An Exhausted Mother's Prayer

After a couple days of little sleep because of a baby with a cold...here I am. Can you relate?

To hope in You is all I have. Lord I am tired, short tempered and exhausted. Lord, I love being a mom but some days it feels so heavy, like I am never going to make it through. Then there is You and this Holy Experience called life. This job, as a mother, needs to be drilling out of me the all revealing selfishness I see so often. So much it's sickening. To be a mom, to be a follower of You, is to lay down my life moment after moment. To follow You, to feed Your sheep. That means Caroline.
Am I exhausted...yes. But, I can pull from Your strength. You promise in Isaiah 40 that You are everlasting. You will never grow tired or weary. And You tell me that if I simply HOPE in You- I will be strong again. You will give strength to the weak and rest to the weary. You will make me mount up on eagle's wings.
So Lord by faith, I hope in You. I hope you will refuel me. I hope you will strengthen me to be a better mom for Caroline. I hope you will calm me. You promise these things if I simply hope in You. So today I do just that... and I will rest in Your arms.

It's Quiet Here

There are times in my day, where it is quiet. Not often... but every day I have moments where the sweetness is sleeping and I am left to a quiet house. Normally I would clean or do something but today, with the rain falling outside, I just sit here and enjoy the silence.

We are a week away from Thanksgiving. (My second favorite holiday of the year) I have been reading peoples post on Facebook about what they are "thankful for". All sweet things like family, homes, health, happiness and etc. etc. I love hearing people's innermost thoughts on Facebook, some people don't, but I do. And I have enjoyed the "thankful for's" but after reading this, I am silently processing if I really am all the thankful myself.

It's easy to be thankful when things are going good and your not stressed out. But this past year, learning how to become a mom, has been somehow a painful process for me. From the lack of sleep, crying fits, sacrificing most me time, the change in our marriage, separation anxiety and now the disciplining I have constantly been on my knees before the Lord asking for help. But very rarely, if ever, did I just go before Him to say "thank you". Of course I have been thankful for my little girl...I mean she really is the best thing that has ever happened to me outside of my salvation and my husband.  But I haven't really truly been thankful, to the fullest extent. Because isn't to be truly thankful you need to be thankful for all things? I believe that the answer is yes and thought provoking all the time. Because this powerful lesson has to press you further into the goodness of God in everything. Even the painful things.

As I think about it now...these are some of the things I am thankful for.

A BIG mess to clean up.

 Toys all over the floor all the time.

 Leaky sippy cups.

A mischevious chocolate faced little girl.



These aren't terrible things, but they are things that I have let get the best of me sometimes. My house is messy. Clothes needed to be folded and put away. I need to go grocery shopping. Dishes need to be done.
Life is messy, but God is faithful. I choose today to accept His grace and be thankful.

Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."

As we enter this first bit of Holiday season, let the power of who God is wash over you. Choose to be thankful in the things that don't make sense. In the everyday things that we let stress us out. In the marriages that seem to be falling apart before our eyes. In the family situations that prove difficult day after day. In your sleepless nights. In the unanswered prayers... be thankful because He is God and He never stops working. EVER!

Utterly Thankful for Him,
Lindsey

I love blueberries!

Just a fun post today...a video of my sweet one enjoying some sweets of her own~ Blueberries!

Laughing all the time with her,

Lindsey



Losing the Baby Weight

OK...so we are a year post-baby and unfortunately my body still reflects much of my pre-baby weight. I am not really sure if it will ever look the same again, but I think its about time I try. When Caroline was about 6 months old, I started going to a gym here in town and was doing pretty good about working out regularly. Unfortunately, the child care did not live up to par when I walked into the room and a strange woman who was not a childcare worker was holding C. I guess you can only imagine how I reacted, never to return to that gym again.

So in the ever quest to lose this baby fat, I have heard a lot of women talk about how great the Jillian Michael's DVDs were...especially the 30 day shred. I decided it was worth a try.


I purchased mine off Amazon (click the picture to take you there) for real cheap. After looking at the video, I like it's format. If you are like me, you never really know how long baby will nap for. In the case of this video, there are 3 workouts all 20 minutes each. 20 minutes... anyone can do 20 minutes right? I am not going to lie... after the first workout my arms feel a little like Jello :) but I did it.

So you are asking what's the point. Well the point is I need accountability. So I am sharing with you over the next 30 days what the results are. I will do Jillian every day in the month of November. I am going to gear my calorie intake somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. I will share my weekly meal plan with you and at the end of the 30 days let you know the results.

If there is anyone out there who would like to take this challenge with me...let me know. I am hoping for some good results as I am tired of this inner tube around my waist! HA!

Hopeful,
Lindsey

Daily Affirmations

I am not sure where this post will go, because I have so much on my heart. In the past couple weeks I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with the Jesus. Not for any other reason other than I desperately need Him. And time after time He has shown up...comforting me in ways I had not expected.

One way He has done that is through a daily devotional blog called "A Holy Experience".

 It is simply beautiful and it is causing me to remember to be thankful in ALL things. I need nothing more on this earth more than I need Him.

I don't know about you, but I can tend to be more negative than positive sometimes. I am choosing today to be positive.
I love being a mom.
I love being a wife.
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I believe God for BIG things.
I choose His way and His way is AWESOME!
I have plenty.
I am blessed beyond words.
Today is going to be a great day!
I am beautiful to the people that matter.
I have purpose.
I have a plan.
I am smart.
I can do anything I put my mind to do.
I am a good mom and I know what to do because God equipped me for this job.
I am patient.
I am kind.
I am lovable.
I am a daughter of the King and because of that I am an heir to righteousness.

What are yours today? Share them below.
I leave you with this little girl... I want to raise Caroline to do this!

Happy Monday (and Halloween)
Lindsey

Halloween Costumes DIY

So with all the Halloweeness going on around us, I have yet to decide what we are going to be for Halloween. I have made C's costume and now I have to get Chris's and I's going ASAP!

So I have been looking around the web, and although I haven't decided on anything yet,  here are some of the best one's I have seen. They come from another blog called Sweeter than Sweets! Check out the full post here

Here are some of my favorites though:)


Real life Comic Girl

If only I was pregnant :)


Army man

BLT


Anyways...if you find any other good costumes, let me know where... I got to get on the ball!

Lindsey

Pinterest!

Totally obsessed doesn't even begin to describe my addiction to Pinterest...if you don't know what I am talking about, stop what you are doing and run now to Pinterest!

Anyways... you will find a great many things on there, but the thing I am most obsessed with is the recipes I have found! I am not joking... some of the best dinners I have made have come from Pinterest. Some of the newest blogs that I have begun following have come from Pinterest... I LOVE Pinterest!

Anyways...I just wanted to tell you. Short and Sweet so that you can spend the rest of your free time on PINTEREST!

Happy Pinning!

Lindsey

A Heavy Heart but Holy Experience

This morning I come with a heavy heart. I am lonely again. I know that God made me for relationship, I thrive on interaction with others, yet my daily interaction is with a one year old. Alone, in this house...day after day.
Sure we go out. We go to the mall playground. The playground at the end of our road. And of course, because we are girls...we go shopping. I have a weekly play date with other moms, but unfortunately it's not enough.
It's for this reason that I have entertained the idea of going back to work. So yesterday I pondered what it is that I could do to fill this longingness inside of me. But to no avail, I can find nothing I would love more to do than to be with my little girl. So I have a conundrum. How do I do this stay at home mom thing and not be lonely?

Thus a devotional I read this morning...if you have 3 minutes please read this amazing woman's words.

This woman wrote a book called A Thousand Gifts, which chronicles the daily gifts God gives us in the ordinary realm to show us His Unfailing Love. I don't know if you know that...but His love is UNFAILING!

I learned this morning that when we cry out to Him in our distress, He delivers us from it. It doesn't say when He is ready to deliver us He will. It just says He delivers us. The point is we have to constantly be in a place where when we are lonely, sad, hurting, frustrated or anything that seeks to devour us...we cry out to HIM. WE go to Him first and He in His UNFAILING LOVE delivers us. IMMEDIATELY! That's what His words do... they heal, they bind up our wounds, they give us courage and strength to hang on, they give us direction and insight...they give us HOPE!

Oh how I love Him. How I am reminded that He IS the only thing that satisfies. I can be lonely for a second until I realize that I always have Him with me. Do I need others, YES! He made me this way and I believe that the enemy would love nothing more than me to just sit around my house and mope. BUT, I will not. There is too much to do and many other woman like me... I just need to find them :)

Today I trust Him and His deliverance from this loneliness. I believe He will send me to others who are just like me. "Anything is possible for those who believe." Mark 9:23

Giving Thanks,
lindsey

Some Things I Have Learned from My 1 Year Old

This is a whole different season for Miss C. Things have immensely changed since she turned a year. And thus we have been so much more busy because of this fact. I am surely chasing her around the house or trying to keep her out of things. But as I laid in bed last night and reflected on this new stage, it occurred to me, there is a lot to be learned from my little girl. So here are some things I came up with...

1) A Smile Makes Someone's Day: I can be having a rough day, and she will look at me and smile. It's in that split second that things change one degree to the right. I often walk through life with some what of a sour puss face. I am not sure if I even mean too... which is even worse. I can be walking through Wal-Mart or a store and someone will glance my direction and smile. It immediately reminds me to smile. You never know when someone else needs that smile to change their mood or uplift their spirit. So Caroline reminds me daily to share a smile with others. It could mean the world to someone.

2) Dance like everyone's watching: Caroline LOVES to dance. Chris and I LOVE to watch her. I believe that dancing is a outward appearance of joy. When you feel good and happy, coupled with some music, dancing happens. Yet so often we hide these things to ourselves. When people come around, Caroline is real good about not being shy and just dancing anyways. I want to learn to do that. I want to share my joy and happiness with others, not shrink away from it.

3) Make a Mess and Enjoy every bite: Caroline loves to feed herself and now that we are introducing her to the spoon...the mess has grown. I promise you, that child can fling food farther than you can imagine. Somehow though she still manages to scarf down some too. She loves to eat, and try new things. She will let you know if she doesn't like something, but for the most part she tries it and enjoys the process. She also likes to share with you what she's eating...it's so cute when she takes a bite and then looks at you and extends her hand to feed you the next bite. Believing with all her heart that you will like it to.

 I want to make a mess in this life and enjoy it as I go along. I want to try something new and share my experience with others. I want to enjoy the things in life that we take for granted. A hot meal and a roof over my head. I also don't want to worry about cleaning everything up so my life looks perfect. I want people to see me going for it in life and maybe be inspired to do the same....mess or not.

4) Don't take life so seriously: If there is one thing a 1 year old will teach you it's this. Most of the things I spent time telling her no about were driving me more crazy then her. She wanted to open up cabinets and drawers because she can and because they are her height. So instead of fighting her on it, I have readjusted and given Caroline some drawers and cabinets of her own. Ones that have Tupperware in them, or towels that she can pull out. I can clean those things up after she is done, and she can have fun while she is doing it. It's a win win, because I don't have to worry about what she is going to find in them and she can feel like she is exploring new things. Life is about learning, and if I just walked around trying to help her avoid everything than we both end up frustrated in the end. Life doesn't have to be so black and white...sometimes the best color is a simple shad of grey.

5) It's OK to just cry sometimes. There isn't always a rhyme or reason to her crying spells but sometimes there is. Sometimes she has gotten hurt or a friend is leaving their playtime. Sometimes things that she wanted didn't end up proving to be the wisest choice. Either way, crying is the only way to deal with the pain, hurt or frustration. Often we have been taught in this life to suck it up and move on, when really whatever the hurt is, it deserves some attention. Sometimes it deserves a good cry. It doesn't have to be justified it just deserves some respect. So I am learning to just go ahead and cry... you will feel better once you get it out.

6) Hold onto your loved ones. Caroline likes to be held. I am not going to lie, there is something absolutely precious about her walking up to me, arms raised in the air, reaching for me to hold her. It use to frustrate me a little because I was either in the middle of something, or she was always wanting me to hold her. But now, I am seeing it differently. One day this stage will pass and I won't turn the corner to see her, arms raised wanting me to pick her up. One day I won't be able to rock her to sleep. So for now...I am going to hold onto her. Squeeze her. Hug her. As often as she wants me too (if feasible) I am going to try and do it. This life is short and we have precious people in our lives. Why we don't show them or tell them more often is a shame. Start today...hold onto the loved ones in your life.

7) There is just something about our daddy. Watching C with her dad reminds me that I have a heavenly Father that feels that same way about me. There is just something about Him that I love. Actually alot of things about Him. Sometimes in this life, He is the only one that will do.

8) Kiss.... A Lot! C Loves to kiss. Each morning she will give me, her dad and our dog (which she calls Bubba) a kiss. And through out the day you can guarantee she will give many more out. There is nothing sweeter, or more precious than her kisses. But it also reminds me that I have a sweet husband that could use a few more kisses from me through out our day. It's a great way to show someone how much you love them...so kiss away and kiss alot!

9) Separation anxiety is a good thing: This one was a hard one for me to admit, but I thought about it and I realized that Caroline needs me. In her head I am the one who  soothes her, feeds her, clothes her, comforts her, adores her and is constantly there for her. When I am getting ready to leave her it freaks her out because if I am gone, who will take care of her?
I thought about it, and that's how I should be with the Lord. I should be so attached to Him that the very thought of not being around Him should shake me to my core. He is all those things above to me and even more... the reason I breathe everyday. If anyone should have separation anxiety about anyone, it should be me over Him. Expect for the fact, He never goes away. But sometimes I drift and finally realize that nothing can satisfy me in this life like He can. So for me, I will show Caroline, that no matter what I will be there for her. Even if I am gone for  a little while, I am always coming back...because I love her.

10) Enjoy every day: Sure this stage is tough. You can't really go out to eat, tantrums are a new experience, walking provides a whole new set of challenges, a clean house is something of the past, teething stinks and much much more. BUT, there are so many fun things too. Everyday is filled with newness and fun. Things that you think would get old, to her never do. Laughter is rampant in our house and everyday holds a new set of adventures. I will never get yesterday back and I can't worry about tomorrow. So the only other option I have is to enjoy every day as it comes. So that's what I will do. How about you?

So that's what I have learned from my sweet 1 year old. Hope you found something for you too.

Lindsey

All Grown Up

I would like to say this post is about C, but it's not. It's about me. If there is one thing that having a baby does for you it for sure would be, makes you grow up. No more of the selfish moments of doing whatever you want, whenever you want, without a thought or care about anything. This is absolutely, positively, not the case anymore. I am, for all intense purposes, growing up.

This year has been a year of ups and downs for our family as we grow into our new roles. It's like we are really figuring out who we are for the next phase of our lives. Chris has grown into the provider role as I quit work to stay home with our little one and I have grown into the mommy/house wife role. I would like to say these were easy transitions for us... but then I would be lying.

First of all going from two-incomes to one was quite a shock. All the frills of two incomes have, over the course of the year, moved out and some how we have acquired their in-laws stress and anxiety. It's not that we aren't "making it" we certainly are, but it's a lifestyle adjustment. And when you are people like us...that takes some getting use to. Because your wants don't always match up with your cans. Thankfully we are finally getting this concept and kicking out our unwelcome in-laws.

Chris now has taken on full financial responsibility of our home. I guess I was naive to the fact that this would be hard mentally on our person. But after many talks (and arguments) I am pulling off my blinders to see the BIG job he has in front of him. It honestly has taken me by surprise that I didn't see earlier how some of my comments could affect him. I have not helped as much as I should in encouraging him in this new role. He is sacrificing alot so that I can stay home with C, and I definitely could stand to appreciate that fact a little more.

And as for me in the mommy/housewife role...well let's just say it's a lot harder than it looks. I have spoken to so many new moms who struggle with the "Do I go back to work, or do I stay home?" question and I understand why so many of them do go back to work. Staying at home, day in and day out, is the toughest job I have ever had and you don't get paid for it. Staying home is emotionally, physically and mentally draining. There have been countless days where I have wondered to myself, "maybe I am just not cut out for this." And if taking care of the baby isn't enough add trying to keep your house clean and cook dinner. Oh and don't forget the fact you don't get a lunch break, bathroom break or get off work ever for that matter. So, it is the job that never ends.

BUT, it is the most rewarding job I ever had. I get to take care of my family. There aren't any bonuses or certificate of achievements, but I am showered often throughout the day with hugs and sweet kisses. I get to witness all of her firsts and seconds and thirds. I get to hold her when she is sick and laugh with her when she discovers something new. We have found new friends and learned that family is worth everything. I sometimes try new recipes and I have found a love for making baby things (bows, burp cloths, tutus, onesies, etc.) I also like Chris coming home to a hot meal waiting for him and all of us getting to eat together at night. There are so many reasons why, daily, I choose this job.

There are still times I think it would be nice to go to work for a break during the week, and who knows if one day I will. But I am finally growing up and into my current job role. It's not the easiest but I love it. So my advice to any new mom out there, whatever you decide to do (stay home or work) do something you love. Respect your husband and honor the job God has called him to do. Work together, help each other out and encourage one another...it will make your marriage stronger. And finally just take one day at a time. You will get it.

All grown up,
Lindsey

A Birth Story

I went to the doctor that morning to get checked for my 39th week of pregnancy. I was dilated to a two and had been for several weeks. Like projected, my cervix wasn't softening. We knew this was a possibility and decided to go ahead with the c-section we had scheduled for the 16th of September. My doctor was really upbeat and made sure she told me to get some rest in the next couple days.

I left the office feeling extremely fat and really tired. But with the anxiety of the life change coming toward us at a rapid speed, the only thing I could do was shop. So off to target I went. Waddling my way through the baby aisles and picking up some last needed things for my hospital stay. I finally got a phone call from my sister informing me that she was in town and going to be at my house in ten minutes. So I waddled to my call and headed home.

My sister and I were giggling when we saw each other over the excitement. But at about 4pm I started having some cramping. (Men stop reading for a couple sentences) I went to the bathroom and saw some blood. I immediately panicked and called for my sister. She informed me that it was completely normal since I got checked by my doctor that morning. I accepted her answer since she has had two babies. But the cramping still came, and started creating its own patterns. If that's what you call every 8 minutes :).

Husband and mom got home about an hour later. The cramping became a little more intense but nothing terrible. My sister and mom told me I had nothing to worry about. I agreed since I knew that labor would be way more painful than this.

Chris and my sister went to go get dinner for us as my mom and I stayed back. The cramping was getting much closer, like 4 minutes apart. Mom started to get a little worried when at 7pm I had to get up from the table and went to the bathroom. As I hovered over with more than a pained expression, Chris walked into the room holding the phone and said "Its the hospital, they want to talk to you."

They were calling to give me the guidelines for the C section, but Chris had informed them of the cramping. I reviewed the last 3 hrs for them and they suggested I come in. Chris looked at me and said as I got off the phone "Honey are you sure? I mean if we go in, they are probably just going to send us home." I just looked at him...really? I replied back "I am not faking it honey."

So we got our stuff together and off we went to the hospital. I don't remember much about the car ride just a urgency feeling welling inside of me. Chris spent the drive calling family and close friends to update them and tell them it was probably nothing but to stay tuned.

We got to the hospital and had an obnoxious check in girl who wanted to talk to my husband about him getting her a job at Dave Ramsey. I finally interjected on their conversation in between contractions and asked if we could hurry the process up. They got us in our room and immediately the nurse wanted to check me. As we were talking in the room while and people were busing around me...the nurse exclaimed, "No wonder, you are dilated to a 6!"

What? You are kidding...a 6? Chris and I just looked at each other in amazement...we were getting our little girl tonight not tomorrow.

As the doctor buzzed in a quick 20 minutes later, we decided to go on with the C-section. Chris called our family and told them to hurry up and get there because she was coming and soon. And before we knew it I was getting rolled into the OR. Chris dressed in his gowns and me anticipating the surgery.

 15 minutes after entering the OR, after some tugging and pulling, Chris looked at me and said "This is it...here she comes!" And there she was...immediately changing everything about me.

 Caroline Leigh Campbell was born on September 15th, 2010 and 9:10pm. She weighed 7lbs and 9oz. and was 19 1/4 inches long. She was every bit of perfection I could have imagined... I have NEVER in my life felt anything like the love I instantly felt for her. Her dad and I both were immediately wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

I don't think, as I look back, that I could have imagined what this first year would be like. I don't think I realize just how fast it would go. I am so happy that I was chosen to be her mother, and could never thank God enough for this opportunity. I worry that in the coming years I won't be able to remember this year, her first, the way it runs through my mind now. I have loved every minuted of it...even the hard times, and would do it all over again just for the chance to hold her for the first time. To smell her sweet baby skin. To kiss those tiny fingers and toes. To love her with everything that I have.

Happy Birthday Caroline Leigh. You are the best thing that has ever happened to your daddy and I.

Love you,
Mommy

Discipline

I am not sure that I anticipated this stage this early. To be honest I don't think I was completely ready for it. C turns one tomorrow, but she is already acting like she is two. This is proving to be way more difficult than I anticipated.

Last night I had some girlfriends over the house. This has happened several times over the past year where they come over, they love on C and we watch our favorite show. But now they come over, love on C and then watch me over and over try to direct my child away from the fire place, the movie cases, the picture frames, biting me and Lord forbid anyof the girls food or drink. It was the first time I felt embarassed as a mom as I watched their faces while I tried to discipline Caroline. I quickly fought back the tears and scooped up C and put her to bed.

I think it is easier to discipline a child who truly understands what you are trying to do. But here lately Caroline seems to be more excited to push the limits than adhere to them. I understand that she is suppose to do that, it's part of the deal. I just have had a hard time learning how to deal with this new child. I don't like having to tell her "No" so many times a day. I have chosen not to spank her because to be honest I don't think she understands it at this age and for me it just didn't feel right. (Plus with as much as she does something she shouldn't, I would be popping her all the time.) I also can't put her in time out...so what AM I suppose to do?

A good friend told me that I just need to be consistent with my method, try to redirect and praise her when she chooses to listen to me. So that's what I am doing. My method is to call her name and tell her "No Caroline, come back over here. Or, No Caroline get down from there." When that doesn't work I go and get her, get down on her level in my deep tone and tell her "I said No" and move her to a different place and redirect her attention. When she chooses to listen to me, I praise her. (Which happened once last night)

I am not going to lie...it's real hard. There are many times a day I almost break down because this process, I feel, is breaking me. I feel like the temper tantrums are many, and the sweet moments are few and far between. But I have hope, that eventually, this will pay off.

She has to learn and I have to learn. We are in a new stage. This will happen many more times over the course of her life even after she learns the word no. I just like to live in LaLa land a lot of the times and that Lala Land looks a lot like my time with Caroline at 5:45 this morning.

She woke up and was fussing in her crib. So I went to go in there to soothe her back to sleep. I don't really rock her anymore so I thought this might be a good opportunity to do so. So I scooped her up and off to rocking we went. She laid there still as a rail, looking at me with those beautiful eyes and holding my hand. It was quiet with just the sound of the rocker. It reminded me of this past year and all the moments I got to do that very thing, just hold her.

It was in that moment I knew that we could get through this. She loves me. I love her. She is just exploring her new world and I have to be there to teach her the good things for her and the unsafe things. She won't always like my boundaries for her and she won't always like me. But she will know I do it all because I love her. I just love her.

So today I choose to believe that we can do this. This year might be hard, but in the end we will both be better for it. Also, I found a good link for disciplining a one year old...if there is anybody else in the market for some good advice on this topic. :) http://life.familyeducation.com/baby/discipline/44249.html?page=2&detoured=1

Determined to be a better mom,
Lindsey

The Husband

I was quickly reminded this weekend of a couple things that have to do with my husband Chris. I don't know about you but whenever I am away from him, even if it is just for a day, my emotions become increasingly heightened. You see I was gone to Knoxville to help my sister out on Saturday and as I returned on Sunday my emotions and insecurities got the best of me. As I came home, I ended up getting into an argument with him over something STUPID!

But the Lord in His ultimate grace and mercy reminded me of somethings he taught me a long time ago. Here they are in case there is anyone else that needs to be reminded of them also.

1) We were created to be their helper, not their savior. Genesis 2:18 and 2:20b-25
2) We are suppose to take care of our husbands, children and our homes. We are also suppose to be kind and self-controlled.Titus 2:4-5
3) I don't want to be her...Proverbs 21:9 and her Proverbs 21:19

I also write important things down in the front of my Bible so that I can easily be reminded of them...as I was coming to the Lord on this matter this is what I found in the front of my Bible.

How to Respect Chris:
1) CHEER his successes.
2) PRAISE his commitment to taking care of us.
3) PRAISE his good decisions and MINIMIZE the poor choices.
4) DON'T undermine his authority in front of anyone.
5) THANK his insight and  advice.
6) NEVER Chris bash.
7) DON'T make him guess what I need, want or am thinking.
8) LET him know I like him.
9) DON'T try to CHANGE him to be like me.
10) HONOR his physical needs.

These hit me hard...like a ton of bricks. It's so easy for me to get into my day, my needs, my my my my. I forget that this life isn't about me but about Jesus and that way that I can serve him by serving the others around me. Including my husband. But, because he is the closest person to me on this earth I take more out on him than I need to. I am not going to lie... I am often that Proverbs wife above. Unfortunately I nag way to often and I am GREAT at starting arguments (especially over stupid stuff). But the one thing I do know is that I can change.
Another quote I have in the front of my Bible is this..
" How can I change to become more like Jesus and not try to change everyone to be like me?"

I love my husband for who he is. I want to respect him. I want to honor him. I want to remember the things above and live them out, not just read them. I understand that sometimes this is hard when I am wounded and feel like it is unfair, but a wise woman once shared with me that what happened to Jesus wasn't fair either but that didn't stop Him for sacrificing for us.

Thanks for letting me ramble, would love to hear your words of wisdom about marriage to if you would like to share them. And Chris... if you read this...I am sorry.

Humbled,
Lindsey

Man Am I Glad August is Almost Over... A Bad Month in Review Part 2

OK...so I got the worst part of August out yesterday...you can check it out here if you didn't get to read it. I suggest you do so before you read this one, so you can see what my frame of mind was before you hear what happened next.

I told you that Caroline fell on August 2nd. This was a Tuesday. Fast forward seven days to August 10th...A Wednesday.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I woke up that morning. I am a avid reader and HUGE fan of the book called The Help. I don't know if you have read it, or if you even like to read, but if you haven't or you don't...this book is worth your time. It definitely ranks up there in my top 5 favorite books of all time! Either way, they created a movie about this book and it came out on August 10th. I had fandango'd my ticket and was anxiously waiting to go see it that evening at 7:10pm with two of my best girlfriends. I was giddy with excitement! (total book nerd I realize)

Either way, husband came home and we ate dinner together. I needed to leave the house around 6:40 to meet the girls by 6:45. I quickly kissed my family goodbye and headed out the door. I have to let you know that I live, maybe, 2 miles from the movie theater (not exaggerating here either). It was within those two miles where I became another statistic. Most car crashes happen within a few miles from the home.

Yes, that's right...a week after Caroline's fall... a car crash. I rear ended an old tank of a Ford Explorer. I was paying attention, just couldn't see the stand still traffic that was on the other side of a hill in front of him. By the time I could hit my brakes, it was too late. Then the air bag went off.

I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but it's awful. Like getting punched in the face. The smell is terrible, and your car fills with the smoke from the release of it. Luckily I didn't get hurt, although you could see the outline of my face from the makeup on the bag.

Anyways... the guys I hit couldn't have been nicer, and the police officer I knew. The tank of the Ford Explorer had little to no damage, but my car on the other hand was not so lucky. Hood was busted to shreds and the radiator was completely busted. Chris was right when he said, as the tow truck carried my car away, "I bet insurance will total it out." And they did.

Again, I emotionally handled the whole thing until we were taking things out of my car and we pulled out the car seat. Flooded with the fear of the previous weeks events with Caroline, I was beyond thankful she was not with me in the accident. She probably wouldn't have been hurt, but never-the-less I am glad I was alone.  Another God thing if you ask me, as that she is always with me.

Anyways, we have spent the better part of August looking for cars and dealing with idiots trying to sell them. I don't recommend trying to buy a car off craigslist, as two weeks after the accident we thought we had found "the one" (a new car) and worked a deal with the guy, when he so graciously sold the car out from under us. Taking us ever so back to square one with a week left on the rental car. Gotta love that.

Between the emotional wreckage I started the month off with, to the emotional wreck I was after my wreck...plus the emotionally unstable person I was flamed many arguments between the husband and I. To say we were stressed and took it out on each other was an understatement. My poor husband put up with a lot this past month...sorry honey. I am sure that you are glad August is over too.

Sweet Caroline got over her fall, but decided it was time to teeth her four 1 year molers. If I thought teething was bad before, I was kidding myself. This has been a month from you know where plus some. We have spent alot of money (ER visits and new cars aren't cheap), lost alot of sleep (babies who are teething don't really like to sleep) and cried several rivers (or I have cried and Caroline has cried)...but we made it through.

Now on to September... It's time to celebrate (literally, Caroline's birthday is in 15 days!)

Thanks for listening to me whine...
Lindsey

Man am I glad August is almost over...A Bad Month In Review Part 1

A friend of mine today posted on Facebook "SO, August sucked...September anyone??"...to be honest, I had to say an Amen! August has flat out been a terrible month. (And I am not even exaggerating)

I have been putting off this post for a while now because, to be honest, I just didn't want to talk about it. It has been emotionally, physically and financially draining. As my husband said this evening, it has been one expensive month. So I bet your wondering what all happened... I guess I will tell you.

On August 2nd morning, a good friend of mine dropped off her little girl for me to watch the next couple weeks. She is a teacher and needed a fill in for a couple weeks before her annual sitter could watch her. I have had lots of people ask me to keep their children, so I thought this was a good opportunity to try out my skills as a nanny and mommy at the same time.

To be honest things started off really good. Caroline was in a good mood and my friends baby is always in a good mood. We were gracefully moving through our morning, and even though the girls weren't very interested in napping, we were ready for lunch. By this time, Caroline had been walking for a couple weeks and was all over the place. After I fed her, it was time to feed the next baby. So I put Caroline down, and she proceeded to walk between me and our back doors to look at the dog. A friend of mine decided to pop in a little early to come visit me and I am so glad she was there. (she was suppose to drop by several hours later...a total God thing if you asked me)

About 5 minutes later, as my friend and I talked as I was feeding the other baby, Caroline took a very hard fall in our kitchen. She was just steps away from me and had fallen straight backwards onto our ceramic tile floor. It had to be the loudest fall I had ever heard, and immediately I was up and by her side. I quickly scooped her up expecting to hear screams coming from my child...instead I heard nothing. I mean absolutely nothing....Caroline wasn't breathing.

I anxiously patted her back and kept saying "Breathe Caroline, Breathe." As my friend came along side of me, I saw the panic in her face. After about 30 seconds, Caroline breathed. Immediately she locked out her arms and collapsed in my arms. That's when fear flooded me. I thought "this is that freak accident that you never expect to happen to you."

I turned to my friend, she is a mother of three, and gasped for help. She blankly looked at me and I grabbed my keys to leave, Caroline still limp and unconscious in my arms. She immediately said "911". So the first time I have ever called the ambulance was for my daughter. They came quickly (a shout out to the EMT's in Rutherford Co.) and about a minute or so before the got there Caroline came around. She was beyond a shade of white and not quite blue...more like a slate gray. She was cold and sweaty, and wasn't really focusing. She would raise her head ever so slightly and then gently lay it back on my shoulder. The Fire department (3 of them) the police (2 of them) and the EMT's (2 of them) all crammed into my living room and examined my sweet Caroline. The quickly affirmed that she was going to be ok, but that I still should go to the ER because she is so young and it was a head injury. I declined the ride in the ambulance assuring them that I would take her there myself.

I didn't break down until I heard my husbands voice on the phone. I couldn't breathe because the fear over took me. Yes Caroline was alright, but I was scared to death. Chris immediately came home, and he and I took the little one to the ER. By this time, she was much better and the ER doctor confirmed that Caroline had just knocked herself out. (Think of a boxing match KO). She said that we should watch her but the most likely she would have a wicked headache, and a slight concussion.

At that point, we finally let her nap. And she slept for a long while as we came back home. Everyone else seemed to go back to normal. Chris and Caroline were both fine, I on the other hand not so much. It seemed like every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was the lifeless Caroline in my arms. It wasn't her not breathing, or the sound of the fall that freaked me out the most. It was the rolling of her eyes back into her head and the feel of her limp body in my arms. I didn't sleep and the next morning I hysterically cried before Chris left for work. I didn't want to be alone and I couldn't watch my friends baby. I was traumatized.

I didn't know when I would get over it and I can't fully say that I am. I still panic when she falls (which is daily, the fun of a walker). I still panic when she acts weird. I still want to carpet our whole house. But I am better...and trust that God has her in His hands. That's all I have in the end.

That was just August 2nd,
Lindsey 

DIY Friday: Play Room

OH MY~ It has been a ridiculously long time since I have blogged. It has been an adventurous month for sure and only increasing in hecticness because of a certain someone's 1st birthday coming up in just three short weeks.

Either way... I promise to update you on all that has happened come Monday, but just wanted to do a quick DIY Friday tidbit. This is an unusual DIY because it is not crafty, it is practical. Since I have, essentially, a one year old running around (and I do mean running around) our once roomy house has shrunk because of all the toys that lay around. Every night after she hits the sack, I go around every room in our house and put up all the toys she has taken out. Needless to say, this is really annoying.

So my BRILLIANT husband had a great idea. Our spare bedroom goes unused for most of the year. All of our family lives in town, except my sister, and since we went to school locally...our friends are here too. So no one comes and stays with us, hence the unused spare bedroom. So... we gutted out the bed, bookshelf, lamp and chair and replaced it with toys, toys, toys and toys. We made our own play room!

Let me just say, as I blog happily and freely, it was a genius idea! If you have a room that is unused and you need a great space for your romper to romp around... DIY and change it to a play room. If you are anything like me... you won't regret it :)

Happily walking around without stepping on toys,
Lindsey

DIY Friday: Homeade Pennant Birthday Banner

SO I told you I am in the process of planning C's 1st Birthday party!! I honestly can't believe it :)

Anyways... there are lots of projects that I am doing for her party, one being making a birthday banner.

Here are some of the ones that I saw...not sure which type I am going to pick, but that's what Hobby Lobby is for (to help me make such decisions :))
Click on the picture below to take you to the "How To" pages







Happy Crafting,
Lindsey

Something to Remember: For those that are married

I told you that I would always be honest...and today my honesty lands on the side of marriage verses the side of parenting.

I have had the privilege of being married to my amazing husband for 5 years. Please hear me out, I do not think 5 years is long enough to be an expert in anything, but I do think it's long enough to have a solid understanding of things. And today I have some more solid understanding on the covenant we call marriage.

When we say "I do" at the altar of marriage, we say I do for eternity. We walk into a solemn binding agreement between two parties that says, I am yours and you are mine. We are one, no longer two. But after marriage, for the most part, we continue living two lives in one household. He does his thing, she does her thing...and then at night they come together for dinner or date night and reconnect.

I have learned that this doesn't work, and hear often from other women, that they feel more like they have a roommate than a husband...and vice versa. I have experienced this in my own marriage, and it is the quickest way the enemy has come up with to get in between the two of us. And since we have had the baby it has been easy to fall into this same routine. He goes to work, I take care of the baby. He gets home we eat dinner together and then he watches TV and I usually read. Once a week we try and go on a date.

I realize that this may not seem all that bad to some of you...and maybe for you it's not. But I know for Chris and I we need more than that. We need more connection time.

Here are some of the things that I have realized in the past couple days:
1) I need to make more of an effort. By this I mean I need to pay more attention to the things that are important to him. Whether that be budgeting, office humor, future plans, goals or whatever...I need to be more invested in him and the things that make him tick.
2) I need to make him more aware of the things I do everyday. For me I feel like life is so mundane right now, because for the most part I change diapers, clean the house and cook. Yeah I play with Caroline, or we might go to the store or the gym. But for the most part I feel like it seems pretty boring to everyone else. But if Chris is going to "get" me, he needs to be invested in my day also and the little things I do.
3) We need to shut off the TV and put down the books and talk. I am not talking everyday, but more often than we do. This is important to reconnecting as date nights are. To talk about the things that are about us, Caroline and the things we don't usually have time to share.
4) We need to realized who our enemy is. And it's not each other. This weekend was a prime example. We were having one of our reality check arguments (this is where you realize the other one has issues with the you or vice versa that need to be dealt with) when we figured out that we were treating each other as our enemy and not our allies. By that I mean...we have an enemy that seriously wants to break up our marriage. He tries everyday to do that. EVERYDAY. So when I realize that he is the one causing all the problems, I begin to fight against him and not my husband. And my husband becomes my allie and not my enemy too. We fight the battle together, not at each other.
5) Everyone's love language is different and they express love and need love most likely different then you do. There is a great book called The 5 Love Languages, that teaches this concept. I need to remember that the way my husband gives and receives love is different than me. And to show him that I love him, I need to use his method and not my own. This clears up a lot of communication issues when done correctly and effectively. Because each person is getting his or her own needs met.
6) Being in covenant with another person, requires sacrifice. I have to give up things that I think are important for the sake of the relationship. And Chris has to give up things that he thinks are important for the sake of the relationship. This is so hard, because we are so selfish naturally.
7) Finally, God can work anything out and change any old habit. Plain and simple. So pray for your spouse continually. That means don't ever stop or let a day go bye that you don't pray for them. And if you can..pray together, this will bind you faster than anything else. We are a cord made up of three strands: God, him and I.
And a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

I know this is long...but I needed to be reminded. Hope it ministers to someone else too. If you have any other reminders leave them below for someone else.

Happily married to the most amazing man ever,
Lindsey
This pic below is us after a food fight Sunday after church. We laughed so hard at the mess we made but it was so fun! Some how I look like I got the worst of it :)

DIY Friday- Fabric Chandelier

Ok...so I follow this blog and she started her own DIY day. Her first DIY puts anything I could do to shame. So instead of trying to post my own, you should go do this project because it is awesome!

It is a cloth fabric chandelier. All you need is an old lamp shade, 1 1/2 yards of your fabric choice and a glue gun! Really it is too simple. I am going to do one for my outside patio, but it would be great for a little girl's room too! When I get done with mine I will post it for you to see :)

Here is the link: http://www.joyfolieblog.com/2011/08/diy-wednesday-torn-fabric-chandelier.html

And this is the finished project :)


Let me know if you make your own too! Would love to see a pic!

Crafty getting the best of me,
Lindsey

A couple videos down memory lane...

I am not sure what led us down that path last night, but as we crawled into bed Chris had to check something on the laptop. So I was reading and he was on the computer. Just before he got done, I remembered that I had been wanting to watch something on YouTube for a while now and decided that now was the time.

I told Chris to open up the website, so he did. Then he looked at me and said "What do you want to watch?"

Me: "I want to watch a C-section."
Chris: "No Lindsey...you don't want to see that."
Me: "Yes I do. I want to know what I went through."

Chris reluctantly typed in the search engine and voila. A plethora of videos to choose from. I decided on the safest one on there from Baby Center. As we hit play, I had a moment of panic thinking... I don't know if I should see this. I am sort of squeamish when it comes to all things blood related. But as the procedure happened, I found myself elated with what I saw.

To be honest, when I found out that I would have to have a C-section I was worried I would miss out on this great birthing experience and that somehow mine would be less than. But after seeing what my body went through and the beauty of the baby being pulled out, I realized it was just as beautiful!

So after we watched the video, we decided to open up our own home videos and relive those incredible first moments with our daughter. What started with one video on YouTube turned us right down memory lane. We laid there in bed and watched video after video of us in the hospital those first few days with our Sweet C. We smiled, laughed at how goofy we were, thought we looked so young holding our little girl and reveled in how tiny she was.

I don't know if those videos will ever get old to me. Especially now as we had our first medical emergency with C the other day. I will blog about it later... it's too emotionally raw for me still. I just treasure everything a little more now, and the day she was born will be nothing short of the second greatest day in my life. A severely close second to the day I married her father.

Anyways...here is one of the videos we watched yesterday. It's the first time I got to love on her and really see her. I hope you enjoy.

Hopelessly romantic over her,
Lindsey

Walking and Kissing

Well...since the last time that I blogged my little girl has started walking. Hence the lack of posting on my part. Since she started, I have been doing my best to keep up with the little bug.
It has been fun to watch her waddle around though. The first time it was a lunge forward with a couple steps attached to it. Now it is very methodical and thought out. She knows how to stand up on her own with out any help and she knows how to get from one side of the room to the other. Although she walks alot now...she still depends mostly on crawling. I am not sure when that will stop but it's fun to watch her try out her new legs. I can't believe we are already to this stage...where did it all go?

Another new thing for the little one is kissing, or what we call giving sugars :0! Caroline's God Mother, Meghan, has been trying to teach her for a while now. But it hasn't been until recently that she finally has picked up on it. And she can't stop. She kisses everything! The dog, my knee and even her dad through the front glass door! I mean seriously...I can't handle this picture!

I would love to post some video of Caroline walking too, but it's like she knows what I trying to do every time I get the flip out... she won't let me get it on film! But just know...as soon as I do, I will share!
Anyways...it's fun catching up with you all, and stay tuned because I have another giveaway coming up on Friday!

Bye for now!
Lindsey

For Caroline

Could you ever possibly know how much I love you?
Would you ever know what I feel when I look at you?
Do you know that it often feels like the world stops when you place your hand on my chest as you drift off to sleep?
People always told me that I never knew love until I would have my first child, and I scuffed at this ridiculous comment. But Caroline, my sweet, it's true. My heart feels as though it has exploded over and over again with more love than I could ever have imagined. You have changed the world forever with your grand appearance in your dad's and I's eyes. Nothing has been nor ever will be the same again. You make our life so rewarding as we watch you explore and find new things. We watch you become more and more brave as you expand your abilities daily. We see glimpses of your personality and the woman you will become one day as you begin to see the world as your playground. Everyday you amaze me.
I am desperately in love with you, and there are moments that scares me to death. Because I know at some point I will fail you, and you will question that love. But if you knew what I see when I look at you, you would believe that nothing in all this world could alter that. Life will change us and we both will get older, but one thing will always remain the same,...you will always have my love.
It is wider than the widest river. It is higher than the highest mountain. It is deeper than the deepest part of the sea. And it will stretch on longer than we both will live here on this earth. Because the only reason I can love you this much is because I know an even greater love. My sweet Jesus, Our heavenly Father, loves you this same way but more. Can you imagine it...He is so wonderful, and I long for the day you whisper His sweet name.
I love you. I really do. And as you grow into a young woman... don't ever forget this, I know I won't. I thank God everyday I get to be your mother. You make me a better person because I want to be better for you. And even though it's me writing this, I know your dad feels exactly the same way.

Just thought you should know,
Mom

Do it Yourself Friday! The Tom Kat Studio

Good morning everyone! Hope you are enjoying this beautiful Friday morning :) I am...my sweet Caroline is taking a nap,  I just spent some sweet time with my Jesus and now I am writing to all of you about my "relatively" new favorite blog.

Today for my DIY post, I thought I would share with you Tom Kat Studio :)  Her name is Kim and she is incredibly talented! I get on her blog almost everyday and am never disappointed with the cuteness and crafts she comes up with!  I have gotten a lot of ideas from her about how I want to do Caroline's first birthday, and today she is doing an awesome giveaway for a party! You have to check it out...let's just talk about the cuteness! (oh and you can enter the giveaway here )




Anyways... she also has an etsy site that is to die for... check it out here http://www.etsy.com/people/tomkatstudio?ref=ls_profile

I love this crab theme for a little boy, or golf and swim is too cute! All the stuff for the most part is printable and a great price!





Anyways... I think you should hop on over to her stuff and check her out! And then plan your next party with her fun stuff!

Enjoy,
Lindsey

Sleep Revisited Part 2

It's been a long time since I have updated you on C's sleep schedule and in lieu of this weeks big steps I thought I would share. I have stated before in the past 10 months of Caroline's life, the question I get asked more than any other would be..."So is she sleeping through the night?"

I DESPISE this question. Every time I would be asked it my first immediate thought would be, "Gosh Lindsey, your such a failure." I correlated Caroline's sleeping habits with my mothering skills. If I was a better mom, C would sleep through the night a) because I would have been doing the right practices at the beginning to ensure this b) I would let her cry it out or c) I am not sure what.

Either way this question always would shoot me over the edge. So to be honest, I wanted to lie and say yeah she sleeps through the night. Unfortunately that is not the case. So I tried lots of things... and to my dismay none of them really seemed to work. Until now.

Starting this past week, I have seen a glimmer of hope. 5 out of the last 6 nights my sweet C has slept through the night. And for the past week, her nap schedule has finally regulated. She sleeps two 2 hr long naps (or atleast an 1 1/2) a day. With maybe a 30 minute extra snoozer in there.

I would like to think it has something to do with the rigid schedule I am trying to keep her on. Or my vowing to stay home more so she can get her naps in or go to bed on time...but really I think it has everything to do with her. Yeah, the stuff I have been doing might help but C is almost 10 months old and I just think she is more tired at night from all the crawling, standing, cruising, playing and eating she does through out the day. I think she is plump worn out and thus sleeps longer.

I have learned enough over the past 10 months to know that nothing stays the same. In a moments instant things can change. So for now, I will take the 8 hrs of sleep a night. But to any mom out there who has lost hope that your child will ever sleep through the night, hang in there...it's coming. And for the moms out there whose sleepy child has been snoozing like a log at night since he/she was six weeks old...enjoy your nights sleep too! We all need it :) these little ones can wear us out!


A little more rested,
Lindsey

Living in a Scary World

Did any of you watch the Jaycee Dugard story on NightLine Monday night? I did....and it has been on my mind ever since. Something was so disturbing in this story that I don't know what to do with it.

There is no getting around it, we live in a scary world right now. There seems to be nothing that is off limits anymore. It all seems to be so perverse. And if you need a heavy dose of just how bad it is just watch your local night time news. There seems to be more bad news than good news anymore.

I guess I always knew it was going on, but now that I am a mom the anty has upped. Sometimes I look into the eyes of my daughter and think "How in the world am I going to protect you?" and my mind wanders to the plethera of things that lie ahead for us. Deciding on schools, friends, parties, discipline and (to my husbands refusal to think about) boys are going to quickly be our reality.

But then there are the unknowns. The outside things that I can not control.  The things I so desperately want to protect but have no way of doing. The things I litteraly have to let go of and trust God. Period. Having a child will bring out the worst fears you can possibly imagine happening. And I want nothing more than to keep her safe from harm for her entire life. But I am not promised that, and unfortuanately neither is she. So the fear really does me no good and only steals worries on tomorrow.

So when I watch a story like the Jaycee Dugard one, I am facinated by the last couple things her mom said during the interview. It has to do with a kiss. She said that one moring she was running late for work and decided to not go in and kiss her children goodbye before she left. And for 18 years while her daughter was missing, she replayed that scenario over and over again in her mind. A kiss.

That's what I can't let go of. Every opportunity I have through out the day to kiss my little girl. To hug her. To tell her how much I love her. To pray for her. To teach her about God and how much He loves her. To rock her to sleep. To comfort her when she is sad. To enjoy every time she looks at me with those eyes.

Yes we live in a scary world...and yes there are scary people in this world. But I serve a Bigger and Stronger God, and I know that no matter what comes our way I will stand taller because I have Him on my side. He gave me this little girl knowing that I was the perfect person to be her mom. I am going to do my darndest (I know that's not really a word...but I like it :)) to protect her and teach her how to be wise and to discern good and evil. Then for the rest of it I trust God. Period.

Confident in Him,
Lindsey

And The Winner Is....

Hey Everyone...thanks for taking the time to enter my first ever giveaway! It was so fun to watch the entry list grow! We have picked a winner, but if you didn't win Rebecca has GRACIOUSLY decided to give you $50 Off for a full session with her. So make sure you book with her and tell her you entered the giveaway for the discount! I will be doing another giveaway soon...so follow my blog and stay tuned!

But for the big winner you have to watch the video below!! Congrats! Make sure you contact Rebecca through her site to set up your shoot!
(and don't pay attention to the cutting off of our heads towards the end :))

Excited,
Lindsey

Do It Yourself Friday!

So I have been wanting to get crafty for sometime now... and finally decided (thanks to the inspiration of a friend of mine) to get my act in gear. Thus this new Friday post titled DIY Friday! So excited about the possibilities of great craftiness! There will be things that I have done but also great blogs of other crafty ones.

So this first one is a tutu I made for my niece for her 1st birthday... if you go to the store these things generally range about $12 a piece. I actually found one in Franklin the other day for $24...no offense but this is a rip off because they are SO EASY to make and take NO TIME AT ALL! They are a great shower gift and also great for pictures! (which reminds me...make sure you enter to win my first giveaway here )

So here is the tutu I made :) It is a no-sew tutu (I also made the onesie but that's another post)

All you need to do is go to your local craft store ( I went to Hobby Lobby) and pick up the colors of tulle that you want. I used 4 colors for hers, white, sparkly, pink and silver. You will need a yard of each.
Then you need to pick up a yard of stretchy crochet headband material.  It looks like this

You can buy it by the yard in the ribbon section. I got a yard so that I could make sure I measured it for the right size. Once you get home and measure the size of the material based on your child. You want to start making the tutu.  Here is the video that I watched to help make this first one.

She makes it with ribbon... which you totally can do. I just used the headband material and threaded the tulle like she did through the bottom two layers of holes. Interchanging the colors as I went. So super easy and then to bring the back together I laced up the back with ribbon. (like lacing a pair of sneakers)

It's so easy and it cost me about 5 dollars to make :) Now that's a deal!

Happy crafting,

Lindsey

1st Giveaway!

So to celebrate my new .com status ( check out the new URL for my blog!!) I thought the best way to do that would be to finally do my first giveaway! Lucky for you it's a good one...

If you know anything about me, you know that I love getting pictures of my sweet Caroline. I have a great friend who also happens to be an amazing photographer. Rebecca Kelly Photography has agreed to be my first giveaway.

She loves taking photographs of families, babies, pregnancy pictures, weddings and  individuals (the picture above is from her daughters birthday). She is extremely talented and I am excited about you getting to know her!

What you will get:

A Full Session (up to 1 hr) at the location of your choice

A CD with all the prints

How to Enter:

1) Visit http://www.rebeccakellyphotography.com/ 

2) Comment below this post (on my blog) why you want Rebecca to take pictures for you

That's so easy!!!! Now all you have to do is enter...and tell your friends to enter!!! We will pick the winner at RANDOM on Monday July 11th...so you have a week to get in the drawing :) Hope you win!

Excited,
Lindsey

Craftiness at it's Best

So I have always had a love for party planning and here lately I have been throwing baby shower after baby shower. I LOVE them! I think every baby deserves a shower, I don't care if they are the 1st or 10th child.

I told you I started a play group, and it just so happens that there is a girl in our group that is expecting her second child 2 weeks from now. I decided 2 weeks ago that we should throw a impromptu shower for her and the little one, whose name is Lorelei. (PS Love that name!)

Anyways...we decided that being a few days away from 4th of July we should do a red, white and blue theme. It turned out so cute if I do say so myself. My good friend Jenn Russell and I decided on embarking on the chore of making the cupcakes and then all the other ladies brought their food choice in red white and blue.

Here are a few pictures from the event:

Red White and Blue Cupcakes with Baby Lorelei cutouts

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

Psalms 139 for Baby Lorelei

Desert table...cupcakes and fruit pizza

Tomato and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Homemade Salsa with Blue Corn chips

The BEST Stuffed Cornbread ever

and Red White and Blue Salad

I think all that one needs for a successful shower is inspiration. A baby is always inspiration for me...but also I get a lot of ideas from other party planners. One great one that I like is TomKat Studios... Check her out...she's awesome!

Hope you get inspired...and if you ever need a party planner hit me up :)

Lindsey

What is your passion....

Today I was reading in my current book that I am working through for my quiet time, and a question was raised that made me stop and think.... What is your passion? What do you want to be remembered for as you take your last breath?

I am going to be honest, I am not sure what my passion is just yet because I have to narrow down my options. But, the one thing that keeps ringing in my head is my passion for each one of you out there that read this blog. My passion to relate to that first time mom who is having a rough go of it. My passion to make life a little better by writing my thoughts out in the hope that it will help one of you out there. My passion to help that barely functioning marriage find hope and the motivation to keep going. My passion for that young woman who just needs someone to relate to. I don't know all of you, but I know that there are people in Japan, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada and a few other places that visit this blog. I can only think that the reason anyone comes to hear my thoughts is because they find a bit of themselves in my wanderings.

My passion is writing and helping. Helping and writing. I don't know where it will all take me, or if I would ever be remembered by something I wrote...but maybe I will be remembered for being a good mom. For being honest. For being vulnerable. For stepping out and changing the status-quo. I hope that my passion most importantly brings you to a place of knowing Christ deeper and that He is in everything. He is everything and He is my everything.

So tell me...whats your passion? What do you want to be remembered for?

The Beginning of Planning C's 1st Birthday

YES... I have started planning her first birthday. We are roughly 10 weeks away and by all means there is plenty to do. I am a party planner by nature so you would have to believe that C's 1st Birthday will be nothing short of SMASHING!

So I have decided on a theme and colors...and I have most of the things I am going to need picked out. We are doing a Sweet Shoppe theme as we do have a Sweet Caroline. I also have decided that we are doing a candy buffet to go along with the theme.

So last night Chris and I were shopping online to see if we could find the best deal on some candy in bulk. As we began to look around, I started saying "I want that. I have to have some of those. These will fit perfectly with our color scheme. Oh those are too cute...we have to have some of those." I was pacing around the house cleaning as we talked, and then all of the sudden out of no where, Chris decided to play the video below...

We both started laughing as I danced around the house singing the song. Caroline (sitting in her high chair eating dinner) just smiled as she watched the craziness going on. I think it's fair to say... I might just be a little over the top!

So as I plan, I will share with you... but we are just at the beginning stages and I need to scale back already. I mean come on...she only turns 1 once! :)

The Future Miss Salt,
Lindsey