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And the winner is....

First, the preparations...

Then, I enlist a helper.

"ETHAN!!" (Who is equally engrossed in a lovely slice of lemon poppyseed bread and "The Upside Down Show"

"WHAT?"

"COME HERE!"

patter-patter-patter.... I love to hear him run. "WHAT?"

"Pick one of these out of here...."

"These things? What are they? How many do I pick?"

"Oh wait, Ethan, that one, give me that one. Just pick one..." (I should've explained this whole process a little better...)

This is the same one he picked. He just wanted a closer look. So I said, "Honey, hold it up for me." This is what I got:

"Can you turn it towards me, Buddy?"

You can see that he turned it towards me but refused to stand still.

So finally, I took matters into my own non-manicured hand...

And I'm pleased to say that this is our winner:

Ms. Tania Willis!

Which, I have to say, is an odd coincidence considering that I just emailed Tania this morning to let her know I would also like to donate a copy of my book to the Jen Gallacher Benefit. I read on 2peas this morning that Jen's son Joey was air lifted last night to the hospital, intubated and told his kidneys were failing. This boy's smile alone is sooo sweet, I just cannot imagine what this family is going through right now. I sent Jen a copy of my book last week, and in it, I wrote this prayer for them:

Numbers 6:25-26

'"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

And that is still my prayer for them at this very hard time. If you're the praying type, please send up a few extra prayers for Jen and her sweet family... and if you didn't win the book but would like another shot, please go to this blog that Tania set up to raise money for Jen. There are tons of amazing prizes there as well... and I can't think of a better cause.

So, Tania, please send me your address! And thank you to everyone else who wished me well on my pregnancy! I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, bloodwork included (fun!), but it'll be good, I think. I have some questions. I've been feeling lots better and have even been able to exercise like normal this week. (Thank God!) So, hopefully the worst of it is behind me!

Have a wonderful day! 

Drawing in the morning!

I was completely planning to draw a name tonight, but it's 10:30 and I cannot keep my eyes open. (I AM SO OLD!!) Sadly, I haven't felt really good today, but I've been home for all of about an hour - ugh. I like to be home when I'm sick!! So... I'm going to print these comments out and draw in the morning! :)

I am so excited to send a copy of the book out! But for now... off to bed! :)

A giveaway. Let's celebrate!

So, I'm pregnant.

Pregnant.

With baby #3. And that changes things.

Especially when Baby #3 likes to make mommy SICK as a dog for two weeks straight. No joke, for the past two weeks, I have not hardly moved from my couch. I have been unable to sit upright for any length of time. How is it that something the size of my pinky fingernail can inflict this kind of pain on a person?

I have to be honest. I had a little breakdown this weekend. I gained that dreaded first pound. My pants do not fit because being my third child, the belly loves to return to that pregnant position. And while I"m only 8 weeks along (that means I have 32 weeks left - THIRTY-TWO)... there is a definite belly protrusion.

And I've only just begun.

sigh.

big.

fat.

sigh.

So, I want to do something happy. I want to give away one of my books. :)

Do you want to play? My book is sitting here, waiting for your hot little hands. Maybe tell me something in a comment about your faith - anything - and tell me if you've ever scrapped anything relating to your faith. I want to hear about it!! And if you have scrapped something faith-related, and you've posted it, link me! Because I want to see it too!! But you don't have to link a layout to win - just leave me a comment! :)

I plan to chronicle much of my pregnancy woes here, I hope you don't mind. For instance, let me just start by telling you how excited Sophia is that she is going to be a big sister again. She just turned six, so she gets it this time. She was only 2 1/2 when Ethan was born. So, when she first found out, I would catch her just staring at my stomach.

"Is it rumbling and grumbling in there?"

"Not yet, Soph."

"Do you need crackers and water? I can get you crackers and water."

I almost always let her get these for me because typically I needed them, but also because I love that she wants to help me.

The other day, she said, "You're tummy is getting a little bit big."

I said, "Sophia, that's just my normal tummy, so don't say that or you might hurt my feelings."

She laughed. Later, we were playing downstairs, and she said something along the lines of, "I can't wait til your tummy gets REALLY big... I'm talking about the baby now, not your fatness."

She said fatness.

I have fatness. And thankfully, I have a sense of humor to go along with my fatness! She makes me laugh.

Anyway, leave me a comment! I want to give away a book! :) I'll draw sometime on Wednesday evening! :)

just thinking...

So.... The first one looked like THIS:

And the second one looked like THIS:

What DO you think the third one will look like???

We'll find out before Christmas!

Feeling Pensive.

This whole world wide web thing is really cool. I mean, you can get things online you wouldn't otherwise have access to - sometimes with low shipping and sometimes they even work out perfectly. You can meet up with old classmates and find out how people are doing - what they've been up to. You can form these little communities of people who almost sometimes make you forget you've got a 'real life' they are so engrained in it - just part of the furniture.

But you know, you are also exposed to emotions and feelings you may otherwise never experience. I'm not talking about stumbling upon 'adult' content or anything like that - I'm talking about being keenly aware of someone else's suffering when you don't even really know the people involved... and then having it profoundly affect you at every turn.

More specifically, I am talking about mothers with children. Beautiful children - who for one reason or another do not survive. Being constantly exposed to stories of horrible injustice - early deaths, accidents, terminal illnesses - and then being on high alert, ready to breakdown at any second, reminded once again of one's own mortality.

I never used to be like this. I could get on a plane and I was fine. I could be miles away from those I loved and I didn't think once about my untimely demise. But then I had children and my entire world became something different. It became so NOT about me - and so MUCH about them. I don't believe in living through your children - and I do still have my own life/interests, etc. BUT... I understand unconditional love so much more now. Knowing that there are those out there who have that taken away from them - long before it should be - is affecting me right now.

And I feel helpless. And thankful. And it makes me want to go kiss my babies and thank God once again for the blessings in my life...

Because we all know - even without the reminders - that time is not on our side. That life slows down for no man.

I feel so moved by this pain - pain of those I don't know - and would never know if it weren't for this computer screen blinking in front of me. I honor their strength. Their courage. Their bravery.

And I wonder - am I better for being aware of these things or does it make me retreat into myself a little too deeply?

I'm just. not. sure.

Scrapbooking Your Faith

It's official!

Yesterday, in a mad rush to get out the door, I nearly tripped over the boxes on my front porch. My copies of Scrapbooking Your Faith had finally arrived. I've seen the book in its finished form, but knowing it's now shipping out of the warehouse and getting into the hands of stores around the country is REALLY exciting! I can't believe that it's been over a year since this process began... and now it's finally here.

I am so excited about this project. It's something I never thought I could do, but God...

We always say that. But God. Whenever the beginning of the sentence is a statement about the impossible, we make the ending BUT GOD. Because through HIM I know I can do anything.

I am going to give away a book this week, though I haven't thought of a good way to do it yet. I'm excited about it. I put a link in my sidebar to get you to it on Amazon. It took me about two hours to figure out how to get the darn thing on there, but there it is! lol

SOME of us aren't so smart when it comes to the computer. (ahem.)

Tomorrow is the Eggstravaganza. Big Easter event that has me worn out. It's all indoors thanks to the FREEZING temps this weekend, but I still think the kids are going to have a blast. At least I hope so. :) I've still got lots to do for it tonight - put together a raffle basket and make a couple flyers at least, but tomorrow it'll all be behind us.

:) Hope your easter is happy!

(PS Brian Mack... I hate small talk because I'm terrible at it! I feel so fake... and I hate being fake! I think I remember YOU being pretty talkative in college... and I'm telling Emily what you said about her spaghetti!) :)

Dear Sir...

I have to wonder if your mother ever taught you the meaning of the word "RUDE"? I have to ask... didn't mama ever explain that phoning someone before 9 a.m. definitely qualifies as RUDE? And calling at 7:08 a.m. when their daughter is on SPRING BREAK and they don't actually HAVE to get up early for the only week since the beginning of the year is grounds for punishment most humans cannot physically bear?

People will never cease to amaze.

Oh, and it's snowing. 35 mph winds and SNOW.

It's APRIL!!!!

siiiiggghhhh....

definition.

They dig for worms. I don't understand it. I certainly don't encourage it. When they find them, I flee. Far, far away. I imagine it's only a matter of months before they realize my contempt for the slimey creatures and begin to torture me with them. Still, I guess I like the fact that they get their hands dirty. I was never that kind of kid, though I did plenty of outdoor playing.

When we were little, it was all about 'go outside and play'... and there you'd be up until dinner time. I would never let my kids play outside nowadays, though. I think it's sad that neighborhoods have sort of deteriorated and no one looks out for anyone anymore. Wonder why that is.

Anyway... it's starting to sort of look like spring here. Thank God. I love when it gets warm after a long winter. This weekend is our monster Easter Egg Hunt. We're frantically trying to get all our eggs in a row in time for the big event, and sadly, they are predicting the temperature to be in the 30's. Ugh. You can't hunt eggs with mittens on for pete's sake.

We've got lots to do. Busy, busy, busy. One of those weeks.

But my life is under some major changes again, I think. Last night, during our church service, our pastor said he felt that God was giving lives 'definition'. That is what I've long needed. My purpose defined. I can feel something starting to shift.

There've been many changes in the past months, including the fact that I am now listed as a contributing editor for Memory Makers Magazine. This, to me, is a really big deal -  because somehow it validates my desire to be a writer. I don't feel so frivolous and silly saying I want to write when I'm actually doing it... it's when I'm just talking about it that I feel kind of ridiculous. I am excited to work with the magazine, and I've seen so many positive changes over the past months. The new staff is really doing a fabulous job - and now that the dust has settled, I think the magazine is back! I love that!

ALSO... and I'm really excited about this!! I've just been added to the Queen and Company Design Team. After years of only working with chatterbox, this will be quite unique for me. And I'm so excited. The team is amazing, and the products are SO FUN. I just can't wait to get started.

So, that's all my big news... and I can feel everything sort of swirling around me right now... I just need to figure out what to latch onto...

Since I haven't quite got it figured out... I'll just post some more worm hunting pictures. :)

Have a great day, friends!