the sanctity of life in general: ending stem cell ban, lifting the ban on overseas funding of abortion, and trying to void the Health Workers' 'Conscience' Rule, just to name a few (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701104.html, http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/07/obama-to-end-stem-cell-ban-monday.html, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/23/obama-lift-ban-overseas-abortion-funding/). I could never support anyone who did those things, ever...and that's also why I can't really be a Libertarian. :) And just for fun, I say the same thing about Democrats and the environment that you say about Republicans and abortion. I think the environment is the Democrat's abortion and I don't see either party really making a difference. As an aside, I do care about the environment and really try to do my part...

What do I say to that argument? Weak. Basically, she was overpowered by his charisma. That's how I take it anyway.

So I'm still on my quest for answers but this proves to me even more that people just fell in love with Obama and voted for him. Amazing.

Anyway, the environment. I do care about it and we in the Moody house are trying to do our part...

My kids are really messy eaters. Both of them. So in lieu of giving baths after every meal or using an entire package of wipes or 15 paper towels, I use one washcloth per day, per kid. I have a special set of washcloths that are used for this purpose and they aren't used for anything else. This is quite a major waste savings and I'm proud of it! I just tossed the old washcloths into the rag bin in the garage and bought new ones today. This is only my second set of kitchen washcloths since becoming a mother so I think I'm doing pretty good. And this is really an easy way to reduce and reuse...

More on this later.

ps: I don't think everyone who voted for Obama is off their rocker, I promise. If someone told me that they voted for Obama because they wanted "change" I would accept that answer. I don't agree, but I would accept it as legit. Just FYI.

Charlie is 3?

2009-03-19T20:52:00.011-05:00

Dear Charlie,

Are you really THREE YEARS OLD? I just can't believe how quickly the time has passed. But I also can't really remember my life before you joined it. I have loved watching you grow and change and I am so thankful for every single day that I get to spend with you!

In honor of this your third birthday, I want you to know my three favorite things about you:

1. I just love how big your heart is. You love me, Elliot and your Daddy so much. "Mommy, I love you all your heart" is something I am privileged to hear quite often and don't worry, I know what you mean. :) It melts my heart each and every time I hear it. You get so excited to see Daddy and you constantly ask me where he is and what he is doing, even though I know that you already know the answers. And Elliot: wow, you have sure opened your heart to him and have done such an amazing job of sharing your parents. We are so proud of you!

Just a quick story: one day a few weeks ago, when I was writing thank-you notes for Elliot's birthday presents, you picked up a card and pretended to dictate a letter. It went like this: "Dear Mommy and Daddy, I love you 22. Love, Charlie" That was precious!

2. I love how much you talk. You make us laugh so hard by saying the most hilarious things! Too bad I didn't take everyone's advice and write them down to include here...that would have been a real treat. Anyway, you also say some words in a really funny way, "thank you" ("tang tu") is a great example. We hope that you never stop saying it.

3. I love having you as my constant companion. I am rarely lonely now that you are a little person. You love reading and learning with me, and we always have lots to talk about it. You also notice the things I do around the house and are always very curious about and appreciative of anything I sew or make. Thank you for that.

You really enjoy life and that is what makes you so special and such a pleasure so share experiences with (remember the night we went to the circus--picture is below--and before I could stop you, right there in Mellow Mushroom, you drew a "clown nose" on your face with my red pen). The smallest of things puts a huge grin on your face and your appreciation for life is contagious. You have a real gift.

So precious boy, on this your third birthday, we hope you know how deeply you are loved. We are so privileged to be your parents!

Swagbucks

2009-03-09T06:57:00.002-05:00

Have you heard about this deal with Swagbucks? Basically it's a way to earn $$ by searching online. You download a toolbar and use it to search instead of google. It's very simple to sign up (less than a minute!) and there are no fees, and no credit card, phone number or address is required. Just for signing up, you are credited 3 points and as you search online, you earn more points. After only 45 points earned, you can get a free Amazon gift card. Or at 50 points, you can get a Starbucks gift card. There are lots of other prizes too.

Now, you might be thinking, "What's the big deal if I only earn a $5 gift card every month?" And you're right: $5 isn't that exciting. You really start earning as you refer other people. Tell them about Swagbucks, send them your referral link, and you'll instantly earn more points when they sign up and additional points for the searching they do online.

Sign up here!

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Obama to End Stem Cell Ban Monday

I'm not a single-issue voter, I promise...

2009-03-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

...but I would really be interested to hear from Christians who voted for Obama...inquiring minds want to know: why? how? What about him and his agenda does not violate your conscience? I just don't understand.

As if I needed one more reason to be confused by the Christian Obama supporters...

Health Workers' 'Conscience' Rule Set to Be Voided
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff WriterSaturday, February 28, 2009; A01

The Obama administration's move to rescind broad new job protections for health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable triggered an immediate political storm yesterday, underscoring the difficulties the president faces in his effort to find common ground on anything related to the explosive issue of abortion.
The administration's plans, revealed quietly with a terse posting on a federal Web site, unleashed a flood of heated reaction, with supporters praising the proposal as a crucial victory for women's health and reproductive rights, and opponents condemning it as a devastating setback for freedom of religion.
Perhaps most tellingly, the move drew deep disappointment from some conservatives who have been hopeful about working with the administration to try to defuse the debate on abortion, long one of the most divisive political issues.
"This is going to be a political hit for the administration," said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the Northland Church in Longwood, Fla., whom Obama recently named to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. "This will be one of those things that kind of says, 'I knew it. They talk about common ground, but really what they want is their own way.' "
Administration officials stressed that the proposal will be subject to 30 days of public comment, which could result in a compromise. They said they remain committed to seeking a middle ground but acknowledged that will not always be possible.
"We recognize we are not going to be able to agree on every issue," said an administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the process has just begun. "But there remains a substantive area of common ground, and we continue to believe we can make progress and will make progress."
The announcement capped a week when anger among conservatives was already running high because of the ambitious progressive agenda outlined in the administration's proposed $3.6 trillion budget.
The debate centers on a Bush administration regulation, enacted in December, that cuts off federal funding for thousands of state and local governments, hospitals, health plans, clinics and other entities if they do not accommodate doctors, nurses, pharmacists or other employees who refuse to participate in care they feel violates their personal, moral or religious beliefs.
The rule was sought by conservative groups that argued that workers were increasingly being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways for trying to exercise their "right of conscience."
Women's health advocates, family-planning proponents, abortion rights activists and others condemned the regulation, saying it created a major obstacle to providing many health services, including family planning and infertility treatment, and possibly a wide range of scientific research. After reviewing the regulation, newly appointed officials at the Health and Human Services Department agreed.
"We've been concerned that the way the Bush rule is written, it could make it harder for women to get the care they need," said an HHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity for the same reason. "It is worded so vaguely that some have argued it could limit family-planning counseling and even potentially blood transfusions and end-of-life care."
An array of family-planning groups and others praised the move.
"The Obama administration is taking the right step forward to rescind this misguided rule," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who has introduced legislation to overturn the regulation.
But the Family Research Council, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and others condemned it.
"It is open season to again discriminate against health-care professionals," said David Stevens, head of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. "Our Founding Fathers, who bled and died to guarantee our religious freedom, are turning over in their graves."
The announcement -- which follows an administration decision to lift restrictions on federal funding of international family-planning groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information -- was also disappointing to some who have been working more closely with the administration on reducing the number of abortions.
"I think what was in place was as good as one could find in terms of seeking and securing common ground," said the Rev. Frank Page, the immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention and another member of Obama's faith council. "It's a matter of respect. I felt like what was in place was that middle ground of common respect."
Administration officials stressed that the president remains committed to protecting the rights of health-care workers who do not want to participate in abortions; such rights have been guaranteed for decades by several federal laws.
"We recognize and understand that some providers have objections to providing abortions. We want to ensure that current law protects them," the HHS official said. "But the Bush rule goes beyond current law and seems to have upset the balance."
The administration is open to a new rule that would be more focused on abortion, the official said, adding, "We believe that this is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful process where all voices are heard."
Some predicted that the administration will produce a narrower regulation that protects workers who object to abortion but ensures access to other types of care.
"If the president kept in place the conscience clause in regard to abortion but reversed it in regard to birth control, most Americans would agree that's common ground," said Rachel Laser of the group Third Way, which is working to find compromise approaches to a number of contentious issues.
But Page noted that some health-care workers consider certain forms of birth control, such as the morning-after emergency contraception pill, to be the moral equivalent of abortion.
"If they choose not to be part of the distribution of that, that should be their conscience and their right," Page said.While some family-planning groups acknowledged privately that they might consider a compromise, others said they are doubtful that any regulation is needed.
"Our general feeling is this was an area that does not cry out for further clarification," said Marcia D. Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center. "I would be skeptical."

Menu Planning

2009-03-02T10:57:00.003-05:00

Yep, I'm doing this again. Everyone keeps asking me about this, I think it's really the only reason why anyone ever reads my blog. Hah!

But now I have a new goal in menu planning: cook things that can be almost completely prepared before 3pm. Cooking dinner at dinner time just isn't working for me anymore. It's just too chaotic and everyone is grumpy. And Elliot is into *everything* now which makes it all the worse. So for the past few weeks, I've been gathering recipes and trying new things, trying to perfect this new strategy. And I might add that a rice cooker, a crockpot and a freezer full of lean, organic frozen veggies meat helps a lot!

So far I've made:
Tacos / taco salad - I prepared the meat, beans and rice around lunchtime

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna - (my favorite crockpotting lady was on Good Morning America!) I used a little less wing sauce because I wanted the kids to eat it too and I omitted the peppers (Ryan hates them)

Poppyseed Chicken (our family recipe)

Sweet Potato Enchiladas - I turned this into casserole, layering the tortillas instead of rolling them up like traditional tortillas

Baked Spaghetti - YUM

And I'm planning to make the following in the next few weeks:
Mexican Chicken Soup
Farmhouse Chicken
Mexican Lasagna
Crockpot Layered Dinner - This will make Ryan happy
Lasagna - I want to try adding the eggs and all the veggies like she did

I'm telling you: this really, REALLY works. I have been a much happier person since implementing this new strategy and as a result, everyone else is happier too. And very well-fed, I might add.

Oh, and ps: Elliot is walking! He started taking steps here and there a few weeks ago but in the past few days, he started walking more than crawling and walks first when he wants to get somewhere. It's so weird! Don't have any pictures to prove it yet, but here are a couple more recent shots...and I made the shirts!

pss - No snow in Savannah and I was quite happy. Living in Charlottesville for 3 years cured me of ever wanting to be around snow again. Really

Baby Elliot is 1!

2009-02-13T08:28:00.003-05:00

Dear Elliot,

Happy Birthday to you! I can't believe that you are ONE already...the time has passed so quickly (I heard it would, but I didn't imagine it would be quite this fast). Last year at this time we still lived in Augusta and were completely stressed out about selling our house. I was still working and Charlie was not yet two. We knew it was going to be a crazy few months but that didn't stop us from being so excited to meet you! We just couldn't wait for your arrival and we have adored you since the first moment we saw you. Anyway, you are a big boy now and you are definitely coming into your own. You love balls, trucks, cars, playing outside in the sandbox and anything that Charlie is doing or playing with at any given moment. You also love wrestling with your Daddy and Charlie. Whenever they are sitting on the floor or anywhere even remotely accessible to you, you just dive on them, laughing and screaming, over and over again. It is really precious to watch. Speaking of Charlie: you love him. I think he might even be your favorite person! Y'all play all day long and don't really know what to do without each other. Oh yes, you fight and get on each other's nerves but more than anything, you are best buddies and constant companions. If you are both awake, you are together. And I love that. You are a big-time climber. You can climb up our stairs, up the slide in the backyard, on top of the toy boxes in the playroom, and out of your highchair onto the table (!), among other things. You can say (or have said in the past): "Mamama," "Dadada," "ball," "Tyke," "hi," and "that." And you finally like to eat (whew!) but no baby food, thank-you-very-much. Only the real stuff for you. You love spaghettios, goldfish, fruity cheerios, carrots, bread, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, french fries, peaches, broccoli casserole, crackers, bananas, yogurt, smoothies and, of all, things, the cauliflower soup I made earlier in the week. And now we can add cupcakes to the list, since you ate TWO of the ones I made for your birthday and then screamed for more.

You are adorably chubby but not tall. Not even on the growth charts, actually. We are going to try to figure out why but in the meantime, you are really cute (rather be short than ugly, I always say!). Everywhere we go, people talk to you, coo at you and tell me how adorable you are, with your blond hair (sorry about the bad bang trim, by the way; you can thank your Daddy for that) and big blue eyes. You actually look just like my Mom, "Bubbles." It's funny: you look more like her than any of her children! We think it's kinda eerie.

You are also starting to have a little bit of a temper. We think Big Brother Charlie may be helping with that. When you want something, you just grit your teeth and scream. Sometimes you even try to bite whatever or whoever is close by. We can't have that so in the next few months (years!) we'll be trying to help you deal with frustration. In the meantime, you will surely be keeping us on our toes.

We love you so very much, more than you can even know. And we are so thankful that God blessed us with you. We wouldn't know what to do without you and you were the perfect addition to our family. We are looking forward to watching you grow up and celebrating many more birthdays with you...just don't rush it, OK?

Love, Mommy

THE Best Snack

2009-01-26T15:53:00.002-05:00

Today I roasted carrots from my last farm box. Delicious. I've been eating them all day. Make some and use this recipe.

Four Years Ago

2009-01-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

These pictures were taken four years ago when we were in D.C. with Jill and Josh, attending the inauguration of President Bush. It was an amazing experience and a very happy day. And that's all I'll say (cute rhyme, huh?).

God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.

These past few weeks...

2009-01-18T15:28:00.008-05:00

...have been quite trying. We've been sick. Sick. Haven't been to church or any other functions in two weeks. It all started two weeks ago when Elliot started sniffling. It went downhill from there as he continued to get sicker and sicker with what I thought was the worst cold ever. After a full week of suffering for him and a week-end where I was sure he was dehydrated and almost going to the hospital in the middle of the night, I took him to the dr. And he had RSV. Thankfully no wheezing so he wasn't in any real danger but he has been miserable (and consequently, if I'm honest, so have the rest of us). And then two days after the diagnosis, Ryan comes home with some kind of stomach virus (his third time puking this month) and passed it on to me and probably Elliot (although I couldn't tell for sure if he actually had the stomach flu since he had been coughing to the point of throwing up for days). Charlie somehow seemed to escape it although that could have been because he threw up the week before--in a restaurant of all places--and was whiny for a day or so afterwards (confusing timeline, I know. It's all running together in my mind).

So anyway, I've been doing a lot of reading, thinking, and planning. Planning all the projects I'm going to complete once I'm finished with our 2008 Photo book (something I've been working on this month on Shutterfly), which I'd hoped would be completed by now but the aforementioned weeks of sickness have slowed me down.

I've been reading --
When People Are Big & God is Small -- great book, why would be a post of it's own
Stitched In Time -- So many projects, so little time; first up: The Family Tree project
The Creative Family -- checkout author Amanda Soule's blog if you get a chance but lookout: she's not a Southern-SuperChristian-preppy-diva. This crunchy green mamma from Maine is the kinda spiritual that makes us nervous and the kind of "in the trenches" mom who inspires us; will be making many of her projects as well

And it's almost time to decorate for Valentine's Day! I love this holiday. Not the super commercialized cheesy romance side of it but the fun side: kids exchanging cards, thinking about why you love people and the excuse to add some seasonal items to our decor. :) And since we've been in isolation for 2 weeks, I'm in the mood for a party. So if you live around here, put Feb. 7th on your calendar--First Annual Moody Family Valentine's Day Party. And bring a glue stick, 'cause we'll be crafting! E-Vite coming soon.

Hopefully I'll be able to actually work on and then post pictures of some of my planned projects. If I can ever figure out how to work my new sewing and embroidery machine, that is! And now I'm off to order a few of the birds I've been eyeing on Etsy.

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PS - Do you like my new look?!

Etsy

2009-01-12T15:37:00.002-05:00

I hope I've mentioned Etsy on this blog before. I really can't say enough about Etsy. I think I'm obsessed. It's a bigger time-suck for me than Facebook. I had a sick baby so I stayed home from church yesterday and after organizing the pantry, butler's pantry/office area and the downstairs linen closet (go me - I love organizing in January!), I spent about 5 hours on Etsy (just to defend myself: I did play Charlie's new Thomas board game and memory with him for quite awhile too).

Anyway, I found some amazing things. And some amazing things that I just know I could make, if I can get my new sewing and monogramming machine up and running (a Christmas gift from Ryan).

Here are some of my favorite finds -

Adorable Hearts
Stuffed Letters
Stuffed Numbers
All of these Valentine's Day birds
Amazing necklace (and actually, I love all of this seller's stuff)
Felted Acorns
Amazing hair piece (too bad I already had my wedding)

The list could go on and on...

To see for yourself, just checkout the featured items from their blog. And while you're at it, find something to buy, support handmade stuff, stay-at-home moms. You know you have at least one random gift to purchase or something!

It was a Great Day, Mommy

2009-01-08T14:40:00.006-05:00

That's what Charlie said to me as I was putting him into his crib for his nap. Aaah. What more could I want? It has been a good day. Not a perfect day: I've gritted my teeth a few times, trying to choke back the annoyed and angry words that were trying to escape; one child has already been bathed, I've had to wash 2 sets of sheets (long story) and one little precious baby is nursing a bad cold but still - a good day. This is one of those days that I want to remember when my kids are grown, when the floor is no longer littered with smashed cheerios and plastic Dollar Tree soldiers (those hurt when you step on them, by the way).

We are getting back into our regular routine, which is so good. Charlie and I both love, appreciate and crave order. And Elliot doesn't mind either, so long as plenty of Charlie is involved. :) We started the day out with breakfast (after the bathing and sheet issues were resolved) and reading time. Elliot then took a nap and I got out the playdough for Charlie, while I worked on something new I'm doing this year: a 2008 Moody Family Yearbook. I'm making it on Shutterfly and hopefully the end product will be an "Our Year in Pictures" album for us to keep. Hopefully we'll rack up an entire shelf of these over the years...

We then piled into the car for a nice long walk with Fef all over Isle of Hope. I loved the exercise, Charlie loved the boats, Elliot loved the fresh air and we all loved the company. After lunch Charlie practiced his ABCs with his fun fridge toy while I did the dishes and then we started something new: reading "big boy" books on the playroom couch. Today we started one of the chapter books in the Frog & Toad series. I think Charlie followed most of it and just doing this made me excited about the thought of having older kids: books I actually like, bike rides, roller-blading, soccer. Maybe the day-to-day jobs of this motherhood thing is not just about wiping noses and bottoms.

A picture from our walk...

We had a fabulous Christmas!

2009-01-02T09:54:00.003-05:00

And hope you did too!

ps - If you need me, I'll be digging out of all the mess we've made over the past few weeks!

"If it ain't broke" and saving money

2008-12-18T16:10:00.002-05:00

This year we're hosting Christmas Eve dinner with the fam after the Christmas Eve service at church. Normally this job belongs to my aunt but this year we are doing Christmas at her newly-constructed masterpiece on Skidaway Island. Plan B was to go to a nice restaurant but with two kids, no-thank-you-very-much so I volunteered our home. And since Ryan is working both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, it just makes sense: he can join the fun when he's not dealing with emergencies.

Anyway, I decided to make my White Chili. This stuff is so easy and everyone loves it; it can be cooking while we're at church and ready to eat the minute we get back. The crockpock is always empty after I serve it. And it doesn't have beef so I'll be able to make it without throwing up and eat it - an added bonus. Hopefully no one will be bored, but really, if it ain't broke...

The only downside is that it calls for navy beans, which are kind of pricy. I have yet to find a generic brand and the cans at most stores are around $1 / can. And considering I need about 15 cans for the 3 crockpots full of chili that I'm going to churn out on Christmas Eve, this meal could end up being quite expensive. So to cut costs, I'm going to use dried beans. I have never met a bean I didn't like and cooking them fresh is something I enjoy (obviously, given my obsession with slow cooker black beans!). I bet I'll be able to get all the beans I need for less than $3.

How are you saving money this Christmas?

A little something

2008-12-11T07:38:00.004-05:00

I've been busy cutting, measuring, sewing this week and with a little help from Sarah (thank you! thank you!), here is what I came up with:

My first applique project! I'm pretty happy with the result. And making things, creating, brings me so much joy!

Hopefully a smaller version will sport an "E" later this week...and I'm hoping to turn out a few more for Christmas gifts so shhh, don't tell anyone.

Menu planning Tuesdays

2008-12-10T06:40:00.002-05:00

The next few weeks are going to busy so *easy* is the name of the game for our meals around here. I want to have time for all the fun things Christmas brings including the first annual Moody Make-a-Gingerbread-House party next week (more on that later).

Here's What's for Dinner:
Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings using Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits

Pesto Gnocci with Green Beans & Ricotta (sounds hard but is SO EASY--and gnocci can be hard to find so I use tortellini)

Pork Tenderloin, Steamed Spinach (from my farm box), Risotto

Three-Cheese Pasta Bake from Southern Living Busy Mom's Weeknight Favorites (a fabulous cookbook, complete with shopping lists and menus)

Chili Corn Stack-Up Salad (huge favorite of mine, it's made an appearance here before :))

Zippy Shrimp Spread, for the church Christmas Buffet this Sunday evening

Today I'm going to Wal-Mart and Sam's. That thought makes me want to crawl back into bed but unfortunately, we are out of toilet paper, diapers and milk so I must press on.

Have a great Tuesday!

Looking for yummy appetizers?

2008-12-08T07:49:00.007-05:00

If you are in the market for easy, delicious and festive appetizers to make for your upcoming Christmas soirees, you have come to the right place! I have made both of these in the past two weeks and received rave reviews. People begging for the recipes. And both are so incredibly easy.

First, Savannah Sin, courtesy of the Junior League of Savannah:

Savannah Sin
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 Lb. loaf round French bread

½ Cup chopped green chilies*

1 ½ Cups sour cream8 Oz. cream cheese, softened

½ Tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 Cup chopped green onions

½ Cup chopped cooked ham (I used lunch meat ham)

Combine the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, ham, green chilies, green onions and Worcestershire in a bowl and mix well. Cut a thin slice from the top of the bread loaf and set aside. Remove the center carefully, leaving a shell. Cut the bread from the center into 1-inch cubes. Fill the bread shell with the dip; top with the reserved bread top. Bake 350 for 1 hour. Serve with bread cubes, crackers, or chips.

*Chilies are optional. I didn't use them.

And secondly, Zippy Shrimp Spread, from someone in the WOC at First Pres Augusta -

Zippy Shrimp Spread
Beat 2 8-oz packages cream cheese (softened) until smooth. Beat in 1 t. seasoning salt, 1 t. Worschester sauce and 1/2 t. onion powder. Spread onto a 13" platter. Combine 1 12-oz bottle of cocktail sauce and 1 T. horseradish and spread over cream cheese. Top with 2 6-oz cans of tiny shrimp, drained and rinsed. Sprinkle dried parsley on top.

This one is especially fun at Christmas: people think shrimp are fancy and the red sauce combined with the green parsley is oh-so-Christmasy.

Enjoy!

This week

2008-12-05T07:33:00.004-05:00

This week I didn't really do much that would qualify as blog-worthy, just been busy decorating for Christmas, preparing for a party at my house this week-end, hanging out with girls in my neighborhood and cleaning up throw-up. But I did make one meal that I just had to share. It was delicious and took about 3 minutes to prepare, from start to finish. It's from a blog that I found a couple of months ago, called A Year of Crockpotting. So far I've found a few keepers on this site, including the stand-out Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup. I used 2 frozen chicken breasts and canned black beans. I used an immersion blender at the end and it was fabulous. We have plenty of leftovers. Make this: you won't be sorry. Oh, and I cooked mine on high for 6 hours. And that was plenty.

And from last week, a picture of Charlie and Elliot, on the day we stayed home from church to do Elliot's eternal cold. This was just after half of our living floor was had to be replaced due to water damage. Charlie was quite pleased with the glue bucket that took up residence in our house and called it his "tuffet." Hilarious.

PS - The only day since Halloween that Charlie hasn't worn his Sir Topham Hat costume was Thanksgiving, when he wore his indian costume. And Elliot is sometimes tricked by Charlie into wearing his Halloween hat...

One more time

2008-12-01T21:35:00.002-05:00

Georgians, we need to vote one more time...the run-off tomorrow is so important. Don't forget to vote!

I'm thankful for...

2008-11-29T08:30:00.002-05:00

My terrific husband and our happy marriage

Yummy and plentiful food, wonderful family and great friends (especially the ones who wear their daughter's headdress to the table)...

Precious little Elliot, on his first Thanksgiving

And our two wild Indians, who keep us busy, happy and oh-so-tired

I'm also thankful for old friends...there's nothing quite like 'em! So far this month, we've gotten to see Rachel Gross (find her on Facebook if you know her!), Melissa and Chris Dyches and last night, Matt and Katherine!! We had a reunion of our old Savannah crew at our house last night. Too bad we didn't take any pictures...oh well! But we did have White Chili and everyone wanted the recipe; here you go!

White Chili

Season two large chicken breasts and boil them—reserve the chicken stock (season the water with bullion, olive oil, seasoning salt, whatever you think will taste good).
Take 5 cans of navy beans and drain some of the liquid off (keep some of it b/c it thickens up the chili)

In a pan, warm some olive oil and add the following:
1 tsp cumin (use more/less to taste--usually just keep seasoning til it tastes good)
1 small onion chopped
1 small can green chili’s drained
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro chopped up (use more or less to taste
Simmer this for a while.

After chicken is cooked, cut into small pieces (reserve broth)
Put the seasoning above in a pot with the chopped chicken, beans.
Add a little chicken stock to the pot (keep the rest for something else – yummy!).
Simmer on low for an hour and eat (or cook in a crock pot like I did)

2008-11-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile. A long while. Sad for you. Just kidding.

I have not been posting lately because I have been so. dang. tired. Elliot has been doing very random things in the night, like waking up in the middle of the night screaming to eat (only happened twice) but almost every other night for the past 2 weeks he's woken up at some point and just "talked" in his bed for over an hour. And since we have to use a monitor now, I can hear all that. I've tried turning it down so low that I only hear screaming and that does work. But once I'm awake, I can't go back to sleep. So I'm pretty much awake for a couple of hours every night. And even if he doesn't wake up, I do. Because I'm in a habit of waking up now. I'm considering some sleeping medicine. I should not be this tired. I don't even have a newborn. *sigh*

And being so tired means I'm not getting up as early, which means I'm starting the day behind and not getting a jump start on my day like I normally do. *sigh* I think I'm just going to get up earlier anyway and just deal with the sleepiness.

Anyway, we've been enjoying this nice chilly weather and warming up by the fire for the past few nights. Thank goodness for fireplace screens, is all I have to say!

And I picked up my second box from the farm yesterday and am trying to figure out what to do with kale, cauliflower and persimmons (any suggestions?). I didn't do much menu planning this week, because we have lots of things on-hand already, but I did make Moroccan Lentil Soup last night and it was yummy. Tonight we are having Mexican because Ryan is on call all week-end and we normally like to do something fun before he works a week-end.

I'm making Brown-Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake for a ladies church social on Saturday . And probably a friend's Chicken Chili recipe for dinner.

And this week-end is Christmas Made in the South, which I attend with my mom, sisters, aunts and cousins every year. Yipee!

And better late than never: the requested Slow-Cooker Black Beans recipe.

2008-11-06T16:14:00.004-05:00

I really like to make babyfood. I think the commercial jars are quite the rip-off and ever since reading Super Baby Food when Charlie was a baby, I've been taken with the idea of making it myself. So I decided to dig into the fresh fruits and veggies that came in my box from the farm. I found a great website on making homemade baby food that recommends pumpkin, among other things. So I baked that pie pumpkin I got in my box, scooped out the flesh, pureed it with water and a little cinnamon and boy-oh-boy, it was a HIT with Elliot. He gobbled it up like he hadn't eaten in years. And now when he eagerly takes his first bite of dinner, he's visibly disappointed when he finds out its peas and carrots mixed in with his YoBaby instead of pumpkin.

Homemade, all-natural, organic, cheap: what's not to love about pumpkin baby food made right at home?! Here's the proof.

Menu Planning Tuesdays? I'm way too tired. Just got back from a quick trip to Augusta to meet a friend's new baby and got ZERO sleep last night. Had to sleep in a bed with Charlie, in the same room with Elliot. Charlie has never slept in a big-boy bed before and has never slept with me. Recipe for disaster. We were up from 1:30am-4:30am (no exaggeration): "Hi Mommy" / "Pet my head Mommy" / "I love you Mommy" / "I go downstairs Mommy." Cute, but not at 4am.

PS - We are not fans of eggplant...

Menu planning Tuesdays

2008-11-04T15:15:00.004-05:00

Awhile back, I was feeling very overwhelmed and decided to take a step back from menus, cooking and other things. So I've spent the past few weeks thinking and planning, working on our daily schedules and routines and ironing out a new household maintenance schedule (more on that later). I think I'm finally climbing out of the "I'm-so-overwhelmed-hole" and am ready to jump back into cooking (not to mention the fact that Sarah gave me and a few of my recipes a shout-out on her blog).

Another big factor in my decision to get back into the kitchen is that we signed up for an every-other-week delivery of fresh fruits and veggies from Heritage Organic Farm. Today I picked up my first box (pictured above) of fresh, organic produce and couldn't wait to look through it and work on our menu for the week. A real pie pumpkin, apples, grapefruit, pears, a whole pineapple, an avocado, carrots, onions and eggplant were included in this week's box.

But my new schedule doesn't have me menu planning on Mondays anymore - it's now a Tuesday task. So: enter Menu-Planning Tuesdays!

So here is what we are going to be eating for dinner this next week:
Cheese Tortellini in lite broth with Parmesan Crisps (Thanks Sarah!)

Eggplant Parmesan, garlic bread -- something I've been wanting to try for awhile since I'm almost a vegetarian but was never inspired enough to actually buy an eggplant!

Black bean soup, cornbread

Cranberry Chicken (recipe similar to this one, but no french dressing), rice, okra & tomatoes

Lentil Soup, pita chips

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PS - Go Vote!

Costume Fun

2008-10-30T06:27:00.003-05:00

Last year Charlie was miserable in his big 'ole Elmo costume. Miserable. Wanted out of it the second we put it on him. But this year, he's all about dressing up. Probably because he's Sir Topham Hat! Thomas and his friends and trains in general are his absolute favorite so this costume is right up his alley.

Elliot was going to be Superman like Charlie was when he was a baby but last week Charlie said, "Elliot be a train." So I scored a costume for E online. Anyway, this Topham costume was so fun to put together. I bought a Size 3T tux from a kids consignment store. It had a black vest and bow-tie so I had to get creative: I sewed yellow felt to the front of the vest and made a black tie and some tails for the jacket with some fabric remnants. Charlie had fun watching me sew and could hardly wait until I was finished.

And adding to the fun, this year we had a neighborhood party at our clubhouse so the kids were able to wear their costumes last night. It's nice to get some mileage out of the costumes...and I'm happy to have a distraction from the election intensity of the past week.

Please comment with a link to your cute kiddos and their costumes...would love to see all of them!

And another one

2008-10-27T14:33:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXcImQfubM

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs...is this really us, fellow Americans?

Is this why our ancestors and our great-grand-fathers and grandfathers fought and died? Is this why our husbands and brothers and sons and friends are out in the world fighting for freedom even now?

Don't miss this

2008-10-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

Please take a minute to checkout Candace's blog today. and the link she has posted..you won't be sorry.

Vote for Sarah Palin

2008-10-23T13:29:00.001-05:00

PBS Poll...

Click on link and vote YES! Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html <http://www.pbs..org/now/polls/poll-435.html>

An Investment

2008-10-21T14:06:00.004-05:00

I finally invested in a new bag. As you know, I don't like diaper bags. Sometimes they are a necesary evil (church or preschool) but most of the time, I just throw all of our gear into one bag. This past summer, I had a great yellow bag. It was from Wet Seal and it lasted all summer. I was sad when it finally broke (actually, the pleather peeled off). Anyway, I have been through 2 bags so far this fall and neither worked out. One had too many pockets and one broke. So I bit the bullet and invested in a nice bag, a Longchamp tote--the black one with brown leather handles. This one is kinda hard to find, often sold out. It was sold out last time I tried to find it. But I tried again last week and snagged it. I am so pleased with this purchase and it's already been road-tested: I spilled milk and pretzels inside it and it cleaned up very nicely. So far, it's well worth the money. And I didn't have to drive my double stroller into Wet Seal to purchase it.

In other news, Janelle and her hubby and precious baby visited this week-end! We had a great time...just wish it was longer. We miss you already, J!

Two more pictures

2008-10-16T13:44:00.003-05:00

Lauren and Simmons...our sweet hostesses!

2008-10-16T13:19:00.004-05:00

Today we painted pumpkins with friends from church. Everyone had fun and I have so many pictures! To see more, checkout Fef's blog. But here are my favorites. Enjoy!

Elliot and his best friend Wyatt (they are 2 days apart!)

Sorry, Wy, didn't mean to get paint IN your ear!

Charlie, I said paint the pumpkin, not paint the brother! :)

"Are we having fun? I'm not sure!"

Needless to say, Elliot needed 2 baths to get clean! Here he is, painting with his one little finger (he touches everything like that these days).

Charlie showing off his messy hands.

Why I'm Angry

2008-10-15T13:59:00.003-05:00

This election season has been quite tumultuous for me personally. I've taken turns being interested, angry, vocal, bitter, obsessed and as of late, angry. I'm not angry in a only-Christians-should-be-president/Christian-right kinda way. In fact, I'm more of a Libertarian. I know Roe v. Wade is not going to be overturned at the national level; I'm all for civil unions ('tho leave "marriage" alone; John Kerry had a great apologetic for this viewpoint in the last election season...before he changed his mind of course); and I didn't vote for Mike Huckabee (gasp). I was a Giuliani gal before he let us all down and tried to defy history by giving up IO and NH. Anyway, I'm angry because of what this Obama factor is doing to our country and to me. Here in the deep South and if I'm honest, in my own heart, his presence is not helping race or socio-economic relations. At all. In fact, quite the opposite is taking place. All compassion that I've had for the "under-privileged" has all but disappeared. Why? Mostly because so many of the poor people that Obama wants us to support are not poor. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not include Blackberries, fancy tennis shoes or satellite TV. It doesn't even really include education if you ask me. And the Obama TV ads, interviews and everything else is constantly reminding me that in a few short weeks, I could be paying even more.

Let me describe for you a few scenarios:

1. To get to our house, you have to drive through a "low-income" neighborhood. Many of the houses are even subsidized. However, there are many, many satellites sprinkled throughout the neighborhood as well as a few Navigators and Cadillacs (I drive a Kia).

2. I'm shopping for shoes for Charlie, trying to find a good deal. This season is THE first time that I've ever bought name-brand, brand-new tennis shoes for my child. All the other shoes he's had have been hand-me-downs, generic or bought second hand. I've changed my philosophy on buying Charlie things now that we have Elliot so I was going to bite the bullet and pay full price. While I was in the store, trying to find the best deal, there was another group there, about 5 or 6 kids, a guy and a girl. All looked very young. Some were calling the guy by his first name, some called him dad. Same with the woman. These kids were all decked out in fancy tennis shoes and both of the adults had cell phones with Bluetooth. I really hate to stereotype but I'm going to do so anyway: I would be willing to bet the farm that these people received some sort of government assistance, be it housing, food stamps or health care. (I would not have even paid attention to this crew a few weeks ago but that day I could hardly think of anything else).

3. The woman in front of me at Wal-Mart uses foodstamps to buy her Lucky Charms, frozen convenience foods, milk and juice boxes (I don't buy juice boxes regularly because to me they are a waste of our hard-earned money)...while talking on what else? Her Blackberry. And what is she wearing? An Obama "Change You Can Believe In" shirt.

4. My sister works for a big medical group here in Savannah and does medical billing. Not long after her second boy was born back in April, she was talking to some co-workers about the high price of formula. They were all shocked that she "had" to buy her own formula. They get theirs for free. They told her to just go down to the welfare office and get the tickets. It's that easy.

And they drive better cars than Anna and me.

5. I'm driving around downtown Savannah one Saturday and I spy a school supply giveaway sign. And people lined up for 4 blocks. Initially my heart is softened for these children, but that quickly changes as I notice the way these people are dressed and the cell phones and Bluetooth devices glued to their bodies. These people are not poor. They truly believe that "their" money is to be used to buy what they want and we (people who actually make money) should buy them what they need. Ridiculous. I still can't even believe it. I already pay for their education, their healthcare and their food. I was not about to buy their school supplies.

Where is personal responsibility? Why do Democrats insist on keeping people poor and dependent? Oh wait, I know: they do it to get elected. In the words of Mayor Kate Hennings from the movie Sweet Home Alabama: "There is nothing wrong with poor people. I get elected by poor people."

So what can I do? Nothing really. I can vote and I can repent of my hard, hard heart. I can support causes that really minister to people who need help the most. But I will not ever think it is right or good or Christian to allow people to wallow in self-pity and reward the sense of entitlement that is so rampant in our country today.

And I can steal Obama signs, which is what the picture at the top of this post is all about. It's a tradition that Jill and I started back in Charlottesville during the 2004 election. We had fun then and I had fun today. I'll probably be adding a few more in the coming days.

What we've been doing lately

2008-10-10T13:16:00.004-05:00

Enjoying the lovely fall (ahem: 80+ degree temps) in Savannah...

Playing in the park with friends

Painting Pumpkin Rocks

Enjoying Wiener Dog Races at Oktoberfest on River Street...where's Waldo: can you find Ryan/Charlie and David/Tyson in that crowd?

Election Emotions

2008-10-08T15:02:00.005-05:00

While watching the debates and the general election coverage, I'm filled with many emotions...fear, , pride, disgust, disdain, hope, and others that don't need to be mentioned here on this blog. And since the VP debate: curiosity.

Did Joe Biden get Botoxed? So I did some research. I think YES, botox has definitely occurred.

Not sure when this photo was taken but I notice a marked difference between then and now. What say you?

2008-10-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

So as I've been blogging recently, I've been somewhat conflicted over time management, fighting my perfectionist tendencies , doing the most important things in life, etc. Deciding what is important has been somewhat problematic...most things in my life seem really important. So I've been reading, praying, thinking about all of this lately--and blogging about it a little bit--but oddly, not discussing this in much detail with friends here in Savannah (except for a couple of short discussions here and there with Sarah and Marlo). Venting electronically seems so much easier, less personal. But really incomplete, as I realized today during a discussion with the girls in my young mother's Bible study. Today we were all able to get really personal, discuss our familes, husbands, children, our struggles and even shed a few tears (which felt soo good. For someone who cried all the time in college, I sure am emotionally stunted sometimes as an adult). Anyway, my biggest struggle has been just getting it all done and maintaining a little bit of Emily and things she likes to do. So I just said it today, asked for prayer. And you know what: community happened. We all shared, we all rallied around each other and I left feeling more whole, more complete and much less guilty and confused.

And in regards to "spending time" with the kids, these girls had some great insight, great thoughts and overall, a lot of encouragement to give me. They are abosolutely right: this whole "quality time" thing is a new invention. We don't remember our moms playing with us constantly. And we don't agree with that concept, no matter what the world tries to sell us about the importance of leisure time and always being entertained. A neat, orderly home in which to live, to be safe from the world; food lovingly prepared (even if it is grilled cheese and canned tomato soup like we had last night); clean clothes to wear; opportunities to read/be exposed to good books and to play creatively; to be yourself--these are the things that make for a happy childhood. And these things don't just happen. It takes a mother's attention and devotion, not her constant availability as a playmate. So now, encouraged by these friends, enlightened by a few week's of praying and thinking, I'm much more sure and confident in my role as a wife, mother and keeper of our home.

So feeling much more like myself, I'm going to spring into Fall (hahah) by making some pumpkin bread and other things off of this fabulous website I found last night. And I might just pull out my new fabric and sew some playroom curtains!

Disturbing?

2008-10-02T14:28:00.002-05:00

Today I received an email from Pottery Barn advertising their Halloween decor. Does anyone else find this particular line of products to be rather odd? And somewhat disturbing? I definitely do. Every year the ghost candles and spiderweb tablecloths and skull-whatevers creep me out. This year they've really outdone themselves with the Spooky House Wall Mural.

And I wonder: must every single retail company in the world capitalize on every holiday?

2008-10-01T14:48:00.002-05:00

Thanks to those who emailed and responded via comments to my last post. I do appreciate your input. I think that our current schedule and my new enthusiasm for fighting femcha will help me to stay on track and accomplish my goals - getting stuff done around the house, pursuing interests of my own (other than cooking and cleaning!), reading/teaching with the kids and teaching them to play independently. So far this week is going great...and we are having frozen pizza and salad for dinner. I'm so proud.

Today I've been working on one of my hobbies, Southern Living At Home. I love these products. I want one of each. If you are bored, checkout my website. You can find the list of specials (something Southern Living is really known for)--October specials are fabulous--and browse the on-line catalog.

Just a survey

2008-09-29T14:41:00.004-05:00

I am seriously wondering how much time other moms spend playing or reading with their children during the course of an average day (as in before the dads come home from work). And when does this quality time take place? Please chime in here...I'm seriously curious. One hour? 3 hours? 20 minutes?

Personally, it's around 2 hours, on a regular day. I usually try to read for 20 or so minutes a day, right before naptime. And we our morning devotions time and outside play. Scattered here and there are a few minutes of random playing, in the midst of what is now my most time-consuming task: feeding everyone. Especially now that Elliot needs solids in addition to four nursing periods.

Now that I'm fighting femcha and my perfectionist personality, I'm spending more time thinking about what really matters and working towards accomplishing those things. And more FUN with the kids is def. high on the list.

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Tonight we are having Pork & Pasta with Gorgonzola Cream (again). Though this sounds like a very ambitious recipe, it's really not...it's very easy and very yummy. You should try it. Especially you lurkers who read but don't comment. :) Oh - don't use whipping cream. I never do. Substitute evaporated skim milk. You most the whipping cream or the extra calorites, I promise.

Update: when cooking my pork in the aforementioned recipe, I do not cut it into medallions and pan-sear it. That would be quite time-consuming and stressful, making this recipe femcha (for me anyway). Instead, I combine the spices to make a rub and then bake the tenderloin in the oven for the amount of time specified on the package. Very easy.

Fashion on a Friday

2008-09-26T13:46:00.002-05:00

Will this turn into Fashion Fridays? Not sure. Not sure I really care. I'm not going to add one more thing to stress about...down with femcha! (See my previous post if you are lost here.)

In the September issue of Real Simple, there is an article called, "Trends Worth Trying." I couldn't resist buying a copy (I'm highly interested in fashion and trends, even tho most days I wear a kids XL white undershirt and workout shorts). This article contains quite a few juicy trends I'd like to try but the one that really caught my eye was "Patent-leather riding boots." I'm in the market for new black boots and the idea of patent is intriguing. But here is my question: do they have to be riding boots?? I spotted a nice pair of patent-leather boots--moderate heel, pointed toe--while walking to the alterations shop this morning. And they were reasonably priced but decidedly not riding boots.

So back to my question: do they have to be riding boots? Would it be trashy or otherwise inappropriate to wear dressy patent-leather boots to say, church? Please weigh in. And in the meantime, I'm going to consult the latest issue of my favorite magazine: People Stylewatch.

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p.s. Thanks to everyone for speaking up about the pressures we all face as women--so SO glad I'm not alone. And I'm really trying...I went to bed w/out doing the dishes last night. I watched The Office on the couch while reading a magazine and then turned the light out on the mess and crawled into bed...without feeling guilty!

I'm still going to plan menus BUT...

2008-09-24T13:57:00.004-05:00

...you just can't do everything. Nope. No matter how hard you try or how late you stay up. And that is what God is teaching me today, right now.

Before I had two children, I used to be able to keep the house immaculate, cook lovely and delicious meals, serve them steaming hot and perfectly seasoned on a very stylishly decorated table. I could show up to dinner with a smile and makeup, wearing something other than workout attire (having already worked out and showered, of course). I could enjoy that delicious meal while talking about the challenges and successes of my day in corporate America, vent about how busy I was and leisurely enjoy my glass wine; I'd even have a few brain cells left to hear about Ryan's day. I'd then clean the kitchen and dishes (which wasn't hard, because it was already immaculate) and with a second glass of wine in hand, head for the sparkling clean bathroom, complete with freshly washed towels and an assortment of bath products. I would also manage our finances and do the laundry. Ryan never ran out of underwear and all the bills were always paid on time.

And then Charlie was born...and I went back to work 6 weeks later. And about 6 weeks after that, our water suddenly stopped working. Because the bill was late. And that was when reality really started to settle in, at first just a gentle whisper..."Emily, you can't do it all." But I kept trying. I kept trying all through Charlie's first year and a half of life, trying to be a 100% employee, 100% home manager, 100% mother and 100% wife. And when I realized that wasn't working, I switched to part-time, kept trying to juggle everything. And then Elliot was born and we moved 4 times in 3 months (Augusta to Savannah Apt, Augusta to PODs, Apt to house, PODs to house) and Ryan's job is much busier and this new house requires more work to maintain and Charlie is very two and requiring lots of "management" and Elliot is needing solid foods and on and on and on...And I'm still wearing myself out, almost in tears most days over the mess that doesn't go away, the dogs that refuse to obey, the almost-constant needs of the children, all the while knowing that this is not how it is supposed to be...

Don't get me wrong: I love my life. I'm honored that God has given me these children and a husband with a demanding job; I love having this much responsibility and I'm much two controlling not to run our house. :) I wouldn't change a thing. And most of the time, this inward struggle towards perfection is not even noticeable to those around me. I just keep smiling (most of the time), all the while thinking of what I should be doing and how what I've just done is not enough. But really it is enough. So today, right now, this week, I'm going to start working towards being able to let things go. Let the dishes sit in the sink for longer than 5 minutes. Let the dog hair sit on the floor and ignore the banana-smeared high chair. Because there are babies to enjoy and a 2 year old who needs to see joy, peace and patience modeled for him, not just discussed. This quote from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People spoke to me:

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. - Goethe

So with God's help, I want to relax; let things go; do the most important things, the ones that will matter for eternity. And let the other things go. It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to try. Jill would call this femcha and I'm going to join the fight against it!

So back to menu planning: I'm still going to do it but meal preparation is my first area of attack. So for the near future, we're going to be eating very simple meals: salad and baked potatoes, grilled chicken and veggies and old stand-by casseroles like my mom's Poppyseed Chicken. We'll see how it goes!

And since I'm going to stop stressing so much about the house and meals, maybe I'll have time to figure out my new camera and actually post some pictures!

Shopping on Facebook?

2008-09-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

Just saw this add on Facebook:

Nationwide in stores in U.S. & Canada, Friday through Sunday!Bring in a Friend, say the password ‘BFF‘ and you’ll both save 20%!RSVP now and invite your friends.To redeem in store, you and your friend need only say the password ‘BFF’ at time of purchase. No coupon necessary.To redeem online, enter this promo code at checkout: BFFOnline code limited to one time U.S. purchase only.To learn more please visit: : http://next.oldnavypromotions.com/?v=bff&tid=ONFB1Offer valid on Old Navy merchandise only from September 19, 2008 to September 21, 2008 in the US (including Puerto Rico) at gap.com, bananarepublic.com, oldnavy.com, piperlime.com, and Old Navy stores in U.S. & Canada.

Who knew Facebook contained such tidbits? I think I'm going to do some shopping right now!

Shopping Green

2008-09-17T20:14:00.003-05:00

Ever since I decided to start going green(er), I've been looking for high quality, reusable, and CHEAP shopping bags. A personal soapbox of mine is the way everyone and their brother is trying to profit from the green movement, from taking care of the environment. I really, really hate that. It's pathetic. If the environment is important and so precarious, one should not have to be a member of the upper crust in order to afford environmentally friendly, sustainable products. ANYWAY, I finally found a winner at Jo-Ann's Fabric & Crafts and I bought 3. For $1 each. And they are huge, with very long handles. Perfection. I test-drove them today at Kroger and I loved it. More groceries fit in these huge bags so I had less trips from the car to the house. I am hooked and will probably be back for a few more. As an aside: Kroger gave me a free reusable wine bag. It has several slots to hold multiple bottles of wine. Very cool.

Other green changes we've made around the house:
- No longer purchasing paper plates, cups, disposable silverware
- Very infrequent use of paper towels (just bought my first package since moving)
- No more disposable water bottles

We're starting small but really want to tackle recycling next. We had to get the garage cleaned out first, ha!

---------------------------------------
In other news, Candace is coming to visit this week-end! She's driving down from Richmond with Baby Caroline and Zippy. Should be fun!

In her honor, I'm making Pork & Pasta with Gorgonzola Cream Friday night. As an almost vegetarian, that really is a sacrifice! :) I'm sure Ryan will appreciate it as well, if he gets to come home from the hospital anytime this week-end!

Other items on the menu this week:
- French toast
- Brunswick Stew
- Grits Casserole with Turkey Sausage
- Apple, Turkey and Cheddar meatballs

Pet Peeves & Pictures

2008-09-12T15:31:00.003-05:00

One of my major pet peeves in life is people overreacting to stressful situations or potential natural disasters, like the election of Bill Clinton, hurricaines, Y2K, and the struggling economy. My first memory of being annoyed at an overreaction was the night Bill won the presidency. I was home-schooled at that time and I can remember the entire home-schooling community going into mourning, thinking that the assault on their civil liberties had begun and that all of their 8 million children were doomed to public education (gasp). Of course that didn't happen. Taxes sure were high (my parents with 6 kids living at home on a >40K salary had to make monthly IRS payments) but life as we know it did not end with the onset of the Clinton Years. And when everyone started taking money out of the banks and stocking up on food and weapons in preparation for Y2K, I could not believe it. I mean, what good is an arsenal going to do you if we cannot operate any of our electronics, cars, etc? Anyway, the behavior I witnessed today at local gas stations was on par with the gross overreactions I just described. People at Sam's Club were lined up into the street AND many were filling up cans AND CANS of gas. It was insane. I actually needed gas, unfortunately for me so I had to wait and it took about 30 minutes for me to get a turn. Come on, people. Take on for the team and pay a few cents more in gas for a few days. Overall, it will do us good in the end because all you are doing is increasing the demand, decreasing the supply and you don't need a degree in economics to know what that does to the price of gasoline. I would say that gas went up about 20 cents today in our community. In fact, the price increase was so drastic that I started receiving text messages from our local news stations about it (apparently they are about to start arresting people for price gauging around here).

So please, if you are reading this, do us all a favor and don't buy gas unless you need it. If something really awful happens and our supply of gas is completely cut-off, your one tank and a few gas cans full of gas is not going to save you. And is it really worth the $5 or $10 you are going to save?

On another note, we had a photographer friend come out to the house earlier this week and take some pictures, mostly of Elliot as he has not had many pics AT ALL taken but she took a few of the rest of us too. They turned out really well, I think. You can see a few of them on her blog.

Happy Friday!

Couch to 5k

2008-09-10T05:54:00.002-05:00

I get lots of questions on exercise, how to fit it in, what I do, etc. And basically, the easy part for me is that I like to exercise. I love lifting weights, running, walking, listening to my generic IPod, etc. I love playing sports (ultimate frisbee, soccer) and basking in the excitement that goes along with them. And I really miss all of that. Though very convenient, it's just not as fun to run in my closet, looking at the wall, no matter how good the music is. So, as I did the year after Charlie was born, I've signed up for a few 5K races: United Way Walk-the-Walk in October, Ten Can / Turkey Trot in November, and I'm still thinking on the Savannah River Bridge Run (that hill is huge). I get the team sports "high" without the commitment to a team.

To get ready for these races, I use the Couch-to-5K running plan. This plan really makes it easy and it really is an interval work-out plan, which is an overall better workout than just running. I'm on Week 2 and am already feeling more fit. And working towards a goal is much more rewarding than just getting on the treadmill day after day. I can promise you that.

I'm still loosely following the Abs Diet for Women. I'll be drinking lots of post-workout smoothies over the next few weeks, including my favorite, easy go-to smoothies: Abs Diet Ultimate Smoothie, Lemon Drips and Drops, and Halle Berries. If I could recommend one change to anyone out there wanting to increase energy, be more fit, or lose weight: start drinking smoothies. It really does help and they are delicious. I use the Magic Bullet to blend my smoothies and it makes the whole process so easy. Drink up!

Menu Planning Mondays

2008-09-08T20:42:00.004-05:00

I'm keeping it simple this week because I have quite a few projects I'm working on around here, including--dum, da, da, dum, dum--painting the master bathroom myself (my sister finished the wallpaper on Saturday - thanks Anna!) and finishing up the kids vanity. I also have quite a few pieces of furniture to paint so there's no shortage of tasks. Because of this, we are mostly eating out of the freezer and gnoshing on some simple salads, like Ellie Krieger's Curried Chicken Salad. I am going to make one of my mom's recipes, Citrus Rosemary Turkey Tenderloins and will let you know how that turns out.

Tonight I finished up my painting earlier than I expected so I whipped up some Parmesan Grits to go along with our pan-fried Tilapia and WOW. Delicious. I omitted the soup, substituted canned evaporated milk for regular milk and used dried basil and it turned out great. And I probably saved some calories too. We really love grits around here and I'm always game for trying new recipes. This one is def. a keeper (Charlie had 3 helpings).

In other news, I ordered a camera off Overstock and as soon as it arrives, I'll be posting some much-requested photos of the kiddos and probably a shot or two of the completed projects (fingers crossed).

Ciao. (haha)

PS - I know I need to get off the politics soapbox BUT did anyone see the Obama v. O'Reilly interview series? I highly recommend it - very enlightening.

And it keeps on comin'

2008-09-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

Not that we really needed ANOTHER reason to strongly-very intensely-vehemently dislike Gloria Steinem but regardless, we have one. She has now weighed in on Sarah Palin with a whacked out opinion.

I really can't believe it. She has contradicted her basic beliefs in a big way and there are many crazy things in this LA Times article but I can't resist commenting on the last paragraph:

And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.

Are you kidding me? Being a mom and having a career is the overwhelming cause of the suffering of women in this country? Suffering? That is nothing short of ridiculous. There is no doubt that motherhood involves suffering but that is part and parcel of the job irregardless of any other factor. I cannot believe that this statement came out of the original femi-nazi. So to avoid this suffering, women should give up one of their full-time jobs? If so, which one? And as someone who has never mothered while working, I find her hardly qualified to speak on this matter.

And since when is the domesticity of fathers an Obama/Biden campaign slogan? If anyone is looking for advice on how fathers can "be equal in the home" so "women can be equal outside the home," perhaps they should schedule a coffee date with Todd Palin, who seems to be um, writing the book on this subject.

Oh - before I forget: make sure you don't miss the excellent journalism of Us Weekly, the magazine that claims to deliver the "latest breaking news and information on top celebrity stories, style, and more." If you want to know about Bristol's boyfriends tatoo or what baby gifts Bristol received from Jamie Lynn Spears, make sure you check out http://www.usmagazine.com/. From what I read, they should have stuck to fashion and celebrity news. Politics is really not "their thing."

Now THIS is selacious:

2008-09-02T19:53:00.003-05:00

Sarah Palin's teenage daughter's private life and decisions are getting just as much attention as Bill Clinton did when he did who-knows-what (wait, we all know exactly what) with Monica while in the White House--and then lied about it.

If you want to read more about the absurd coverage of Sarah Palin, make sure you checkout the past few days of entry's on Jill's blog. Or just turn on CNN so you can watch for yourself while the liberals try to roll back women's rights.

And apparently P. Diddy has a problem with the entire state of Alaska. He has a really valuable and well-thought argument, which you can read about here.

Bottom line: to get so dirty, so desperate, the liberals must be really, really scared of Sarah Palin. And they should be.

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Menu planning Monday has been cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Hanna. We'll likely be drinking bottle water and eating canned beans for the next few days. Fun. If you need me, I'll be bungee-cording my new shutters. Ahem.

No love for Bill

2008-09-01T15:09:00.002-05:00

Ryan & I laughed about this for about 3 hours yesterday...and about 2 more today after I found the video online at foxnews.com. Please check out the video at the link below. You'll thank me, I promise.

Bill Rejected

And be sure to turn up the volume on your computer. The Fox & Friends commentary is hilarious.

Someone to look up to

2008-08-29T15:11:00.005-05:00

I want to be Sarah Palin when I grow up...faithful wife, loving mother, succesful business woman who loves and serves her country...this woman makes me proud to be a woman and an American.

Fighting Momnesia

2008-08-28T06:23:00.004-05:00

Every mother I've ever talked to has agreed: bearing children kills, at least temporarily, brain cells. Seriously. Some have called this phenomenon Momnesia. While the term really explains it all, you can read more about it here. After Charlie was born, I went back to work after just 6 weeks of maternity leave. While I did feel really clueless for awhile, being forced to use my brain and other pre-baby skills so soon fought Momnesia for me. But I did not go back after Elliot was born and have been fighting Movenesia in addition to Momnesia every since.

One fun thing I did this week was sign up for Dictionary.com Word of the Day Mailing List. Each day I receive an email with the Word of the Day, it's definition, and a couple of examples of how it would be used in a sentence, like the one below:

chthonic \THONE-ik\, adjective:Dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld"Driven by dæmonic, chthonic Powers."

-- T.S. Eliot"The chthonic divinity was essentially a god of the regions under the earth; at first of the dark home of the seed, later on of the still darker home of the dead."
-- C. F. Keary"The chthonic imagery of Norine's apartment, which..was black as a coalhole and heated by the furnace of the hostess' unslaked desires

To fight Momnesia yourself or just expand your vocabulary, send a blank message to:join-wordoftheday@lists.lexico.com.

For the record, any amount of Momnesia I have sustained is totally worth it. From the article above:

It turns you into someone who serves that little infant, to keep it alive no matter what," says Brizendine, founder of the Women's and Teen Girls' Mood and Hormone Clinic at the University of California in San Francisco. "Other parts of your brain that are usually on high alert are sort of taken offline." ... Mothers' priorities often change dramatically while caring for a baby. They need to be "hyper vigilant" about their infants, who may develop symptoms of illness that are apparent only to those who have scrutinized their every coo and cry, Brizendine says. "You're on the mother beat all the time. It requires certain parts of your brain to work hyper, hyper, hyper well. But it requires other parts of your brain to play second fiddle." ... The cost of that vigilance can be a little ditziness, and that is a price many moms are willing to pay.

Down with the Diaper Bag

2008-08-27T13:28:00.008-05:00

For the past 2 years, 5 months and twenty-something days, I've faced a dilemma: how to easily, and stylishly, transport all my gear and the gear required to manage Charlie (and now Elliot) while we are out and about.

I've gone through many, many bags these past 2+ years. And in the process, a major paradigm shift has occurred. But before I explain, here is a brief history of my experience with The Diaper Bag.

First bag: precious hand-made monogrammed deal, given to us by a dear friend of the family. Was the perfect size for Charlie's gear but not large enough for my things (mercifully - otherwise I def. would have fallen into the trap I've always wanted to avoid: using a diaper bag as a purse). Pretty sure this is a fashion DON'T. I ended up carrying around my own bag + this one. We still own it - a treasured keepsake!

Bag #2: Vera Bradley Chelsea Green Baby Bag. This bag was HUGE. Way too big for a baby, esp. one who never took a bottle. We only used this bag on a few occasions, mostly on long day or overnight trips.

Bag #3: Standard Stephen Joseph Back Pack with the monkeys. Very unoriginal but quite functional. We used this bag from Charlie's first birthday through today. We still take it to church and other places where Charlie needs supplies like crayons and extra clothes in addition to one diaper and a few wipes.

Bag #4: Tacky Thomas the Train backpack. Not WASPy at all. We only used this one a few times, mostly at Charlie's old school in Augusta.

Bag #5: Enter Elliot. In deciding what to use for Elliot, I went through three different bags:
- Petunia Picklebottom Nightfall in Madrid Shoulder Bag: waaaayyy to big. Sold on ebay.

- Vera Bradley Yellow Bird Messenger: Not diaper-bagish at all. Big enough for my stuff + the babies' gear. Sold it on ebay after receiving the next bag as a gift (just couldn't justify it after getting a bag for free).

- Monogrammed Toile Bag received as a baby gift. Very WASPy and cute. Still in circulation.
But now, I've pretty much decided that I am no longer "into" diaper bags. I haven't really carried on all summer, unless we're going out for an entire day or something. They take up too much space, too much arm room and are, let's face it, just a little too MOM for my liking. Instead, I'm a fan of the huge totes that everyone seems to be lugging around right now. Although unlike all the teenagers out there, I actually have enough stuff to fill it up. I've used this bag all summer -

purchased from Wet Seal in early May (going into Wet Seal with my massive double stroller is another post) and have used it literally ever day since. I carry everything in this bag including but not limited to:
- Extra clothes for Elliot (usually just a onesie)
- Several diapers in two different sizes
- Burp rags
- Wipes
- Small trash bags for um, emergencies
- Sippy cup
- Snacks for me and Charlie
- My water bottle
- Makeup bag
- Phone
- Wallet
- Hand sanitizer
- Paint & fabric swatches
- Measuring tape
- Tide to Go
- Vera Bradley planner
- And on Sundays: Bible, notebook, Screwtape Letters (for Sunday School)

This bag has been a trouper and sadly, the pleather is starting to rip and tear, as is the inside pocket (I lost my lipstick last week and found it inside the liner of the bag, between the lining and the pleather. Thankfully, I was able to fish it out. Whew). It's time to make a trip to the mall and scour Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal and Forever 21 for my Fall bag.
So for me, Down with the Diaper Bag. I'm much more stylish and look much less like a pack mule. It's a Win-Win situation. Try it, you'll never go back.

Menu Planning Mondays & Grocery Shopping with Young Children

2008-08-25T10:23:00.004-05:00

We literally had *nothing* to eat in the house so I had to venture out this morning for a significant amount of food. And of course it was an adventure. We are limited to Publix and Kroger for these large trips as I haven't figured out a way to fit both kids and the groceries into any carts other than the kind that have little cars for Charlie. So Anyway, I chose my weapon (Publix) and headed out the door, bright and early. The car carts were waayyy in the back, stuck behind all the other carts. And of course the cart "dispenser" was right in the doorway. So I made quite a scene trying to wrangle Charlie, keep track of Elliot (patiently waiting in his carrier) and get the car buggy from the back row. The other customers trying to enter the store were not happy. One woman in particular GLARED at me and said in a very unkind voice, "Can you please move these carts" while acting as if she was going to literally run over Elliot with her cart. After I, in a very syrupy sweet voice told her that I was doing my best, she went into a discussion about she understands and has 6 grandkids. I ignored her as she showed no signs of being understanding or grandmotherly. Finally one older gentleman stopped, pulled out the car buggy, gave me an encouraging smile and told me have a good day. Thanks to him, I probably will.

And while I don't expect people to see me and offer to stop what they are doing and help me just because I decided to have two children so close in age, I do think that people could muster a little common courtesy in their interactions with me and other mothers with young children. In the future, I'm going to try to be more consciously polite to the strangers with whom I interact on a day-to-day basis. As becomes a Christian and a just a fellow human being who happens to be breathing the same air and occupying the same space.

--------------------------------------------------

This week's menu only covers up through Thursday. We are having out-of-town company this week-and I'll be doing a special menu for those days.

Tonight: Going to Todd and Marlo's for dinner; bringing Green Jacket Salad (my favorite)

Tuesday: Pecan-Crusted Tilapia with Seasoned Cheese Grits

Wednesday: Buffalo Chicken Salad

Lunches: leftovers, sandwiches and a new favorite around here, from a recent menu, Chili Corn Stack-up Salad (try it, you'll LOVE it)

Snacks:
Lemon Drips and Drops Smoothie
Abs Diet Ultimate Smoothie
Yogurt
Cheese & crackers

What do you do when a tropical storm parks itself near your town?

2008-08-22T07:58:00.004-05:00

You...

...Finger paint on the front porch (anything to get out of the house) and hope that it doesn't turn into finger painting THE front porch

...Unpack the rest of the boxes hanging around your dining / storage room (and stuff the contents into any available closet space; who has time to actually organize the stuff?)

...Paint the stained-white vanity in the kids bathroom pale yellow (we'll see how that turns out)

...Scrounge around for food and come up with some random combos (pancakes and shrimp anyone?)

...Use Clairol Nice N Easy Root Touch-Up to cover your grays (probably gonna wish I'd never done it but managing my ever-increasing batch of grays is another post)

...Read lots of children's books (and cry my eyes out while reading I'll Love you Forever)

...Take your 2 yr old upstairs and actually tell him to jump on the bed (gotta get the energy out somehow)

...Waste way too much time on the Internet

What do you do when the weather is too nasty to get out much? Would welcome any suggestions. Ryan is working all week-end and we are running out of options!

Home Decor: A very bold purchase

2008-08-20T06:32:00.006-05:00

Our new house has proved challenging to decorate thus far, the great room / family room and playroom areas in particular. The family room space is a decent size but it is an awkward shape. Not having much furniture has turned out to be a good thing in that we have been able to pretty much start from scratch, using random hand-me-downs to tide us over while we pick and choose-and save-for furniture purchases. I have been doing a lot of on-line research and spending many hours thumbing through catalogs in search of our perfect "look."

This week-end we made our first big purchase - a loveseat and a sofa. In red leather. Yep, never thought we'd go with red but it was love at first sight.

And to balance the red and add some fun color, our next purchase will be an upholstered chair in some fun fabric. We'd love to add this Pottery Barn Fall Catalog cover girl to our complete the space -

but for the sake of our budget, we may have go for this Ikea chair instead. Like it? Hate it?

Potpourri

2008-08-14T13:43:00.005-05:00

* In regards to the comments to my last post: happened upon this tidbit while wasting time on-line today...if the mystery of the showering divers appeals to you, check it out.

* We have Brazilian cherry hardwood floors throughout the downstairs. A messy toddler and 2 messy dogs (including one shedding Jack Russell) have caused our new floors to be in a constant state of disrepair. Until I made the best purchase of my life: an Electrolux Ergorapido sweeper vacuum. If you have hardwood floors, run-do-not-walk to Target and pick one up. The best $99 you will ever spend.

*Received a great Piece of Flair on Facebook: "I do not negotiate with Toddlers." Thanks Marlo!

* I love our new house for many reasons. But one of my favorite features is the large master closet (almost as large as our guest bedroom was in Charlottesville) because it houses my treadmill and my collection of dumbbells. The builder just gave me a new closet outlet yesterday so today was my first day to actually be able to use it - it was fabulous.

* Elliot is now 6 months old. And incredibly precious. He adores all of us (and lets us know this by flashing huge smiles whenever we even remotely acknowledge his existence), including the dogs, but Charlie is his favorite. Here are my 3 men, reading before bed last night.

* We are now about 1/3 settled in; about 80% of the boxes are unpacked but nothing is in order, we still can't fit our cars in the garage and we have not hung a single picture or decorative item. But at least our new tv is hung above the fireplace. Just in time for the Olympics (we're addicts).

Design on a Dime is on and they are talking master bedrooms. Zai jian.

Tandem Diving - Is it a sport?

2008-08-11T19:38:00.002-05:00

Just came to know this evening that there is such a sport as tandem diving. Is this a legitimate sport? Not sure.

Thoughts?

Menu Musings

2008-08-06T06:35:00.003-05:00

No menu planning for this week as of yet due to our second round of illness since moving. *sigh* But several meals from last week's menu were certainly a hit.

Can't recommend the slow-Cooker Black beans enough - huge hit. And in addition to the soup, I used them in black bean chimichangas, which were amazing.

Chili Corn Stack-Up Salad (with Amy's Organic Chili) - Ryan and I both loved this meal. We'll probably have it again sometime this week-end, if I can muster the energy to go to the grocery store.

Going Green for God ?!

2008-07-30T13:11:00.004-05:00

Something is brewing and it isn't the Fair Trade coffee I bought this morning at Sam's Club: it's a developing concern and an increasing level of consciousness about the environment around here. Unsure of where this concern this coming from or moving towards, the gnawing sense of "What-do-I-really-believe-about-all-this-green-nonsense" needs to be explored. So I'm committing to thinking, praying, educating myself on the topic. And while I'm at it, taking small steps towards a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Thinking/praying/educating Step 1: Read the The Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship, a declaration on the environmental movement created by / subscribed to by Cal Beisner, one of my college professors, and a notable list of other academic and religious greats and thoroughly peruse the Cornwall Alliance website

"Doing" Step 1: Recycle all the boxes and packing material used in our move. Borrowed by aunt's cargo van to make the process more efficient. Will save gas AND some trees. One load down, about 3 more to go

Oh, and if you stop by our house and ask for bottled water, you won't find it. I'll pass you a water bottle from the dollar bin at Target and you can fill it up with water from the fridge filter.

Who Knew?

2008-07-29T06:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday while wasting valuable time on Facebook, I took the World's Smallest Political Quiz. And according to this quiz, I'm a Libertarian!

According to your answers, the politicalgroup that agrees with you most is...
LIBERTARIAN

Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties. The red dot on the chart shows where you fit on the political map. Your personal issues score is 60%. Your economic issues score is 90%.

What are you? Find out here and let me know!

Menu Planning Mondays

2008-07-28T05:46:00.004-05:00

I love cooking. I've taken an extensive hiatus from any real and intentional cooking and menu planning ventures in recent weeks (months!) since we've been so busy. But now that my kitchen is more than 60% unpacked, I feel that it's time to get back in the saddle!

I had two goals in mind for this week's menu:
1 - Plan breakfasts, lunches and snacks *somewhat* in sync with The Abs Diet for Women, my favorite eating and workout plan (it's so easy...except for the protein part since I don't really eat much meat)
2 - Prepare more veggies

So with those goals in mind, here's what we are having for breakfast:
Scrambled eggs with veggies, english muffin
Cereal, banana
Oatmeal with fruit and nuts (probably going to try Jill's baked oatmeal this week)

And lunch:
Veggie burger with salad (me) and carrots/peas/green beans (Charlie)
Veggies and brown rice
Pbutter and jelly, fruit (not creative, I know, but pb&j is still one of my favorites!)

And Dinner:
Salmon Rushdie (from the Abs Diet recipes), salad
Chicken Little Italy (from the Abs Diet recipes), fresh sauteed spinach, rolls
Slow-Cooker Black beans, rice, plantains
Ham, mac n cheese, sauteed veggies
Chili Corn Stack-Up Salad (instead of homemade chili, I'm using Amy's Organic Chili)

And for Sunday lunch: Creamy Black Bean Soup, using some of the beans from the slow-cooker beans above. I'm planning to use the crock pot for this recipe too, so that the meal can be ready when we walk in the door after church. I'm always looking for easy Sunday lunch ideas...my plan is to develop a short list of our family's favorite lunch menus that work for our Sunday afternoon schedule.

Snacks include cheese and crackers, yogurt and abs diet smoothies - yum!

And this week I'm waging war on the chaos around us. I waived the white flag last week due to the kids' colds and all of our disrupted sleep schedules (we are all adjusting to yet another change, I think) but this week, I'm determined to make this house feel like home for all of us.

Still here & drowning in chaos...

2008-07-24T14:58:00.001-05:00

From apartment mess...

To moving mess...Charlie was not a bit sad that the movers went a little overboard with wrapping my glass items!

Still working on a new blogging identity in the midst of it all! Stay tuned...don't give up on me!

And because I need something to give me hope that this place will one day be organized and feel like home...

(Southern Living At HOME Olive Jar Trio)

Banquette

2008-07-05T13:12:00.007-05:00

banquette (n.) A long upholstered bench placed against or built into a wall

I want one. Have the perfect space in our kitchen; found a fun blog explaining the concept in more detail -

There is nothing more luxurious than banquette seating at your dining room table. It evokes images of dining in a fancy French Restaurant. Lingering at the table, good conversations, the family gathered together, taking the time to dine rather than snatch a quick meal at the counter, comfortable. It also serves as double duty seating in a dining room adjoining a living room. It makes the most of a small space and makes for a cozy seating area. Round tables, square tables, rectangular tables - all work. Seating for 2, 4, 6, or 8. Toss cushions or not. Curved banquettes, straight banquettes, L shaped banquettes, or U shaped - all are possible. There are so many possibilities. A suitable option for almost any room. Have fun and pick your favorite.

We have a fabulous bay window in the breakfast area - perfect for one of these seating arrangements. What I want is a cross between Picture A and Picture B:

Picture A

Picture B

In other words, stained/painted bench seating, with cushions (no upholstry!), along the bay window with a chair or two on the other side of a round pedestal table.

We're closing on the 18th (and moving out of this wretched apartment 5 minutes later!) so home decor and furnishings are on my mind.

Where are they coming from?!

2008-06-24T23:20:00.004-05:00

Our precious little Elliot is named after one of our heros, missionary Jim Elliot. And the name means "The Lord is my God" - what more could you want for a kid name?

When we decided on this name for our second boy, I had never personally met an Elliot, an Elliot or even an Elliott. The only Elliot that even came to mind was the angry and somewhat unstable crime-fighter Elliot Stabler. But now, four months into having a son named Elliot, I am finding them everywhere.

- One week after Elliot's birth, met a lady in Babies R Us, shopping for her toddler son Elliot

- Two months ago, first week in Savannah, found out that a new friend's baby is named Boaz Elliot

- One month ago - new RUF minister for SCAD arrived in Savannah with 2-year old Elliot in tow

- Two weeks ago a kid was born into our church - Elliott

- Found out that a close friend of my brother-in-law just named his new baby Charles Elliot (??)

- Tonight: randomly surfing on-line and found a website where a mom was commenting on her son, named what else? Elliot.

I suppose originality is overrated anyway. At least our Elliot is darn cute.

If there was ever any Moody news, this is IT!

2008-06-18T13:58:00.002-05:00

Ryan's GRADUATION banquet was last night...and tomorrow is his last day of work at MCG.

Ryan is finished with his fellowship.

RYAN IS FINISHED WITH HIS MEDICAL TRAINING.

4 years of college

4 years of medical school

3 years of residency

3 years of fellowship

14 years of post-high school training completed.

You've come a long way honey...

and we are so SO proud of you!

(I couldn't resist posting this picture! Don't hate me, hon!)

A Tale of Two Mornings

2008-06-11T14:29:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday and Sunday morning, I had to leave the house by 9am. Saturday morning Charlie had a birthday party for a friend and Sunday morning, of course, we had Sunday School and church. Ryan worked all week-end (leaves before 6am) so I had to walk the dogs, dress and feed the children and myself, and load up the car solo both mornings. None of these things were too unusual, except the fact that it all had to take place before 9am...

Saturday morning:
Bad night's sleep. The gals upstairs "work the night shift" (I think that they are strippers but that's another post) and pounded and stomped around pretty much all night. So after Ryan left at 5:45, I fell back asleep and woke up to Charlie's calls in the monitor at around 7:50. Oh dear, short on time and just getting started on the day! So I started running around like crazy, showering, fixing breakfast, nursing while eating, drying hair while putting on make-up (not a good idea, btw), packing all the supplies required to take two kids in diapers out for the entire morning, etc. During this time, I did not speak one word to Elliot and managed to snap at Charlie about 5 times (and did I mention yelling at the dogs?). And this time, he wasn't really doing anything to deserve those snaps - he just wasn't moving fast enough for my liking. I'll leave out the details of my grumpiness and impatience and it's effect on my family but suffice it to say, it was not a pleasant morning and Charlie and I were both sad and quiet on the trip "into town" (we live in a suburb of Savannah right now and doing anything in Savannah requires about a 30 minute drive and two major highways).

During the drive into Savannah, I prayed and reflected on the chaotic and very unpleasant nature of the morning and realized that such a morning was an un-blessing to my family. Not only was I not taking the opportunity to enjoy and love on my babies but I was really making their lives not very pleasant with my silence and brusque attitude. It was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me and saying, "Look here, it's not Charlie's fault that you chronically underestimate the time it takes to get out of the house in the morning. It's not his fault that he's still only 2 years old and can't help. You need to get up earlier and be cheerful!" I have purposed in my heart to get up earlier in the past and have loved the effect it always has on my day. But living in the apartment, I have just been so tired. We sleep on cots on the floor and that fact, combined with the aforementioned upstairs neighbors, make sleeping really difficult. So I have been overtired and not into getting up a second before it's necessary. But in spite of that, I decided to try getting up early on Sunday...

Sunday morning:
Bad night's sleep. The gals upstairs "work the night shift" and pounded and stomped around pretty much all night. So after Ryan left at 5:45, I fell back asleep and woke up to my alarm at 7:00. I first spent some time reading and praying and then took a long, leisurely shower and then read The Screwtape Letters (we are studying it in SS this summer) while I dried my hair. I then got Elliot up, dressed him and fed him before Charlie was even up. Much more reasonable and relaxed, to have an hour to eat, dress just one person and load the car. We were early to Sunday School.

So I'm back on the get-up-before-the-kids bandwagon. I was a blessing to my family Sunday morning. And that is worth more than a few extra minutes of shut-eye.

A mother's part in sustaining the life of her children and making it pleasant and comfortable is no triviality. It calls for self-sacrifice and humility, but it is the route, as was the humiliation of Jesus, to glory.

A Deal

2008-06-10T20:13:00.003-05:00

Ever since the first Spring-ish issue of People Stylewatch arrived in my mailbox (yes, I'm a subscriber!), I have been dying for some gladiator sandals. Gladiator sandals evoke rather strong emotions in most people - you either love them or you hate them. I'm a lover, Ryan is a hater. Regardless, I wanted a pair; a black pair, like these on Piperlime (bad name for a shoe company, by the way). Badly. But not badly enough to pay $100+ for them. I'll invest in a good pair of Danskos or some tall black boots but something tells me that gladiator sandals do not have staying power in the fashion world so it seemed silly to spend the big bucks. And then this week-end, I spotted Old Navy's version for a mere $19.95!! Finally, the coveted summer shoe was within my grasp. I purchased a pair yesterday, the last pair in my size!

And for fun, can you guess which is the designer pair and which is the Old Navy knock-off?

Picture 1 -

Picture 2 -

[And even if you can tell, is the difference worth <$100?!]

My Kitchen

2008-06-07T13:24:00.014-05:00

Lots of people are asking about our house...decor, when it is going to be ready, etc. So in the spirit of writing about what people are actually interested in, let's talk about my kitchen.

Here is the picture that inspired our selections -

Our cabinets are wooden, stained white. The countertops are Corian Nocturne (I'm kind of scared of granite, so we decided to go with Corian instead). We don't have the cabinet with basket cut-outs there on the end but I really like the "natural" feel of baskets so we'll be accessorizing with the Artisan Basket and Stand from Southern Living At HOME -

My favorite feature of the kitchen area is the Butler's Pantry. This area in our home features the same cabinets and countertops as the kitchen and when not in use for displaying or serving food, I'm going to use it as my little office nook. The cabinets will have an opening the middle for a stool or chair; I'm hoping that this beauty from Pottery Barn will work in that space!

So there's our kitchen. I absolutely cannot wait to cook there. And my beautiful red stand mixer needs a home!

Note - In spite of the fact that this new house is very near the marsh, we will not be displaying the word "Sea" on the counter.

Funny Fridays

2008-06-06T20:33:00.004-05:00

A new tradition? Not sure yet. But regardless, enjoy!

Hillary and Obama were in a boat going down the river. The river was extremely rough. The boat suddenly capsized. Who was saved?
***************************************************************************

America!

Decorating

2008-06-04T14:53:00.007-05:00

While I'm pondering my new identity, I'm going to buy some time via a foray into one of my new favorite past times - decorating! Building a new house and getting into Southern Living At HOME have both contributed to this new obsession. And combined with my somewhat OCD personality, this translates into lots and lots of time pouring over magazines, websites and televised decorating shows.

Today's topic: the master bedroom and bathroom

The master bedroom is going to be painted Brookside Moss (from last season's Pottery Barn color wheel. Aside: potterbarn.com really is a treasure trove of decorating ideas - flower arranging, paint selections, room-by-room decorating ideas and tips and more). Bedding is still TBD.

The master bathroom is currently painted Passive (a nice neutral shade of gray), along with the rest of the house (builders charge an insane amount of $$ for additional paint colors so we are painting the rest of the house ourself, as time and the budget allows). I'd like to paint it either Minced Onion or Limesickle, to coordinate with Brookside Moss. I'm leaning toward Limesickle since it's a Pottery Barn color (my assumption is that if the Pottery Barn designers like it, I can't really be making a decorating faux pas). The floor is white ceramic tile, the cabinets are stained black and the countertop is white marble. I like that combo but I have been feeling like something was missing...UNTIL TODAY when I spotted this picture on (what else?) potterybarn.com -

I. LOVE. IT. And while the cabinets and countertops are reversed in my bathroom, I think it will still work. And maybe I'll even use White Heron instead of Limesickle. How easy can you get?!

Like it? Hate it? Suggested changes or improvements?

My blog needs a facelift!

2008-06-03T13:52:00.003-05:00

My blog needs a facelift. Badly. I am feeling the need to reinvent myself and this sorely-neglected "hobby" of blogging (can something this marginalized even be considered a hobby?). I need a blogging identity.

From the link above:

"The benefits of your blogging identity are:
Loyal readers. They will get to know you better and relate to you. [em] Do I have any?

Separation from other bloggers. Your identity is what will make you unique. [em] My blog is negative-unique, hence the doubts about having loyal readers.

Allows you to cover common topics in an uncommon way. Not every post you write has to be on an original subject when you have your own approach. Even on topics that are widely covered you will be able to present information in a different way. [em] Thank goodness original thoughts are not required! Two kids later, I'm definitely running low on original ideas!

Brand yourself. Your identity will allow you to brand yourself so that your readers will immediately associate certain characteristics with you and your blog. [em] THIS is what I so desire.

People will actually read your posts. Most people tend to scan when they’re reading online, but people will want to read what you have to say. " [em] Really?

Summer Project - Develop a blogging identity.

Just for fun

2008-05-20T20:27:00.004-05:00

Strangest advice received at church on Sunday: feed your nursing baby goat's milk when you need to give the baby a bottle

Strangest experience of the day: making my evening snack (a smoothie) on the back patio since there was no place in the apartment where ice and berry crushing wouldn't wake a sleeping child.

Strange baby monitor experience: hearing someone else's child crying (let's hope that's all we hear from their apartment)

***********************************************************************************

Currently reading:
The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood by Susan Hunt
The Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (a recurring entry on this list)
The Bible Speaks Today: The Message of Proverbs

Was reading (with Charlie) but now MIA since the move to the apartment:
The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth Taylor

***********************************************************************************

Items on the to-do list: 13
Items on the project list: 8

**********************************************************************************
Pieces of insulation missing under our Augusta house: 2 (I guess the inspector who inspected our house before we bought it was the builder's cousin or something)

Under Contract

2008-05-20T09:04:00.002-05:00

Those words are music to our ears right now. Aaaahhh. We have a contract. House passed inspection yesterday. All belongings moved into a POD yesterday. Closing on May 29th. God is good - our house selling in this market is nothing short of a MIRACLE. Many houses in our neighborhood are for sale, for much longer than ours. And yet, our house sold.

Thank you Lord! Thank you praying friends!

Happy Mother's Day to ME

2008-05-13T18:07:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Mother's Day by baptizing Elliot and my new little nephew John (3 weeks old!). It was a very beautiful and moving service, reminding us of the wonderful blessing of parenting these two boys and sobering us too, at the thought of the awesome responsibility that is before us, especially in light of the seriousness of the vows we made before the church and the Lord:

1. Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
2. Do you claim God's covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?
3. Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon God's grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will instruct him in the teachings of the Christian faith, and that you will strive, by all means of God's appointment, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Thankfully, "he gives more grace" which we will surely need to fulfill these promises!

A few pictures...

These days, I think that this is as close as we are going to get to a good family picture! :)

Poor Elliot. After having a TON of water dropped right onto his face (seriously, I think we broke a church record for the most water dumped on a baby! Baby we are moving towards dunking...?) :), sitting through a long church and being deprived of both his morning naps, he was DONE. Posing for a thousand pictures was the last item on his agenda! He always looks away and ignors me when he's tired, like in the picture below.

From Genesis 48, Jacob's blessing to the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim -
15 "...May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."

Why I really dislike (dare I say hate?) apartment life...and material for sacrifice.

2008-05-09T14:06:00.005-05:00

1. Apartments are LOUD. Our upstairs neighbors are big-time "stompers." I can't even hear myself think for all the stomping around. And it keeps waking up my children, which makes me CRAZY.

2. Apartments are LOUD. I cannot stand sleeping next to a window, which is next to a sidewalk, which is next to a parking lot where everyone parks as they come and go from work and wherever else they need to go / come from at all hours of the morning and late night. I hear locks beeps and see lots of headlight flashes ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Arrgh.

3. Apartments are LOUD. So loud that my 2-year old can't sleep at all here. He normally sleeps 12 hours a night and takes a 2-3 nap during the day, for a total of about 15 hours of sleep per day. Here, he's getting about 10-12 hours of sleep on a good day. For many children, that would be acceptable. But not for him. He's constantly yawning, sporting red and watery eyes and cries and whines pretty much all day, making the rest of us miserable.

4. Apartments and pets don't mix. I hate taking them "out" four times a day, sometimes taking 2 children along with me, other times locking the children in the apartment and going alone (only when they are both sound asleep, of course). I hate watching them stress out over the constant noise and activity going on all around us. I hate that they really have no good way to get all of their energy out.

(Crash, boom, bang - huge noise just heard upstairs. If Charlie was still sleeping by some miracle, he's certainly not sleeping now!)

5. I hate getting my mail in those little slots. I don't like retrieving my mail from those little slots.

6. I hate unloading the car. Babies and bags of groceries are hard to carry at the same time.

7. I hate how Charlie almost gets hit by a car every time we get in and out of the car. I don't have enough hands to carry both kids.

8. I hate sleeping on a cot on the floor, though this is not the fault of apartment life, it's still worth mentioning.

9. I hate how there are no overhead lights at all in the living area or in Charlie's room. WHY would anyone omit lighting?

10. I hate paying so much money for a place that we do not own. We paid well over $40K for our 3-year stay in our Charlottesville apartment.

11. I hate taking the trash to the compactor that is quite far from our apartment. It's scary in the back corner of the complex at night!

12. And this is bratty but I hate not having a garage. I really grew accustomed to having a garage and now I'm not sure how to function without one (See Items 6 & 7 above).

But some what I've been reading by Elizabeth Elliot lately speaks directly to my grumpiness, dissatisfaction and complaints:

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given...ingratitude to him amounts to rebellion...let thanksgiving by the habit of your life...Is it not reasonable to believe that that same God, the God of Heaven to whom all thanks is due, will provide for us today the materials for sacrifice? For one who has made thanksgiving the habit of his or her life, the morning prayer will be, 'Lord, what will you give me today to offer back to you?' "

So today, right now, if I'm honest, I'll admit that it's hard not to be bitter, angry and grumpy about the things in the list above. I'm a perfectionist and an anal, picky person who thrives in organized and controlled environments. As such, this current living situation is the "anti-Emily" in every way (my clothes are piled up in a suitcase beside me and my office materials are in a box under Ryan's cot). But by the power that lives IN me, I'm going to purpose today, right now, to be thankful for my life, full of blessings without measure - healthy beautiful children, a wonderful marriage and coming soon, a beautiful new home with plenty of room for playing and sleeping.

And I have my new hobby to distract me, woohoo! :) Coming soon - a blog for my new business! Highlighting gift ideas and my favorite products!

Don't I have enough to do?

2008-05-07T20:19:00.002-05:00

Announcing Emily Moody

an Independent Southern Living at HOME Consultant

I am excited to announce that I am starting a new business! I have decided to become a consultant with Southern Living at HOME, the fastest growing party company in history! Having enjoyed reading Southern Living and using their beautiful products in my home, I can now share what Southern Living at HOME has to offer with my friends and family! And since I just love entertaining, decorating, cooking and shopping, this business seemed like a perfect fit for me! J Whether or not you are familiar with our various pottery items, serving and decorating pieces, books, etc., I would like to share this beautiful line of products with you and your friends. I am asking for your help in one or more of the following ways, as I seek to build a successful Southern Living at HOME business:

· Sharing Southern Living at HOME with your friends and family by hosting a party in your home! We have an incredible hostess rewards program and I would love the opportunity to help you get lots of beautiful items for free and half-price. May is a great month to host a party - lots of specials and extras for hostesses!

· Hosting a catalog party and enjoying the same great benefits as our in-home party hostesses

· Ordering products from me for your gift-giving needs. Our products make wonderful wedding, baby, house-warming, mother's day, father's day, birthday and Christmas gifts. I'm currently taking orders from the Spring Catalog!

· Ordering or renewing your magazine subscriptions with me. We have Southern Living, Cooking Light, Southern Accents, Cottage Living, Coastal Living, Health, and Sunset

· Joining my TEAM of Southern Living consultants by starting your own Southern Living at HOME business

· Keeping me in mind for bridal parties and fundraisers

· Sharing my name with someone who might be interested in our products or career opportunity. I appreciate your referrals.

Please take a few minutes to browse my website and the on-line Spring catalog: http://www.southernlivingathome.com/emilymoody

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I'm excited about this new adventure! We'll see how it goes!

Really?

2008-04-22T13:50:00.004-05:00

Today I talking with a friend about her recent experience at the gym. She noted that the gym offered a free initial training session with membership...a pretty common practice, in my experience, trying to lure the new gym-goers to sign up for a personal trainer. As my friend has just given birth to her first baby, children and parenthood were a common point of discussion and during the course of their session, the trainer revealed some interesting personal information: a) he has fathered 2 children, and b) he has never been married. Interesting tidbits, but on their own, not too shocking. But combined with the following statement, made near the end of their time together...Wow.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get married, but if I do, I don't think I'll want my wife to get pregnant. She'll lose all her sexiness."

Good thing you just knock up your girlfriends so that when they "lose their sexiness" you can just trade them in for another!

Really? Did he really say that? To a woman who has just given birth?

There. Aren't. Words.

Need some help...

2008-04-16T12:42:00.005-05:00

...from you veteran moms...I AM EXHAUSTED. And Elliot is sleeping from about 8:30/9pm until 7:30 am (I do feed him at 10:30, just before I go to bed, though). The question I have is: IS THIS NORMAL? I am getting about 7 - 8 hours of sleep per night and am still so incredibly weary. I get so tired in the early afternoon that I swear I could take a 3-hr nap. And I'm exhausted again around 5pm and can barely hold my eyes open at 9pm...and staying awake to feed Elliot at 10:30 just about kills me. Why am I so tired and is it going to end? Is taking care of a wild 2 year old and a newborn while trying to sell this house/find an apartment/move/quit my job just draining all my energy (these tasks, by the way, are much harder than any hard day at my former office job!)? Is there a vitamin or something I can take to fix this problem? I am used to having limitless energy at my disposal so needless to say, I'm feeling a bit discouraged...so I'd appreciate any input or advice, especially in regards to whether or not anyone else has experienced this!

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40: 29-31).

New Pictures

2008-04-13T13:30:00.005-05:00

First smiles...

Stroller ride (propped up due to reflux)...

All beat up...nobody call DFCS! And this picture doesn't even show the huge green knot on the other side of his forehead or his busted lip!

2008-04-11T09:25:00.003-05:00

As most of you are aware, this is Masters Week, a very grand occasion in the Garden City. Most, if not all, of Augusta's traditions are related in some way to The Augusta National Golf Course and Masters Golf Tournament. And the city is ALIVE this week, in a way that is unique to this city and this particular event. In spite of all the traffic and increased police presence (I swear I am a cop / radar magnet, in spite of the fact that I drive a black KIA!), it is fun to be a part of all the excitement. Join me in celebrating, if you wish, and make a Green Jacket Salad, named for a famous restaurant that used to be across from the Augusta National Golf Course - this was their house salad. It's an old Augusta favorite. Hope you enjoy making it - we had it with our Mahi Mahi and couscous for dinner last night.

Green Jacket Salad
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp. Accent (this is basically MSG, and I leave it out and just add a little more seasoning salt)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
1 large, chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped, green onions
Pita chips
Parmesan cheese, grated
One head of lettuce or your favorite bagged lettuce (I use mixed greens)

- Combine first 5 ingredients. Add tomato, parsley and onions. (I usually just put the tomatoes in the lettuce instead--the other mixture seems to keep longer without the tomatoes in it.)
- Toss over one head of torn lettuce--or just toss enough of the topping with the amount of lettuce you want to use.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with pita chips (made from baking torn pita bread in oven at 300 degrees 10 minutes or until crisp. (I use whole wheat or oat bran pita bread.)

2008-04-08T14:08:00.003-05:00

So we're moving...in three weeks. Today I secured an apartment for us in Savannah (in Pooler to be exact). No, we haven't sold our house so do keep that on prayer list. But we have decided to go ahead and move as Ryan is doing a month-long rotation at his new office for the month of May. And after that he only has to be in Augusta for the first two weeks in June and then he's FINISHED with training (way to go, honey!). We found out late last week that our house is not going to be ready until the end of July so we decided to try to find a 3-month lease somewhere, thinking that would be easier to secure than a one month or two month lease. So I surfed the internet and recruited my fam to look up phone numbers and came up with a pretty decent option in Pooler, near both my parents and my sister and her family. And as of noon today, it's a done deal. The Preserve at Godley Station will be home for the next 3 months. I can't believe our time in Augusta is drawing to a close. We've had two kids here and have really grown so close...it will be hard to say good-bye to our first house, these close friends, our church...but IT IS TIME. We're leaving our house here furnished, thinking it will sell better with all our Walmart and Target furniture and accessories. :)

And it's also time for me to say good-bye to my career. I just can't keep doing IT ALL. And my income is not a necessity right now and so quitting my job is the best way for me to serve my family at this point. I really loved my job and found much joy and fulfillment in using my gifts and my brain, working with other people, problem-solving, etc. I liked getting dressed up in nice office clothes, taking business trips, preparing and delivering presentations, sipping lattes in board meetings and conference calling with colleagues all over the world. I liked earning a paycheck, one that has steadily grown over the years into a fairly handsome salary. But over the past few months, God has made it clear to Ryan and me that season was winding down...my kids need me, all of me, and so does Ryan. After ten years of rigorous post-college school and training, Ryan is starting his first real job and this next year will be intense, demanding and very stressful. For the sake of our marriage and the happiness and peace of our house, I need to be on my A-Game, not stressed out from juggling my job, kids, managing the house, etc. One of us can't be totally wiped from outside-the-home demands. And that person needs to be me. So it was with very mixed emotions today that I called my boss (who is a WONDERFUL man, in all respects) and told him quite bluntly, "I'm not coming back." We had a very nice chat, both expressing appreciation for each other and mutual sadness over my decision). He even validated the calling of motherhood, praising me for being willing to give up a career for my family. Quite rare these days from a respected member of Corporate America's managerial population.

That was a hard phone call to make and a hard phone call to end. Very final, making the reality that I've traded classy suits for spit-up stained t-shirts and board meetings for endless choruses of "The ABCs" and "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round." I am truly mourning the end of my time in this position and if I'm honest, I'm afraid of my new identity and the loss of "my" income. So how fitting it was that today I read a short essay by Elizabeth Elliot entitled, "On Motherhood and Profanity." You can read the entire essay here (and I highly recommend doing so!). God seemed to be speaking directly to me from the pages of this book, reminding me of his definition of success and the things that he values...

"When women--sometimes well-meaning, earnest, truth seeking ones say "Get out of the house and do something creative, find something meaningful, something with more direct access to reality," it is a dead giveaway that they have missed the deepest definition of creation, of meaning, of reality. And when you start seeing the world as opaque, that is, as an end in itself instead of as transparent, when you ignore the Other World where this one ultimately finds its meaning, of course housekeeping (and any other kind of work if you do it long enough) becomes tedious and empty.

But what have buying groceries, changing diapers and peeling vegetables got to do with creativity? Aren't those the very things that keep us from it? Isn't it that kind of drudgery that keeps us in bondage? It's insipid and confining, it's what one conspicuous feminist called "a life of idiotic ritual, full of forebodings and failure." To her I would answer ritual, yes. Idiotic, no, not to the Christian--for although we do the same things anybody else does, and we do them over and over in the same way, the ordinary transactions of everyday life are the very means of transfiguration. It is the common stuff of this world which, because of the Word's having been "made flesh," is shot through with meaning, with charity, with the glory of God."

Reading this essay ministered to my heart and to my fears and insecurities over my decision, which is not, by the way, a reflection of a deep belief that women should not work. Rather, this is a personal decision for Ryan and me, based on our family situation. And my struggle over the decision was deeply spiritual, something that God needed to work out in my heart regardless of whether I am actually employed. But I digress. :) I know that this transition is right for me and for us and I'm happy about it...and looking forward to more time on the domestic front (can't wait to sew curtains for our new house!).

So there you have it. Lots of big news from our house. Hopefully my camera will be resurrected soon so that I can share some new pictures of precious Elliot, growing cuter and bigger by the day - 8 weeks tomorrow! It looks like he is going to have his brother's huge blue eyes and he still favors me over Ryan, woohoo!. :) And Praise the Lord, he started sleeping through the night late last week! It's amazing how different I feel with 7/8 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

2008-03-25T13:11:00.005-05:00

As usual things have been non-stop around here, as evidenced by my lack of postings! In addition to multiple outfit and diaper changes per day, we've been busy (trying) to keep our house clean for constant open houses and last-minute showings. We did have a quiet week-end at home last week-end, celebrating Easter with us just our little family. We enjoyed a yummy lunch at Cracker Barrel (!!) and then coerced a friend to come take our picture on our back porch. We figured something should document Elliot's first Easter, right? :) The task of getting all four us smiling and looking at the camera at the same time turned out to be Herculean and this was the best picture of all the many taken that afternoon...

Oh well, it will have to do. At least Charlie isn't running away like he was in all the other shots. I'm not just holding his hand in the picture - it's really a death-grip to keep him still!

We enjoyed another egg hunt on Saturday and this time charlie was obsessed with rather than afraid of the "Easter Rabbit." Of course he was - we weren't paying for his picture to be taken this time!

Elliot enjoyed the day from his stroller, snoozing away.

In other news, Charlie's second birthday was last week and he loved every minute of it. I took cookies to "school" on his real birthday and we had a friend party for him the day after (last Thursday). He was very into the whole birthday thing, especially the presents, birthday cake and attention. Unfortunately I only have a few pictures because my camera was not cooperating and I'm trying to figure out how to get the other pictures from Shutterfly.

The cupcake tree, with Thomas the Train pics for decorations.

The big one on top was Charlie's!

Charlie "helping" Ryan grill the hamburgers and hotdogs.

Charlie and his best friend Lexi looking for airplanes.

I can't believe my little baby is two years old! Though Year 2 looks like it is going to be very challenging in the parenting department, we've really never enjoyed our boy more...he says the cutest things and as wild and as dangerous to himself and others as he is, he is definitely the joy of our hearts and lives!

Both kiddos are asleep so I'm off to take a nap. Charlie slept through the night the day before he turned 6 weeks old ( and has woken up during the night maybe 10 times total since then, including the 3 times he had the stomach virus) and I'm not optimistic that Elliot is going to follow suit. His 6-week birthday is tomorrow and he's pretty addicted to his 3:30am feeding, making naps for me a necessity!

New Pictures!

2008-03-11T18:07:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Ryan's mom, who spent the week-end with us, I have some pictures to share! On Saturday, we went to an Easter Egg Hunt in spite of the FREEZING weather (it sleeted / iced / snowed on us while we were there!). Charlie was in a really bad mood, as unbeknownst to us, he was working on coming down with some cold or virus or something (he's had fever since yesterday afternoon) but we had fun anyway. Charlie looked cute in his navy sailor outfit but was quite cold (it turned out to be colder than I thought) but as I told him that morning - beauty sometimes has a high price. :)

We wanted to get Charlie's picture taken with the Easter bunny but unfortunately, he really didn't care too much for him. He cried and screamed when we tried to make him sit on his lap. So Ryan decided to pose with him instead. :)

Elliot was the warmest Moody of all, cuddled in his car seat with tons of clothing and blankets. I don't think he even knew it was cold!

We took some pictures of Elliot in his cute Easter outfit when we got home, since he never made it out of his car seat while we were out. And this is fun - this outfit actually belonged to my little brother Hunter! As you can see, he barely woke up for the pictures!

Hopefully my camera will be resurrected soon or we'll have to bite the bullet and buy a new one...I have a feeling that we might be asking for recommendations on cameras in the near future...

Last night I had my first experience in being up during the night with two children. And it was everything that I thought it would be! Just kidding, it wasn't that bad. It was about 4am and I had just put Elliot down after his feeding and as I was drifting off to sleep, which always takes awhile, I heard Charlie in the monitor: "Mommy!" I asked for volunteers to go check on him but Ryan wasn't interested :) so I went in. A new diaper, some juice and "purple mesin" (children's ibuprofin) and a few minutes of rocking later, I was back in bed, more wide awake than ever. I finally went back to sleep around 5:30. So needless to say, this was a pajama day for sure. Charlie and I played and watched Thomas the Train in bed until about 10:30. And you know what? We had fun.

Here's hoping for a less eventful night!

2008-03-04T21:32:00.003-05:00

Alas, no new pictures to post. My camera is letting me down these days and refusing to let me upload pictures to my computer. And I don't have the patience, energy or mental fortitude to figure out why right now. :)

Anyway, life is good but very tiring and demanding. WHY did I ever think that taking care of one little newborn was hard, back when Charlie was just weeks old??? Elliot, aside from the demanding feeding and changing schedule, is a piece of cake. It's Charlie who is constantly wearing me out. THANK GOODNESS he continues to be a 12-hr a night sleeper + a 2-3 hour / day napper. Elliot is doing well and seems to be following in big brothers footsteps in terms of sleeping, only waking up once to eat between 10:30/11pm and 7am. Although I am the "mean" mom who stuck him in the back of the closet on about Day 5 (I can only hear the really loud screams from my bed) so that might have something to do with it. :)

I honestly cannot believe how little time I have for anything these days. I can't keep the house clean or even really straight, laundry piles up, emails go unanswered and phone calls are seldom returned, the checkbook needs to be balanced, and groceries need to be purchased. I don't even really have time to shower. And I also cannot believe how hard it is has been to keep Elliot safe from Charlie. So far he's almost been fed a small piece of chewed-up rubber ball (thanks Tyke), nearly had his eyes poked out on numerous occasions and there have been many, MANY times where Charlie has literally almost fell or jumped directly on top of him. AAHHH. This is what really contributes to my lack of ability to accomplish anything. Thankfully this time around my expectations were much more realistic - I didn't really plan on being able to accomplish much at all these first few weeks and so I'm not depressed or disappointed in myself in like I was with Charlie, which has been a huge relief. Also, I have really realized my inability to save myself from the demands of this new life we have...so I've prayed constantly that I'll have the strength and patience to handle whatever comes my way during the course of the day and wonder of wonders, my prayers have been answered! Somehow I am not too exhausted and life really seems OK. It's been amazing to see my prayers answered and feel supernatural strength coming my way every day. When I am weak, then I am strong...

I already love being the mother of these two precious little boys. We are so blessed to have them and really, that is the constant feeling around our house these days: amazement at just how blessed we are! God is so faithful and GOOD!

Hopefully I'll be back soon with some new pictures. Elliot is 3 weeks old tomorrow and he's already changed so much. Everyone thinks he looks like me, which is fun, considering Charlie has been a mini-me of Ryan since the day he was born!

One Week Old

2008-02-20T21:27:00.005-05:00

By popular demand, some new pictures!

Can't forget about big bro' Charlie (pictured eating peanut butter).

Announcing Elliot

2008-02-14T15:58:00.004-05:00

Hamilton Elliot Moody

February 13, 2008, 9:28 pm

6 lbs, 2 oz / 19.5 in

(Elliot's nurse fixed his hair today :))

Happy Valentine's Day from Big Brother Charlie!

Preparations

2008-02-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

We've done a few things to prepare for Elliot's arrival...

The bassinet has been assembled and stowed safely in a corner of our room -

(the hospital bag is inside, packed and ready to go);

I've washed and dried baby clothes and they hang neatly in the closet, waiting for a soft little baby body to occupy them; I purchased these precious little shoes and sweet diaper cover, wanting Elliot to have at least a couple of things of his own...

a sweet friend sent this diaper bag -

and we've purchased a few newborn-sized diapers. But that's it.

Unlike last time around, when we spent weeks and weeks planning and decorating the nursery and stocking up on all kinds of frozen and non-perishable foods and paper products. I think I spent an entire paycheck at Sam's the week before Charlie was born! Elliot will sleep in his bassinet in our closet until he sleeps through the night and then he'll move into the office, where he'll either stay in the bassinet or graduate to the pack n play. We'll re-evaluate the sleeping arrangements after settling in Savannah.

All is different with Baby 2...in some ways it seems more surreal, this time around. The pregnancy has flown by and now it's hard to believe that in probably less than two weeks, we'll be a family of four (six if you count the doggie children). And I'm scared to death. It seems that having two kids puts you in a different category and I'm incapable of imagining how it's going to be taking care of a newborn and wild little Charlie.

So the waiting game has really begun in earnest and I'm passing the days by spending as much time with Charlie as possible, relishing these last few weeks with just him. He's so grown-up now, talking all the time and learning so much. I can't believe my first baby is nearly two!

Here is his, trying to kill himself (pretty much a daily activity!):

And finally, a self-portrait of sorts, shadow Emily, with less than 2 weeks 'til D-Day!

2008-02-04T12:26:00.001-05:00

I'm too mentally and physically drained to get into too much discussion here or over email (so please excuse me if I ignore an email or two on the subject!) but I just had to share this -

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_020108/content/01125112.guest.html

and this

http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/a_vote_for_huckabee_is_a_vote.php

High Points -

RUSH: Well, but it's a delegate thing. The popular vote right now doesn't matter, it's a delegate thing and that's why right now Super Tuesday -- I mean Hugh Hewitt ran some numbers here, worst-case scenario from Romney, just to be fair about it, and these numbers, I'm having to get them from my head and I may be off by a couple hundred but the point will be made. At the end of Super Tuesday, the number of delegates McCain could have would be in the 700s, the number Romney would have would be in the 300s, that's large to overcome. It can be done, it can still be done, but that's monumental, and Huckabee will be in there with 150 some odd. The real key to this is Huckabee. A vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain in the primaries.

And this -

Since McCain's stick-it-to-the-base mentality will make him lose in the general election, a vote for Huckabee is a vote for (ultimately) Hillary [or maybe Obama].

At 36 1/2 Weeks...

2008-01-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

One should not have to -

1) Scrub the porch floor, walls and ceiling with a mop and bleach

2) Re-organize the garage and attic

3) Lug objects of various size and weight half-way up the pull-down attic stairs

4) Repaint the corners of the kitchen (long story)

Note - my poor husband has done the most unpleasant jobs so kuddos to him...I'm just venting about the leftovers. :)

WOW. This is a very different pregnancy than I experienced with Charlie. At 36+ weeks with him, I was sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and feeling sorry for myself and going to the gymn and getting pedicures at my leisure.

In any case, we've done some prep work for Elliot, including assembling the bassinet Ryan's parents gave us for Christmas and purchasing some sheets for it. My newly-ordered double-stroller sits in its box in the garage, waiting for someone to find the time to assemble it. And my friends here were sweet enough to host a little shower for me on Saturday, making both Elliot and me feel very special. And miracle of miracles, we did remember to take a picture (the 3rd in 9 months). So by popular demand:

I'll be sure to post some pictures of his cute new monogrammed possessions soon.

Happy Sunday!

Things I can't wait to do once I'm no longer a human incubator: #2

2008-01-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to RUN again!

I'm not one to run while pregnant. I hate the feeling of running on a full stomach and that is how I feel when I'm pregnant - yuck!

Just as soon as I'm able, I'm planning to break out the treadmill and start the Couch-to-5K Running Plan, which is what I started not too long after Charlie was born. And it was great! I have a lofty goal of running in three races in '08 - we shall see!

Things I can't wait to do once I'm no longer a human incubator

2008-01-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

#1 in a series

Enjoy a guilt-free* FULL glass of wine, like one of my favorite cheap wines, Jacob's Creek Shiraz.

I could really use a glass of wine tonight, and every night until I give birth as I have been suffering from terrible insomnia (I have been up since 3:45am this morning). Thankfully (?) caring for a newborn is a very natural sleep inducer!

Week-end plans include a trip to Savannah for Ryan to work and for us to attend our pre-construction meeting and "design session" (this is where we get to pick our colors, lights, etc for our new house!) on Monday.

Stay warm this chilly week-end! And enjoy a big glass of vino for me.

*Guilt-free because I have on occasion in recent weeks enjoyed several half-glasses of wine...(Gasp!)

2008-01-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have been quite negligent about this blog and the primary reason for this is the sheer volume of news and happenings that I have to share. So my M.O. has just been do and say nothing blogging-wise and just try to keep my head above water. But I'm going to turn over a new leaf and start updating more often, which will hopefully help me to stay on top of all our news and not feel so overwhelmed...we'll see, especially since one of my New Year's Resolutions is to NOT waste so much time on the Internet! But that's another blog post...

The biggest bit of news is that we have bought a house in Savannah! Or rather, "commissioned" (is that the right terminology?) a house to be built. And we LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! The location is perfect (Isle of Hope area, just off Laroche, for you Savannah folks). We have been looking at two neighborhoods since around Thanksgiving, knowing that for a new house, we didn't have much time. I took a whirlwind tour of both developments during Ryan's on-call week-end in Savannah in mid-December and after that, we both new which was our first choice. So we went down to Savannah again last Thursday and Friday and looked at house plans and already-built versions of those plans in other neighborhoods all over Savannah; we discussed financing with the lender; we met with the builder and the agents; we walked around the property and finalized our lot choice; and at the end of the day on Friday, signed a contract. AAAHHH! We still have to finalize the exterior and some other details but basically, our decision has been made. We have another trip planned for the 21st to do our pre-construction meeting and pick out our floors/cabinets/counter tops/colors/etc and then we wait. They are going to try to have the house ready in June but it might be July before we can get in...which brings me to our next bit of stressful news: Ryan's job...

We had been thinking that he'd take July off to move, settle in, etc but just found out yesterday that that is not the case. His contract specifies a July 1 start date and they really need him to start then. So considering his fellowship technically ends on June 30, this is going to be um, interesting. This the end of medical training and the beginning of Ryan's "real job" is a monumental change / milestone for Ryan and for our family, the importance and significance of which is hard to describe and cannot be overstated. This is probably a bigger change than the others I've described and one that makes both of us more nervous than the others put together...

And then tonight, we met with the agents who are going to be (HOPEFULLY!) selling our house here in Augusta. For buyers, life is good. For sellers, not so much. And we are both right now. If we sell our house in the timeframe we need, it will be a miracle. Everyone, go ahead and put this on your prayer list right now. I don't want to own a vacation home in suburban Augusta! We are putting the house on the market on Jan. 28, as in the week after next. AAAHHHH! And we have to get it ready before then - clean out closets, clean the exterior vinyl siding (??), clean out the garage, deal with the carpet, etc. And then I'm going to be responsible for keeping the house in "show-worthy" condition while caring for a newborn and a wild 2-year old? I can't even think about that right now! I really can't believe that our 3 years in Augusta is nearly over...our first house, place where both our babies will have been born...but it's true - we have the FOR SALE sign in the garage to prove it!

So you can see why the last few weeks have been quite a blur and why I have been so absentee. My last really clear memories are of the week we were all sick (weeks like that are not easily forgotten!) And at 34 weeks, I'm feeling quite pregnant and am really starting to feel the stress of December / early January. I have been having lots of contractions and lots of just, um, discomfort, mostly due to being climbed on and kicked and pulled and pushed by wild Charlie! I have a sonogram tomorrow so we'll know more about how little Elliot is doing after that! From my perspective, he's strong and active! :)

Thankfully all of the tasks and trials that are before us do not have to be accomplished on our own...we have a God who goes before us; who fights for us; who is strong when we are weak; who promises to be our our Strong Tower, our Helper and our Shepherd; who loves us with an everlasting love and holds us with everlasting arms. He is also the One who accomplishes all things for us and works out all the details of our lives. We have decided that our verse for '08 is Psalm 127:1 -

Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the LORD guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

We are clinging to these promises and really praying for grace to trust in the face of so many changes and such intense stress. We hope you'll come along side us and pray for us and rejoice with us!

Need I say more?

2008-01-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

New Year's thoughts from John Piper, via his blog...don't miss this!
________________________________

10 Resolutions for Mental Health
December 31, 2007 By: John Piper Category: Commentary

On October 22, 1976, Clyde Kilby, who is now with Christ in Heaven, gave an unforgettable lecture. I went to hear him that night because I loved him. He had been one of my professors in English Literature at Wheaton College. He opened my eyes to more of life than I knew could be seen. O, what eyes he had! He was like his hero, C. S. Lewis, in this regard. When he spoke of the tree he saw on the way to class this morning, you wondered why you had been so blind all your life. Since those days in classes with Clyde Kilby, Psalm 19:1 has been central to my life: “The sky is telling the glory of God.”
That night Dr. Kilby had a pastoral heart and a poet’s eye. He pled with us to stop seeking mental health in the mirror of self-analysis, but instead to drink in the remedies of God in nature. He was not naïve. He knew of sin. He knew of the necessity of redemption in Christ. But he would have said that Christ purchased new eyes for us as well as new hearts. His plea was that we stop being unamazed by the strange glory of ordinary things. He ended that lecture in 1976 with a list of resolutions. As a tribute to my teacher and a blessing to your soul, I offer them for your joy.
1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.
2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."
3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.
4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.
5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.
6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their "divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic" existence.
7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder."
8. I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.
9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.
10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/976_10_resolutions_for_mental_health/

2007-12-19T19:05:00.000-05:00

We're back up and running, finally and thankfully. We were all technically back to normal by late Thursday evening but it really was quite a ride. I couldn't resist taking a picture or two to document -

Friday took us to Savannah for Ryan to work all week-end, unfortunately. Weak and still realing, we crawled to Savannah and did our best to just make it. And we did...returning home at 10:30 or so Sunday evening. Whew!

But now we are in full Christmas mode and ready to prove it!

A few fabric trees I whipped up to decorate a cofee table.

Charlie's stocking, finished a few weeks ago:

And the mantle, adorned with all three new stockings!

During the Charlottesville years, Jill and I decided to start wrapping our Christmas gifts thematically. I've been doing it ever since. This year, red foil paper with gold ribbon (and when I ran out of red paper, last year's screen stepped in to fill the gaps!)

And We're Down

2007-12-11T20:05:00.000-05:00

Yep, all 3 of us, well, 4 of us. With the stomach bug. Thankfully I have the mildest case of all. I'm not sure if that's due to necessity or the grace of God. Who take care of Mama when everyone else is sick? Literally 22 diapers and a trip to pick Ryan up from work later, I'm about to succumb to terrible stomach pains and achi-ness. Let's hope we all make it through the night!

One final thought: THIS is WHY we are moving to Savannah - I need someone to help ME!

Just a quick question

2007-12-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

Just a quick question for all of you homeowners...anyone out there have a downstairs master (with the kids' rooms upstairs)? If so, how does that work? OK? Not OK? General thoughts on this issue? In trying to pick a floor plan for our next house, this is a recurring theme. I can think of pluses and minuses...

Thanks for your help!

Random Thanksgiving

2007-11-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

We had a very different Thanksgiving this year. Ryan was working so Charlie and I spent the day watching the parade (which he loved), cleaning the house and doing laundry. Ryan was able to sneak out of the hospital a little earlier than usual and we all celebrated by taking a nap and then going to Cracker Barrel for turkey and pecan pie. Sadly, Cracker Barrel was packed ?

BUT the week-end was great as my sister Anna, brother-in-law David and nephew Tyson (6 months older than Charlie) arrived late Thursday night. In addition to shopping and just hanging out, we made a trip to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. Charlie was thrilled - he pitched a major fit after we left the first three exhibits, apparently not catching on AT ALL that we were off to see more animals. But thankfully, about 20 or so minutes into it, he caught on and was excited to see "more anmals." He is not scared of animals (or much of anything, for that matter) AT ALL so he touched and fed every available creature. He are some of my favorite shots.

Notice my face in this last picture. By this point, I was fed up with giraffe slobber. It was very cool to be be so close to a giraffe (they are HUGE in real life! Look at that head!) but really, we were on our 20th piece of lettuce!

Charlie loves Tyson. He's actually obsessed with him - he does not go one day-or really one hour-without mentioning "Tyse." And could Charlie look anymore like his Dad? :)

In other news, I'm suddenly feeling very pregnant. Twenty-eight weeks today. Yikes. This one is sneaking up on me! I'm tired, lots of things hurt and bending over to pick things up is a fate worse than death. I don't remember feeling such random pains with Charlie but then again, I didn't do the human pretzel every day to keep up with a wild and crazy 20 month old. That probably has something to do with it.

Anyway, by popular demand...a photo, taken last Sunday...Anna, also pregnant, is 20 weeks.

Thanks so my growing mid-section, Charlie has finally realized that something is going on. The other day he randomly looked at me, looked down at my stomach and said "baby." We told him there was a baby in there a few weeks ago and he was like, "um, OK, whatever." But I guess he remembered! Occasionally he'll remember the baby's name and say, "Baby. Eyat!" with a huge smile but most often, it's just "Baby." At least he's getting the memo that something is about to change!

In other news, we (well, me, Ryan has been working like crazy!) have really started looking at houses. For you Savannahians, our top choice at this point is a new house in one of the new neighborhoods in the Isle of Hope area. I'm so excited at the thought, I can barely stand it!

Cheers!

So thankful

2007-11-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

The Proof is in the Pictures

2007-11-19T21:39:00.001-05:00

I have been busy, busy, busy at my sewing machine in recent weeks and finally - some proof! Last Thursday I put the finishing touches on stockings for Ryan and me. His is forest green with plaid trim and silver buttons on the cuff...mine is winter-white with black grosgrain ribbon trim and vintage-jewelry-esque black jewel buttons on the cuff (wouldn't Jackie O. be proud?). I'm extremely proud of the results at I have been wanting to make homemade stockings for about four years now.

The Proof

The fabric for Charlie's stocking has been selected, purchased and is ready to be cut and sewn. But it might have to wait until after Turkey day, though that would be putting myself slightly behind my self-imposed holiday schedule. :)

And tonight I turned out a little fold-up crayon pouch for one of Charlie's friends who has a birthday this week. It turned out well and was actually a very encouraging project for me...I've made four of these little guys and the first one nearly pushed me over the edge. I thought it was SO hard and it took me about five hours to cut and sew the fabric...and it didn't even look very good! But this one...the lines are straight and in the right place and the corners are actually squared! Not to mention the fact that I was able to make the thing in a reasonable amount of time. I think I'm making progress! Who knows, by the time we move, I might be ready to sew some curtains...