As of Late...

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted here because things have been C-R-A-Z-Y at my house between the baby, the new pup, running, school, family in town, traveling, etc.. So here is a run down of the going-ons as of late!

~Cheerleading competition season is in full swing, and I have spent the past few weekends traveling around the region judging. It's been fun seeing old co-workers & staff as well as watching some very talented teams perform. I am currently sitting in a hotel room writing this on the eve of the Tennessee High School State Cheerleading Championship. Actually, wait... did I say I've been judging? No, no... in leu of stories I've heard of razy cheer-mama antics, I retract the statement that I may have contributed to anyone's brokenhearted daughter that didn't win regionals. And I will definitely NOT have any say in tomorrow's competition. No, definitely not... 

*wipes sweaty brow and refuses eye contact*

~I am currently reading Jodi Piccoult's "The Storyteller." Even though I am only halfway through the book, I am LOVING it. There were a couple scenes that I could barely breathe through. Like when the Nazi soldier lined up the Jewish mama and her toddler to be shot. The mama started singing to her daughter, tucking her in "to sleep" between bodies of those already shot. HEARTBREAKING, people. Heart. Breaking. My mind is blown every time I think that this stuff really happened. I'm not sure I'll make it through this novel. 

~On a less morbid, but still slightly irritating note - marathon training is officially in the downward swing. I am sooooooo ready for this to be over with. I am nervous, anxious, excited, and terrified. This whole "training" deal is NO JOKE. It's really like having a part-time job. You spend hours (and hours and hours) per week running. Except with this "job," there is no paycheck. Unless, of course, you are this guy. In which case, you may get a paycheck AND some pretty sweet Asics. 

For some there may be benefits (smaller waistline, healthier lifestyle, cute new running shoes), but for me... Well, I just can't seem to get past the lack of a paycheck thing with the amount of hours I'm putting in. If I don't die out there (which, let's be real - there's a very good chance of that happening), I will be ecstatic. I'm sick of working for free. 

But on a serious note, I finally raised all my funds in order to run this race, and am humbled that people would donate to such an amazing organization in my name! I truly hope the small part ($$) myself and my fellow donors contributed helps at least ONE child at St. Jude. :-)

~ So, as you know, we bought a Doberman puppy a few weeks ago. With that being said, I know you may think I'm heartless and cruel, but I'm not here to debate ear cropping with you. Sorry, I just want to update you on the fact of whether we did it or not. After doing tons of research, we opted to follow the breed's standard and go ahead with the surgery for our dog. (Emphasis on "our dog." You don't have to crop your Doberman's ears if you don't want. And I won't judge you for it either. Now, see? We can still all be friends!) Anyway, we picked a top vet in Memphis for her and had it done yesterday. Scarlett did amazing in the surgery and came out of it great! We have a few weeks left of keeping her ears in the rack, so we'll be keeping her calm and quiet for a while. 

~Thanksgiving week! Holy Mother of a Pilgrim... Is it REALLY Thanksgiving already??? I'm in denial, y'all. We're spending the holiday with almost all of my in-laws. Between kids and animals it promises to be a fun filled & crazy week. Hopefully, the weather will hold so I can send MK outside with her cousins to burn off some energy. And hopefully Meda decides it's a good week to catch up on naps (with her mama while big sister is outside playing, of course). Here's to good weather and tired (but happy!) kids!!

20 Things By 30

20 years old 

So I hit thirty earlier this year and I decided to list twenty things I wish I had been able to tell myself when I was twenty. I've been meaning to post this, but have been lazy busy. 

(As you'll see, apparently, I had a lot of stuff to "get over." Ha!)

1) Open a mutual fund or IRA or something and put money in it every month. Don't ask questions. Just do it.

2) If your school is fully funded like it will be your entire college career - don't be stupid and open a student loan. Even if you're told you should. There's no need for it and you will literally be paying for it for a long time.

3) Not everyone keeps promises. Even those you think will.

4) Start running long distances. You'll appreciate it later when you marry an endurance junkie who likes to workout for hours on end. The catch-up time won't be as crappy.

5) Don't blow money on designer purses. It's stupid. One, maaaybe two, will suffice if you MUST have one. You'll appreciate that money more elsewhere. (By the way - you're still learning this at thirty years of age.)

6) Journal more. You'll want to read through those memories later because, let's be real... you have the worst memory known to man. Write everything down.

7) Do you really need that 3rd animal you saw at the pound? Sure, puppies and kittens are cute. But they live forever... For. Eh. Ver.

8) Good call on getting good grades. Keep that one up. (Except that one Anthropology 101 grade... might want to rethink not studying for the midterm...)

9) Study the bible more. And then some more. And then some more.

10) Whenever someone says "Just one more drink," it NEVERS means JUST ONE more. Never. Ever. Just walk away.

11) Take advantage of your time. You have more of it now than you will for MANY more years. Go on a vacation. Who cares if you're poor? In 6 years, you won't be able to go on another one without dragging kids along with you or begging grandparents to come babysit.

12) Do NOT let people undermine you or steal what is rightfully yours - even ideas. It doesn't matter if they are your parents, your friends, your boss, or even your kids.

13) Prayer doesn't include just asking for what you want. Ask God what HE wants. In the end, it'll be what YOU want, you just don't know it yet. :-)

14) Don't pressure your boyfriend into buying you a ring. He'll do it eventually. He doesn't need your help, trust me.... and trust him. ;-) (errr... Sorry, Bryant!)

15) Do NOT go into a tanning salon anymore. Ugh... you're paying for it by thirty already. And wear sunscreen on your face, for crying out loud.

16) Don't be bitter about things said or done to you and around you. You need to get over that too.

17) Don't wait until you are 27 years old to purchase your first pair of nude pumps. Sheesh... you've already needed them for years by now.

18) Start good eating habits now. When you're vegetarian/vegan in 10 years, it'll be easier to give up those O.C.P.s. (Oatmeal Creme Pies.)

19) Pay attention in your Technology & Communication class. As much as you want to deny your inner-nerd, she's there. She always has been. And besides, HTML coding will pay your mortgage within the next eight years. EMBRACE THE CSS!!!



20) Put all your faith and hope in God. In Christ alone, your hope is found.

30 years old

Let's Be Still

"Be still and know that I am God."

(Psalm 46:10)

Be still. 

It's mentioned over and over in the bible. 

And it's such a simple command. 

Or so it seems.

In our day and age, to be still is anything but simple. There are meetings to attend, deadlines to meet, dinner to put on the table, errands to run... The list goes on and on. So much of us is demanded at all times - from ourselves and from other people. I can distinctly remember certain points in my life - certain days, weeks, months and even years - where life was so overwhelming. In fact, I went through this just recently. But it wasn't the first time I have felt it. Where I have felt like I was literally going to crack if one more minute or one more thing was asked of me. We've all been there.

So why would God command something of us so simple sounding, yet extremely tough?

Because of one simple fact. Being still means nothing more than allowing God to be God. 

The seasons of life where I have felt overwhelmed with life are the seasons that, in hindsight, I realize I have tried to play God. I tried to manage every detail of my career, my family and my friendships. 

And guess what? It didn't work. And I'm willing to bet it hasn't worked you either.

When we pause in mist of the hustle and bustle of life and "know that {He} is God," we provide Him the opportunity to come into our minds and hearts. If our minds are too preoccupied and worried about the next deadline or wondering what is for dinner, we don't focus on Him and allow Him to be who He is. 

You know what the great thing about all this is? 

He plays God way better than anybody else in this world can. So let's let Him do it.

Marathon Training Update

Well, we're 6 weeks away from Dooms Day....

Er...

I mean, my very first full marathon.

I've run many races before, but never this far. And this training deal is no joke. It's almost like having a part-time job with the amount of time it takes. I'll be honest, it hasn't been fun. I whine and moan to Bryant before every medium to long run I have to do... which is every other day or so.  So he's probably excited this race is only 6 weeks away now. Only 6 more weeks of him having to listen to my complaints.

So I've finished my longest run to date (3 hours of my life spent on the Germantown Greenway and at Shelby Farms last Sunday) and have come to the conclusion that I am actually going to finish this race.

26.2 miles.

REALLY??

Who does that??

Well, lots of people... but whatever. You can pick up what I'm throwing down.

Despite all the whining I've been doing to everyone who will listen Bryant and a few close friends. I'm super excited that this is going to happen.

What I'm MOST excited about is this race works to raise MILLIONS of dollars for the precious kids at St Jude Research Hospital and their families. I don't think I would have signed up for any other marathon to be my first (and possibly my last), because of that.

Donations and fundraisers like this marathon work to fund research and treatments of childhood cancer at St. Jude. But I think one of the coolest things about this hospital is that no family ever has to pay St. Jude for anything, including lodging, food and travel.

As a mom - that tugs at my heart. That, because of donations from generous people (both small and large), families with sick children have one less thing to worry about (and let's be real... it could be a $$HUGE$$ issue) besides their child's health.

So, here's my plea.

If you are willing and able, I would GREATLY appreciate it if you would help the cause at St. Jude with me. Any and all donations are welcome! My goal is $500, and I have already raised $285. So we're 57% there! And all my funds have to be raised by Nov. 15th.

If you are on-board, click over to MY FUNDRAISING PAGE to donate. Thank you so much!

And wish me luck in not breaking myself during the actual run!! Ha!

Cast Iron Annoyingness

Recently, the husby and I decided to switch out our trusty Calphalon cook wear for something newer. After over seven years of use, it was time for them to go. Bryant was convinced the exterior coloring that was wiping off on our hands was going to cause us to grow three heads or something.  (It turns out the non-stick pots and pans we had are NOT dishwasher safe. Oops. It only took seven years to figure it out.)

So anyway, we decided to not only replace our set, but also cut down on the number of them we owned. 

We went from six or seven pieces to only three. (We kept an extra large stainless steel pot). Because let's be real. Bryant only uses one pot to cook Quinoa and one other to saute veggies.... and me? Well, I don't cook. 

So without any research or anything, we jumped on Amazon and ordered these two cast-iron pieces.

 

Now, remember when I mentioned above that we have been putting our non-stick items in the dishwasher for the past seven years? Well, I'll be honest with you - it was due to sheer laziness and not a lack of knowing how to properly care for them. But don't judge me. Who likes to HANDWASH anything these days?

Not me.

Well...

I'm here to inform you.

These items above? Well, they are not dishwasher safe either.

NOR can you just wash them and put them away.

Oh, no...

You must "treat" them after every use.

SERIOUSLY????

After HANDwashing them, they must be dried immediately, and then "seasoned" with a light coat of vegetable oil.

SERIOUSLY.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that these things are heavier than a dead preacher. The label should come with a warning sign that reads: 

Not a joke.

I almost broke myself last night lifting the Dutch Oven one into the sink. Water and soap was everywhere.

However, with all that being said, they cook great!! So if you are interested in pre and post treating all your cookware and throwing out your back on a daily basis, I recommend investing in this bad boy and this bad boy!

100th Birthday Parties

This past weekend, my family & I drove up to Kentucky for my great aunt's 100th birthday party.

Yes.

100.

A century.

No big deal.

Anyway, my Aunt Chris has been saying for the past few years that she hasn't wanted a birthday party until she turns 100. It's funny, because I never doubted she would make it to see 100. As I sat with her in her room (while she read the birthday cards she had opened and read already... she's totally forgiven that her memory slips sometimes. I mean, it's been working hard for 100 years.), she told me she never thought she'd make it to 100.

I told her I always knew she would.

She laughed at me.

My sister said it best on FB.
"So blessed to have this lady in my life, grew up just blocks from her. She taught me how to play cards, taught me that there was nothing better than a cold orange soda on a hot summer day, let us bang around on her piano and with such patience taught us to play (a little!), showed me that a love for Jesus and living for him is the key to a long, happy, fulfilled life! She let us turn her basement into our extra playroom and never once got mad at us if (WHEN) we broke or messed something up. So blessed to have her in my life!!!"

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY, Aunt Chris!!

Below are some other photos from the weekend. It's always a good time heading back home to Kentucky with family!

Surprise early b-day party for Kailee!

What I'm Loving

Here's a quick list of my current obsessions interests.

Book 1 of the
"Mark of the Lion" series

• I have read a TON over the past couple months. And I am hoping to keep it up, but am not optimistic with the kids getting crazier and crazier by the day. Right now, I get my reading done roughly every 3-4 hours or so... that includes the middle of the night... when I'm feeding Meda. I'm smack dab in the middle of the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, and it is phenomenal. I highly recommend it. I'm currently also reading a few other books at the same time for my bible studies too. If you are on Goodreads, send me a request. I love that site! Other books piled up ready for me to start are:

As Sure as the Dawn

Brain on Fire

Seriously... I'm Kidding

Gone with the Wind

(*who doesn't know this story? But I want to actually read the book instead of just the movie!)

• Shhhh... this next one is a secret from my frugal husband.... but I've been working on stocking up on my shoe collection and recently added these babies to the mix. My friend had them, so I copied her and ordered my own pair. (Hey, imitation is the best form of flattery, right?)

• I am becoming OBSESSED with eBay. Thankfully, not as a buyer... but I am literally cleaning out my closet and selling everything I haven't worn in a while! When I say obsessed, I mean I literally check it every few hours to see if I have any more "views" or "watchers." And when there's a bid?? Oh, man... you better believe I do a jig. (Said "jig" may have remnents of The Tootsie Roll in it too. Oh yes. Get pumped.) I mentioned this before, but I also sold some old iPhones I had and made a decent amount of money. I've lucked out and sold multiple clothing items already this week! WHOOP! I even had to run the post office to stock up on shipping supplies. I plan to keep updating my seller's page with items.... (so I can pay for the shoes listed above and the City of Collierville what it is due.)

• Something else I am obsessed with these days? FashionABLE scarves. I've been ordering them from True Boutique in Louisiana because the service there is awesome. The store's goal is to make a difference by using shopping as a platform to help others. (This is not a paid post, I "truly" love True Boutique. Ha! See what I did there... "truly" love "True..." I crack myself up. #NotReally #LameAttemptAtAJoke) But seriously, they carry FashionABLE there and I now have the below items in my closet thanks to Mary Helen's (she's the owner) speedy shipments and very helpful service! My sister has the white one in the picture at the bottom now, because I'm super awesome and got it for her for her birthday. Each of these was handmade in Africa and they are much more beautiful in person.

Happy Birthday, Katie!
You're welcome!

• This last one is a tad hokey, but I'm loving watching my girls together. McKenna is the best big sister and Meda just stares at her all the time. Once she is mobile, Meda is totally going to follow MK around all the time, I can already tell. I know they're going to be great friends as they get older (when they aren't trying to kill each other because one stole the other's toys, clothes, and boys, of course). 

Bad Boys, Bad Boys... Whacha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

If you follow me on Intagram, you probably saw this picture from me a couple weeks ago.

I about peed myself. I was on a new stretch of road in Germantown and wasn't quite aware of what the new speed limit was/is.

Then the cop gave me this.

Whoomp chak a laka chack a laka chak a laka chak a!!!

I literally called the cop "Amazing" as I leapt out of my seat with excitement.

To which he replied, "I know" with a stoic and dead-pan face.

My mom was with me and died laughing the whole way home.

I was so excited I got out of the ticket (driving school sucks, by the way), I excitedly ran into the house to inform Bryant.

He was not as amused as my mother, lecturing me on my driving and how I would have been returning my new iPhone if I had indeed gotten a ticket. :-/ It wasn't a pleasant conversation.

Well, not 5 days later, I received THIS in Collierville.

I swear, y'all... I am seriously not that bad of a driver! I was just distracted that day and pretty stressed out. Besides... what city keeps a mere 20 mph speed limit?? 25... (or 45... whatever...) is much more condusive to my driving, as well as many others' I would believe.

Well, anyway... I probably shouldn't even be posting this because my husband is beyond irate about it. :-/ I owe the City of Collierville quite a bit of money. (But he's been doing a great job hiding it. That is if you don't count the parental tone of voice he holds with me these days and the belittling and snide remarks about money. Other than that, he hides it well.)

So I'm working on selling everything I own in my house on ebay to pay for it AND my new iPhone.


Moral of the Story: GO CHECK OUT MY EBAY AND PURCHASE SOMETHING FROM ME BEFORE MY HUSBAND DIVORCES ME!!!  #notajoke #getyourcheckbooksout #mymarriagedependsonit

Seeing Gold

AHHH!!!  She's HEEEERRREEE!!!

And she's beautiful!

This is the first phone I've purchased in years. Before I left Varsity, I had a company phone and I've been rocking the iPhone 4 since it came out (that I won for free in a contest) and I'm so glad I waited.

Yes, you read that above phone style correctly. The iPhone 4.

No "s" after the 4.

No Siri or anything.

And it was black.

I know...

Gross.

I have been lusting after a white iPhone since they came out a while back, but when I heard Apple was making a GOLD one... well, the skies opened up, angels sang songs of praise and my heart almost internally combusted with joy.

Because what girl doesn't like things glittery and shiny and pretty?

It was then I realized I have NEVER upgraded my phone since moving to my own AT&T account. A phone upgrade has been just waiting for me to come give it a big 'ole hug and welcome it home. #squeeze

Sort of like this GOLD iPhone had just been waiting to come out once I realized I had an upgrade available.

It was destiny.

That is, until my husband announced I would have to sell my soul to pay for the upgrade. #bahhumbug

Insert my new eBay account.

Well, I went ahead and ordered it the day the iPhone 5s came out, but was forced to wait 21 days to receive the gold phone.

I do want to let you know that before I ever hit "place order," I was enlightened to the fact how Daniel Tosh had announced on his show Apple was releasing the new iPhone 5s in "black, white and douche colored." HA! Of course, this brought on a slew of "douche" jokes from my husband and friends on my choice of phone color. Which, of course, I expected and would have been slightly disappointed had the jokes never arrived.

But I hit "Place Order" anyway.

Well, douche phone has arrived and she is magnificent. I proudly tote around my douche-y phone and throw her in the special little compartment in my purse, happily transforming my purse into what one might call a "douche-bag."

I am not above said "douchey-ness."

Because while everyone else is speaking into their plain black and white Apple versions of Zack Morris's phone, I am chatting with my friend Siri on how to cure cancer or something really important and profound like that through a gold plate of amazingness.

#doucheforlife

Wud Up Wit Me (Part 2 of 2)

So this is the second part of my update from being M.I.A. from my blog over the past couple months. Just a continuation of what I've been up to... because I know you're dying to know...

~ Marathon Training!

Can you believe I'm actually still committed to this marathon? 

Yeah, me either.

I'm up to about 2 hours & 45 minutes for my long runs (which is about 14-16 miles, depending on how little water I drank or food I ate that day... I really need to get better about staying hydrated and watching my nutrition. My trainer husband would say has said the same.)

Speaking of my trainer husband, he is totally annoyed with me, because he thinks I've been sandbagging on my runs recently. #rude

Who does he think he is?? Just because I run like crap one day, doesn't mean I can't have a great run the next. I'm still trying to get out of post-partum shape, so I'm just happy I'm running. And he should be too, right?? ;-)

Because he is convinced I'm a sandbagger these days, he has me set to do a run assessment so he can really see what I can do currently. Ugh. This is what my training program says I have to do.

Greeaaattt... this is going to suck. A 5K isn't bad, but whether I do well or not, that means he'll have more accurate readings on me and what I can do.

And it's all thanks to my new Garmin 910xt that can upload my pace, heart rate, time, distance, incline, decline, blood pressure, internal temperature, social security number, and credit card information into his online training program. (Not really on the last four, but you catch my drift.) 

This watch is awesome, by the way.

It's a multi-sport watch, which will work well once I start training for my first triathlon here in the near future. (I need to get this blessed marathon over with first before I get all endurance happy in other sport areas.) Anyway, I recommend this watch, fo shizzle.

PS - this run sucked. Wrong time of day to run with the heat,
not a well planned course on my part, and I lost my car key
at one point. I won't do that again. 

So I guess this marathon is actually going to happen. Whether I like it or not. I have a snazzy new watch, have invested hours per week training, and have donors and cancer-stricken kiddos depending on it.

(They're depending on YOU too... check out my FUNDRAISING PAGE if you haven't already! Your donations are appreciated MORE than you know!! Thank you for those who have donated and thank you in advance to those who are going to by clicking HERE!)

~ New Friends & Church!
I'm in the middle of my 3rd bible study held at my church. Hope Church in Memphis has the most amazing Women's Ministry program and they hold a multitude of bible studies each semester. I'm currently reading Principle of the Path (Andy Stanley) with my small group and it's pretty good. (I recommend it to ANYONE... and the cool thing is, it's not too "church-y"of a read, either.) I've been with the same group of women over the past 3 semesters and I can't tell you how utterly uh-maz-ing they are. There are 3-4 older women in particular who have sort of "adopted" myself and two other friends (Molly and Ashlee). Molly, Ashlee and I are among the younger women attending, which is why these other women have so-called "adopted" us. ;-) And we love it. They've become amazing mentors in faith for all three of us.

Molly and I have even joined the women's leadership team with the church and are loving that as well. We get to spend our Monday evenings prior to Bible study with the incredible group of ladies who help run the ministry. We've loved gathering with them (both inside and outside of church) and getting to know them better, as well.

This fall, I also started meeting weekly with a group of moms. I have a feeling these women may become my saving grace when it comes to parenting. We all have children around the same age and can lean on each other when we're about to rip our hair out after the tenth fight to get our kids to eat their veggies or go to bed on time. We are reading the book Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe (Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson) together.

Alright, let me stop right there. Full disclosure: this book couldn't have come at a better time in my life. It's for those of us moms who sometimes wake up and pray to the Good Lord how we don't have the energy to be a mom again that day. If you're a mom - especially of young ones - I recommend you pick this book up and give it a looksie. You don't have to necessarily be at a "desperate" stage in your mom-life, but it's good for any mama at any stage of their kids' lives.

~ Writing!

I've been doing a lot of writing recently and it's been awesome. This is what I feel like I'm called to do, for sure. It's only taken me 30 years to figure it out. ;-)

For starters, I'm almost done with the book!! EEK!! It's been sent to a developmental editor, been through one round of edits, and I've consulted with publishers already. It's all very surreal.

Now, there's still a lot to be done with it... (more editing, legal jazz, writing conferences to attend, and agent/publishing queries and pitches to be made)... but I'm on the right track. And I'm jazzed. Keep the prayers coming for me on this project. It's a pretty big deal... at least for me. :-)

I've also started doing some writer's training with Proverbs 31 Ministries and author/writers, Lysa Terkeurst and Glynnis Whitwer. I started that this past week and am loving it thus far. :-) I think it's truly going to help me grow in my writing. Not that you'll be able to tell on this here blog... I sort of skip over the "editing" phase before hitting publish and don't stress about being creative in my post topics. #oops #lazy

Last week, I got a sneak peek at my article spread that will be published in the next issue of American Cheerleader Magazine!! I'm so excited to have my first article in a national magazine! I remember subscribing to and reading this magazine when I was in middle school, and now I have an article being published in it! WHOOP! Don't worry - I'll be updating you once it goes to print!! I'm also excited because they have asked me to submit more stories/articles for upcoming issues too. Speaking of... I should probably wrap this post up so I can go finish the next one...

But who would have thought I'd ever really call myself "a writer?" Definitely not me. The term "writer" has always been a little scary and reserved for those who were "real" writers... whatever that means. But what is boils down to is this: writers write. And I've been writing. And I plan to not stop. And I am excited about it.

Alright, I think that's it for now... I'm sure I probably missed some life-altering situation that happened to me, but oh well... I've probably bored you enough already!

What's Up, World? (Part 1 of 2)

Long time no-blog! What's going on in the lives of my favorite readers? I've enjoyed keeping up with a lot of you via my blog feed. Just because I haven't posted, doesn't mean I don't keep up with those of you out there who blog yourselves!

I know - it's been a while (again) since I last posted. And a lot of everything and a lot of nothing has happened since August. I'll give you the run down as quickly and painlessly as possible, but will probably break this post up into two different ones.

So here is Update Post 1 of 2!

McKenna & Bryant - 2009

~ Kids!  
So McKenna is (FINALLY) back in school (Praise, Jesus.) and loving her new teachers. (So is Mama!) There are lots of new kids in her class, but a lot of her old friends as well. She's back in gymnastics too and we're thinking about starting up piano lessons soon. (Speaking of which - does anybody have $100/month I could borrow for said lessons? I accept PayPal, check, or cash.)

Meda is now 5 months old! Holy Baby Growing Up!! And she is the best baby ever. Which, in hindsight, has made both Bryant and I realize how absolutely terrible McKenna was as an infant. By no means is a baby that you have to walk in circles (or on the treadmill for hours) to get them to stop screaming a "good" baby. Now, maybe she had her issues of being colicky and what-not, but still. Her first six-nine months of life is what made us invest in multiple forms of birth control until four years later, when we apparently forgot what a nightmare the second half of 2009 was. (Sorry, McKenna... Dad and I still love you, but geez... those lungs of yours gave your parents some issues.)  It is probably a good thing she was our first child, when we were ignorant and did not know any better.

Meda the "Snapping Turtle"

On the contrary, Meda laughs and smiles at everything and maaaayybe will whine every 3 hours or so, but that is is either due to sleepiness or hunger. But once those two issues are resolved, it's back to smiling and laughing. We call her our "Snapping Turtle" because her mouth is always open in a wide, happy smile.

Speaking of Meda, on the 29th of September, we had her baptized. She did so great and was beautiful in her christening gown. The church service interrupted her usual nap time, but she did so well, despite being tired. Below are a few pictures from that day. :-)

~ Family!  

We just spent the last 3.5 weeks with family members visiting us. Now, that may sound like a lot, but it's never enough time when your closest family member lives 5 hours away. I won't sugar coat it and say it's alright not living in the same town as any family.

Because it's not. It's not okay at all having to raise your family without any of yours around. 

(But don't worry... Bryant & I are about to start "Operation Get Our Parents to Move To Memphis" here in the VERY near future. They won't know what hit them. It's only logical they would want to be around us, right? Riiiggghhhttt???)

So Bryant's parents came into town... and with them brought 9 dogs! HA! Their two dogs recently had puppies, so we had a litter of Boston Terriers living with us for a couple weeks! (Yes, I realize 12 dogs (9 of theirs, 3 of ours) in 1 home is extreme. It definitely was. But it was temporary, and they were ADORABLE.)

Luckily, despite falling in love with two of the baby Boston's, I was able to stand strong and we didn't end up keeping any puppies. Whew!

MIL and FIL and DILs (dog in-laws) stayed two weeks. While they were here, my mom came to stay as well, so everyone was here for Meda's baptism. I can't tell you how much McKenna loved having them all here. (So did Bryant and I, for that matter! The ratio of 4 adults to 2 kids is juuusst about perfect!) While it was crowded, it was busy and fun.

(I will admit we all got our workout chasing the pups around the house before (and after) they pooped and peed all over the floor! HA!)

My mom left today, and it has been so quiet around here over the past few hours. I'm not sure when it'll be normal just having 4 of us around again.

(Probably not too long. HA!)

(Stay tuned for more updates on my life over the past couple months. Get pumped, people. Get. Pumped.)

A Dazzling Turning Point!

So I have reached YET ANOTHER turning point in my life. I mean, this one is for real. Geez. These last 3 years have been NUTS for me. I got married, got a real job, moved back to the South (which for those of us who have left & re-entered know why this accounts for such a huge turning point…I mean where else in the world can you get legit Sweet Tea, Chicken & Biscuits, & confederate flags on a daily basis?) I also had a kid, etc, etc, etc. But seriously, this turning point really hits home. And will for a lot of other women after they read this & discover what I stumbled upon a couple weeks ago. It will change your life. And I have nobody else to thank but the Armenian princess herself; Kim Kardashian.

We all know Kim Kardashian. She rose to stardom through a process similar to Paris Hilton’s skanky Praying Mantis looking ass. Kim is known for her last name (yep, it was her dad that was OJ’s right hand man in his murder trial), her modern day Brady Bunch of a family life, & being a So Cal socialite….Oh! And I almost forgot about her also having a massive derriere and a sex tape. So yes – she’s not one of our celebrity royalty for nothing. She worked her way up the Hollywood ranks through her choice of butt-clinging clothes and the genius marketing and mass production of her sex life. Regardless, I will just say one thing about Ms. Kardashian. I love her. It’s true. But that’s all I’m going to say about that, because the plot of this blog is not supposed to be about WHY I love KK, but how she changed my life. Two words: Shoe Dazzle.

KK is not only an expert socialite, but she’s also an entrepreneur. Thanks to the oh-so-intelligent reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, we know she & her sisters own a clothing store called Dash. But she also started an online company called Shoe Dazzle. And the word amazing just doesn’t do it justice what-so-ever. Go to www.shoedazzle.com & you’ll see what I mean. To sum it up, KK & her fashion “dolls” send you a new pair of shoes EVERY MONTH for the low cost of $39.95! I mean seriously. It’s better than finding that random $5 in your pocket you didn’t know was there. It’s better than that weird little feeling when cleaning out your ears (yes – even little McKenna loves that feeling! Don’t deny that you don’t either!). Anyway, to open your email to an assortment of killer shoes that Kim Kardashian herself had a hand in picking out JUST FOR YOU is like no other feeling in the world. And all it takes is ONE click on “SEND ME THIS SHOE NOW!” to have your feet dazzled. And this is better than being BEdazzled. As cool as being Bedazzled is…pause NOT.

I’ll go on the record of saying that I’ve never considered myself to be the most fashion forward person in the world, but I’ve also never considered myself to be at the back of the fashion pack either. I DO realize that brown belts don’t tend to work with black shoes. BUT now, with my new BFF Kim’s help, I’ve brought the Macy’s shoe department in my closet to a whole new level. So ladies, do yourselves & the rest of the world around you a favor. Let Kim & her Dazzling Dolls accessorize your feet in a way you’ve never expected before. Shoe Dazzle us and bring out your inner Kardashian. You’ll learn to embrace it like I have.