Answered prayers

Just back from a long weekend but I wanted to share a little something with you.  At the risk of embarassing  someone, I won't mention names but there is a person in my life that I have been praying for for a really really long time.  I'm talking like since I was old enough to know what prayer was, I was praying for them.  Praying for them to come to know God or at least get to the point of seeking to know Him.  I'll be honest that I maybe didn't pray for them every single day and I would be lying if I said I didn't ever feel any doubt that God would speak to them.  But the past few weeks this person is beginning to reach out for something deeper in life.  To know God and change themselves for the better. And can I say how beautiful a thing it is to me.  It speaks to me on so many levels.  One, God does answer prayers.  It might take 18 years for everything to fall into place, but He answers them.  Two, I feel like this is a way that He is showing me not to give up.  If you've read my past blogs you know that I have felt like my world is crumbling a bit.  And then, out of nowhere something that I haven't been thinking about gets answered. 

I then get home to take a look at the blogs I've missed reading this weekend and a similar, but in a totally different way, story happened to a friend of mine.  Out of nowhere, this blessing just drops down and changes a particular challenge in her life.  Read here if you want, it's a great story.

I guess the moral of the story, at least what I take from it for myself, is do not give up. Do not lose hope.  Things will get better.  And the moment that it does might come at a time you are least expecting it.  So don't spend the days crying over spilled milk. Live, change the things you can, and have faith the things you can't will be taken care of at just. the. right. time.

The reason I smile....

This too shall pass

I know I haven't posted much as of late. I'll be honest with you, this chica has been dealing with some stuff.  Nothing crazy, just life. The past several months I have felt like I've been walking around with 30 pound weights strapped to my ankles.  You use all this energy and strength to take one step forward only to take a quick rest and deep breath and then realize you can't keep walking until the other foot comes forward.   By the end of the day, your just exhausted.

I know that I'm blessed beyond means, but every so often you just want to have yourself a little pity party (so bear with me.)  Life is not easy. It's hard. Things don't always go as planned, relationships take much more work than you ever thought possible, and some days you just want to throw your hands in the air and sream at the top of your lungs "when will this get easy?!" 

Something I learned about myself a long time ago is that I'm a crier. It's true, I've come to terms with it so don't judge.   You either are a crier or your not.  Some people get angry when stressed.  Some people eat.  Others yell.  I do really good with stress for a while but when it builds and builds and I've reached my pinnacle I break down and cry. at. everything. 

I know ultimately that this will pass and we'll look back at it some day and say "how in the world did we get through all of that." And the important thing will be that we did get through it and made it out the other side, hopefully still somewhat sane =)   I know the outcome because we've been through "stuff" before and between the awesome God we have and myself being one. tuff. chick (yes, I'm so tough that I spell it t.u.f.f) this too will pass.  But it does't mean it will be easy.  So, until I see the sun peaking through this analogical cloud, pass the kleenex.

Bye Bye Bubbles

Jesalyn has a double ear infection....again!  I am soooo over ear infections!  I think this is the third one she has had this year, and it's only May.  And because we are lucky, (please note the sarcasm) accompanying this double ear infection is a whole mess of allergies.  Gotta love Tennessee.  In the top 10 worst cities for spring allergies, two of the cities are in Tennessee. I'll repeat that. Out of the 19,354 cities in the USA to choose from (I didn't just make that number up. Google it,) two of the ten were from Tennessee!!!   So for the past two days we've just been wiping away snot every 5 minutes.  The doctor recommended giving her some allergy medicine to help relieve some of the symptoms because she looked and felt absolutely miserable today.  She took her fist half dose tonight. Half since she is not quite two yet.  Here's praying that it works and she gets some relief.

 So where does the title of blog fit into all of this??  I bet you never thought you could say "that's disgusting!" and "aww, that's adorable."  both in the same sentence.  Try this one.
 The last time Jesalyn got sick, oh about 3 weeks ago, she was running around playing and she came up to me and had this snot bubble hanging out of her nose. I'm talking a good dime size bubble, just hanging there. At the time, I didn't realize you could actually make bubbles with the snot in your nose so I started laughing.  "Jesalyn you have a bubble in your nose!"  She thought it was funny and started laughing too as I quickly wiped it away.  The next time her nose started running, she came up to me, pointed to her nose and says "bubbo, bubbo"  From that day on, snot has been called bubble =)
Makes you look at them a whole different way now huh?

Nigh Nigh

Something else that daycare has helped Jesalyn learn is how to use her imagination.  Before she started going, the only time she would play would be if Jarrod or I were playing with her.  She has all these toys in her room and would only go in there if we went in with her.  She would bring her stuffed animals to us and want us to play with her, but would never play on her own.
Since going to daycare, she has been doing this thing with her animals (babies.)  I don't know if she is "playing school" or what, but it's stinkin' adorable.  She gets every single stuffed doll/animal/toy that she has, brings them all in the living room, and lays them on their stomach.  And then, she finds any blanket, dishtowel, and wash cloth that she can find and covers them up, pats their back and says "nigh" "nigh"

 

One night she pulled Jarrod down in the floor and made him go "nigh, nigh" too.

Mother's Day 2011

Yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day at The Cheesecake Factory.  There was an hour and a half wait so we walked around the mall. Jesalyn had a blast running around (supervised of course)

Lunch was delicious! In honor of giving up vegetarianism when I was pregnant with her (I really couldn't each much but meat since I had nasty gestational diabetes) I got a big juicy hamburger with sweet potato fries. 

And you really can't go out to celebrate at The Cheesecake Factory and not get dessert so:

"Ghirardelli Chocolate"

Love me some coffee (with cream) with my dessert!!

Jesalyn enjoyed the cheesecake too

~LOVE~

Mom's day

 Happy Mothers Day to my momma!!

Blessed to be a momma myself!!

Water fun

One day last week while I was on vacation the weather warmed up and Jesalyn kept begging to go outside.  I wanted her to have some fun and enjoy the day but didn't really feel like loading up the car and going to the park.  When I was little, my sisters and I would venture out to the front (or back) yard and play house or make mud pies.  Unfortunately, living in an apartment complex doesn't allow for this type of luxury.  So, momma done the next best thing.  What is one of the most fun things ever for a toddler to play with and doesn't cost a penny??

H2O.

I got a pan out, filled it with water and just let her play.  She started out completely clothed but as they started getting wet, I stripped her down to just her diaper.    She had so much fun!

Not Gone...

I promise I'm still here.  I've just been tied up with other stuff the past few days, but I've got a couple of blogs stewing around in my head. 
Until then...