It's a Swap Meet!

Ever since The Nester blogged about her really cool swap meet with friends and fellow bloggers I have been longing to join the ranks! September, October, and November, were a blurr of wedding fun for my family and I, as my best friend from college and then my sweet cousin who is like a sister both got married! (I find my self wanting to go on and on about both these events, since I never blogged about them, but I digress)

SO-----Now the holidays are over, and it is time to un-decorate, and begin to make your home sing once again!
As you do that, what better time to weed out what you are sick of looking at!

The current plan is to hold a swap meet the middle-end of January. I was originally thinking of holding it in my home, but the location could change to our church, if we have a good response!

What's Old is New Again

A Swap and Shop Meet

Bring things you are tired of looking at in your home and find something new and exciting from someone else!

What you need to do to participate:

1. Email me @ dawnman139@aol.com or leave a comment on this post to "register".
I need to keep track of who is coming! I need your email address too :)

2. Choose 5 things from your home that you are "over".
Example-a lamp you can't use anymore, a bolt of fabric from a redo, curtains, nick-nacks,
small-medium furniture items, picture frames, mirrors, bases, pillows, plates, I
could go on and on!!!

3. Choose a yummy finger food to bring and share.

4. Feel free to invite friends, but they will need to email/comment so that I can have them on the list!!! THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT!!

What you need to know:

1. I will give between 1-2 weeks for people to register before choosing a date/location.
2. Invitations will be emailed with an RSVP to get a final count
3. You will leave the swapmeet with the number of things you bring-only different and better things that are new to you!
4. Further instructions and details will be emailed once plans are finalized!

Click HERE for another great giveaway from MckMama

Give Away

Click HERE to check out an amazing give-away for a really awesome computer from MckMama-and BlogHer!!! Love It!

This side of the miracle……

In talking to a dear friend this week she shared something with me her husband had said, as they too struggle to get pregnant and it really got my mind rolling. So I did something I’ve missed, something I haven’t done in way too long-I just sat down at my computer and wrote and wrote.

Maybe the miracle already happened; maybe this was the miracle….

Excited, elated, scared, nervous-the emotions at the time we found that we were expecting ran the gamete! I stopped taking birth control and we were waiting for my body to start a new cycle and it never happened. I kept track of the days and finally on day 58, before beginning a new medicine for IBS, I took a pregnancy test. Russell was at a track meet out of town. As I was peeing on the stick, the phone was ringing-I swear my mom has a 6th sense!!!! The line came up on the stick as soon as the pee hit-I did another one, same thing. My mom said, and I quote “We can’t get excited yet, you have to go to the doctor”. My doc later told me that there is more likely hood of a false negative than a false positive.

And that was that. I ate, and ate, and ate. Got toxemia, put on bed rest, then admitted to the hospital. We prayed for my health, for Isaac’s health, they induced, it didn’t work-then rushed a c-section after a day of labor. He was a miracle in so many ways-

Isaac was sick a gillion times, but we still wanted to grow as a family so we begin trying again.

I knew Isaac was a miracle for many reasons, I viewed him as a gift, but never till now considered that the true miracle might have been in his conception.

Getting pregnant is a miracle, an amazing gift from God. But sometimes it’s an even bigger miracle, it was never suppose to happen in the first place for some people-according to conventional doctors and, yet it happens anyway.

We didn’t struggle to conceive Isaac-never even really had to try-and now on the other side of it all, and 5 years since his birth-I see that that was the miracle-the lack of struggle, the ease, it just was. It wasn’t debated, discussed, picked apart, or timed to the minute-it just was.

And now we live in a world of wondering if my poor ovaries will ever make eggs, and what we can do to them to make them work. And I live in a body that is bucking nature-not ovulating, not producing the right hormones-a body that is in turmoil, with no easy fix-that is rearing its ugly head in soo many ways on the outside and don’t forget the muffin top I not so proudly sport these days.

And in the wake of this infertility battle are dozens of negative pregnancy tests, hormone pills, hormone creams, fertility drugs, bad moods, disappointed attempts, and sad outlooks.
If only we would just look back and see the miracle we already have right here with us.

Struggling with secondary infertility will never be something that I completely come to terms with. I certainly have my moments that I handle it better than others. I long for contentment with our situation-for it to be or not to be and then just be OVER with it ALL!! And so some days I block it out, and I can bump right on along-and then the inevitable happens: someone asks the dreaded “When are you going to have another child” question or better yet, my body begins to play tricks on my and I begin to wonder “could I be pregnant, what If I am this time” and so I take a pregnancy test and am disappointed once again.

I know how blessed I am to have had a child at all, to not have had a struggle, for us both to lived through the awful pregnancy, and to still have him to watch him grow and love one him. I need to look at it like the miracle it really is-

There is a miracle right in front of us and we are so dead set on the miracle we are praying for that we miss the one we have already received.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Happy Birthday Isaac!

Dear Isaac,

I can't believe that you are 5!! My how the time has flown, but what fun we have had!

You are:

-Loving school

-Learning to read

-Speaking in the Christmas play @ Church

-Making new friends

-Going to sleep by yourself.

-Sleeping in your own bed!

-Becoming more and more a Daddy's boy!

-Learning to ride your bike with no training wheels!

-Playing well by yourself

-Using your imagination all the time!

Happy Birthday!

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

In a world that is constantly changing in the blink of an eye, what does one do to maintain that calm cool outlook on life that once was so easy to attain? In David Jeremiah’s Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, the chaos of the world is examined as David gives the readers biblical, sound advice and guidance, on living in the chaos we are now surrounded by.
It’s fairly easy to see and know that chaos is everywhere these days. All it takes is a flip of the channels on TV, or to pick up a newspaper, or even scan the internet. Wars are raged daily, marriages are failing, people are losing their lives, homes, and everything they have known. And sometimes it seems it would be easier to be an ostrich and stick our heads in the sand, however that is not our call from God. Jeremiah breaks down these instructions and their biblical base in a long list of things we should do to live with confidence. It’s all about staying calm; compassionate. . .the list goes on. I finished this book feeling empowered and uplifted. It was a great reminder of God’s will for our lives and His instructions for us during these challenging and chaotic times. Whether you are searching for answers or struggling with your own chaos like me, this is a great read at any point in your life.

Called To Worship

Vernon Whaley’s Called to Worship should be studied and used by anyone considering the current state of their worship. This book was a refreshing call back to the scriptures, taking the reader from beginning to end and reliving worship in its different forms. I was prepared, upon first glance, for a textbook reading and I was not looking forward to it-but I was very wrong. This book was an easy flowing read, which kept me questioning, thinking, and pondering everything I do regarding worship. I was drawn in immediately by Whaley’s dissection of what we call worship. Whaley’s references and biblical examples seek to remind us that worship isn’t merely a place or a time, or even a certain chain of events. Worship isn’t hymns or praise medleys.

In so many hearts today worship has turned more to a thing-an event, something we do, often half-heartedly and with the wrong attitude. We expect to go someplace and have our needs be met and when we don’t like it, we expect it to be changed-because that’s what we want. This book shares valuable insight, to worship at the beginning and the many forms it has taken biblically. We have to come back to worship and make it God centered-just as it is from Genesis to Revelations. Whaley takes worship and its biblical foundation and reminds us that we have to do more than go or be.

And the Winner is . . .

Autumn Christopher

Autumn-just get in touch with me and we'll figure out the best way to get you your prize!

Thanks to all who participated :)

Once A Month Cooking

Today I jumped feet first into bulk cooking, or monthly cooking. Often I will make large batches and divide things up to freeze, but I've never done it in this quantity even though I've thought about it. Lana did this a few weeks ago and filled her freezer and I was inspired. So I set off. My comfort zone was bulk spaghetti sauce divided to use for different recipes, so I began there with my list and then moved on. I brainstormed with things I know and love, things friends have fixed, and a few things I had found on recipe blogs. I am pretty excited to have a full freezer, but Idon't want to eat it-I just want to look at it-and cook more so I don't run out :)

I spent $98.60, but subtract $12.60 for things that didn't involve what I cooked-so that makes it $86.00. I built my meals around chicken with bone in for $.99 a lb and the ground beef I bought was not the lowest fat, but the better meat, and was $1.99 a lb. The meals divide out to $4.30 per meal-I even purchased noodles, tortilla shells, etc. I will need to add a vegetable, fruit, salad, etc. but the biggie for me is not having to decide what to fix for a main course, or go spend a zillion dollars at the store to fix it. And I have a freezer full of veggies like squash, zuchinni, green beans, and corn, that were Russell's grandparents are always so gracious to share with us. I have decided that I will go get a few packs of chicken while it is still on sale and have some in the freezer for if I decide to cook "fresh" or have company-both of which happen occassionally. I also want to get some cheese-I don't usually buy pre-grated, but got it for $1.39 today :)

Beef round 1:
-Beef strogonaf
-Taco Casserole
-Tacos
-Shepherds Pie
-Sloppy Joes
-Taco Soup (x2)

Beef round 2:
-Spaghetti
-Baked Spaghetti
-Calzones
-Baked Ziti
-Lasagna

Chicken:
-Chicken and Dressing Casserole
-Chicken and Wild Rice w/ veggies
-Chicken and Broccoli
-King Ranch Chicken
-Chicken Tetrazini
-Angel Chicken
-Italian Chicken (think chicken spaghetti)
-Chicken and rice

200th Post and a Give Away

It's my 200th post!

Woot-Woot!!!!

And so in honor of it you have a chance to win this basket full of cool stuff :)

Ways to enter:

1. Comment with where you are from (I'm curious who's reading)

2. Comment with how you found my blog (again, curious!)

3. Post on your blog about the give away and link back with McLinky

Bonus: If you are a lurker and have never commented b/f-you get 2 extra entries if you comment!

Do you know. . . ??

How rude people that get PAID to help can be???? In the current economy one would think the objective would be to do everything within one's power to maintain and keep said job-but after my experiences today I would think NOT. In an attempt to get as much done b/f school starts, my assistant and I began donating our time to the great state of SC today. We got furniture in place in the classroom and headed out to purchase our long list of needed items. Store 1-Sam's-no issues-in and out-no big deal. Store-2-walmart-sometimes I wonder why I even go!!!! I wanted to look @ slipcovers, but we @ the Walmart in Spartanburg and I could find NOTHING. attempt 1-So I saw a lady working in the household dept-

me: "Mam, we can't seem to find the slipcovers, can you help us"

walmart employee: "Nope, don't know where they are" as she turns and walks away

me (to her back): "Well, thanks so much for your help"

attempt 2-I find a younger lady, same dept-

me: Can you tell me where I could find the slipcovers?

walmart employee: They are right by the clocks

me: the clocks???

walmart employee: Yes, mam-right beside the alarm clocks.

me: Ok-thanks????

In my head I was saying"If I had known where the clocks were-I would have seen the slipcovers and we would not be having this conversation!!" But I kept my mouth closed and moved on.

I never found more than 1 or 2 and it wasn't what I was looking for and at that point I was so done with the entire thing it wouldn't have mattered anyway!!! I wanted a bright futon cover for my futon at school and a slipcover for the loveseat, think I'll try Big Lots-saw a few neat ones there a while back-and I know right where to look, all by myself :)

Discovery Island Waterpark

We had a great time with our Mommy Group @ the Discovery Island Waterpark!!! It is a lot of fun and has great stuff for kids of all ages. Isaac has started doing so well in the water-I see him do better everytime he gets in :)

Lake Lure, NC

We had a fun family day with the O'shields family last Sunday. We met and went to Lake Lure, NC and enjoyed the beach and water fun there! The bottom of the lake was sandy-a must for me-can't do icky poofy mud. There were sprinklers and water fun for the kids, water slides, and several other fun things to do-can't wait to go again soon!

Trying out a post via my cellphone! what a fun option that i have been missing out on!!

A visit to the Carl Sandburg Home

First off let me start by saying-the Girl Scout motto always be prepared should still be followed when planning activities with Lana, b/c you never know where you might end up. Having been to the Carl Sandburg home before I knew that you didn't really have to "hike" so I didn't do an all out search and rescue for my tennis shoes when I couldn't find them. Instead I wore my oh so cute and comfy wedge crocs-Lana wears wedges and high shoes everywhere we go, so I knew I would be fine. Well, Lana wore tennis shoes!!! And the main entrance/path was closed-so we hiked to the top of the MOUNTAIN with all our babes and one in a stroller!!! But I survived, without any really damage. You see I am super clutzy and me and the mountain paths disagree anyway-so when you add those shoes to it-it could have been BAAAAD!! Anyway-it was fun-the kids were great-and of course the goats were tooo :)

Come on in ya'll. . .

If you are like me, it seems that some room in the house always gets neglected. Often its more than one room-just depends on how life is going. At our house it tends to be the back of the house, because I have gotten to the point that I can run around and get the entire house clean and just dump everything somewhere and close the doors. So this week I worked on our guest room, which led me to work on the entire house-but I digress. I moved things around, added window treatments and tried a few different things in different spots. See what you think!! View from the door

Love these boxes-a steal at Burkes while back!

This is one of the few rooms we haven't replaced windows in-so ignore the yucky metal ones!! I repurposed this desk I've had since I was a teenager-thinking of painting it-and paired it with this chair. Got the vase @ an auction and moved it from someplace else.

Window mistreaments a la the nester-just got fabric and upholstery tacks!

I have a rocker/chair "thing"-I love them. This is the rocker Russell and his brother were rocked in-and that is one of my favorite quilts :)

I refinished this bed all by myself about 3 years ago-It was black/brown and gross! Mom picked it up at an auction for me for a great deal and look how it turned out!!!

@ the foot of the bed-thought this looked cute-but need to work on cute stuff to put on it!
Gotta love some antique linens. Most of what I have are either my family or Russells and I love that.
Improvising in a pinch-think I'm going to switch the fabric for a quilt-See the lamp-cobalt blue glass my fave!!! It is a handblown lamp from FENTON. It was a family run company in the US for about 100 years b/f they sold it and moved the factory to Japan a few years ago. I have a thing for colored glass to-old, fenton, new, etc. This is one of four Fenton lamps I have, need I remind you that most were gifts-my mom is a FENTON dealer :) How convenient!!
And guess what-this is the dresser that I refinished 4 years ago and never replaced the mirror-stay tuned-working on that project tomorrow!!! See that lamp-it's fenton as well, but very special b/c they made 500 of them and broke the mold-they are all handpainted, numbered, and signed-it was a college graduation gift from my Mom.

Doesn't that make you want to come curl up in the bed here? Come on, we love guests, and the house is clean-hurry quick-because it usually doesn't last long!!

Chances are . . . .

-The entire house may not get clean today.
-If you see Isaac he may or may not be fully dressed.
-Somewhere our cat is hiding in wait to begin being chased by Isaac again
-Some projects may never get finished.
-I may never be ready for summer to end
-I won't put on shoes today-don't tell The Fly Lady!!!
-My firefighter will come home for lunch-and expect food
-I will waste way too much time on the computer today
-if you here sighs, its because all I'm doing is shifting piles-it gets old
-my whole house may never be clean at once
-if Isaac gets quiet its because he is on a kitten search

Check out other Chances are... posts here

Give Away

Check out an Island Life for a really cool SureFit futon cover give-away :)

Give it a shot

Playing around with signatures-it may be a while before I pick one to stick with, but it is fun to play!

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for Tamara and Jay Jones, their daughters Meredith and Emily, and 30 or more dogs that they raise.Tuesday while they were out of town delivering a dog there house caught on fire. They basically lost everything. As they search for answers, and strive to keep their faith during this tragedy, please lift them up in prayer. Tamara and Jay live in Green Creek, the fire department there worked very hard to help save what they could and find the puppies that were inside.

IKEA

I have lurked around on IKEA's website for years. I've never bought anything, just dreamed. A lot of the items they show in their online catalog are only available in the store and the closest IKEA had been in ATLANTA. I've been begging my DH to take me to Charlotte for some time now and he felt so inclined to do so yesterday for our Anniversary. I mean what better way to celebrate 7 years together then to have him trudge around behind me all day while I salivated over all the cool stuff???

I have to say, if you haven't gone-go. But go with a list of things you could use and a budget-otherwise it could be overwhelming and harmful to your bank account!!! IKEA is like the Disney company has taken over Peir 1, put it on steriods, and added their Disney touch to-it's a playland for grown ups who love to shop, decorate, and find good deals. We were greated at the door, given a map and instructions and got on our way. There are 3 sections-a showroom of sorts where room after room is setup using all the products. Everything is labeled and tagged. You keep track of what you want using the list, pencil, and measuring tape they provide you. After you finish upstairs you can stop in the restaurant and eat, visit the family room and feed the babies, go check on the little one's that you dropped off in the really cool playroom, or head down stairs! Downstairs you will go through household departments one by one. Here you can find things on your list and extras. I got a fun vase for 79 cents and a set of wooden spoons for 59 cents, while Russell got some new knifes. AFter you venture through kitchen, linens, bathroom, frames and pictures, candles, decorations, etc. you end up in the warehouse. Here you use your list of furniture pieces that is labeled with locations to pull your boxes. As you exit the warehouse you conveniently stop by the As IS section, and check out the good deals before using the self-check out and heading on your way! I got things for 59 Cents, cool things. You could truly decorate, furnish, redecorate, or remodel your entire house at this store-thus the overwhelming!! I didn't buy much, b/c I didn't want to buy too haphazardly and wanted to wait and have more of a plan. I bought several small things for myself and a few fun things for my classroom. The children's section was amazing!!!

So if you've never been, or maybe never even heard of IKEA, you must check out their website and plan a trip!!!

T-shirts

Isaac and I enjoyed some special time together on July 4th! We had a fun day doing a lot of different things-one was tie-dying t-shirts!! Isaac had a blast helping me fold them and squirting the dye on in different patterns. He ended up making 3 different ones and then one for me and Russell. I was a little worried about the messiness of this activity, but it wasn't bad at all! We let the shirts soak overnight, washed them in one load in the washer the next day and wore them on vacation :)-Sorry no pictures of me in my shirt b/c I'm always taking them!!!

This picture is bad, but just wanted to show off the boys shirts! Isaac's in this pic is the bullseye fold and Russell's is the spiral