A Little Southern Comfort Day 2

In lieu of my typical Five on Friday I thought I'd share a little more about our family trip to Georgia.  We made this trek about this time last year. G was much smaller and the trip, despite feeling the need to bring the whole house with us for our infant, went much smoother. You can view this trip's travel experience for Day 1 if you missed it.

Upon waking up on Wednesday morning,  G was ready to go. We eventually packed up and checked out of the hotel to begin our day. We had a few pit stops and then we'd once again be on our way to Georgia.

First we stopped for breakfast at a local pancake house...yum!

Waiting patiently for her food

Daddy's food looks so much better!

After eating a delicious breakfast we headed out to one of our travel musts. There are two things we traditionally look for any time we travel. We look for cupcake shops and zoos/aquariums and make a point to try and visit them while at our destination.  Thus we headed to GiGi's*. I had never been here but I can promise I'll return. ot only were their cupcakes beautiful,  but they tasted so good! My hubby enjoyed the Raspberry Peach and I of course indulged in the Chocolate Salted Caramel.

After picking up our tasty treats we headed to the RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo.* Admission was reasonably priced and the animals were wonderful. As a zoo fanatic I would have liked to have seen a little more effort put into the exhibits but overall it was a good experience.

When we finished with the zoo we headed South. We finally hit the GA state line and breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled into my mom's driveway.

Play time with Granna

We surprised Aunt Karla! She had no idea we were coming!!!

More to come soon!
*I was not compensated in anyway to share my opinions of these establishments.

A Little Southern Comfort Day 1

I decided to title this vacation's posts something that would encompass our trip as a whole, although you'll soon see that it wasn't all sweet and that we had to sometimes be intentional in looking for the silver linings. I have so much to cover from this trip that I decided to break it down into several posts over the next few days.

I'll begin with just trying to get to our destination. I've been planning this trip to visit my mom in Georgia for about a month now. We made plans to stay over in Tennessee to break up the drive for G. I had my lists written, my budget planned, tickets pre-purchased, and a couple little surprises lined up.

We left bright and early on Tuesday morning.  We had packed the majority of our things in the vehicle the night before and morning went by smoothly.  Apparently too smoothly...

G has Bella and is ready to go!

About 2.5 hours into our trip our vehicle began to overheat...no good. We quickly pulled off on the next exit and made our way into a gas station parking lot. Upon parking and turning off the vehicle white smoke was pouring out everywhere.

FYI:We're still not exactly sure what went wrong but it's being looked into...We made multiple calls to family members and car rental businesses with no luck. My husband finally found a car rental company within "safe" driving distance (we prayed the whole 8 minutes it took us to get there.) C went in and came out with his head hung low. Despite the company's online site indicating available rentals, truth was, they would have none available until sometime the next day. I admit I got a bit weepy. I was hot, tired and the baby was done with her car seat. After a brief pity party I got my head together and we began calling other rental locations and finally found one promising they could get us taken care of. We prayed for another 15 miles to reach this beacon of hope. They had made a promise...that resulted in a vehicle not being available for what would be another 6 hours.

Not knowing when they would call with a vehicle we went about 5 minutes down the road and grabbed lunch. Afterwards we pulled into a park where we hung out the remainder of the afternoon.

Her first time in a swing! She loved it!

Snacking on some grapes

Side note: Let me just say that our baby is a trooper. No real naps were allotted and our circumstances were less than ideal and through it all she remained in pretty good spirits.

Around 4 PM that afternoon we were blessed to find ourselves in a reliable rental.

Our vehicle was left at the place of business to be picked up by my in - laws at some point in the week. We had a lot of things go poorly...

Breaking down (in front of a dealership that sells our type of vehicle nonetheless)...

The driving weather...

But through it all we were reminded of God's goodness and grace. We were granted beautiful weather while waiting at the park.

We were graced to have the financial provisions to pay for such a large unexpected cost. We were able to make some first time memories and through it all we remained thankful. My husband and I caught one another giving thanks for the good when it would have been so easy to become bitter and complain. I feel this situation shows not only how we've grown as a couple but as individuals in the Lord.

We finally made it to our hotel, and despite needing a bathroom remodel, we were pleased with our stay. Many fun things to come...be looking for a little more southern comfort to come...

Sneak Peek!

Eggs in a Basket: An Easy Recipe for the Whole Family

There are some recipes that take me straight back to my childhood and I love that I can share these simple delights with my own family (thanks Mom). This Eggs in a Basket recipe is one that was made by my mom as a special treat and it's great for the kids who like to help out in the kitchen. 

Begin by lightly buttering two pieces of whole wheat bread on both sides.

Next select the shape of cookie cutter you'd like to cut out of your bread. This particular morning we went with stars. Firmly press the cookie cutter down into the bread, wiggling gently to ensure a clean cut is made. You can easily use the open end of a drinking glass to form circles if you have no other shape cutters on hand.

Remove the cut-outs. This was one of our favorite parts...besides the eating of course.

Place all of the bread pieces in a skillet set on medium heat. Crack an egg for each cut-out and gently place it inside the "bread basket".

Allow the eggs to cook until they are almost firm on one side.

Gently flip to allow a couple minutes of cook time on the other side. Don't forget about the shape cut-outs...they'll toast up a little more quickly.

Pair with some (low sodium) bacon and some fresh fruit and you're good to go! Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.

Five on Friday!

What a week!!! I've been super busy despite being out of school (and I haven't even began looking at this upcoming year's lesson plans). I promise to take some personal time to enjoy family and this crazy beautiful life...starting now. This week has been packed with so much that it's almost hard to focus on just five...but, along with many others, here I go!

[one]
I have been working on aspects of a 250 wedding cake pop order this entire week. They are hopefully being or have been delivered upon you reading this. I hope to have pictures of their debut soon.

[two]
This week has begun a very big milestone in our lives as parents. We've gone full force on bidding the baby bottle goodbye. Our pediatrician recommended that we try to have her off the bottle by 14 months (which will be later this month). *She did tell us that if this didn't happen, we should give ourselves a free to pass to wait until closer to two years old because of the attachments they form during those months. With all that being said, we're in the midst of bottle weaning. Sunday night went okay. She was completely exhausted from her fun filled day that she went straight to sleep. Monday night...well, that was another story. I gave in after an hour of tears. Tuesday night was much harder on me than her. She did okay during her story but did not want to snuggle afterwards. Normally she would have her bottle and then snuggle to sleep. No more snuggles. It took her about 30 minutes to fall asleep once I laid her down. Wednesday night was much better...for her anyway. We read through her story...three times due to her persistence...and then I attempted to get in some cuddles. Nope. She just wanted to lay there with her blankie. I put her to bed after a while of rocking and she was asleep within 15 minutes-with NO TEARS! I hope we can continue on a positive note. Mommy confession: I hate her not having a night time bottle. It has caused me to face the realization that my sweet baby girl is growing up and things are inevitably going to change. I'm definitely going through the 5 Stages of Baby Bottle Grief. Thanks to some very supportive friends and our wonderful pediatrician, I know I'll survive this. I also found this post from Your Kid's Table to be very helpful throughout this process.

I love our current stage but I miss these days...

[three]
One perk to having some time away from school is the additional time I get to spend with my family. We took advantage of one of the sunny afternoons this week for a wonderful family walk along the Railway Trail. You can check out our fun here.

 

[four]
I've fallen in love with this fun summer nail color from Sinful Colors...meet Energetic Red!

[five]
Beginning this weekend I'll begin packing for our trip to Georgia!  I can't wait to see my family and friends!

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Let's Go Play

My days of endless summer as a youngster are but distant memories. When did I grow up and become so "busy"? When did I stop taking time to smell the roses or jump in mud puddles? How, as a busy, working mother, can I instill the love of God's creation and the desire to create, imagine and play in my little girl? These are questions that I have pondering the last few days.

 I was speaking to a friend the other day about how difficult it is to have my first graders create original or semi-original stories/writing. Sure, I believe children innately have imaginations, however if they are not fostered appropriately, they lose originality and an overall sense of quality.The majority of my students base all of their writing off of video/computer games or cartoons they watch on television...and don't get me started on some of the movies and television they wish to write about. It breaks my heart to see the imaginations of these young children being stunted when at this point in their lives they should be coming up with amazing characters and wild adventures. How do I keep the whimsy and creativity of childhood in my own children so that they don't fall victim to the unimaginative or unoriginal?

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These thoughts crept into my head as I was busily working on a wedding cake pop order for Saturday. There is much to do when you have 250 cake pops to bake, form, chill, dip, decorate and package. G has been at the sitter this week so that I can accomplish this task without her ending up covered in chocolate and sprinkles...after all, she is sweet enough already.

 

With all of these thoughts running through my mind, I finally decided to stop being busy. I finished up my task and informed my husband that it was time to go get the baby...and that he needed to put on his tennis shoes. We were going outside to play.

::via::

We take G outside often, especially with the weather being so amicable. However, today I had this overwhelming sense of urgency to get her out beyond our yard. My husband and I decided to take her on a local walking trail to enjoy the great outdoors. Despite the humidity, the venture was quite pleasant.

 The honeysuckle was blooming everywhere and the scent was intoxicating. Everything was so green and the trail was teaming with wildlife. In fact, I was startled by an adventurous squirrel that bolted out along the path.

 

 

G adored the wildlife as evidenced by her laughter and shouting as she pointed to birds that flew across our path and the rabbits that jumped into the bushes. My heart was overjoyed as I watched her senses, one by one, become captivated with the world around her.

I just kept thinking, "this is how I make that difference." I must engage her and allow her to experience the world around her...get her outside the four walls of our home. I must guide her in imaginative play to create a foundation for her own creative thinking.

It is my wish for my daughter to love the outdoors (and if for some reason she doesn't, it won't be because she did not get the opportunity or encouragement to do so.) I wish for her mind to have endless limits in creativity and imagination. It is my wish that she get dirty and climb trees and sing at the top of her lungs. It is my wish that she experience the goodness of this world so that when tragedy or disappointment befall her, she will remember that life has more to offer and that beauty can come from ashes.

While this all may seem a bit much from the mother of a one year old, do know that this comes from a mother who knows that her one year old will not stay one forever and that the foundations I begin to set for her now will greatly influence her outlook and interactions in the future. By all means, please join me and let's go play!

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He is Enough

This week will be filled with baking! I have 250 cake pops to make and create by Friday afternoon. As much as I'd love to have G at home this first week out of school, I'd accomplish very little with her around. I'm looking forward to this upcoming wedding weekend. The couple that I am making cake pops for is amazing. I have seen this couple survive the high school years and now, as they continue through adulthood, I have the honor and pleasure of seeing them wed this coming Saturday.

I spent time with the bride and her mother in the nursery at church this past Sunday. We talked wedding details and honeymoon plans. I tell you, it makes me want to get married all over again. I loved planning the details of my wedding...maybe someday I'll get a vow renewal ceremony.

Our Wedding 2008

We also discussed how there are typical conversation starters for each new event in our lives. When you get engaged, people instantly begin asking about the date. Hello, we've only been engaged for 5 minutes! Once the date is set people want to know details and the honeymoon location. It seems immediately upon saying "I do" people want to know when you'll start having kids...not if you want to have kids, but when. Then, maybe you've had this experience as well, you're laying in the hospital bed, sore, tired, in love with your first born, and people already begin asking when you'll have another. It's as if you're constantly playing the game of 20 Questions.

For us, this last question has always been a bit difficult. We've found ourselves laughing over the irony. For the first few years of our marriage we remained cautious as we tried to "plan" our family. After a long time of trying with no success, we found out I was dealing with PCOS induced infertility. We joined the thousands of couples longing for a baby and struggled not knowing when or how God would fill our heart and home with the sounds of a little one.

Since G's birth, people have been asking when we'll have another. Most of these inquiries are not aware of our infertility struggles and only ask out of curiosity. This questioning has picked up since G's first birthday. Never mind that I've tried to savor this past year. Forget the prayers and tears that went into her conception. While I know this is not the mentality of those who ask, it is still somewhat difficult for me. These questions bring back emotions from our past struggles and it causes me to stare straight into the unknown. The answer to this question is, "I don't know. I don't know when God will bless our lives again. I don't know when we'll make G a big sister. I don't know how long it will take."

What I do know is that God is good. He is enough. I do not believe He would place the desire of more children in our hearts just to leave it void. One thing I am continually reminded of is that His Will is perfect. He may not fulfill our dreams in the way we expected or when we think it should happen. He will bless us beyond our dreams and His timing is always perfect. I'll be the first to admit that these truths have not always provided comfort like we think it should. It is hard to see those around you living out your hopes and dreams. Here is another truth: comparison kills joy.

There were countless dark hours that I would cry out to God asking, "why not us?" I would look at others, who I loved and still love dearly, add to their families month after month. I was so caught up in my own pain that I often neglected to remember that not all of those journeys were easy. It seemed as if everyone I knew was expecting. I was in a very dark place. I was not a friend, wife, or Christian that I could be proud of. Thankfully, God never left me. Although there were times it felt my prayers were bouncing off of Heaven, He was still there.

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In His time, He blessed our lives with a beautiful little girl. We've committed her life and upbringing to the Lord. We will be forever humbled that He chose us to be her parents.

I write all of this to 1. vent and 2. offer hope to those who also face the uncertainties that come with infertility and PCOS. I know the questions are rarely easy to answer without the ache. At those times I try to focus on the unwavering truth that I serve a God who is bigger than any infertility diagnosis. I love a God who will never forsake us. When the darkness seems to overwhelm you, the questions stir those painful emotions, and your hope seems small, remember that He is enough. I was reminded of this just this morning as I was washing some dishes. The song "Enough" came on and as the lyrics filled my head, I felt my heart begin to singing. Life may not go as we planned but through it all...



::via::

Enough-Barlow Girl