A Great Read

A few post ago, I recommended the book, "40 Days Without Food" as a must read for all of my fellow reader friends. I finished the book, and I concur that this is a MUST READ. Russ has been a friend for many years, so this was such a privilege to be able to share in his amazing, life-changing experience. I felt like Russ was talking to me throughout the book, which made it a personal read. Russ combines wit, knowledge and beautiful descriptions to walk you through his 40 days without food. I found that each day was interwoven with a powerful message of God's grace, sovereignty and love. I want to go back and read it again with a highlighter! This is a must read people. I will leave you with one of my many favorite quotes from the book, one which particularly hit home for me.

Day 36 "I've cared with all my being, but nothing in my being has the power to control certain circumstances around me. I've been trying to be the god of my universe, but I'm not God. I must rise above circumstances or I'll always be a puppet to them. I remember the promise: "You're not alone in this. I have blue skies for you." Peace arrives, for I don't have to make everything happen. It's no easy thing to quit playing God and let him be that for you, to place your cares in his hands. It's doesn't mean we quit living or making decisions, but means we quit manipulating and worrying. Then we will be free to live for the things that can never be taken from us. I'm seeing this is all about freedom."

It is available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad (via the free Kindle app for iPad). More info is on Russ' website: www.russmasterson.com.

The Surprise

I was finally able to collect some pictures from David's Surprise 30th Birthday party at the Gwinnett Braves game. We had a great turn out (around 60 people), the weather was unseasonably cool, and most importantly, we actually surprised David. He said that he had no idea...0%. Everyone did such a good job helping me out! What a great memory!

Here's the group patiently awaiting David's arrival.

My mom came out to get us to give us our tickets. She then led us to the spot where everyone was waiting!



I LOVE the look on his face in this last picture. This moment brought such relief (keeping a secret is hard work for me) and such happiness. To have so many people we love able to be there to celebrate David was extra special. And David already knows, I will NEVER throw a surprise party for him again! (Maybe I should read my last blog!)

I Said I Would Never

For those of you who know me a bit, you know I can be on the opinionated side. I have been known to stick my foot in my mouth a few (too many) times. We have made some changes recently in our family, and they are things I thought we would never do. So here are a few things in my life where I said I would never...

1. Drink Diet Coke. It all started in college. My freshman roommate drank Diet Coke, and I swore I would never drink that stuff. Well, for the past 10 years, I am one happy girl if I have a cold can of Diet Coke.
2. Marry someone with hair on their chest. Needless to say, the love of my life may be known to have a few hairs on his torso.
3. Let the kids sleep in our bed. Though this isn't a nightly or weekly occurrence in our home (the boys share a room), I do love when Noah wants to come in our bed early in the morning to cuddle or Gavin calls out for me to come lay by him those last few minutes before we start our day. I know this won't last too much longer, so I love every minute of it.
4. Shop at Aldi. I swore I wouldn't be one of those shoppers running from store to store getting the best grocery deal. Well, once I started shopping at Aldi, I am addicted. They have great (usually consistent) prices. Just remember to bring your own bags and a quarter for a buggy!
5. Cut off our cable. David and I have had cable for our entire marriage. Well, God has been tugging at my heart for over a year to cut our cable and last month we did it! It hasn't been easy (the kids don't know life without a DVR), but as with anything, we will grow accustom to it soon enough.
6. Drive a minivan. Did I just admit that? Do I really own a minivan? This has definitely been the hardest one to swallow. Our Navigator gets horrible gas mileage, so we knew we had to make a change. Lord willing, we hope to have more children, so a minivan was the best and most economical option. This car is not the love of my life, but I love its practicality and usefulness.

I am sure there are many other things I have changed my opinion on over the years. Though there are many absolutes in my life, such as I will always stand firm on God's word, Pepsi is disgusting, and I will never root for the SC Gamecocks, I have realized that sometimes my opinions are a bit unfounded and prideful. So, what things have you said you would never?

The BIG 3-0 (Part 1)

My wonderful hubby leaped into his 30's last week! I will admit that I was a bit brutal with my constant teasing, but it was all in fun and mostly to ward off the reality that this, too, is in my near future. I have yet to collect pictures from the fun surprise gathering I threw for David last weekend, so I will share a few from our low key family night.

Most of the birthday festivities I planned played out a week or so before David's actual birthday. Thursday was his official birthday. He was able to take the day off to play golf with his dad and Papaw. We also went out to dinner with some good friends and followed it up with some cake and ice cream. I love celebrating (other people's) birthdays, so overall, we had a great time doting on David!

Stay tuned for the Surprise Party! It was great!

The Only Child (for a week)

Noah has been at "Cousin's Camp" at his Grammy and Poppy's this last week. They are keeping Noah (4), Lauren(9) and Reagan (5). Every time that I get to talk to him (which isn't much), they are doing some cool activity! He is either going to be worn out when he gets home or expect me to go out more!!! Though I don't prefer Noah to be gone, I knew it would be good for me to surrender a bit of control as well as spend some good quality time with Gavin. I love both my boys so much, but since Gavin was the second born, he obviously hasn't gotten as much one-on-one attention as Noah. In some aspects, I don't feel like I know his as well as I do Noah. I have loved every bit of this week. Here are some things I have discovered or rediscovered about my "Gav-Man"!

1. Gavin enjoys helping me around the house. He has helped make breakfast a few times, put things in the trash and helped out with the laundry. I love a cheerful worker!

2. Gavin loves to read books. We always read before nap and bed, but I admit that sometimes if it is late, books go out the window. This boy could sit down and read 10 books and want to read more.

3. Gavin is very in tune with his senses. He can smell food from a mile away, is very particular on things he touches, and notices different sounds all around us. I love when he says, "What's that smell?" with his nose crinkled up or "What's that sound?" when my knees pop as I am doing sit-ups!

4. Gavin is my cuddler. I have known this all along, but we have had some special cuddle time this week together. I love that there is no place he would rather be than cuddling with me after his nap!

5. Gavin is a bit more shy in public without his big brother. We swam on Tuesday and it took my little fish a good hour to warm up to some of his friends. He was also very laid back at Story Time yesterday. It was almost like he didn't know what to do.

6. Gavin is a prayer warrior! Before we go to bed each night, we each say a prayer together. With 4 of us praying, it can be a bit lengthy. Well, this week, Gavin has taken full advantage of the extra air time, so he prays and prays and prays. If you need prayer, let me know and I will pass it on to Gavin!

This week has allowed me special quality time with him, but also has reminded me that I need to make a conscience effort to remember the things that he loves to do and incorporate them into our routine. I love my little man...and I am SO ready for his brother to be home!

A Must Read

You may not know this about me, but I love to read. I tend to switch back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, mainly because when I read a fiction novel, I get so involved it consumes me until I finish it. Anyways, I definitely know what my next read will be..."40 Days Without Food: Divine Goodness to a Starving Soul" by Russ Masterson. Not only is the title intriguing, a great friend of mine is the author! I am thankful to have met Russ and Kristy during high school. We had a lot of great times together at UGA, and David and I also have had the privilege of being in ministry with them at Church of the Apostles. Basically, Russ and Kristy are awesome people, so I have no doubt this is going to be an incredible book!! Below is an excerpt of the book as well as info for how to purchase it. Check it out!!!

“I had a college degree, and soon a seminary degree to accompany it, yet I didn’t know where to go or what to do.” Russ Masterson had read and heard about purpose, but didn’t have a clue what his own purpose was. And there was emptiness where there should have been value. As he puts it, “I kept hoping a step would arrive when it was time to lift my foot.”

Disillusioned with his life, as well as with God, he heard this advice: fast from food for 40 days. Faithless and frazzled, Russ accepted the challenge, hoping for direction, reflecting on the past, and wrestling with issues like purpose, faith, and love.

In this book, readers will find a fresh literary voice — an insightful thinker who meets people in their humanity while helping them to see they can be rescued from it. The journey of these forty days without food will help you explore what really matters in life.

It is available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad (via the free Kindle app for iPad). More info is on Russ' website: www.russmasterson.com.

The Drums!

On Thanksgiving night of 2010, my dad, mom, and I headed out to Toys 'R Us for our first Black Friday shopping. To say that we had a great time is an understatement. Though we waited for an hour to get in and an hour to check out, we found some great deals. On top of it all, my brother had sent us a few texts during the night to let us know my sweet niece would probably be arriving shortly. I say all this to say, I was experiencing a little euphoria along with a bit of sleep deprivation, so I wasn't making the best judgement decisions that evening. A perfect example of this is the drum set I let my parents buy, so they could tuck it away for Noah's birthday! Oh, they were half off and Noah does love to play the drums, but what was I thinking???? I mean, before these "real" drums entered the picture, I had Noah using drum sticks to play on soft, quiet pillows!

Noah was ecstatic when he opened up the drum set. Of course, David set it up immediately and the drumming began. He does have a natural touch, so he isn't necessarily banging on them like I expected. (His little brother, on the other hand, has a thing or two to learn!) It is the constant noise that led me to come up with "drum money". Yes, both the boys get their drum money in the morning and once they have spent it on playing their session, the drum sticks are put up. It is working so far!

Anyways, I really am glad that Noah got this instrument because I do think he has natural musical ability woven into to his DNA. Hopefully the novelty will wear off just a bit, so that the constant noise doesn't drive us (or our neighbors) crazy!