Just Passing Through

Graduation

2009-05-31T21:13:00.004-05:00

How did we go from this...

to this in the blink of an eye?

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Congrats and I love you!

Wanna Win Something?

2009-05-28T16:49:00.004-05:00

Ok, so some of you are angry at my extended absence and my teaser message that turned out to be a little premature. Here's a little something to express my apologies...

Over at A Soft Place to Land, Kimba has a giveaway going on with Lewa's Designs. If you blog about the giveaway, you are guaranteed to win one of these three little wall vinyls in your choice of color.

I think the swirly bird is a cutie, so that's the one I'll be choosing. If you blog, get in on this action. How often are you GUARANTEED to win?

And if you put her badge on your sidebar, you get to pick two! I don't know anything about badges and putting stuff on my sidebar, though, so I'll settle for 1 little swirly bird. Hopefully you are more technical than me.

After you post, email contest@lewasdesigns.com with a link to your blog post along with your choice of decal, color desired, name & mailing address. Easy peasy!

Love ya'll and I'll be back soon...seriously.

Stay Tuned

2009-05-09T22:24:00.001-05:00

The closet blogger is back! I'll be updating soon...

New Old Stuff

2009-02-23T21:19:00.006-06:00

Despite my recent acute case of "pro-craft-ination" (procrastination of the craft variety), I got several odds-and-ends projects completed this weekend. More out of the necessity to have all the crafty goodness off my dining room table than anything else. Let me tell ya, I really need a craft room. Can I get an "Amen" ladies?

A few weeks ago I did some project hunting at GW (that's Goodwill for anyone not in the trash-to-treasure loop). I spotted this gem and instantly saw her potential.

Yes, she had seen better days, but I had faith that her best days were yet to come. (I should also mention that there was some odd Little House on the Prarie-esque scene in the frame part when I found her. True to my overzealous personality I had already taken that out before I remembered to take the before picture. I really wish ya'll could have seen it. It was something.)

I had been wanting a chalkboard for the kitchen for quite a while. I knew that the perfect opportunity would present itself eventually, and here it was for just $4.99. With the ledge to hold the chalk and eraser, and the hooks to hold the hubby's keys, I knew I had found my chalkboard destiny.

Here she is after a few coats of spray paint on the frame (I started with Ivory and switched to Heirloom White. I'm now in L.O.V.E. with Heirloom White.) and a couple of coats of chalkboard paint which I sprayed right onto the frame backing since it was a nice smooth surface.

I am spastic about how it turned out. It was hung and ready to announce the menu for our guests Saturday night. Nick thought it was a little overboard to add the welcome message, but they noticed it right away and loved it. Making your guests feel special is always important, no matter how casual the gathering!

During the same trip to GW, I picked up this little bird...which turned out to be a duck. I didn't notice until I sprayed him with a little Heirloom White. Really brought out his bill. Oh well, ducks need love too!

Quack, quack.

The "H" was one of the golden letters from Hobby Lobby. What the powers that be at Hobby Lobby think a person is going to do with a gold letter is beyond me, but no matter...a little spray paint and she's looking good!

I have one more finished project, but I really need to ellipticize tonight so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Good night and God bless!

Look at me go

2009-02-19T21:33:00.002-06:00

For those keeping count, I've posted 3 times in the last 2 days.

Oh, make that 4.

I'm on a roll now...

Beautiful Life update

2009-02-19T20:44:00.004-06:00

You think I've fallen off the wagon, don't you? You can admit it. I don't really blame you, because I certainly haven't kept you informed about my progress in my quest for a beautiful life.

Let's just say that January got off to a slow start with my healthy living goal. But toward the end of the month, I got it in gear and started making healthier food choices and became reacquainted with my lonely elliptical machine. Yesterday I picked up the Abs Diet book and am excited about working some of those concepts into my regimen.

February has been a good month for my goals. Not only have I continued on with the healthy living changes, but I've been bitten by the organization bug and completed several projects that were crying out for my attention. First order of business was my computer area. This little space gets so junked up! Here's what it looked like before I tackled it -

I blame this mess for my extended blogging absences. Who would want to sit here for any extended period of time?

Here's the after -

Everything has a place and I'm able to focus on the task at hand since I'm not paranoid about the mountain of junk falling out and burying me. Sweet peace.

The other thing I was able to accomplish (by sacrificing a precious Sunday afternoon nap) was to organize the bookshelf in the office. I don't have a before, but suffice it to say that it was scary. The books were on the shelf willy-nilly and it stressed me out to even look in their direction, much less try to find one to read in that chaos!

Here's the after -

I'm a visual person, so I tend to remember what a book looks like. It's very easy for me to locate a book in my new color coded system, and it gives order to the shelf, which brings me serenity and joy!
I also spruced up the master bedroom with help from my close, personal friend the Nester (whom I have never met and who doesn't know me from the man in the moon). See it here.

I have miles to travel on this organizing journey, but at least I'm on the road. I'm committed to carrying each new goal with me into the following months and making them a new way of life, not just a phase to be abandoned quickly.

Head on over to The Inspired Room for your daily dose of inspiration. Seeing other's successes really motivates me!

Have a beautiful day!
Dana

And the Oscar goes to...

2009-02-19T16:47:00.004-06:00

Dana for Best Use of 10 minutes! Ya'll, the Nester is having a party and I'm invited.

Ok, so everyone is invited, but I'm choosing to pretend that this is an intimate gathering of the Nester's close, personal friends.

Yes, I am delusional.

So the Nester's party is the finale of the 10 minutes to a room you'll love series she's been doing for the past month. Go back and read the tips if you haven't been following along as she goes. It's all simple stuff that can magically transform a room. Our master bedroom is the room that really needed the magic...

Now, let me say that it doesn't look quite this bad all the time, but on Wednesday night, this was what I was looking at. Nothing about this room said, "Come in, close, personal friend of the Nester and relax awhile," or "This is where the proverbial magic happens," or even "Come in and rest your weary bones". Since your bedroom should be a place of refuge (not refuse), peace, and romance, I set about to make small changes with big impact.

First, I commited to some lamps. I've been trying to find the perfect lamps for our master for quite some time and it took a cyber-kick-in-the-pants from the Nester to finally just buy some stinkin' lamps for crying out loud!

Second, I cleared all the C.R.A.P. off the nightstands. Why was there WD-40 on the nightstand in the first place? Instead, I put books, a decorative box, and a hand-blown glass vase with greenery in it. Ahh...so much better!

Finally, I made the bed. I know, I know. I'm a trailblazer. All kidding aside, this makes the room look 100 million times better. Why don't I do it? Your guess is as good as mine.

I've still got some improvements that need to be made in the master like adding a chair and FINALLY getting some window treatments up. But it was so encouraging to see what just a few changes could do to the feel of the room.

Last night I turned off the overhead light and turned on the lamps. Nick walked in and literally did a double take. He said, it looks like a totally different room.

Thanks, Nester.

Love,
Your close, personal friend.

8th Grade Was Rough

2009-02-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

Have I ever told ya'll about my most embarrassing moment? No? Well, it was eighth grade. An entire year can't be considered a moment, you say? I would have to disagree.

It all started in the summer before school started. There was a cute new boy in town named Jeremy. Imagine my delight to find cute, new Jeremy at the YMCA pool when my girlfriends and I arrived one hot day. He was a sight for sore eyes for a gaggle of teen girls who usually shared the pool with housewives striving for a perfect tan. Since I'm such a wallflower and all, I paraded myself and my little bikini straight to the high dive.

Clearly I suffered from a serious lack of self-confidence.

So after executing a perfect dive (at least in my mind), I climbed out of the pool and came face-to-face with my crush, cute, new Jeremy. I flirted with CNJ for a few minutes and turned to return to my friends. As I walked toward them, my friend Kristin got a horrified look on her face and screeched, "Your NIPPLE!" That's right, folks...apparently the force from the Louganis-esque dive had caused my cute little triangle bikini to shift on my nonexistant chest and there for CNJ and all the sun-worshipping housewives to see was my nipple. Let me assure you that the one body part I wasn't trying to flaunt was that one.

Props to CNJ for not letting on that he noticed anything amiss, but there was NO WAY that he didn't!

I'll be back soon to follow up with 8th grade humiliation number two. I know you're on pins and needles...

Valentines Fun

2009-02-15T21:00:00.004-06:00

Hey. It's me Dana.
Remember me?
The author of this blog.

Well, when my own Dad mentioned that I needed to update the blog, I thought I better get on it. I could go into how we got a new computer and we have spent the last week moving all the digital photos off of the old one. I could explain that I was waiting to post on my new computer because it just took too long on the old one. I could get really detailed and explain that it took approximately 97 minutes to upload one stinkin' photo to the blog on my old computer. But let's face it, they're all just excuses. I'm back now and that's what counts.

So, who loves Valentines Day? I could take it or leave it personally. I mean it's a fine "holiday" and all, but I'm with the contingent that says that everyday should be the day to make your loved one feel special. Nick is really great at this. It kind of makes it hard to top the way he treats me every day. This year he had said he was really excited about the gift he got me...so excited that he couldn't wait until Saturday to give it to me. So when I got home on Friday afternoon, there was a bag from a trendy little boutique on our kitchen table. In it was a dress that I had admired in the shop window a couple of times. I would have never bought the dress for myself, because...well, I just don't spend a lot on clothes. Don't get me wrong, I spend a little on a lot of clothes, but not a lot on one item. This was so unexpected and thoughtful. It was like a scene from one of my favorite movies, Pretty Woman. You remember when Richard Gere gave Julia Roberts the gorgeous gown? It was like that...you know, minus the prostitution and the swanky penthouse suite.

Some good friends and I had planned a fun afternoon for our husbands for V-day. So I sent Nick off at 2:30 dressed for the evening and with a cryptic clue to meet "Chris" at a spa. Nick was sweating all the way there trying to determine if "Chris" was going to be a male or female masseuse. At the spa, he discovered that he was meeting our friend Chris along with Nathan and Brandon. Relieved that he wouldn't be getting a rub down, they got their next clue and heading to a jewelry store to meet up with another friend, Michael, and get a packet of clues for the rest of the afternoon. There were several hysterical activities that they had to complete and each step required a group photo. Suffice it to say, the pictures at the end of the evening were priceless. The boys had so much fun and met up with the girls at the final destination, Cabana. If you haven't been to Cabana, go! The food is wonderful, and the atmosphere is really fun. We all had a blast and indulged in awesome food, great wine and amazing friendship!

(Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the mini's!)

Hope ya'll had a magical Valentines Day with your beloved, too!

XOXO ~ Dana

Harper's Awake!

2009-01-27T10:28:00.002-06:00

Hopefully ya'll are keeping up with Kelly's blog and updates on Harper, but if you aren't...

SHE'S AWAKE!!!

God is so good and merciful and wonderful and sovereign...
I'm overwhelmed and crying such happy tears for this family. I cannot imagine the feeling they must have had to finally see their baby's beautiful eyes.

Kelly has had several people email her to say that they received Christ since following Harper's story. Hallelujah!

What a bright spot on such a dreary day!!!

Love to you all...

You Tell Me

2009-01-20T20:54:00.004-06:00

Is it bad that Nick and I are teaching our children dog tricks?

I mean she was having fun. I cross my heart.

Don't judge me.

By the way, Ellie has a mohawk.

P.S. It is my sincere hope that Kelly will someday be teaching Harper to do doggie tricks. Please continue to pray for this family and sweet, sweet Harper...it's working!

Pray...

2009-01-19T09:24:00.002-06:00

Good morning, friends. I have a very special request. I need for ya'll to get on your knees in prayer for a precious little baby named Harper. I don't know Harper or her parents, but I have been periodically checking in on her mom's blog for the past several months. Harper's parents, Kelly and Scott, struggled with infertility for several years and then by the grace of God, conceived this little girl. Now Harper is very sick and they don't know exactly what is wrong with her yet. This family has been on my mind for the past several days, so I went to Kelly's blog this morning to check on them and this is what I found. I am heartbroken for them. They are the cutest little couple and all of Kelly's posts center around the excitement they experienced waiting for Harper's arrival.

Our God is a big and mighty God. I know that he can heal Harper and give Kelly and Scott the dream they have dreamt for years. Please pray.

Visit Kelly's blog so you can go back and follow their journey from the beginning.

Have a blessed day!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Fight Night

2009-01-08T22:10:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics from our recent Ugly Christmas Sweater themed UFC Fight Night. I think these speak for themselves, but just in case they don't...

Nick picked out my sweater. It was pretty hideous. You can't really see it, but I was wearing a thin headband and blue eyeshadow, too. Nick is always over the top. You give him a theme and he will run with it. He was not satisfied with the tackiness of his original choice, so he tasked our friend Glenn with choosing another UCS from the wide world of Goodwill. This is what he got. It is a woman's shirt and has shoulder pads...enough said.

Here are our friends Adam and Alycia. Alycia was really in the spirit. She actually paid full price for her new UCS. (Note to the sweater industry: Shame on you! There is no excuse for continuing to manufacture such offensive holiday wear.)

This is Glenn. If we were giving awards, Glenn would win in every category. Not able to find the perfect UCS, Glenn (an engineer, I should note) set out to create his own. He actually sewed that Santa onto a Bill Cosby-esqe sweater he found at Goodwill. And please, please note the socks. Everyone that saw Glenn said, "Dude, the socks make it!" (That little guy is Glenn's mini-me, Cole.)

It was an entertaining night to say the least. Thanks to our fun friends that participated - we had some slackers that didn't.

P.S. My hubby wants me to tell ya'll that the only thing better than the sweaters was Rampage Jackson's knockout punch...yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking.

Toodle-loo!

A Look Back

2009-01-07T20:26:00.006-06:00

Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality is having a soiree! What? You don't know Rhoda? What rock have you been hiding under? Rhoda is fabulous. She reminds me of Paula Deen, but instead of cooking up delicious food, she cooks up scrumptious decor. Rhoda's party is an opportunity for us to look back at the projects we completed in 2008. Before and after. There's just one teensy little problem...I don't have before pics for most of my projects. I wasn't in full blogging mindset yet, people! I'll do better in 2009...promise. Hopefully, Rhoda won't mind if I crash the before and after party with just my afters!

I'll start with the couple of projects I do have befores for. First up is the ornament topiary that was featured on Kimba's Favorite Things roundup post following the Open House. I am still blushing! So flattering to be recognized by the Kimba...you know from A Soft Place To Land...go there at once. But hurry back for my other projects!

This junk...

...became this. (Ugh, this pic is dark...see the pic over at Kimba's)

This next project was for Beanie's nursery. I found this lovely lady on Good Friday at the flea market. It was a good Friday indeed! I was on a mission to find a dresser/changing table and this sweetie fit the bill perfectly. She's long and deep. Perfect for all that changing table paraphenalia...you mama's know what I'm sayin'. There was just one issue...she was blue. And since Beanie was missing some, um, equipment that would have called for a blue dresser, I set to work on the makeover...

I liked her sexy legs!

Here she is, all fresh and white and nursery-ish! See her? There...behind the little people. (I tried to take a pic tonight without the munchkins, but the lighting is terrible and you can't see how fresh she really looks. So this not-at-all-recent one will have to do.)

Here's a look at her pretty glass knobs. (See the crap-o lighting.)

And here are those gorgeous gams...

Staying in the nursery, here is a peek at the window "mistreatment" in there. Ala the Nester, I found two complementary fabrics and some kicky trim to tie it together, busted out the glue gun (that's right), and whipped up some deliciousness while watching an episode of Real Housewives of New York (I'm hanging my head in shame).

In the nursery we have a monogrammed lamp shade. I love having a lamp in the nursery, so we don't have to use the overhead lighting. If I could, I would only use lamps! I found a lamp that wasn't being used and went to work. I'll try to tap out a tutorial on this project in the coming weeks.

Big sister got a mono-shade too!

Again in the nursery...wow, it's so true that babies really take over your world! I wanted something over the crib that was a little different. I got a large letter from JoAnn's and duplicated the dust ruffle stripe on it. This was a tedious and time consuming project because of the size of the stripes. But it really turned out so great and I think it makes the room.

Truthfully, the nursery, in and of itself, is a 2008 completed project. Before it became a nursery, it was being used for overflow storage and Ansley's large toys. When we got pregnant (we meaning me) and determined that we (we meaning I) didn't want to give up the guestroom, this room became the nursery by default. I don't have before pics because...well, frankly it was scary. The walls were plain-jane, cream. No offense to anyone named Jane. There was a mess of junk scattered all around. I don't need photos of things like that lurking around to remind me of darker days! So I chose a color (that is pretty scary when it's going on the wall) and we painted. Then my sweet husband and my sweet FIL put up the beadboard and chair rail (that's not really a chair rail). The result is pretty dramatic, but that's what I was going for.

I created personalized plaques for the girls' doors as well. This is a pic of Ansley's but Ellie has one that is almost identical...well, except for the letter, of course!

Well, I think that about does it. I hope to complete so many more projects in 2009. I feel fulfilled and productive when I am creating things. I hope that you will make it a point to create a beautiful life for yourself and your family in the coming year!

Until we meet again~

Can you believe it?

2009-01-04T17:14:00.003-06:00

I ran.

I am not even kidding.

Ask Jill. She was there.

And no, Mom, no one was chasing me.

I am weak. I gave into the hype. I'm a sucker for peer pressure.

Beautiful Life

2009-01-02T20:32:00.005-06:00

Ok, ya'll. Now I'm not really one for New Year's resolutions. I mean, let's face it, I have very little will-power and usually no real motivation to keep them. But this year at The Inspired Room, Melissa is setting some "key word goals" that describe the kind of life she wants to lead in 2009. Since I like the idea, and certainly don't have a better one, I decided to follow suit. I hope that you will join me, but if you don't, why don't you resolve to help me be accountable. Alright, here we go...

How it works: I've set twelve goals - one for each month. These are very general...nothing too restricting. I don't like to be restricted. It's so...restricting. So each day I will try to incorporate as many of these goals as possible into my activities, focusing mainly on the current monthly goal. I know it sounds confusing - I was confused after reading Melissa's post and she has a much better way with words. I think it will become more clear after seeing the goals - here are mine:

January: Healthy Living (such a cliche, I know, but I've gotta do it!)

February: Organization

March: Enrichment - learning something new

April: Solitude/Faith - regular quiet times

May: Family

June: Friends

July: Finances

August: Contentment

September: Routines/Anti-Procrastination

October: Hospitality

November: Gratitude

December: Giving

Occasionally I will post about how I am incorporating these into my everyday life. But don't worry, I will still be regaling ya'll with tales of hands that smell like poop, wildly inappropriate baby wear and other magical moments from our little life!

Love to love ya'll!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T22:18:00.002-06:00

2008 was amazing for our little family. We were blessed with sweet Ellie's arrival, health, and prosperity. I pray for each of you a 2009 full of abundant blessings. Whether the economy turns around or not, whether the new administration is better or worse, if your hope is in Jesus Christ and the peace he brings, you will never be disappointed!

Celebrate each day!!!

Love,
dana

Ho Ho Holiday Tour

2008-12-16T20:58:00.001-06:00

I promise I have an excuse for the brief (relatively) hiatus from blogging...

I have been a busy little elf, readying our house for the holidays!! I'm so excited to show ya'll what I've been up to. Get comfy and enjoy...

Welcome! Come on in...

Normally I go a little more dramatic on the banister garland, but I loved the simplicity of the unadorned garland with the plain ivory ribbon...not to mention how easy it was!The dining room waits patiently all year for Christmas...this room's time to shine. With the red walls, there is such a festive feeling in here.I must confess that I have a little addiction...with nativities. This one resides on the buffet. Here's the dining room tree. The theme is red and gold. This tree stays pretty much the same from year to year, but there is an addition or two each year. Last year I added the glittery poinsettias from HL. This year I added some gold sequin balls and gold berry picks. This tree is absolutely a Charlie Brown tree when it comes out of the box each November, but once it's decked out, it's so beautiful! Look - someone's been to Target! A view into the heart of our home...I made this little topiary to use some leftover ornaments.These fun little napkin rings were the inspiration for our "family tree" this year. Red, pink and lime green are a fresh combo and it's been fun buying things to coordinate.The countdown is on! Have you got all your shopping done?Monochromatic St. Nick and tree on a SL@Home tray. Here's the mantle featuring a lush garland and our stockings. I love the two red stockings with the cream bows, but I could only find 2. I need 3 more. For now, these are the girls' stockings. If you have a HL nearby and find 3 more stockings like these, let me know! I'll make it worth your while...
Close up shot of the garland. Lots of greenery, feathers, lights and ornaments. A little vignette on the side table. I love this angel. Festive birdie in a jar.Here's the "family tree". This is always a real tree and it features all the ornaments from my childhood as well as all the ornaments that Nick and I have collected over the years. Now the girls receive ornaments that are added to the tree each year! My favorite ornament from my childhood! Look inside!Ornament from Nick's and my first Christmas together 9 years ago.
Scuba Santa from a vacation this year. This is Ansley's tree. I love the way it makes her room look. She always helps to decorate it and I treasure the experience.The theme is pink and silver.Sometimes it bothers the psycho-OCD part of me that Ansley rearranges the ornaments and groups them all together...or that this beautiful ballerina has to dance on a bottom branch where no one can really see her...but then I realize that perfection is only obtainable in a home with no children. And the fact is that I wouldn't trade my babies for all the perfect decor in the world.

I hope ya'll enjoyed the tour. Now run on over and visit the Nester, Kimba at A Soft Place to Land, Tip Junkie and Boo Mama to see lots of other holiday homes. If those don't satisfy, feast your eyes on the homes at Thrifty Decor Chick, Southern Hospitality and Hooked on Houses. Warning...these wonderful blogs will consume your life and your family may not see you for days as you ogle all the festive eye candy. Seriously. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Christmas Came Early...

2008-12-04T22:26:00.000-06:00

...for Ellie. She got two front teeth! Here's a peek at the new chompers...

That Santa is really on the ball this year!

TGIF tomorrow!!

Mwah! (that's my blowing a kiss sound...do you think I spelled it right?)

November who?

2008-12-02T21:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, so clearly November wasn't my finest blogging hour. You know, what with me posting a grand total of ZERO times. I beg you readers for mercy! I grovel at your feet...forgive me. Let's just forget that November ever happened, ok? December is going to be fantastic...starting tomorrow. I'll see your pretty little faces soon...

Love, me

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T20:44:00.000-05:00

...from the princess and the pea!

Ummm, who are you and what have you done with my baby?!

Walden Farms

2008-10-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

There is a great little pumpkin farm nearby that we have been visiting for several years. This year some friends joined us. Here are some pics from this fall and falls past...
Feeding the goats is always a hit!

She looks like she's having fun, but she wanted down pretty quickly.

The corn crib was full of corn for the kids to play in. Ansley was happy to sit and scoop corn into her bucket, but she wasn't about to do any "corn angels" like the other munchkins. No, no...far too dirty!

Farmer Ansley on the move

This picture cracks me up! This is Nick trying to free our friends' son, Noah, from the hole he stuck his head in. Only Noah! But the best part of the picture is our friend, Jen, in the background pointing and laughing!!!

Our beautiful girls

Even Ellie had a good time!

This is little 2 month old Ansley. It seems like yesterday...

Our little family. It's so funny to remember how new everything felt. We had no idea how blessed we were going to be by that sweet baby!

Make some memories this fall!

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

This edition of T.T. will focus on those who made me who I am today...my family: Mom, Dad, Matt and Cam.

I love my mom. She is a social butterfly and has many friends. She loves the Lord and works tirelessly to show others the freedom that is found in Christ. My mom has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh. She instilled in me a great love of books and reading. She's one of the few people I know who has a broader vocabulary than mine. We both also have an uncanny ability to remember minute details of an event even years later. Though we look nothing alike and are very different people, the similarities and shared interests make for a great friendship.

My dad is great. He has such a big heart. The happiest moments for him always involve helping others. He is incredibly hard working and has been all my life, yet he can always make time to raise money for an injured soldier, take meals to firefighters on Christmas Eve, secure donations for various fundraisers and work in any and every capacity for the football team. I really admire his heart for service. My dad and I are very similar in a lot of ways. He is strong and passionate about his beliefs, just as I am. That can be both a good and bad thing, but overall I am proud of the person he is and the person I am because of it.

My brother, Matt, is very much like my dad with a dash of my mom. He also has a big heart and such a great sense of humor. I have so many great memories of growing up with Matt. Though we often fought, as brothers and sisters do, he was always a great friend and comrade. Matt loves being outside. Since he was a little boy, he always loved trucks and now he gets to be on one every day. I really admire him for following his dreams no matter what anyone said or thought. He has two little girls who he loves to pieces and I am truly moved by what a great father he turned out to be.

My baby brother, Cameron, is one of my favorite people in the world. I don't know what contributed to our closeness, but I am very thankful for it. Cameron is growing into such a wonderful man. He will graduate from high school this year and it is my sincere hope that he will at least consider staying relatively close so that we can still get together from time to time. It must have been so strange for him to have me leave for college when he was 8...and now I am the one being left. I will miss him terribly. I could go on and on about the kid, but I will just leave it to the top 3 reasons I love him so much...
1. Sense of humor. I really get his humor and have spent many hours laughing with him.
2. Sweet, kind heart. He has a heart of gold...both for God and others. I'm 10 years older, but I could learn so much from him.
3. Willingness to put himself out there. Cameron is never afraid to ask a question or ask for a favor. He is seems so oblivious to the fact that rejection or disappointment are a possibility. I want to live like that.

It's getting late, so I will try to get some pics up soon. Check back!
Ciao!

Seriously???

2008-10-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

This might be what's wrong with the world...

Nope, this isn't a costume prop from some sleazy shop downtown. Yes, people, this is a baby bib...presumably intended for use by actual babies. Now, I'm no prude, but WHO in their right mind wants to label their baby as a "hottie". The world is all too ready to sexualize my children. I'm certainly not going to assist them by slapping what equates to an advertisement to my child's chest!!!

So, you are probably wondering how I came into possession of such an offensive article. Well, I was fooled...fooled, I tell you! The hottie bib came in a 10-pack of bibs from the big blue discount monster. It was buried in the stack-o-bibs, and being the thrifty mama that I am, 10 bibs for $.98 or whatever it was seemed like a steal. Oh WallyWorld, you done me wrong! I'll never cheat on Target again!

Arm Candy

2008-10-15T10:02:00.001-05:00

Want to get something for nothing? Head on over to http://www.handbagplanet.com/. They are launching their new website and are giving away 1 free bag every hour for 24 hours!

Well, what are ya'll waiting for? Go!!!

Don't say I never gave you anything.

XOXO!

We're a Classy Bunch

2008-10-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

Picture this...
We have agreed to watch the children of friends from church. These fine folks are standing in our foyer dropping off their babies. We're engaging in a little small talk before they leave. My sweet, delicate daughter walks into the foyer and says "Excuse me, Mama". A feeling of pride washes over me at her use of good manners. What a great dinner guest she will be someday, I think to myself. Who needs etiquette classes? Nick and I must be the smartest parents alive! We should write a book. Then she sticks her hand out to me and says,

"My hand smells like poop."

Well, at least she's cute.

Belated Thankful Thursday

2008-10-10T22:33:00.001-05:00

I apologize to you faithful few who stopped by JPT yesterday expecting to see the latest installment of Thankful Thursday. I had a couple of killer days at work and all I could be thankful for yesterday was my pillow-top! But today I'm back and ready to give thanks.

This week's feature is actually the thing I'm MOST thankful for.

That the LORD, my King, would humble himself enough to take on flesh, withstand scorn and humiliation, and ultimately DIE in order to ransom me from my sin...well, that's more than I can process. I cannot imagine any greater gift. Except for maybe the one God gave. As a parent I can tell you that the sacrifice God made by sending his only son to die for a world of sinners is beyond comparison. Can you imagine the anguish God must have felt when his beloved child called out to him, begging him to find another way? Process that, my friends...God could have swept Jesus back to heaven, immediatly and painlessly, with a blink of an eye.

But He didn't.

I cannot take that lightly and neither should you. The story takes on a fairytale-esque quality after hearing it repeatedly through the years. But it is critical to remember that this is a true story. The most holy really came to die for the least worthy!

Keep that in mind this week. Look at your babies and imagine sending them off to die...for anything, much less a world of sinners! Praise God that we don't have to suffer under the burden of our sins. Thanks to Jesus we are free, our ransom paid. May you take this ultimate gift that we have all been given. While we could never repay Him, we can strive to bring glory to God in all we do.

In Him,

Dana

Odds and Ends

2008-10-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

Since Thankful Thursday some exciting things have happened. Football Friday went exceptionally well for those in blue! It was a nailbiter, but they pulled it out in the end. Just see for yourself. I hope you can appreciate my efforts to bring you photographic evidence of this awesome victory, because I had to brave hoards of angry Rebels to get it...

The visitors...yeah, that's us!

Saturday was the Country Ham Festival. Yes, there really is a festival to honor this sodium rich pig product. It's an annual event here in our little town and you can find some fine swine at this shindig. We met up with some friends from our church small group and had a great time enjoying the beautiful day.

On the opposite end of the classiness spectrum, we spent Saturday evening at a local vineyard celebrating the birthday of a sweet friend (Happy 30th Steph!!). It was such a fun and relaxing evening (the wine probably had something to do with that) that ended much too soon. We will be planning another evening there soon to celebrate that much anticipated, underappreciated special event called Saturday. After church on Sunday, we headed south to celebrate 102 years of Pawpaw. Ansley was pretty unsure about going to "Popeye's" birthday party, so I apologize for her strange expression in the pic. But nonetheless, here is 5 generations of the fam. So rare, so special.

Nick, Ansley, Nana, Pawpaw, Ellie and Pop

After Pawpaw's birthday party, we headed to the inlaw's to have the annual family portrait made. Ansley loves playing with her cousins. We also celebrated my sis-in-law's birthday. Happy Birthday, Katie!

Fun-filled fall weekend. I feel so lucky to have friends and family like ya'll! Hugs, Dana

Thankful Thursday 3

2008-10-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

Where the heck did the last week go? So sorry for the hiatus! Life has been in overdrive and it's all I can do to crawl into bed at night before I fall asleep. Anywho, I'm thrilled to be back in blogland for the third installment of Thankful Thursday. This week will feature my sweet new daughter. She is 5 months old and such a joy to all. Popular opinion holds that she looks like her mama which is a change of pace after I birthed Nick's twin! Sweet E has been a blessing and I look so forward to the years to come. Seeing the bond that she and her sister share is more than I could have ever asked for. With no further ado, here's the tiniest princess...

May this serve as a reminder for you to give thanks for every blessing God has graciously bestowed on you. Too often, the hectic pace of our lives makes it easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for. I have more than I could ever deserve. I am humbled and awed by God's grace daily. May you be as well...

I love you all!

Dana

Thankful Thursday 2

2008-09-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

My beautiful first-born daughter is the subject of the second edition of Thankful Thursday. How I feel about her is impossible to put into words, so I won't even try. The effort would be futile. Nothing that I could say would be adequate or could capture the depth and breadth of my love for her.

God is truly good.

Here is a tiny glimpse of my sweet princess...

On the day she was born...

1st Halloween...

1st Christmas

Love that grin...I need to nom, nom, nom the chubby cheeks!

Go Blue!

Tiny princess...

One of many funny faces...

I love that she loves bows!

Easter Beauty...

She's got the spirit!

A true animal lover...

The best big sister a girl could ask for...

"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future." -Author Unknown

Top Ten Tuesday

2008-09-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Top ten things I cherish about autumn...

1. Fall foliage

2. Football

3. Fire (in pits or places)

4. Boots

5. Pumpkins and Gourds

6. Sweaters

7. Soup and Chili

8. Thanksgiving

9. Halloween

10. Apple and Cinnamon scents

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Love, Dana

Fall Nesting

2008-09-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned, I love fall. To get my nest decked out in it's autumn feathers, I've been doing a little crafting. I am so fired up right now to create. I'm working on several projects, but here are two that I completed this week. First up is my door decor. All the components were half off at Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby is my mothership...truly a crafter's dream. It's tough to see from this picture, but it has leaves, feathers, berries, sticks, a glittery pumpkin and a gorgeous burnt orange ribbon all tucked into a wrought iron cone lined with burlap. Ya'll need to come do a drive-by because pictures don't do this baby justice. She is magnificent!

Next up is my wheat centerpiece:

I'm feeling pretty sorry for wheat farmers. That stuff is vicious! The little wheat tops are really sharp and I got multiple wheat "splinters." A word of advice if you decide to try this one at home, wear gloves!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful week!

Dana

Snip, snip

2008-09-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

My big girl got her first haircut today! Three years worth of hair growth gone...well, not gone exactly. Actually it was just a trim. Baby steps people!

Nick has always been really resistant to the idea of cutting Missy's hair. I blame it on the fact that it took 2 years before she had any hair to speak of. Really, it's pretty cute that Nick feels so strongly about our daughters locks...and being the phenomenal wife I am, I took that into consideration when making my do decision. So today when Miss Honey (yep, that's really her name), the stylist at Sweet and Sassy Salon asked what I wanted done, I told her to just trim it up about an inch and a half. After Miss Honey finished (5 minutes and $18.95 later), Nick said incredulously, "That's IT? You can't even tell she did anything." Yep, in the face of a possible rip-off situation, my husband's sweet attachment to Missy's hair flew right out the window.

Here are some pics...

My baby and Miss Honey

Missy with her new/same do!
On a side, but somewhat related note, Football Friday did not go well. Baby brother played really well, but the team lost. There was some comic relief though. This past week, the entire defensive line got mohawks...

Hope ya'll are having a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

Who's ready for fall? This girl definitely is! I've been crafting like crazy for the past couple of days. I'll reveal the fruits of my labor in a couple of days...

My favorite "fall-iday" is Thanksgiving, hands down, so as a way to show some love to that forgotten holiday I will be featuring something that I am thankful for each Thursday until Thanksgiving day.

I am thankful for...
My wonderful husband! Nick is a dream man. He is everything I wish I could be and everything I want my children to be. He's a funny, kind, affectionate, respectful, smart, handsome Christian man. We're best friends and I can't imagine a life without him in it. We've been together for 9 years this coming Wednesday. I couldn't ask for more in a partner or a father for our girls. He is so hands-on with them and they absolutely adore him. Heaven help their future boyfriends because Daddy has set the bar sky-high!

My sweet husband is fun and spontaneous and always up for anything. He lets me be me and is happy to be along for the ride. He has suffered through more projects and home improvements than I can count (I do the planning, not the doing) and has accompanied me to countless shopping excursions, flea markets, home shows, etc. I could never deserve the blessing that God has given me in Nick, but I will try! Thanks Nick for all that you do! I love you more everyday.

It's Football Friday tomorrow!
TTFN~Dana

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2008-09-16T22:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday night we went down to L'burg to celebrate Nick's brother's 18th birthday and our niece's 7th birthday. The in-laws had a shrimp boil and everyone just enjoyed the company and the views.

Our niece brought a friend along for the festivities. Her friend, KB, is 8 and sassy. The girls were inside drawing outfits when I sat down to talk to them. Here's our conversation:

Niece: KB, look at this! Brown shorts and brown boots! Wouldn't that be so pretty!?! (I didn't bother to point out that shorts and boots are not a statement that anyone should be making this fall!)

KB: Oh my gosh! That is, like, so cute!

Niece: Oh my gosh...I know! So pretty!!!

Me: (rolling on floor laughing)

KB: What? Haven't you ever seen kids who want to look good?

Me: (jokingly) Honey, I wrote the book on looking good!

KB: Well, it doesn't look like it right now. (Picture her saying this with the whole "Oh no she didn't - 3 snaps in a Z formation" head weave)

I laughed the whole way home! If only KB and I lived closer and had fewer than two decades between us...I know we would be fast friends!

g'night, ya'll!

Living Like I'm Dying

2008-09-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

Today was a wonderful day for our family. Hubby and I got baptized! Nick was sprinkled as a tiny tot, but I never had been. Baptism had never been a real priority for me. I figured that I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, so I was good to go. I wasn't opposed to baptism...I just didn't see it as necessary.

Well, after attending several baptism services and looking at the scripture a little more closely, I began to see it for what it is...not a checkmark on some spiritual scorecard, but an outward symbol of a precious internal relationship and an act of obedience to a holy God. In Matthew 3:16-17 Jesus is baptized by John. At that time, the Spirit of God descended from heaven and God said "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Why wouldn't I want to please my God? He made the ultimate sacrifice for me!

So I decided that I would be baptized whenever Ansley decided to do it. You know, in the next 3-30 years. However, our church just concluded a series called "Live Like You Were Dying." It's all about seizing today...speaking sweeter, loving deeper, and giving forgiveness. I pray that I am, but I might not be around when Ansley makes that decision, so today was as good a day as any! I am so glad that I did it and that Nick decided to share that moment with me! Here are some pics...

Nick went first. Brandon double-dipped Nick...I guess he thought he needed a little extra cleansing!

Then it was my turn! That water was COLD!!!

Afterwards Ansley said "When I get 'advertised', I'm going to go in that water too!" I pray that you do, sweet girl. And I pray that Daddy and I are there to rejoice right along with you!

~A special thanks to my parents and Cam for driving down after church to be with Nick and I as we celebrated a new life! We love you guys!

Football Friday

2008-09-12T22:54:00.001-05:00

If you are reading this than you probably know that our life in the fall is consumed by football. See this kid...

...He's my baby brother and he played a GREAT game tonight. He's also one of my best friends. I am so proud of the person he is. He has a kind and wonderful heart and I will miss him terribly when he goes to college next year. The mighty Bruins are 4-o. Let's keep this train rolling! "Yay Tata football game!!!"

Hubby's baby brother also played tonight. They won big time. L'burg might be heading for the playoffs this year. Great job, Boom...and Happy 18th!!! We love you!

College football tomorrow...Go Blue Raiders!!!

A Day We Can Never Forget

2008-09-11T20:52:00.001-05:00

So I really want this blog to be a place to escape...a haven if you will. I don't want to talk about all the bad stuff going on in the world. I want to focus on the beautiful, fun things in life. But there is no way to post on September 11th and not remember...

This morning as I drove to work, the DJ on my favorite Christian station was talking about 9/11. I thought to myself that it really didn't effect me anymore. That was something I never thought would happen. Could I be over it? Then he played the "Silent Night" song with "God's" voice describing how he was with each person that day. I lost it. I spent my 7th consecutive September 11th crying in my car...

Work commitments today brought me to the exact building I was in 7 years ago the moment I heard the news of the first plane hitting the WTC. I haven't been inside that building in almost 7 years. How weird is that?

Life changed for all of us that day. My eyes were opened to an evil hatred that I couldn't fathom. I will never understand...and I never want to. I will just hug my babies tighter and pray for the world they will grow up in. I'm on my knees for them and for you tonight...I love you all!

Dana

I'm coming out!

2008-09-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know my dark, little secret. To some of you this will come as a complete shock. Maybe ya'll should sit down. Are you sitting? Ok, here goes...

My name is Dana and I am a "closet blogger".

There. I've said it. There's no going back now. Over the past few months, I've been blogging but not sharing the blog with any of my family or friends. Sweet hubby didn't even know where to find me in blogland. Well, peer pressure is a killer and I have decided to go mainstream with my musings. Ughh, next thing you know I will be running (is it just me, or are fitness fanatics taking over the world? Just mine? Ok.)

I hope to use this blog as a way to keep everyone posted on our crazy life and my latest projects, as well as a way to preserve my memories of this time in our lives. The tiny princesses are getting bigger everyday and I want to remember everything! I look forward to sharing our journey with ya'll!

P.S. Can you tell I'm ready for fall? And that I'm craving Reese's Pieces?

Stay tuned...