Do you want something random?

This is something that was sent to me twice (to do) on Facebook, so I decided to post it here also.

25 Random Things about me.. in no particular order.

1. I always wanted all boys (4), but I am so glad the Lord gave me a little girl.

2. I can't believe my husband choose me.. I so don't deserve him!

3. I spend way too much time on Facebook. (obviously)

4. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to serve in ministry... I am so glad I am able to help my husband.. I love it!!

5. My uncle works for Louis Vuitton.. he is amazingly talented and over the creative and merchandising team (I think that is what he does.. sorry Bill if I got that wrong). Anyway, he (and my mom) hooked me up with a purse for my 30th birthday. It is the only purse I carry. Since I am a pastor's wife, people constantly ask if it is real.

6. I, like Ann Marie, love Broadway theater. I have no musical talent what so ever, but I always wished I could sing. The shows I have seen live (in NYC) are: Rent, The Producers (w/ Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane), Cabaret, Les Miserables, The Odd Couple (with Matthew B., Nathan L. and Brad Garret). In Raleigh I have seen, Cabaret, The Lion King, Mama Mia, Greece. My favorites are The Lion King and Mama Mia.. although I loved them all. btw... the movies don't do them justice.. just not the same.

7. The Broadway show I am dying to see is In the Heights.. If we have some extra money, I am hoping to go to NYC this spring or summer to visit my uncles and see the show.

8. I can be "High Maintenance" - but I really wish I wasn't.

9. My favorite color to wear is BLACK. It so takes 5 pounds off my figure. I wish I could find a color that would take about 20 pounds off.

10. I have some of the most amazing friends from -- when I was born (Kelly), when I was little (Somer and Heather), High School (Tina, Colleen, Julie) and College (Elizabeth, Jessica, Meghan,Ashley, Laine). I keep in touch with them (not very well). I miss them all so much!

11. Kelly and I used to dress up my cousin (Brad) in our dresses. I so wish we had pictures of it.

12. I love expensive, designer clothes.. and wish I didn't. I have a serious weakness for designer jeans. I think I got this from my mom... who still blesses me with designer clothes and shoes.

13. The most influential person in my life was my grandma (Eileen). She passed away last year and I miss her so much.

14. I hope my kids are as close as my dad is with his brothers and sister.

15. I am a dreamer. I have all these ideas in my head. Sometimes my husband thinks I am crazy, but I was studying the Proverbs 31 woman and she was an entrepreneur. Now I can tell him that I have one of her traits. (I need to work on alot of her other traits).

16. I graduated from Florida State University and love the SEMINOLES!!

17. I grew up in a family of HUGE sports fans. My grandpa, dad and uncles have had season tickets to the Buccaneer games since they started. They are die hard and made it through some rough seasons.

18. My favorite piece of clothing Kate has is her Uggs. My sister-in-law bought them for her and they are so cute!

19. The only famous people I kind of knew were they Boleas.. aka..Hogans. I worked for Linda (Hulk Hogan's now ex wife). I also babysat a couple times for them. Yes.. for Brooke and Nick.. it was a long time ago (in college). No, I have not kept in touch with them. She fired two of my friends, but she was really good to me.

20. Three women I want to be more like (all for different reasons and they are each from different seasons in my life). Angie Hunt, Lea Marshall and my sister-in-law (Beth).

21. I have a little malti-poo named Toby. I love him, but my husband does not.

22. I have a Master's degree - this will be shocking to some of my friends.

23. I am memorizing the book of Philippians.. inspired by my husband.

24. I wish the kids in our youth group really loved each other and treated everyone kindly.

25. I have become "that parent", who thinks her daughter is the cutest kid ever to live on this earth.

They Give Swim Lessons to Eight Month Old Babies?

Justin and I heard that the Golf and Athletic Club we are members at offered swim lessons and they start at six months. I wanted to start her at six months, but when she was six months old I didn't think she was quite ready. I called a couple weeks ago to get some information about it. The lessons are eight weeks long and not very expensive, so I signed up.

I was a little worried because my husband can be known for being very particular about our budget and I was afraid he was going to think I was crazy for signing her up. He was actually excited and thought it was great. We were both wondering what is was like and what they would do with her.

We went to our first lesson on Saturday. Justin and I were both able to go. We had so much fun. If you are wondering what they do.. they mainly play games and sing these cute little songs that teach them how to do different things. (Of course, at her age, it was mainly us kicking her legs and doing the arm motions for her). Yes, we did have to put her under and it wasn't as bad as we thought. They told us to blow in her face right before we dunk her. It causes her to take a breath and hold it for a second so she won't inhale the water... it worked.

Kate seriously didn't make a peep the whole class. She had no expression at all. She wasn't happy or upset. The teacher asked us if she talked and made sounds at home, because she was so even keeled. We assured the teacher that she does talk to us (and cry). We just think she was a little overwhelmed and taking it all in. Here are a couple pictures of her at her first swim lesson. You see the expression (or lack of).. this is what she looked like the entire class.

Oh.. and for some of you that know it is 30 degrees here and just saw our snow pictures from last week.. they do the lessons at the INDOOR pool.

And yes, in the first picture, she is holding herself up on the side of the pool. We are going to Florida in March and just know she will be swimming by then... (Just Kidding).

I am off to my Monday cleaning routine... I know you are jealous :). Have a great day!

Why are women so sensitive about their age?

It was my 31st birthday on Wednesday and I have been contemplating a question.. Why are women so sensitive about their age? I got a call from a friend of mine and she told me... that past thirty... birthdays don't really matter.. it is all down hill from there. The sad thing is, I agreed with her.

So, I know we all (well, most of us) struggle with getting older (Thirties, Forties and Fifties seem young to me now, but I remember a time with I thought Thirty was so old).

I am seriously starting to worry about wrinkles. I have them around my eyes. I have talked about them so much, I have my husband worried about his wrinkles. I noticed the other day that he came home with two different creams.. one that L'Oreal makes for men and the generic version of Oil of Olay. He has been diligently applying the creams every evening. I am really starting to feel guilty for making such a big deal about my wrinkles. He is younger than me and he looks like he is about twenty.

I know this is quite vain, but I have found some beauty products that I can't live without. I am still in search of some others that I need. I thought I would share and I would love your feedback on what works for you - Especially the ones that I am in search of.

Hair Products:
Kerastase - Shampoo, Conditioner and products {Expensive, but life changing}
Chi -Pro- Hair Dryer {I got one for my birthday, I don't dread blow drying my hair anymore}

Make Up:
Bare Minerals - I think it does make my skin better. {I use their foundation, mineral veil, blush and concealer}
Mac - Eye Shadow, Lip Gloss and Make Up brushes {I have had my brushes for about 10 years.. they are the best and worth the investment}
Bobbi Brown - Eye Shadow
Lancome - Eye Liner Pencil

I am DESPERATELY in search of:
A life changing Eye Cream and Face Cream. I have tried so many, and none of them have been that great.

So, I am sorry for the vain and non-eternal significance of this post... Getting older has been hard for me and although I can't stop the clock...hopefully with the help of these products... they will help me with the aging process.

Is Kate a Daddy's Girl or What?

We took this video the other day. I seriously can't get her to say mama. She was cracking us up.
{Please excuse the mess in the back.. I am so embarrassed.. we were cleaning out a closet}

Click anywhere on the picture to start the video.

Enjoy!

Do you think Kate loves the snow as much as me?

Ok, so I know I am probably a horrible mom, but I really wanted to take Kate out in the snow. The only appropriate outfit I had was a 3-6 month size. (She is 8.5 months old and wearing 9 mo outfits.) So what did I do? Of course, I shoved her in it... we were only out there for a couple of minutes.
I really wanted to build a snow man with her and Justin wanted to take her sledding... I think that will have to wait until next year.

Do you think she loved the snow as much as me? By the looks of these photos... No.

Do you love snow?

I am from Florida, so snow is always a special treat. It has been snowing in NC since last night. It is beautiful. I just love it.

My sweet husband took some pictures for me to post when he took Toby out. These pictures are around our house... and yes, we forgot to put the cover on our grill. We are hoping to take Kate out for a minute and get some more pictures to post. Enjoy!

What is discipline?

It is only two weeks into the new year and I greatly struggled today with my new year resolution- staying on my schedule (routine, housework, etc) and living a more disciplined life. I just felt like doing nothing. Do you have days like that?

Inspired my friend Lea (who is always using new words from the dictionary - of course hers are much more intellectual and ones I have never heard of). I looked up the actual definition of discipline (hoping it would get me motivated).... It worked.

"Discipline: activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training"; "to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control".

I love this definition, I didn't realize I would glean so much..
"state of order" - something all our homes and lives need to be in.
"Obedience by training and control" - how we must live out our spiritual lives.
"Activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill:training" - this is what we have to do to keep our homes and lives in a "state of order" and to live "obedient" to God and his Word.
1 Cor 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified. {This is where I want to be}

What was I thinking?

I just back from going to Market in Atlanta and visiting my mom. I don't know what I was thinking doing a road trip by myself with my 8 month old baby. It was painful on the way there. The six hour drive turned into an 8.5 hour drive. I was so dreading the drive home, but my little angel did great. We only had to stop once and she slept 4 of the 6 hours.
My mom kept her for the first time and loved it. Kate was perfect for her grandma.
I can't believe how big she is getting. She is jabbering up a storm and scooting all around. Justin said that she looked like she had grown in the few days we have been gone.
Things have been so crazy for us lately with all the traveling. I am looking forward to staying put until our vacation in March....
Now I am off to get our home in tip top shape. My sister in law is coming in a couple weeks and I have the urge to redo my entire house.

Do you want to know what I got for Christmas?

For all two of you who actually read my blog... I am sure you were waiting in suspense to hear what Justin got me for Christmas. I do want to preface these next few sentences, telling you that I really have an amazing husband no matter what type of gifts he gives me.

This Christmas Justin went with a theme. Was it a jewelry theme? Was it a pampering theme? No, it was an "As Seen on TV" theme this Christmas. The first gift I opened was a Ped-Egg. (I did want this). The second gift was "As seen on TV" miracle foot cream. (At this point, I was really getting the hint from Justin... that my feet need work.) The third gift I opened was Aqua Globes. I was like, seriously, Aqua Globes. Who buys those? That is when it really got funny to me. I think that was his way to help me keep my plants alive.. something I greatly struggle with. It all still makes me laugh, especially when I asked him what was going through his mind when he bought those for me. He told me that he almost put the Aqua Globes back because he had spent too much money on the Ped-Egg ($10) and Foot Cream ($10). But he decided to "splurge" and get them for me .

I will say that the "As Seen on TV" gifts are not the worst gifts I have ever been given. My boyfriend in High School wrote me a check.
Boys take note.. unless the check is for a $1,000 so she can go on a shopping spree, at least get her a gift card.

Justin also got a funny gift this Christmas. His mom got him these praying hands book ends. They are kind of creepy.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We really had great one and loved our first Christmas with our little girl.

If you want to post a comment, let me know what you got (unless it is nothing). I was telling a friend of mine about the Aqua Globes and I made the mistake of asking her what her husband got her. She told me that he got her nothing. He really got her nothing. I felt so bad... my Aqua Globe gift looked pretty good at that moment.

What was the worst gift you ever got?

Can I sum up the past 7 weeks in one paragraph?

Ok, so my resolution to become more disciplined is working. I have to prioritize and I am sorry to say the blogging is not at the top of my priorities. So I thought I would catch everyone up in one blog.

Thanksgiving -(in Florida) it was great. My family (on my dad's side) had some minor drama which resulted in us have two Thanksgivings. Although there was one aunt missing at each of the two Thanksgiving dinners, everyone ended up having a great time. I obviously have left out a lot of details about the drama... I thought I would spare you and share a picture of all us on Kate's first Thanksgiving. I do want to add... that I really miss Florida. The weather was perfect when we were there!! We have already planned another trip for March and I can't wait!

Justin's Birthday - Dec. 11th. He turned 29. I am terrible at birthday parties and usually just end up making him his favorite dinner at home. I always get him his favorite cake. This year (on the day of his birthday) I decided to call some of his friends to meet for lunch and surprise him. We went to La Cocina (his favorite Mexican restaurant).

Christmas - (in Missouri) I love Christmas! It really is my favorite time of year. I will leave my next post to tell you about the gifts Justin got me. Last night I asked him what was going through his head when bought me the gifts and I was laughing so hard I was crying. In this post, I will focus on our little girl. Christmas is so much fun with little ones. I can't wait for the years to come. She loved opening presents and playing with her cousins. She acted perfect and stayed perfectly on her schedule (until we got home). Justin's parents and sister spoiled her rotten.

New Years - (Lynchburg, VA) We took the youth to Liberty University for Winterfest and we took them skiing for a day at Wintergreen. It was so much fun and brought back so many memories. It also reminded me of how old I am getting. I love skiing... but I skied so SLOW. I was like a grandma coming down those slopes. Justin even said to me, "I don't remember you being that slow." I got a little faster, but seriously I am getting old!

Where have you been?

Ok, so I know it has been way to long since my last post. A lot has happened since then. Justin's grandfather passed away and the holidays happened. The past 6 weeks have flown by.

So - have you made any resolutions? My new years resolution is to be more disciplined in my life. I have three distinct areas I need some major help in. 1) My spiritual walk... I want to be disciplined to spend time DAILY in God's Word and in Prayer. 2) I need to be disciplined in my housekeeping (I am back on the Fly Lady schedule) 3) Discipline in my eating and working out (This is self explanatory).

During the next week, I am going to bring you up to date on how our holidays went, how our baby enjoyed her first Christmas and how I am doing on my resolutions (something I will need your help with). I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I am excited about getting back into the swing of things.

My life verse and prayer for 2009: Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."