Airport Observations

1. There is a distinct difference between leggings and pantyhose. If you wear pantyhose in place of leggings with your tunic, we will in fact, see your panties.

2. Although tempted, it is not recommended to dance in the body scanners at security checkpoint. The not so chipper TSA man told me that doing so might result in an extra pat down. I feel that asking somene to place your hands above your head and spread your feet apart is like an invitation to break it down. I apologize.

3. Hartsfield Jackson, if you position a Krystal two feet from my gate, I will eat a Krystal Chik for breakfast. I cannot help myself. I am a victim.

4. If it looks like I am deep in thought with my sudoku book, do not be fooled. I am people watching and you might just end up on my blog. 

5. A Pinterest subscription and a two hour wait at the airport is the perfect recipe for complete bliss. 

6. Realizing that a single Krystal Chik wasn't enough to hold you over twenty minutes into a four hour flight can be crushing. 

Having an absolute blast!

Skinny Jeans

Today was ridiculous amounts of fun.

I am sitting here in awe and so thankful for sweet friends. I took a huge leap of faith this morning and started a {professional} journey I've been wanting to do for many years now. Details still in the works, but the whole shebang turned out super fabulous. Mrs. Lori invited Coop over for a play date and loved on him like crazy while I did my workin' mama thing AND she spoiled me rotten by giving me the afternoon stroller free at the mall.

I won't lie. I was lost without Mr. Picklebottoms and the jog stroller. I considered pushing it, empty, just to feel better. I digress. I sprinted off to the mall for marathon sparkle clothes shopping and Abby met me helped me sort through all sorts of fun fancy outfits. She sported the big mamajama double jog stroller with JB and his little buddy, so I instantly felt a-ok and at home surrounded by little people.

Our only rule: It had to be out of the box. I came home with a pair of Fergalicious leopard print flats (OMG-cute cute cute), a crazy cute belt with a gigantic burlap flower in front, skinny jeans, and tall slouchy camel colored boots. Oh, and also two fancypants tunic tops. Out of the box and oh so fun!

Coop and I came home and built tunnels and bridges and robots and buildings out of Legos for over an hour and then Ashley, Lorelei, and Baby Madelyn came over for a playdate. We had the best of times. We laughed and chatted and changed diapers and cut up chicken nuggets and caught up with each other while Cooper taught Lorelei how to ram cars and trucks into things.

I am truly so thankful for precious friendships! It's a great big blessing to be surrounded by a million and one fabulous girls who all seek to lift each other up. Monday night we visited our friend (she's actually a super hero) Melanie, who just endured a double mastectomy after fighting kudzu COURAGEOUSLY for the past year. As we stood at her bedside and cracked jokes about the most inappropriate (and fun) things, I thanked God for the awe-inspiring example she sets for all of us.

My best friend Jennifer recently moved to our neck of the woods and I couldn't be more tickled. We have missed impromptu trips to Target and cheese dip nights for the past 5-6 years and it feels so good to be so close again.

I work with a group of awesome girls with hearts of gold and have the best small group friends in all the world. Us Davis girls have the most incredible group of Ya-Yas who stand by us through thick and thin--we prop each other up when we want to fall down and rejoice with each other in the glory days. I could go on and on.

Past the point of ramblin', just wanted to stop offer up praises for amazing examples of Godly women. It's mighty special and I am oober thankful for each and every one of my sweet friends.

Chicken and Singin' and Whatnot

Chickfila has come out with two new entrees in the last two weeks. It's almost more excitement than I can even handle. Almost. Woowee, the chicken tortilla soup is sure yummy and has a big fat kick to it too. The grilled chicken nuggets are good. Well, they are good for you, and good as long as you can pay a visit to a hypnotist first and erase all memories of the chicken fried goodness that existed before the little grilled nuggets.

Y'all are so stinkin encouraging. Several other good friends got totally equally brash comments on their blogs this past week too, so it makes me realize that there are just some wackos out there. My favorite was the four page rant on my bestie, Abby's blog about her visit with the pediatric cardiologist. For the love of Pete. She is a fabulous mama, doing the absolute best for her sweet Parker, no comments needed from the peanut gallery. Whatever happened to not saying anything at all if you don't have anything nice to say? "Dr V almost killed my daughter...", totally understand where this lady might have been trying to come from, but come on, zip it lippy.

Coop is all kinds of into singing these days. It cracks me up. There's something about hearing that sweet little voice hit notes twice his range that just melts my heart. I'm like really, really into acapella music. Like embarrassingly. He will sit and watch ridiculous (and random) YouTube videos like this one with me without flinching.

Tonight while he was in the bath he asked begged me to sing the "Heaven" song.

"I got shoes, you got shoes, all God's children got shoes. When I get to heaven, gonna put on my shoes, I'm gonna walk all over God's heaven". He sat there shaking his booty with his soapy mohawk, just stealing my heart.

I almost forgot to post pics of Emily's Pickles and Ice Cream shower Sunday! Oh what fun! We had ice cream sundaes and great big dill pickles and sweet tea and chocolate cake.

It was enough to send anyone into labor. Except sweet Emily. She's still hanging tough, toting that precious Rylan around and chasing two busy toddlers around all day. We are so excited to watch her precious family grow by two more tiny feet!

Confessions

Confessions:
1. I watched three episodes of Dance Moms and two episodes of Teen Mom today.
2. I miss our sweet friends sitting in the pew next to us every Sunday at church.
3. We don't have pews at 12 stone. I was raised talkin about church pews, so I say it anyway.
4. My prayer for this blog has always been that it would bring more good than bad and that I might use this space to glorify God and His mighty presence in our lives. Last week was the first time I felt compelled to take it offline. I'm still struggling with it.
5. I ate three helpings of yummy sauce at Hibachi tonight. Fried rice soup has it's place on the food pyramid.
6. I miss my brother. I'm not sure I will ever hear from him again and it makes me lose sleep at night.
7. I have an eyebrow phobia. I have contracts with two friends stating if they ever, ever return to their pre-2001 status, they will be shaved in my sleep.
8. I am seriously addicted to playing Family Feud. I can sing the theme song in my sleep and eagerly await my free daily spin to obtain additional coins to support my habit.
9. Cooper still has his pappy. He might get to keep it til he is fourteen years old. Totally goes against all SLP recommendations. Totally.
10. I might have taught Coop the Macarena this weekend. And the Cabbage Patch. And the Roger Rabbit.

There, that's better.

I've been trying to pack for my trip for the past two days. My mom jeans and frumpalicius ruffle tops just aren't cutting it. I found myself standing in Forever 21 with the jog stroller and a snack pack of Goldfish crackers, sweating bullets and trying to distinguish thr difference between shirts and dresses. Yes, I actually thought I might find something fabulous in Forever 21. Yes, i tried to fit the jog stroller in between the overstuffed racks of jeggings and glitter tanks. That's how much I'm out of touch with reality. Thank heavens for Pinterest and those smashing outfit pins. Take two this week.

So tell me, what are your confessions tonight?

Do Lord, Do Lord

There are just some moments that you want to savor forever and ever.

Our little Do Lord, Do Lord (and his horn honking and vacuum cleaner loving) baby:

Melt. My. Heart.

2012 Strive to Thrive

January 1st. Such a humbling day. I love it oh so much because we are able to look back over the past year and into the upcoming year, all at the same time. We celebrate the triumphs, learn from the struggles, acknowledge the growth, and cling to the lessons learned.

What tickles me to no end is that God already knows the details of every single day, every single hour, every single second of 2012. Isn't that amazing!? I love the mystery and wonder that lies in this verse:

"God has given them a desire to know the future. He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing." -Ecclesiastes 3:11

I tried to create a list of resolutions, but they just felt so silly. So I scratched the list and did some soul searching instead. I am praying over these things and can't wait to see how God uses 2012 to reveal more of Himself to us.

Seek: grace, happiness, surrender, joy, wisdom, courage, laughter, inspiration.

Run from: fear, worry, insecurity, impatience, perfection, busyness.

This year it is my hope to pray harder, praise louder, worry less. Be a champion for my husband and a light for my Cooper. Compliment and raise others up often.  Eat more of what I love, just less of it. Celebrate others. Play more, work less. Drink a little less sweet tea (who am I kidding??) Give more than I receive. Run again. Increase personal accountability. Spend more time with my family. Check "statuses" in real life, not on Facebook. And be ok with going to sleep with dirty dishes in the sink.

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you.

Never excuse yourself." -Henry Ward Beecher

What is on your heart to go after in 2012?

2011

2011: the year preceding 2012, a year of abundant blessings, memories made, moments treasured, praises sung, thanks given.

New Year, New House!

Snow Much Snow!

The BIG 3-0!

First Steps, First Words, First Foods, First Boo Boos

Kudzu Kicked and Kept at the Kurb. Kah-ya!

Coop's First Easter (and subsequently his first experience with a irresistible golfer hat)

Whale of a Good Time, Coop Turns ONE!

Cowboy Coopie has Fun on the Farm

Coopertone Goes Coastal

Five (5!) Indescribably blessed years!

Bite of the Big Apple!

Coop, Chicken Coop!

Oober Thankful at Thanksmas!

Best Christmas. Ever.

It's amazing to see God's goodness unfold with each new day of each new month of each new year. As we look back over the past year, we are silenced by His mercy and sovereignty. As we turn the page on a new year, we thank Him, we praise Him, we bow to Him.

2012 sure looks swell! Happy New Years!