Spicy Magnolia

Shenanigans

The clock says 8:15 p.m. The kids are in bed and the house is quiet for the first time since 4:42 a.m. this morning. The past week I’ve taken a stroll down memory lane, which always leaves me in a nostalgic coma, kinda weepy and a lot grateful.

Today, five of the girls I lived with my senior year in college, some of my bestest and lifelong friends, are partying up in Chicago for our ten year college reunion. Ten years. Holy cow! Rather than sit around sulking that I’m not in my favorite city, with some of my favorite peeps, eating some of my favorite pizza, and laughing until my ribs hurt, I thought I’d drag you down memory lane with me.

1999-2000. One of the best years of my life. Did I meet the man of my dreams? Well, sorta yes and sorta no. “Scullz”, as Matt was known among his bunch of nine other guy buddies, was pretty funny and made me laugh a lot. Despite being a great friend, I regularly wished to myself over and over, “I hope he doesn’t like me. I hope he doesn’t like me.” And he didn’t. Not in that kinda way. Yet.

I don’t remember what precipitated it, but I was caught up in a prank war of gargantuan proportions with “Scullz”, my future husband and love of my life. So much so that people began asking each of us individually if we wanted to be more than just pals. The prank wars certainly had a level of flirtation, but I was emphatic about Matt not being the guy for me.

I was the designated house mom to this group of ten fellas who took up residence in a college house called “Graham House”, named after an infamous Wheaton College alum named Billy Graham. I have to chuckle thinking about the house’s namesake, because if Billy Graham stepped foot in that should-have-been-condemned structure, I think he’d want to keel over. More because of the stench, stains, and grotesqueness of its upkeep than the actual edifice. Ten guys under one roof. I’m sure most of you can only imagine. Or maybe you don’t want to; I won’t blame you one bit.

One night, I perpetuated the biggest prank of all by throwing two huge glasses of cold water onto Matt, who went to bed unusually early that night while the rest of us were downstairs hanging out. Granted, I wasn’t thinking about how the ensuing scenario would play out. My adrenaline overtook any rational thought, not giving the slightest forethought as to the awkward state of dress (or lack thereof) that my buddy would have chosen to sleep in that evening. All I knew was that this prank was gonna top all the others.

Those two large glasses of ice water awakened a 6’5” man out of bed so fast as he pursued his trespasser that all I could do was run for my life. Come to find out, the other thing I didn’t consider in this oh-so-great-idea of mine was if this would bring an hibernating grizzly bear out of the man I assumed to not have an ounce of grizzly in him. But he flew at me down the stairs as if that beast was just waiting to be aroused by a foolish twenty year old. I’ve never run so fast in my life, bounding down the stairs two or three at a time, fleeing behind someone I hoped would protect me.

I think Matt took one look at me and realized that I had the girl thing going for me and didn’t lash out (and I can attest to this day that the man doesn’t have one iota of grizzly in him). Thankfully, he was moderately dressed because my cockamamie plan left him half ‘nekked’ in the middle of his living room for dozens of eyes to see. I shudder to think about how catastrophic and compromising it could have turned out to be.

Fast forward several weeks. The wheels were turning in that brain of Scullz’s as he devised a plan of revenge so sweet that it officially ended the prank war because it was the topper. Every so often, I’d get a note in my mail threatening me, warning me of my imminent demise.

After heading up to Wisconsin for a camping trip with a campus ministry I was involved in (whereupon I dropped my keys in the feces filled outhouse pit…that’s a whole other story), I returned back to my apartment and noticed my bag of dirty laundry had disappeared. Kindly thanking my roommate for her thoughtfulness in doing my laundry, she sheepishly replied, “Meg, I didn’t do any of your laundry.” At that, my eyes took a wander at my closet and each of my drawers only to discover that every item of clothing I had at school was gone. All of it!

The only item left behind by such a conniving thief was a hideous, psychedelic, full-length 70s-looking dress that I would never, ever wear of my own accord. On top of it sat a hand-written note saying that I had to wear that dress all day the next day (even to my night class) in order to have my confiscated clothes returned to me. It was dreadful looking. And itchy.

If I had to cave into these ransom demands, I wanted to do it up right. I borrowed a set of platform heels (also something I’ve never since worn), put on thick makeup, painted my toenails, and played the part full on. The shoes ended up being the humdinger; by 10 p.m. that night, my feet were frozen and achy. It was a Chicago winter after all.

Bless him. Looking at this aged picture, Matt looks like a very agreeable sort alongside my outlandish attire <grin>.

While it took me another six months or so to be convinced that there might be something more to this goofy guy than what met my eye, those shenanigans are some of our fondest memories of college and each other. I think both of us are afraid to start up any kind of prank since we’ve been married. At least I am; I know firsthand they can go in a dangerous direction. But I have some time this weekend to muster some courage and brainstorm (I’m all ears, by the way).

Who woulda thunk it? The man who I caused to stand half ‘nekked’ in the middle of his living room drenched in freezing cold water and who left me sans clothes, holding them ransom, is my hubby, the man of my dreams. Oh, the irony.

A Little Link Love Here, A Little Link Love There

Good evening, dear Internet peeps! How was your day? 

After cooking for special events in April that left us with tons of of leftovers of the same food to eat for awhile and all our travels in May, I’m finally back into a routine of cooking. It feels good despite the bit of extra time and effort it takes, but savoring the flavorful gems of summer fruits and veggies is extra inspiration. Here are some great new recipes I’ve scoped out and made that were hits with me and the boys.

Peach Melba Shortbread Bars from Southern Living

Chicken and Tortellini Salad served with Bacon Parmesan Tassies from Southern Living

I haven’t made this yet, but it’s on our menu to be served with a large salad with lots of yummy fixin’s. My friend, Amy, made it for her son’s birthday party (minus the tomatoes), and it’s some of the best homemade mac & cheese I’ve ever had.

Y’all will have to peruse this post with some of my favorite summer recipes. I made the Steak & Pasta Salad tonight and have the ingredients for Gaga’s Fruit Compote. I know I’ll make the Colorful Black Bean Salad soon, too. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t promote one of Blue Bell’s newest ice cream flavors that is a hit in our household: Happy Tracks, which is a creamy vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate-coated peanut butter cups and a dark chocolate fudge swirl. Dog-gone-dangerous! I am painfully aware that most of you in this country do not have Blue Bell. I send my condolences. 

Not sure why I started off with all the food links since I’m full from dinner and nothing sounds appetizing at the moment. Onward I move then to a new discovery:

Pinterest.

Oh, yes, I’ve jumped on that bandwagon. And it’s been so much fun and a great source to collect inspirational ideas ranging anywhere from recipes to arts and crafts to awesome gift ideas. Instead of keeping up with a vast number of bookmarks for your favorite websites, it’s a place where you can “pin” a website to a personally assigned “board”. For example, some of my board titles are:

• For the Love of the Nations (for ideas that promote awareness and appreciation of other cultures) 
• Food for the Foodie (duh!) 
• Sizzlin’ Summer Pastimes (I can’t collect enough creative ideas to do with Brennan this summer, especially in this heat) 
• A Cheerful Giver (gift ideas that either we can make or unique/creative purchased gifts)

This is what a couple of my boards look like at the moment (sorry the pictures aren’t very clear).

From the “Sparking Creativity” board I created, so far Brennan and I have made a rainbow card we sent to Mees. Sadly, she hasn’t received it yet! So this might have to be her proof.  

And yesterday, we had a great time painting some rocks that you can see was another idea I borrowed from Pinterest.

 

 

Another board:

One of our first summer activities that I tried for Brennan and our guests Alex and Evan, were homemade popsicles. But they were a catastrophic flop…and a bit embarrassing. So I’m hoping this website I pinned, or saved, on Pinterest will come in handy: 50+ recipes for homemade popsicles (picture top right hand corner).

If you’re on Pinterest, let me know, or if you’re interested in setting up an account, I have a few invites left that I can use.

Last but not least, I am so, so, so excited for my friend, Marla Taviano, who launched her eBook last night called The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky. Don’t run away from me too quickly! As a brand new momma, the very first book I read was Marla’s Changing Your World One Diaper at a Time. It came highly recommended by Amanda, and I’m so glad I read it. It was funny, light-hearted, insightful, very personable, and relatable. It was nothing short of encouraging as I was navigating through the unknown plains and valleys of motherhood. 

She’s also penned a book that I’ve had on my shelf for two years but want and need to read: Is That All He Thinks About? Her desire for healthy, godly, intimate, and FUN marriages is one of her passions, as is missions and the nations of the world, (particularly Cambodia)…yet another reason I love her! I had the privilege of meeting her in person a year and a half ago in Houston. I was the stalker, and she was the graciously receptive one that has been a source of encouragement ever since.

On a personal level without revealing too much or embarrassing my precious husband, as a newlywed, I had specific visions of what our intimate relationship would look like. And well, it wasn’t too long before discovering that life happens. Babies come. I’m carrying an extra fifteen pounds on my body and don’t feel s-e-x-y in the least! Hands off, dude <grin>! 

But on a very real level, it’s an area of our married relationship that is precious, God-given and requires effort and selflessness. And knowing Marla and her heart for marriages, this new book of hers (as well as Is That All He Thinks About?) would be valuable resources to delve into with discernment, sensitivity, prayer, and yes, a bit of a sense of humor. Because while I know Marla approaches this topic with the utmost respect and humility, there will be some fun, light-hearted moments to her writing as well! I mean, just take a look at the cover:

Marla is providing one giveaway copy of The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky to one of my readers! 

Here’s how to enter:

A) Leave a comment telling me one or more of the following: 

• A favorite summer activity, trip, or moment you’ve had so far. 
• A prayer request. 
• Something you hope to get out of reading Marla’s book.

OR 

B) Link to The Husband's Guide to Getting Lucky website from your Facebook, Twitter, or any social media you prefer and leave a comment letting me know you did. 

Only one entry per person (just choose option A or B). The winner will be selected at random. Giveaway will end at 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 19th and announced shortly thereafter. 

Love to each of you this evening! 

Simply trusting, 

 

 

A Bunch of Good Stuff

The alarm blared a little too early this morning. At 3:50 a.m. Dazed and confused, all three of us somehow made it intact to the airport where I said, “See ya later,” to my loves. They jetted off to Canada this morning and should land in about an hour whereupon Brennan will receive the first of hopefully many stamps in his passport. Little did we know that we were supposed to pay an international tax for Brennan’s travel and it nearly jeopardized the boys’ final leg of the trip across the border. But I happen to think that blondie simply captured the hearts of the flight crew that they had no choice but to transport him to his final destination.

I mean, really. Who can resist this face?

 

Matt’s dad runs a school for children with learning disabilities in Canada. He’s commuted 20+ years to Canada from Virginia and this is the first time any of his kids have been able to see first-hand the school he’s directed with passion all these years. For Matt’s birthday and Christmas last year, my parents helped Matt with a ticket to visit his dad. And a few months ago, we thought it would be great to take advantage of Brennan flying free (well, aside from the international travel tax or whatever it is) and make the trip my boys’ first Daddy/son trip. Even at 4 a.m., “Da Da” was repeated over and over and over. I think he knew he was gonna get some good testosterone time. Everything is about “Da Da” these days. He’ll see a car that looks like Matt’s car and it spurs a number of “Da Da”s. He’ll walk into the closet and see Matt’s clothes and out comes the “Da Da”. I haven’t heard “Momma” in quite awhile unless coaxed out of him. That’s alright. My man child has a great man to look up to!

Speaking of clothes, I had some slight jealousy in me yesterday of Matt who will get to see Brennan wearing some of his new fall outfits for the first time this season along with his jacket, hat and mittens. Matt endured a 10 minute schpeal about all of the outfits: what socks go with what, what outfits were for what days, when to wear the tennies and when to wear the brown shoes. And as a courtesy, I even threw into Matt’s pile of clothes a nice shirt that I encouraged him to wear when Brennan wears his nice outfit as they meet Ed’s staff for the first time. I almost tied bows around each of the respective outfits so there was no chance taken in a pair of socks being paired with the wrong outfit. I know my hubby’s weaknesses. Matching is one of them, bless him. And I’m no fashionista!

What will I do while they’ve run off to Canada? Give some TLC to Molly who has surgery tomorrow. Plant my behind on the couch to rest and watch some movies. Maybe pick up the new Francine Rivers’ book, Her Daughter’s Dream. Start on my third round of antibiotics and new steroids to kick this lingering bronchitis (I’m on week #4) to the curb. Hopefully it’ll kick the sinus infection I’ve had the past week to the curb, too. I’m desperate to feel better, so if making sure I stay on the couch all weekend is part of the plan, then so be it. I’ll happily oblige! I’ll meet my momma for lunch on Saturday. And I have the honor of treating my friend, Courtney, to a nice lunch tomorrow in thanks for the many lunches she braves eating with me and Brennan at Chick-fil-A! As a woman who doesn’t have children, that says a lot about her character, people! I’m aiming for peace and quiet. That’s what my body and my soul need. If only I’d be brave enough to turn off the TV and sit in total silence.

Last week, I recorded a bit of Brennan and a new routine we’re working on. I’m no Julie Andrews, just warnin’ ya! And I’m not sure where all the facial expressions came from. Maybe he wants to be the next Jim Carrey.

 

I hope to catch you sometime this weekend, friends! And before I sign off, if you want some good, albeit challenging, reads, I highly recommend these:

J.R. Briggs wrote a post regarding the possible Quran burning a few weeks ago. If you’re tired of the whole topic, this is not the same old stuff! J.R. actually called Terry Jones and you need to read about it!

Lysa TerKuerst on marriage and parenting. This post gave me some great prayers to pray for Brennan. How counter-cultural is it to pray that he’d get caught when he makes wrong choices!? Good stuff! And this one made me reflect more on the cost of my choices.

What do you think of the American church? That topic can open up a can of worms. Kathy Escobar wrote a letter to the American church that is some great food for thought. And potentially, some powerful encouragement for transformation.

And this post over at Nothings and Notions from my Noodle broke it down in a way I could totally relate to wanting to live for the glory of God in our daily lives. My daily life that looks like cleaning peanut butter and honey off the booster chair every morning. My daily life that includes giving thanks for the family bathroom at the mall that offered some privacy where I could run to to discipline and instruct Brennan when he was having the FIT OF HIS LIFE yesterday. Yes, it was a great post to remind me I have ample opportunity to bring glory to God in my daily life that doesn’t necessarily mean me hopping on the next jet plane overseas. But I’d like that, too!

Marriage Ain’t Always Peaches and Cream

Cancer. Unemployment. Broken marriages.

These have been the three main issues we’ve been covering our friends and family in prayer about for more than a year now. I’m not just talking about one couple or one person per issue. I’m talking about multiple close friends and family members for each of those horrific and life altering situations. It is astounding to me what these dear people in our lives are facing. It is not about me or my emotions, far from it in fact. But as the Lord tells us to “carry each other’s burdens” and to “pray without ceasing”, my heart is strongly moved in compassion for these loved ones of mine. I ache for them. Hurt like crazy. Cry over them and with them. Listen. Pray. Pray hard. Time and time again, I do not have the words to share with them. And while these precious ones grapple with what is happening to their lives and the things and people they have lost or are losing, I long to know how to love them, care for them, and stand alongside of them.

Particularly tonight as I write, broken marriages are heavy on my heart. Friends whom I never would have given any inkling that their marriage would be in utter turmoil are now facing the unfathomable. I came across Priscilla Shirer’s blog post today entitled “For Better or For Worse?” in which she communicated very much the same feelings I am experiencing with the news of friends’ marriages. She called for a prayer chain specifically for marriages, and I’d ask you to consider reading her post, either to add your own prayer requests for your own marriage or for those you know, or also to pray over the prayer requests that have been left. I do not send you over there to contribute towards any gossip in your heart or the urge for reading other people’s “dirty laundry”. Don’t go there for that. But if you know of someone who needs prayer for their marriage, even your own, then let’s cover it in prayer and take it before the Lord who has the power and ability to change hearts, to heal that which is broken, and to redeem years that have been lost.

Up until about a year ago (see any coincidence?), I faithfully sent e-cards to our friends and family in honor of their anniversaries. The friends I was adamant about not overlooking were those friends in whose weddings I stood up at the altar with them as witnesses to their vows. I took my role as a bridesmaid seriously. It wasn’t just an opportunity to buy another dress and have great girl-time before the nuptials, but it was a significant role to me to be a part of a friend’s wedding party where I was a witness to the promise of “for better or for worse, until death do us part” that they were making before God and their guests. The “we will” said in a unified response to the common question, "Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?" was not something I took lightly. Hence the reason I tried very hard to remember and celebrate the marriages in which I served on the bridal party. Some of my friends I’ve lost touch with through the years despite my best and wholehearted attempt to keep in touch with them. Even if my friends’ marriages at the time of their anniversary wasn’t peaches and cream, at least they knew I remembered their day. They had a friend who was praying for them and their marriage. Maybe some of you have friends or family whose weddings you’ve been in that you could send a card to them on their anniversary, or go ahead and call them to check in, or even say a prayer for their marriages tonight.

I am a living witness to the power of God who can save and heal marriages. My parents’ marriage was rocky for a significant chunk of my childhood and the looming threat of divorce hovered over our home. Around the time I was thirteen, God started to do something miraculous in my family and He brought each of us into a deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus Christ where His life-giving Spirit was welcome to invade our hearts and our home. It took work for my parents, but God brought them through a fiery journey where they emerged more beautifully fit for each other, stronger in their union. Forgiveness and grace won out over bitterness, pride and shame.

My marriage is not perfect either. There have been things even over the last few weeks that have potential to be just the arrows and darts that the enemy wants to plant roots of unforgiveness, mistrust and anger in our hearts. It’s been a bit of a jolt, a wake up call to me to see how I’m doing in the arena of being a wife. It’s so easy for me to give Brennan the best of myself during the day and give Matt the mangy scraps, to be selfish with my time by wanting to spend the evening on the computer or watching TV as opposed to doing something more beneficial for cultivating my relationship. And I’ll be honest, I definitely see how my choices have affected how I feel about my husband, and I have certainly communicated to him that I don’t really want to make time for him. And that’s just my half of it! By telling you some of that, I simply want you to know that as I write about marriage tonight, I vulnerably but sincerely want to convey that our marriage is not picture perfect. And if you’re in the Austin area, maybe you’d want to join us and other couples for a “Weekend to Remember” put on by Family Life next weekend. My folks get to love on Brennan and we’re going to take some needed time to regroup.

Dear ones, there is no embarrassment or shame in asking for help, in asking for prayer. Please, be willing to ask for prayer, to reach out and share vulnerably with a trusted friend who can walk with you through your circumstances. It’s worth the few moments of difficult revealing. Again, there’s Mrs. Shirer’s prayer chain for you to add your prayers for your marriage or someone else’s, or please know I am a safe place to also ask for prayer. I would love to pray with you and for you. You may leave a comment anonymously (just use my contact email for the required email account) or email me directly.

You all are precious and loved. I pray this weekend that the Lord’s great grace would abound in all of our lives and in our marriages. For His Name’s sake.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20

A Glimpse into a Gal’s Mind

A few weeks ago, me and my hubby left Brennan with my folks for an extended weekend getaway to the Lost Pines Resort, where we got to enjoy the niceties of not having a baby around, with extra sleep being at the top of the list!  Other pluses included relaxing by the pool, floating down the Crooked River Pool, reading (I finished my first book in who knows how long—I couldn’t put it down!), roasting marshmallows for S’mores by the campfire, and simply reconnecting away from the hustle, bustle and daily pressures of life amid scenes like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t we look relaxed?  That’s the first of three pairs of sunglasses I’ve bought in three weeks.  Gone are the days when I was able to keep a pair of sunglasses for at least five years, to no fault of my son.  It’s all on me.

We were also able to feast like kings and queens!  The food was a-maz-ing!  Look at that dessert bar.  My plate wasn’t big enough!

Brennan was treated like a prince himself, and I’m happy to report that his momma did pretty good leaving him.  It helped that I called about three times a day.  When surrounded by families who brought their kiddos with them, it pulled my heart strings just a tad to see little boys running around, and it beckoned my lips to say countless times, “I can’t wait to bring Brennan here one day; he would have so much fun!”  Somehow, this getaway already feels like months ago.

One of the books Matt started reading was For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn, “a straightforward guide to the inner lives of women”.  On a number of occasions, the two of us talk about an illustration we once heard a speaker use of a waffle and a plate of spaghetti to describe male and female communication styles, respectively.  A waffle, being very compartmentalized, is used to illustrate how a man has to stay on one topic of discussion and thinking before moving onto the next, whereas a woman’s is more like a plate of spaghetti where each noodle criss-crosses with the other noodles and maneuvers itself all over the plate.  While it looks like a mangled mess, it is in fact, cohesive and intricate. 

Despite having that helpful image to understand each other better, it was shocking to my hubby when he read that many women said they “thought their thought lives were almost like busy computers with multiple windows open and running all at once, unwanted pop-ups intruding all the time, and little ability to close out or ignore any of that mental or emotional activity until a more convenient time.”  He was even more overwhelmed when he read a specific conversational illustration the authors provided to prove such a point.  After asking, “Okay, hon, what is in your brain right now?”, she proceeded to list off at least eight different things that she was mulling over at that very moment.  Like the author’s sudden realization, Matt finally came to grasp how my female ability to multitask both thoughts and emotions impacts how I relate to him every single day.  He was baffled that I thought like that, which came to a huge surprise to me because, well, isn’t that the first thing guys should know about girls?  <grin>  For being married nearly seven years, he surely circumnavigated through that very well without giving me any indication that he knew otherwise.

So I thought I’d give my hubby (and you, dear Internet peeps), a peek into my thoughts and emotions yesterday morning (yesterday, because that’s when I started this post) that ran all over the place.  I’ll save you the grief of too many details though.  So within a course of a few minutes, this was the rollercoaster ride:

• How is it that a girl from Texas has more winter clothes than summer ones?  My closet is no indication of our locale.  Thanks for the wonderful and unusually long Fall, Lord, but please bring on the 50-60 degree temp so I can wear clothes I love, clothes that “cover a multitude of sins”, as Jill wittingly says.
• I want to blog so badly.  But what do I blog about?  I’m in a big-time rut.
• Stellan, Stellan, Stellan*.  Jesus, please carry Stellan through today.  Bring him through surgery successfully, safely.  After being land blasted by friend after friend battling the clinching jaws of death through cancer, and aching for other friends going through so much, it would sure be nice to have a sweet victory here, Lord.
• How can I get Brennan to better understand “no touch”?  He keeps going after those awful outlets.
• Gotta make Matt’s lunch.  Everyone’s eaten breakfast but me, and I’m hungry.  Matt’s lunch first though, he’s leaving soon.
• Should I go to Sprouts and then the Target on Louis Henna, or should I go to the Super Target on 1431 to nail two birds with one stone?  The latter, because then we might be able to hit Hobby Lobby on our way home.
• Stellan.  Stellan.  Stellan.  I gotta check Twitter to see if there are any updates.
• Brennan needs a haircut.  Should I try to do it on my own?**
• Why haven’t I packed yet?  We’re visiting Pops and Meems in just a couple of days, why didn’t I start to lay out clothes earlier?
• Thanksgiving is just two weeks away.  THANKSGIVING IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!!???
• Do I have a cold or a sinus infection?  I don’t want to go to the doctor again, so please just let it go away.  I’m really complaining about a measly little sickness?  Get a grip.  I have so much to be thankful for and our health is a huge one!
• What do I need to do before we leave town?  Water plants.  Laundry.  Pack.  Grocery shopping.  Blog.  Will I be able to blog?
• Matt and I need help and wisdom in how to be on the same page with teaching Brennan.  How are we going to do this parenting thing together well?
• Brennan’s first birthday is just two months away.  That girl whose pictures I just saw of her son’s first birthday looked awesome and so creative.  How can I do that?  Do I want to do that?  How can I make it simple and special?  I wonder what so-and-so did for her son’s first birthday.  I’d wanna do it like she did. 
• I need to start sacrificing sleep to get things done.  There’s too much to do.
• I hope Brennan takes good naps today.***
• Stellan.  Stellan. Stellan.  Jesus, please!
• Gotta cancel Molly’s reservations at Dog Boy's.  Don’t forget to email so-and-so about a package delivery.
• Does the post office have a postage meter or can you only buy stamps?****
• Does my shirt go with my pants?  What will I look like to other people if we go out?  Makeup day or no makeup day?  Itty bitty makeup day it is.
• What bagel do I want this morning?  Hmmm, breakfast.  I’m hungry.

Suffice it to say, I could go on.  And on and on.  But I think hubby will get the picture, don’t you think?  Only God in His wisdom could have designed a woman’s mind and emotions to work the way they do.  And thank God that He gives us the peace and wisdom we need because goodness, He sure knows we need it!

* I’m sure most of you all know about Stellan, but if you don’t you absolutely must read this.  If you need to be encouraged to see the power of prayer like I have been lately, you really must catch up on baby Stellan.  It indeed is a miracle I hope to remember the rest of my life, and to God be the glory! 

**Today I tried to trim Brennan’s hair on my own, and it was the biggest mistake ever.  I was in tears.  It messed up our morning entirely until we asked Matt if we could stop by for a pick-me-up and visit him at work.  I butchered my son’s precious golden locks, taking a chunk of hair next to his ear.  His bangs are cut above his hair line, all crooked, and it just looks horrible!  He just laughed and has no idea, but I know!  Big mistake.  Big!  Huge!

***That “today” was yesterday, and no, good naps were not to be had.  I’ll blame it on the 6th tooth that popped out…that makes 3 in the last week and a half!

****The post office only offers stamps, no meter.  And the guy who helped me laughed at me saying, “You’re out of breath?” when I walked in, having not seen the 25 pound baby/carrier I just lugged inside with a box of letters.  Clearly, I need to lift weights more regularly. 

Reliving Great Days

Aren’t there just some days you wish you could replay over and over again?  I mean, not like to the extent of what was portrayed in Groundhog Day.  No way.  That would drive any normal, sane person insane.  Sorry, Bill Murray.  But every now and then, there are days that are so delightful, you wish you could relive them.  I’m humbly thankful to say that since last Friday, I wish I could relive almost each of those days.  Except for most of Monday, in which I was in a bad mood, and hubby and I found ourselves in the midst of petty "discussions”.  All “a-o-k” now, but it made half of Monday a bit of a bummer day.  And since Monday was an extra day off, to have wasted half of it in our paltriness added to the bumness of it all.  However, there are the delightful things I’d like to relive (including parts of Monday) that I will take a moment to briefly share with you:

Friday:  The beginning of a long weekend.  Who can dispute the amazing feeling of a long weekend that is at hand?  For dinner, I made a shrimp pasta dish that was quite yummy.  Not as good as when my friend made it, but still tasty.  After putting Brennan to bed, hubby and I started watching Father of the Bride Part II.  It had been a number of years since we’d last seen it, and having experienced childbirth now ourselves, there were a great many laughs to be had watching it.  I heart Steve Martin.  We were too tired to finish it, so saved the rest of it for Saturday night. 

Saturday:  The four of us got in a morning walk before Brennan’s first nap (which comes by 8 a.m. these days because he’s usually up between 6-6:30 a.m. that dear boy is, or 5:45 a.m. which was the case today.  For. Cryin’. Out.  Loud.)  We did a few chores and got ready for our date day!  My parents drove up from San Antonio to watch Brennan for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed lunch at Potbelly’s and then a few hours at the Austin Wine Festival.  All of the Texas vineyards were featured (there are a good 20 or so) and each person could choose up to 10 wines to have a small taste test.  There was live music, a splendid array of food (if we’d known that beforehand, we would have just eaten there), and cooking demonstrations.  Neither of us are big wine drinkers; Matt always has to finish my glass (and even my tastings for that matter), but it was a pleasant day to meander outside perusing the vendors.  Our most favorite:  White/Black Spanish by Dry Comal Creek Vineyard.  Love it!  We left just in time before a huge downpour.  At home waiting for us were three lovely faces and one precious furry face, home fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and bread and butter sandwiches.  Pops and Meems said watching Brennan was the best part of their weekend, and we are so grateful that 1) they live close enough to come up for the day to be with them and 2) that they love babysitting our baby boy!  We greatly enjoy their company.  Matt and I were giddy to get out.  Thanks, Pops and Meems!!  In bed, we finished watching Father of the Bride II.  We still got some laughs from the last 1/4 of the film, but I was mostly a reminiscent mess thinking about the day Brennan came into the world.  I was a blubbering momma.  And Matt just thought I was a riot and laughed more at me than the movie.

Sunday:  Pops and Meems wanted us to call them Sunday morning when Brennan woke up, just for fun.  We forwent the call when he woke up at 3 a.m., then 4:30 a.m., and then 5:45 a.m.  I don’t think they minded.  Not sure how we mustered the energy to make it to church, but we did.  It was the third time taking Brennan to the nursery.  First time I said, “Goodbye” to my little boy and he burst into tears <heart breaking in two>.  And the first time getting paged out of church to come pick up my boy.  While all the other babies were relaxed and sleeping, he was the only one crying.  I knew I was pushing it a bit to put him in the nursery because he skipped his morning nap, and sure enough, once I stepped outside with him in my arms, the kid was out.  He even took a two hour nap at home later that afternoon (he better have after not sleeping at all the night before!), and me and Matt weren’t gonna miss out on nap time fun ourselves.  How two hours can go by so quickly will boggle my mind forever.  But it was bliss!

We all woke up in time to make it to our neighborhood Memorial Day picnic.  Since we’d RSVP’d a ‘maybe’, we were pretty lame and only brought Tostitos as a side dish.  You shoulda seen what I tried to whip together to take at the last minute.  If you think Tostitos is lame, well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!  Let’s just say I rummaged our freezer and the best thing I could find were snow peas.  I finally just had Matt run down the street to pick up the chips.  As we were introduced to the social chairman with our bag of chips in hand, I wanted to be sure she saw Brennan so she knew I had a young buck at home and that’s why I didn’t make something fancy like watermelon pico de gallo like some other put-together person made.  It was dang good!  We hung out by the pool watching all the big kids swim until Brennan’s bed time.  We started another movie but wish we hadn’t as it was horrible.  Turned it off before it reached half-way and watched Brennan videos in bed to fall asleep to something more wholesome on our minds.

Monday:  We’ll skip over what we did from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., sad to say.  After a nap, I was much better and ready to play.  We had our friends, Chris, Jill, Harrison and Haddie over to our neighborhood pool for a swim, snacks and pizza.  Brennan went swimming for the second time.  It took him a little longer to get used the water. I think it was cooler than the other pool, more crowded, and he got splashed more often which startled him.  But he still did great!  I was a bit more self-conscious wondering if all the other mommas were wondering what I was doing with a little baby in the crowded pool, without a shirt to cover him up from the sun no less!  Oh, that I would worry less about what other people think of me and be comfortable in my own skin as a mommy.  One day.  One day it will be so.

Tuesday-Thursday:  It’s taken me three days to write this post because my days with Brennan have been full…full of fun, laughs, squeals, and joy!  They’ve been some of my most favorite days as a mommy ever!  My brother texted me with a great idea to take a picture of Brennan laying up against Molly every now and then to compare how much he’s grown.  The first picture we took of him like that was for his birth announcement at 3 weeks old.  The one I took this week was at 18 weeks…my baby boy is not listening to me when I tell him to stop growing!

  

Brennan’s hair was tousled because I did this to it beforehand, just for kicks:

Nice Mohawk, baby boy!  You’re one cool dude! 

Here are a few glimpses into our favorite moments this week:

  

 

Thanks, Chunky Monkey, for some very special days that I will forever replay in my mind.  While I wish they wouldn’t pass so quickly and we could relive them over and over again, I wouldn’t want to miss out on the days yet to come to spend together, ‘cause I know they will be something wonderful!

A Love-Hate Relationship

Ever find yourself getting nit-picky about something minuscule?  Any of you have a tendency to make a big deal out of something small?  Maybe it's a woman thing?  Well, it's definitely a "Meghan thing".  I am a person that is constantly learning how to not take myself, or life for that matter, so seriously.  Constantly learning how to not be so uptight.  Or weirded out by things that ought not to really weird me out, or be such a big deal.  But sometimes, they just are, and it's an uphill battle (and I'm talking about a hill the size of Mt. Everest) for me to have the right attitude about it.

Take for example one of the most recent things that I made a big deal about before Brennan was born:  hubby's desire to buy a video camera because we were having a baby.  Oh, I had a hay-day over that!  Why?  Because I deeply loathe video cameras.  I realize that probably makes me an antiquated stiff, but it's something I actually have some strong opinions about.  We had a new digital camera with a small recorder on it, so I thought it was pointless to get a full-blown camcorder.  Are they even still called camcorders?  Well, and truth be told, I just really didn't want to have one. 

Some wives pick their battles wisely.  Me?  I'd say 70% of the time, I choose to make issue of something pitifully lame.  And for some reason, hubby's desire for a video recorder impassioned me deeply.  You still curious about why?  Well, for one thing, I really don't like being recorded.  Vainly, I don't like how I look.  I also feel uncomfortable and never know what to say, feeling put on the spot.  Secondly, who actually goes back and looks at the videos?  I mean, every once in a blue moon.  But for this throw-away-give-away addict, it's just one more thing to find a place to store and haul around with moves.  And the number of times you actually re-watch them doesn't outweigh the spatial imposition they put you in.  And you have pictures, so why need video?  And lastly, I feel like they can be a distraction.  One can be so focused on trying to get a special event recorded that they miss taking in the special moment that is taking place right before their eyes.  Instead, they're thinking about technical gadgets, getting just the right angle, and making sure everything is in focus.  But I guess they can always go back and watch it, hey?  <grin> 

Oh, the battle raged in me about my attitude towards it, because I knew Matt wanted to get one.  Why was I so emblazoned about something so ridiculous?  I really wanted to respect Matt and bless him with a "man toy", but sadly, I confess my own selfish desires were winning out.  And thus, we didn't get one, at least for the time being.

So when we got home from the hospital with our baby boy and I saw the Amazon.com package in our living room for Matt's birthday that our whole family went in together to give him, my curiosity was sparked, for Matt never vocalized a desire for a video recorder to them.  Fortunately, I was still "high" on bringing home my firstborn babe when I indeed found out it was the something I dreaded getting.  Don't get me wrong, it was a very generous and thoughtful gift, but it now made me face my selfishness directly.  I could no longer hide from it.  I could no longer avoid it.  I was staring at it point blank.  Poor guy, he probably didn't have any fun opening it knowing my strong aversion to video cameras.  But I could choose:  be upset about it and throw a little tantrum like a 2 year old (which I do sometimes), or be happy that Matt had his new "man toy" that was a perfect birthday present for him.  If I were honest, I probably fell somewhere between the two. 

Since then, I guess I could say that I have a love-hate relationship with the thing.  Matt's taken a few video shots of Brennan that I'm so glad he's captured:  Brennan's stretching and wrinkly face antics.  And of course, when Molly proceeded to help with bath time, I just had to get my fingers on the thing.  Yet the reasons I don't like it are still ever-present...still workin' through those suckers.  I will say, however, filming a bit of the little guy the other day to send off to his Papa and Nana who live far, far away was rather fun.  And so, for the sake of practicing and getting used to having it, I'll share with you (every now and then when I suck up my aversion to it <grin>) a little footage.  Here's a bit for today; Brennan wanted to say, 'hi'!

Playing around with the videos also makes me want to get a MacBook!  <grin>  Anyhow, truly, a big 'thank you' goes out to our family for this video camera that, when my baby boy has gone to bed but I want keep looking at him, enables me to replay his preciousness over and over again!  Have a great weekend ya'll!

Rollin' With the Punches

Hello, Internet peeps!  I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the week of Christmas!  Some of you all sounded like you had wonderful weekend plans with your families and getting some Christmas shopping done.  Our weekend turned out to be quite eventful, expensive, and painful...with also special and memorable tidbits.  "What happened!?", you may ask.  Well, let me do tell. 

Matt and I had a fabulous date night on Friday to start our two week vacation off with a bang!  We thoroughly enjoyed eating outside on the patio of California Pizza Kitchen, admiring all of The Domain's Christmas decor and the horse-drawn carriage circling the shopping center with enthusiastic children being carted about.  It was such a pleasant evening, and a night to remember.  I think we pretty much settled on a baby boy's name (at least the first name)!  Matt treated me to oh-my-word-incredible gelato at a dessert cafe called Viva Chocolato!  And we enjoyed the most recent 007 movie Quantum of Solace.  Crawling into bed that night was so pleasant knowing we could sleep in the next day and leisurely enjoy the next two weeks prepping for Polka and being together.

Fast forward to 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.  To make a long story short, our washer malfunctioned while on the rinse cycle and wouldn't stop filling up with water.  Our neighbor, Rob, was so kind to run over to see if he could help me get the water off because Matt wasn't home.  With my frantic call to Matt saying, "Turn back around now!", he of course thought it had to do with Polka.  But no.  Our house was flooding.  Nothing we did with the washer would get the water to stop pouring out, and we had trouble getting the main water line to shut off.  The fire department was kind enough to come out to take a look at things and point us in the right direction (I didn't place a 911 call, just called the main fire department line).  Many thanks to the fire department because they were so helpful and kind...and the only ones who responded to my calls!  The local utilities were no help at all.  All to say, we had water gushing through our home for 25 minutes.  By the time we finally got the washer to stop overflowing, we had an inch or so of water from the laundry room to the front door, moving steadily into our carpets and even underneath the stairwell into our bedroom closet and garage.  We were in shock.  After all of my cleaning and checking things off our list, finally ready to simply enjoy the last few weeks with my hubby before Polka comes, chaos ensued.  And tears were shed.  Thankfully, everyone was ok!  And thankfully, we found a great water extraction company who responded quickly and thoroughly.  It is so not fun to have an emergency happen like that on the weekend!  Ninety percent of the companies I called for help and left a message with never even responded, even though they said on their recordings that they'd respond within 30 minutes!

I had no idea what something like this entails and the damage that can result from water flooding in one's home.  The water extraction company did everything from removing carpet pads, to removing baseboards, to drilling holes in the baseboards and in the bottoms of our kitchen cabinets to put vacuum blowers in them.  We've had 11 air blowers, 2 dehumidifiers, and 1 somethin' or other machine blowing since Saturday night and they'll run until Wednesday morning.  The house is a mess.  The combination of water and blowers running showed the parts of the house that I wasn't able to clean very well with Molly's dog food pellets and lint from behind the washer and dryer making their way across our kitchen floor. 

Our insurance adjuster left not too long ago and we're looking at replacing nearly all of our downstairs carpets (which we just found out won't be available to be installed until the middle of January), baseboards, a laundry cabinet, the wood paneling to the bottom of our kitchen cabinets, and possibly the bottom kitchen cabinets themselves.  We've been at a hotel with Molly since Saturday night and will be there until Christmas Eve morning.  Hopefully next week all of the woodwork can be accomplished and we'll get things fairly back in order, and then I guess we'll deal with the carpets mid-January.  My doctor this morning echoed the very same words I relayed to Matt, "If the stress of this doesn't put me into labor, I don't know what will!"  So please pray this baby stays in me until at least January 9th; we need all the extra time we can get now!!

 

In the whole scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal with people losing whole homes to fires or hurricanes, or watching the physical or emotional suffering of a loved one.  I keep trying to remind myself of the bigger perspective here, especially grateful that we are all ok.  But I will not deny that I have wept on several occassions after working so hard to get things in order and in place before our little Polka arrives.  My 8.5 month pregnancy hormones are workin' over-time!  Matt has been incredible through this whole thing, and very much understanding towards his emotionally fragile wife.  I've vacilated between feeling like it was all my fault for wanting things to be in such tip-top shape; to feeling robbed of this time that was supposed to be set apart in quiet, restful preparation for Polka; to wanting to give up list-making entirely.  The stanza of the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness" keeps replaying in my mind, however:   strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, ten thousand beside.  And yes, there are already so many things to be thankful for through all of this that I want to take a moment to mention:

1.  For our neighbors, Rob and Leah, who kindly rushed over to help us with the water and corral Molly for awhile.  And Leah, who so generously is making a lovely dinner for us tonight!

2.  Matt took a hard fall on his back and bottom with the wet floors trying to move furniture, and we're so, so thankful it wasn't such that we were making a trip to the ER in the middle of everything!  And he's ok!  I had just finished sobbing on Matt's shoulder moments prior and seeing my husband crash to the floor didn't help matters.  I'm sure the three water extraction employees were like, "Oh, this lady is off the wall!"

3.  Our friends, Chris and Jill, knowing that Sunday was our anniversary and our plans had changed, still made it a special night for us by ordering a meal for us at Macaroni Grill that we could take back to the hotel and eat.  My new favorite dessert:  their chocolate tiramisu!  Matt and I had a lovely evening with Frank Sinatra playing through Matt's phone and even danced to one song (this preggo lady is getting really uncomfortable so we kept it at one)!  Despite the circumstances, our anniversary 6 year anniversary was oh, so sweet.

4.  La Quinta!  Availability at a hotel down the street that welcomes puppies!

5.  Laundry mats.

6.  Our local fire department...really, they were so kind.

7.  The water extraction company who did a thorough job.

8.  The timing of getting our insurance adjuster out here...that we didn't have to wait too long!  And our insurance company itself (USAA)...they've handled everything so well and could not have been more obliging and understanding!

9.  My parents, who have been available at any time to change their plans to come up and help put things back in order.  They've generously been at our beck-n-call. 

10.  Encouraging friends and family who have been so supportive and prayerful!

11.  My hubby!!  One thing is for sure, it has been a blessing to walk through this with him!  He has been so kind, understanding, and a true gift.  I will walk through any crisis or chaos if I have him by my side.

I'm sure I'm missing something, but those are the things that are coming to mind at the moment.  I planned to blog throughout the week, but I am not going to now, Internet peeps.  You'll have to catch me next week sometime, hopefully.  Matt and I will continue to walk through this learning how to balance what seems to be a whole new and grueling set of tasks while trying to still salvage precious time together and pondering Christmas.

If ever there was a moment to be thankful for a true and lasting Refuge and Helper in Jesus Christ, now would be it.  If ever there was a moment to reflect on Christmas and be still, now would be it.  If ever there was a moment to be thankful, now would be it.  And despite my flood of emotions and fallible thoughts through this chaos, I don't want to miss this moment.  So may the peace and joy of our Savior Jesus Christ fill yours and mine hearts and minds this night, particularly this week of Christmas, dear ones.  Much love and Merry Christmas!

I Wanna Be Like Molly

It's Friday!  I love Fridays, don't you?  Our weekend plans are still up in the air, but they will mostly consist of doing fun things on our "to-do" list:  either working some more on the nursery with my folks or Christmas shopping.  My goal is to get Christmas shopping done and packages mailed off by Thanksgiving this year.  I have a lot that I'm aiming to get done over the next few weeks, and I haven't been listening very well to the precious people in my life who are telling me not to stress out about it all.  I'm trying, but I'm doing so rather reluctantly.  I'm the type of person that can't rest until things are in a certain order that I want them to be in.  Can anyone relate to that?  While that's not necessarily all bad, I can also take it to such extreme that I put aside what should be top priorities and I start affecting others around me, namely dear hubby.  Matt, my parents, and friends have been so gracious in helping and encouraging; it's totally me that allows myself to stay in such a tizzy.

A precious lady whom I meet with regularly challenged me greatly in several different areas yesterday, in a way that was very much needed and good for me to hear.  At the same time, I didn't really want to hear them.  I am having a difficult time choosing right priorities the last few weeks.  Instead, the list of things to do keeps whirling around in my head, when I lay in bed, when I wake up...constantly.  So I end up choosing to do the things on my list, which means sacrificing my daily time with the Lord and being in His Word.  No wonder why I can be so frazzled and overwhelmed!?  I'm so bent on getting the things accomplished that I want to get accomplished (in the way AND time in which I want them) that I'm leaving no room in my day for the Lord to have His way and agenda, and the bent is so strong that I lack even the desire to let Him be Master of the day. 

It's also affecting the tone I set for our home.  Hubby has been up past 1 a.m. each night this week and has a big week at work ahead of him next week ending with an all-night launch and a weekend on-call.  Let me just list a few things you can do that will make your husband feel like home is not any different from work:

• Not stopping what you're in the middle of doing (when it is possible to do so) to greet him when he gets home, and greeting him in such a way that makes him feel like he's robbed you of your focus and time on what you were working on
• Immediately hitting him with the question, "What are we gonna get done tonight on our to-do list?"
• Sending him off to work right after breaking out in hysterics that we're not going to get done all that we need to and listing point by point what we still need to do
• Not taking the time to feed him a well nourished meal when there was definitely time and energy to do it, just not a willingness to do it.  Instead, he gets bowls of cereal or McDonald's for supper
• Centering conversations around your day and what is left to do without even asking him how he's doing; encouraging him in how well he's doing; and sharing with him how appreciated he is

Those are just a few.  I got more.  And I got a lllloooonnnggg learning curve ahead of me, Internet peeps.  It was like a light bulb went off in my head yesterday meeting with my friend:  I really have not put hubby's interests above my own, and the atmosphere of our home has not been the most welcoming refuge for Matt to come home to after a long day at work.  My lack of being with the Lord and in His Word hugely contributes to those things as well because without that time, I'm anxious, focused on myself, worrying, and not relying on Him to help and lead me throughout the day. 

So last night, I made itty bitty steps to make sure I had a healthy dinner ready for hubby with some relaxing music playing and was conversational about other things than our task list.  I even excitedly listened to him show me how he organizes his iPhone applications.  He was like a kid in a candy jar!  Be rest assured, however, that the nice dinner and conversation were after my first blunder of letting, "Didn't you get my message?  You were supposed to stop at CVS on the way home," be the first things out of my mouth when he pulled into the garage.  Oh, that I would be more like Molly in how I greet him when he gets home:  wildly enthusiastic that her bestest bud is now at home with her. 

Tonight, I might take hubby to Starbucks to hang out there, or we may just want to have a relaxing night at home watching last night's episode of the The Office that we didn't get to see (which I hear was really good).  That means I have to set aside my desire to make those last few phone calls to wrap up loose ends on one of our to-dos.  I think it will be worth it, don't you?

<sigh>  I'm always learning.  Sometimes begrudgingly and stubbornly.  But thank the Lord for people who come alongside us and encourage us in truth, even when we may not want to hear it, but at just the right times that we need to hear it.  And thank the Lord for puppies, who teach us a whole heck of a lot sometimes about love.

A Whole Lot To Be Thankful For

Ready to go, parked at the lovely Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort where we stayed for our babymoon, ready to head to my parents' place to grab a bite for lunch and pick up Molly, we weren't in the car more than 3 minutes before I burst into tears.  Our amazingly memorable babymoon was over.  Our lives that we've loved and grown accustomed to are two months away from completely changing.  I was overcome by the grief of a fantastic vacation coming to an end and the onset of letting go of a life I've loved.  Yes, it may sound dramatic.  I am dramatic...and a very emotional gal.  And while I don't want to downplay the anticipation of meeting my little, growing baby, I will honestly confess there is a level of grief I have over the oncoming changes and having to surrender all that I've been content with and loved about my life with Matt and Molly. 

Graciously comforting me as I shed tears and grasped for breath, my hubby encouraged me to think of all the things about our babymoon that I was thankful for.  Instead of focusing on our getaway coming to an end and aching over starting the week, my mindset was encouraged to fondly remember all that we'd been blessed by the past 5 days, with thanksgiving.  So in honor of keeping with that theme, I thought I'd give you, in list format, some details about our babymoon that I am so thankful for, because it truly was a huge gift! (You can click on the images to enlarge and use your arrow keys to scroll side to side or up and down.)

I'm thankful for...

• Early voting and no lines!  Before heading out of town last Wednesday, we voted and didn't have to wait at all.  I quadruple checked my ballot before submitting it, wanting to make sure I was voting for my select choices.
• Coming up with a clear focal point.  Doctors say one of the things to bring to the hospital for your labor and delivery is a focal point:  an object or picture for inspiration.  On our drive to San Antonio, we read through all the info given to us at our childbirth class last week and we practiced breathing techniques again.  It was also very clear what should be my focal point that could help bring inspiration and calmness:  a picture of Molly and my stuffed animal Molly!  Yes, it may sound ridiculous, but that puppy seriously helps me; if Matt could sneak that dog into the hospital, he totally would, 'cause he knows full well she has a way of relaxing me.  
• An awesome gift basket made with lots of love!  We dropped Moos off at my folks' place for her weekend of play with 3 other puppies.  Awaiting us was an amazing gift basket put together by my Momma.  It had crackers, cheese, fruit, a non-alcoholic white zinfandel (which helped curb my craving for the real thing), homemade brownies and chocolate covered strawberries, two silver wine glasses used by my parents on their wedding day, beautiful flowers, and a generous gift card to The County Line.   Our babymoon was also an early anniversary celebration for us (we'll celebrate 6 years in December), and this was such a special anniversary gift to receive...what a surprise!  On Thursday, we sat by the pool all afternoon munching on our goodies and toasting to 6 wonderful years and a baby on the way.
• A king-sized bed!  Ha!  Having made our reservations through Priceline, we called to confirm we could receive a king-sized bed (we couldn't select the size we wanted online), and were told we'd have two double beds unless we paid a lot more money.  Yes, it sounds funny, but we were just gonna manage and leave it that way.  So we were pleasantly surprised to discover upon our arrival that we'd been given a king-sized bed at no extra cost.
• The quietness and peacefulness of the remote location of our hotel, as well as being some of the only ones there.  Because it was the off-season, we were practically the only ones there and it was quite pleasant.
• Our games of ping-pong by the pool.  I hardly ever play, but Matt has played lots.  Little did I realize he was sparing me his real moves until I got a little prideful in how I was doing and got one of his fancy spins.  We had a blast playing together.
• Rest and relaxation!  Spending a day by the pool, or in bed watching college football, or just sleeping in, walking along the nature trails, watching movies, or reading to each other...we were sure to soak up all the r&r we could get.
• Being with each other 24/7.  It was "heaven", and so good for us to get away from our current task-oriented mindset we have at home that has recently left us a bit stressed out and more prone to bickering.  But we were able to thoroughly enjoy each other, laughing a lot and getting to let down.
• Great food...like fresh omelets, The County Line homemade bread and bar-b-que, chocolate covered strawberries, and sticky bun French toast...oh ya, baby!
• Receiving an unexpected $150 off our hotel incidentals.  The hotel was offering $150 off our hotel expenses if we'd be willing to take a 90 minute personal tour of their new vacation club down the road.  While the tour was great, don't get me started on the split personality of our guide!  When we said "no" to the $34k expense, he became quite rude and wanted to know why we didn't have room in our budget for such a thing and asked how we'd ever be able to go on the vacations we told him were our dream spots.  It was a shocking personality shift, but so worth the $150 discount!
• The wonder and magic of Sea World and the $10 we found on the ground walking into the park that paid for the fish we fed to the dolphins.  We practically had the whole park to ourselves and Matt was able to go to the front of the lines for the two roller coaster rides that had him grinning like a little boy!  We LOVED feeding and petting the dolphins (they are the sweetest things); watching Shamu (it never loses its wonder); walking hand-in-hand on a lovely day; and seeing a cute Dalmatian that travels with The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale Horses hitch.

• A perfect table right by the river at The County Line on the River Walk.  After a day of resting and watching college football, we got cleaned up and headed out for an early dinner on the beautiful River Walk.  The food was scrumptious and then we enjoyed a leisurely riverboat tour before heading back to the hotel and watching the incredible TX vs. TX Tech game.  Incredible not because TX lost but because it was a dern good game! 

• Getting some cute pictures of Mac and Julie emailed to us of their costumes!  Aren't they cute as The Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi? 
• An extra hour of sleep because of the clock rollin' back!  Woohoo! 
• Having a few hours to visit with my Daddy and Mommy.  We enjoyed their company while devouring some infamous Longhorn Cafe burgers.  It was fun (and weird) seeing my childhood crib set up in one of their bedrooms...Polka's a comin'!  And Miss Molly had an awesome play-fest with all the puppies...she has since crashed and burned because it took so much energy to play.
• Polka's crazy moves that Matt finally caught with his very own eyes!  We've had a hard time getting Matt to see the waves and strange moves of my belly that Polka makes, but the past few days he was able to see Polka in action.  It makes us giggle!  So far, Polka is a gentle rumbler; the kicks aren't hard--more like a wave, but the little one likes to move more and more.
• Shepherding a Child's Heart.  We're into the 3rd chapter of this wonderful book and each chapter has golden nuggets we're pondering.  It's already seriously challenging me and shaking up my own views of parenting that come quite naturally to me.  More on this later, but it's been very good...and stretching!
• Knowing that this isn't the last time we'll get away!
• Being a team together through this new adventure we're on.
• A splendid babymoon/6 year anniversary getaway!
• A hubby that reminds me to be thankful and helps me every step of the way!