Happy First Birthday Gus!!!

We had a nice celebration for Gus's First Birthday (6-22) on Father's Day at Hilary's new place in Durham/Chapel Hill. She moved for a new job - I'm excited for her to be 2 hours from us!

We went to her pool for a party with steaks, corn on cob, watermelon, balloons, cup cakes and sparklers. Gus loves the water and really thinks he can swim, it's hilarious. Noah prefers the steps up to his waste, which is a digression from last year when he was jumping in. The presents were a hit - dollar store toys from us and the "Hungry, Hungry Hippo" game from my parents. Noah could play that game all day long.

Happy Father's Day Dad, Don, and Mike. You all are wonderful Fathers. I pray that our sons will live up to your legacy.

Happy First Birthday Gus!!!

I want...

this book by this hip couple with 7 kids! Read about Sixx Design, they'll have a reality show on Bravo soon.
The most interesting part of their story are the names of their kids...Wolfgang, 12, twins Tallulah and Bellamy, 10, Breaker, 8, twins Five and Holleder, 4 and four-month-old Major.

I want...

Make Me Happy

for a friend's shower

a diaper cake I made, also for a friend's shower

I want to paint a piece of furniture this color

Picture collages are fun and changeable

a very popular poster with a good message

I love the blue wall with pink couch

hope to make a growth chart for our kids someday

Want to fill the play room with cute kid prints like this one

http://gracedesignsphotography.blogspot.com

I love these colors for a girl room

These pictures are from a folder entitled "Idea Pictures". The images, colors and subjects make me very happy, so I'll share some of my happiness with you. I love dreaming about all the PINK and frills that will soon be coming to our house. Some of them are my creations and some are other people's creations found on photography blogs, Etsy, and other websites. I'm in the process of "doing" some of them - in my own way, of course. I'll share more when they're "done".

Make Me Happy

Summer

We've been doing a lot of swimming so far this summer, a few picnics with either a concert or movie in the parks, lots of playing with friends and many, many trips to the potty for Noah, for which he has a new friend - A talking "Woody" from Toy Story. In my spare time, I've been packing up boxes for our next move in August to who knows where??

Here are more pictures on my Shuttefly site.

Summer

Social Internet Media and Me

I must admit that sometimes my time on the internet can be rather wasteful - just playing around and doing nothing - leading to wastefulness of my time at home. I'm sure many struggle with this. I go back and forth between loving and hating Facebook status's/tweeting/blogging. I enjoy having an outlet to other adults and a type of "communication" throughout my otherwise home-child-bound day. But I also get into "trouble" sometimes. Facebook/blogs gives me more to gossip about, more to criticize others for, more to compare myself to and so on.

This weekend was very different from most days because I turned my cell phone off (eliminating calls, texts and tweets) and had no access to the Internet. I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED every second of no connection to anyone but the physical people surrounding me. Life seemed easier. I didn't feel the need to compare, please, feel guilty, feel selfish and prideful. I felt like I was away from the real cyber world I live in most days.

Like everything else, all good things must come to an end. I came home and had to reply to emails (which I admit to writing a few sinful things in), start sending texts (which as usual were misinterpreted and led to more sin), check my Facebook and blog.

But this weekend I was also able to reflect on my behavior/attitude and heart in the past few weeks. I am realizing that I've been experiencing a lot of conflict and hurt in relationships. Part of it may be hormonal, but most of it is just my pride and my sinful heart. I know God has caused me to go through these things for a reason, to get my attention and mold me into a more godly woman. I also have realized that I cannot run from these relationships when they start to get a little messy. This is what God intended to happen in life - for us to enter into relationships/community (and unfortunately for us, sin causes them to be imperfect). I teach myself and my coaches that sports outreach is all about bringing out the hearts of people - a great place for this to happen because of competition. We (sports outreach people) love conflict and moments where ministry can happen. So why am I trying to run from these relationships now? No matter how disconnected I make myself from the world, I cannot protect myself from my own pride and hurt from others. I know the steps I need to take in letting God shape me. But how should I approach the Internet - the place where heartfelt, random, or ugly things are written and said for anyone and their mother to read?

The answer God gave me:
I just sat down to check my email one last time for the day and found this article in my inbox by John Piper (one of my favorites) entitled, "Why and How I'm Tweeting". I immediately knew this email was for me from the big man. Thank you God - for answering my prayer through precisely the way I needed it answered - the Internet.

Here is a tidbit:

Now what about Twitter? I find Twitter to be a kind of taunt: “Okay, truth-lover, see what you can do with 140 characters! You say your mission is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things! Well, this is one of those ‘all things.’ Can you magnify Christ with this thimble-full of letters?”

To which I respond:

The sovereign Lord of the earth and sky
Puts camels through a needle’s eye.
And if his wisdom see it mete,
He will put worlds inside a tweet.

“All things were created through Christ and for Christ” (Colossians 1:16). The world does not know it, but that is why Twitter exists and that’s why I Tweet.

John Piper
follow John on Twitter

Social Internet Media and Me

Charleston Camping and Beach

We had such a great weekend on our little family vacation. We camped at James Island County Park in Charleston, SC. Went to Folly Beach which was only 6 miles from our campsite. Saw friends in Mt.Pleasant and played at Isle of Palms Beach.

The highlights for me were: spending time with my family, seeing Noah and Gus's reaction to seeing the ocean for the first time in a year, the sunset, waking up in the tent each morning with them, all you can eat pancake breakfast at the campground, playing at the beach, watching Noah jump the waves and love the ocean, watching Gus walk all over the place and play with sand and not having internet/cell phone to distract me from them.

Noah loved to pee on trees and Gus loved to play in the dirt/sand/rocks/sticks/whatever he could get his hands on, he's definately an outdoorsman. I was so proud of Noah going into the ocean all by himself and not holding on to us as he jumped the waves, he didn't want to leave.

On Sunday we stayed with friends in Columbia, Joe and Sarah Beltz, and cooked out which was so fun. Mike went to a job fair on Monday in Columbia for the state of SC. He was reassigned to a Middle School in Charlotte and isn't too excited about it, but is thankful for a job. He'd rather teach high school and coach CC.

It was a quality weekend with my precious family, and the best part was Mike being with us 24 hours each day.

see more Pictures Here

Charleston Camping and Beach

Tabbouleh Makes me shake my Booty

This is hilarious. My Dad's side is Syrian and we eat Middle Eastern food at get-togethers. Tabbouleh has always been my favorite and I love to make and eat it. My aunt sent me this song and I had to share....he even explains how to make it! ha.



Maia - want some leftover Tabbouleh!? I have some!

Tabbouleh Makes me shake my Booty