When a Mess Becomes a Message

There are many great mysteries in life, such as...

1) The Loch Ness monster

Is it a swimming dinosaur?  A ghost??  Just what exactly is going on here?

2.  The Bermuda Triangle

AKA Randy Carlson's GPS..."When possible, make a U-Turn."

3.  And perhaps the greatest mystery of all...the first window of a Burger King drive thru.

Unfortunately for both my skinny pants and cholesterol level I've ordered Burger King in many locations and states throughout my life.  My conversation with the order taker always ends the same: "Second window, please."  WHY does Burger King even bother to build a first window?  Why does it exist?? What PURPOSE does it serve???  Admittedly, this question has burned my mind for years.

And the other day another profound question hit me...what does one horse call the other horse in a stall?  His neigh-bor?  Do they laugh about that?  These are the kinds of things I wonder about when I'm up from 1:00-5:00 am with my (almost) FIFTEEN month child who has slept through the night MAYBE five times.

Truthfully some mornings it should not be legal for me to operate a car.  My lack of sleep is equivalent to a warning on a medicine bottle.  "Do not operate heavy machinery.  Do not go to work."  If only I could make an argument for the latter.

  If your baby sleeps through the night, that's wonderful, and it makes life easier for one of us.  Just please don't tell me about it.  I'll give myself a spasm, and we don't need any more hospital bills.

"Won't you be my "neigh"-bor?"

"OMG, like I've never heard that one before..."

Like Ryan so eloquently told me the other day..."Katharine, use that head for a brain instead of just a scarf holder."

He might be on to something.  But at least I do pay attention and focus sometimes...like when our waiter brought fresh bread to the table the other night at Texas Roadhouse.

Ryan was just about to bless our meal when what to my wondering eyes should appear but four BUTTERY rolls.  If you've never had their cinnamon honey butter, you have my deepest condolences.

Ryan started the prayer as my arm was in sprint position, ready to grab the fluffiest one, but he thought it would be extra funny to add to his usual short and simple blessing by talking about all the children of the world, those sick with the flu, "and bless us all...." etc.  He kept opening his eyes and saw me reaching during his eternal prayer.

I think I speak for most southern Baptists when I say that it is GREAT when the Lord calls someone, but if you are the last one down the aisle at 11:59 AM, or if you decide to pray for all the populations and countries when your meal has just arrived you just might get an evil eye.  

A fair warning

I was watching a psychotic Lifetime movie the other day about Munchausen syndrome.  Not that it's funny at all, but I have a similar condition.  It's called munch-in-the-house disorder.  Five minutes into my favorite TV show and I have already gone through a bowl of popcorn or chips.  Up next?  Gimme that candy bowl.

During this time of year it's tempting to sit at home all day with a fluffy blanket and hours of DVR. With your family around, what more could you need?  Over Christmas I said to my Dad, "You know what would be nice?  If we could all just move in together...our whole family and Ryan's family."

"Sure," he said, "but one of us is bound to wind up with our front and side pictures in the post office."

But truthfully I can't imagine what we would do without our parents, grandparents, and brothers.  They are phenomenal, and to have them in our lives is a blessing far beyond anything we could imagine.

It's been pretty cold lately, and my wish for some snow and ice days is greater than that of all the school kids across America COMBINED.  I thrive on chaos and excitement.  Can we PLEASE just have a little snow like we did last year??? Minus the falling on the ice.

Let's give the Snow Dance a chance.

I would seriously flip over one measly flurry.  Meanwhile, in Chicago where Uncle Jay resides...

Can you imagine seeing this every day?  This is as beautiful as a Thomas Kinkade painting.  And it would make a fabulous puzzle.

One of the only downsides to winter is that flu and sickness are rampant.  Emerson has had lots of congestion for several weeks now, so we've had to bring out one of the worst and most terrifying gadgets in history.  I'm not talking about an axe, chainsaw, or jack hammer....I'm referring to...

THE NEBULIZER OF TERROR!!!

Her breathing has sounded particularly bad recently, and once it's determined that she needs another treatment Ryan and I make eye contact in fear, for we know what lies ahead.  It takes BOTH of us and all our strength combined to hold her down while she screams, twists, and turns in a possessed state.   Next time, we might just have to call the priest.

"May the power of Christ compel you!  ...and relax your sinuses."

Fortunately, she recovers pretty quickly afterwards with cartoons and Goldfish.

One year ago today was my first day back to work on MLK day.  THIS year I got to stay home with Emerson and have a wonderful day all to ourselves.

On the left is a picture of her first day of daycare.  On the right is last week when- for the first time- she walked into her 'classroom' on her own.  I want to put her in a box and keep her forever.

She is absolutely every beat of my heart.  How could anyone- EVER- for ANY reason, think of harming a child?  And on that note...

The Story of Melissa Ohden

Several months ago I came across the above video on Youtube about a girl who survived an abortion.   It is a story that is as incredibly captivating and miraculous as it is heartbreaking...but God's in the life makeover business, and He was going to turn a mess into a message.  Instead of living in bitter resentment she has chosen to share her story with all who will hear it.  Out of millions of aborted children she is one of a handful of survivors.   Obviously, she couldn't keep that to herself.  She met a pastor along her journey that told her about how he used to pray outside of St. Luke's Hospital for the safety of the babies.  That's where Melissa was born.  Coincidence?  I think not.  It's just that most of us don't actually get the chance to meet our guardian angels.

In August of 1977 Melissa's birth mother was forced to have an abortion by her mother, who was a prominent nurse and didn't want any "shame" in the family.  Melissa's mother was injected with a saline solution that was meant to scald her to death.  The normal procedure was to soak the baby for three days.  Melissa was left in the solution for five days.  Scientifically speaking, she shouldn't have survived.  Not only did the abortion fail, but Melissa is COMPLETELY, 100% healthy and normal.

That reminds me of a Bible story...

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego escape the fiery furnace unharmed...Daniel, Chapter 3

Melissa's own grandmother was present during the birth and still wanted her to be put to death, even after holding her, but two nurses ended up saving her life.  Melissa and her sister were adopted, and then shortly after their parents were expecting a child of their own, a boy.  It wasn't until around fourteen years of age that Melissa learned the true story.

In 2007 Melissa reached out to her real father and mother.  Her father was in the hospital battling cancer, but his father found the letter she'd written him while cleaning out his office after his death.  Melissa now has a wonderful relationship with her real grandfather.  She also connected with her mother who- up until 2013- thought that Melissa died after birth.  After years of probable guilt, resentment, and sadness, it was revealed to her that not only was her daughter alive, but she was sharing her story with millions, and oh, by the way...Melissa and her husband have TWO precious girls, making her mother a grandmother.  She has no anger toward her real parents or grandmother.  That's the impact that the love of Christ can have on someone.

Melissa has a book coming out next year, and I can hardly wait to read it.  Her story keeps getting more amazing. I am absolutely captivated by her message.  Who would have known that I would have the opportunity to meet her face to face and sing "To Call You Mom" at a banquet where she was the featured speaker.   I hope she and I cross paths again very soon!

When you become a parent it encompasses SO many more titles.  And if you don't have kids of your own you can rest assured that these will apply to your parents.

1. Psychologist

How does that make you feel?  On second though, I think I already know.

2.  Personal stylist

Baby phat cat

3.  Personal scrubber

Splish, splash, I was takin' a bath...

4.  Hairstylist

Now booking for Prom 2030 appointments

5.  Comforter

Loud noises are FRIGHTENING!  So are shots.

6.  Storyteller

Once upon a time there was a girl who slept all night.  Yep, that's a STORY, alright.

7. Lifesaver

"Emerson, no driving near the bricks or stairs."  Seriously, I save her from an average of two hundred life threatening incidents per hour.

8.  Best friend

"Greater love has no one than this..." John 15:13

9.  A Role model

Emphasis on role.  Model status is definitely dwindling these days.

10.  Someone's EVERYTHING

So while I hardly have it all together most days, my greatest accomplishment thus far is already here.   She calls me Mommy.

Actually, more like "Mamamamamamama."  But you get the point.

I Beam While Looking Back on 2014

This post is two-in-one (Christmas happenings and the year 2014 in review).  Consider it an extra present...or a warning! 

Magical.  The Christmas season of 2014 was absolutely magical; there is no other way to describe it!

It was the perfect mix of fun, fa la las, and a little bit of insanity.

Friday, December 19th I drove home like a ball shot out of a cannon.  I was SO ready to say goodbye to work for a while.  

Rollin' down 95...

I enjoy every moment at First Baptist Church.  Ashlyn and I were particularly coordinated on the 21st!  Red seemed to be the color of the day.  As did leopard spots.

"Lord now, indeed I find

Thy power and thine alone

Can change the LEOPARD SPOTS

And melt a heart of stone?

You'll now think of this lyric from here on out every time "Jesus Paid It All" is sung in church.  You're welcome.

Every year we have a family luncheon at Granny Earl's house before Christmas.  It began innocently enough until sweet Granny fell after our meal and fractured her shoulder!  Nothing says holiday cheer like a loud crash, ambulance lights, and paramedics.  We were grateful that it was only a fractured shoulder and that she is well on her way to a full recovery!

Ryan and I had three grandparents fall over the Christmas holidays.  Warning: do not try fall la la- ing at home.  It could end dangerously.  

The Christmas Communion service is one of my favorites of the year.  With all the hustle and bustle I look so forward to those few quiet moments of taking the cup and the bread and remembering that Jesus is to be celebrated year round.

Later that week: what happens when you have two parties on the same evening?  You make it possible to be in two places at once, of course!

#finkleajordantimewarp

Soon I realized that I needed to actually wrap and assemble Emerson's gifts before Christmas morning.  She's fourteen months old; how hard could this possibly be?  Half an hour later I had stripped two nails and realized I bought the wrong kind of batteries, all while turning the directions around every which way to try and understand the assembly instructions.  I even glanced at the Spanish section hoping they'd make more sense.  

Como esta de Little People castle. Que no make sense?

I now know the origin of Atheism; sadly some people lost their religion assembling Christmas toys.

And somewhere in the middle of all the chaos I decided to learn the entire "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo" piano piece made famous by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

You can watch it here.

The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Dillon First Baptist Church is one of the absolute highlights of my year.  There is only one place I want to be at 5:00 PM on December 24th, and that's here.

That special moment when all the candles are lit is one that will live with me forever.  I wait a whole year for that event, and all is truly well during that moment.  It warmed my heart to sing "All is Well" during the candle lighting this year. It's been one of my favorites since the 1998 Point of Grace Christmas album I listened to over and over.

Every year many people bring babies and young children to the service.  Because both of our families were coming we decided to bring Emerson.  I will say that I was just slightly nervous about having her present during such an occasion.  There were only about a million things that could go wrong.  

"Turn in your Bibles to----WAAAAH!!!"

"Now it's time to light the---AHHHHH!!!"

"Bow your heads and let's ----BABABADADADADA!!!!!"  

But she SLEPT the entire time...right through the organ playing, choir singing, message, songs, candle lighting, and benediction.  Better to be safe than sorry!  Ryan was sitting directly under the wreath on the back row, and I glanced back there nervously many times during the service.  I should have listened to myself...all was well!

After church we dug into fried turkey at Ryan's house.  It was different this year, since his grandmother, Mattie Lee, had just been released from the hospital that morning, and it had already been decided that all of Ryan's side of the family would eat separately.  We still got to see most of the family, even if it wasn't quite the same.  We're still counting our blessings!

I put a lot of meticulous effort into selecting Emerson's toys this year.  Imagine my dismay when she woke up on Christmas morning with a wheeze worse than a tea kettle.

We spent at least an hour and a half during prime gift opening time trying to track down a pharmacist, doctor, and a nebulizer.

I brought home about forty outfits for her to wear and yet miraculously left the nebulizer.  It didn't occur to me that I'd need it.  So next time I WILL bring everything but the kitchen sink. The poor baby couldn't breathe!

Stocking STUFFer...

But finally after the breathing treatment we were able to keep her awake long enough to thoroughly enjoy all of her toys.  She really loved everything!  One of my personal favorites was the Ball Popper.  It's loud and exciting!  Just how I like my parties.  And conversations.  And basically anything in life.

Every year at the Craftsman's Christmas classic I have eyed these puzzle stools.  Keith Hartman (owner of Quality Woodcrafts) has a booth every year that has really impressed me.  Each stool takes a process of three days to make, and the entire thing is carved by hand and made from scratch.  What a find!  I absolutely love it.  

I'd say that Emerson made out like a bandit this year...AND received lots of noise making toys. Bring on the Excedrin.

And she has quite the unconventional way of playing with her Little People Cinderella castle:

It's like that scene in Diary of a Man Black Woman where Madea takes a chainsaw and slices the entire home- belongings and all- in half.  It appears that Cinderella and Prince Charming had quite the argument.  Perhaps finding Aladdin in the foyer brought on the questions.

"I'mma give YOU a whole new world!!!"

Kevin kept saying he wanted to buy Emerson a stuffed elephant for Christmas, so imagine my thrill when we found this bean bag elephant in Home Goods.  Then imagine my SCREAM of excitement when I saw the tag that read: "Emerson the Elephant!!!"  It was meant to be.

I later showed the elephant picture to my grandmother who clearly didn't read the tag carefully and said, "Emerson the Eggplant.  How nice!"

Somehow these bean bags didn't sell as well.

One of my MANY Christmas projects, aside from a 15 minute year-in-review DVD for our families, poems, and hilarious books, I made shadow boxes for Kevin and Jay that were inspired by Jamie's awesome gift to me.  Jay's is a Green Bay symbol, and Kevin's is a deer head among camouflage. 

After Christmas the cheer continued as we had an absolutely hilarious game night at Virginia Bowman's house.  The chicken chili, desserts, and fellowship were EQUALLY fabulous.  I only wish that this group could hang out more often and that things like life, jobs, school, and miles weren't between us during so many months out of the year.  I love every moment with them!

I helped host a reception for Caroline and Robert on the 27th.  They are a wonderful couple that will serve the Lord in all that they do.  I can't wait to see what He has in store for their lives!

I worked Monday and Tuesday last week while Ryan was off, so my family went to Columbia for three days. We were packed like absolute sardines in the van on the way back; I had my usual U-Haul load, but this time the Christmas gifts were along for the ride, too.  I could barely move my legs.  Emerson must have taken notice, because a few days later that she was doing something strange with her toy car; she was stuffing it full of blocks.

Yep, that's pretty much how we roll when Mama packs.

I don't know if I should be flattered or downright embarrassed that my vehicle disarray has rubbed off on her.

Before we left for Columbia last Sunday Emerson was running a 101.4 fever, but fortunately I talked to the wonderful Dr. Ramirez, and we brought it down with Motrin before leaving.  The next day Jay accompanied me on a trip to the pediatrician to check her out.

The fever didn't stop her from running all OVER the office, and every time someone's name was called she thought it was hers.  She was fumbling through magazines, yelling, and handing out what appeared to be salvation tracts.  When we tried to stack the magazines back up she had a fit and fell on the floor like she had been touched by the Spirit.

Of course the movie had already ended on the courtesy TV in the room.  I NEVER catch one of those while they're playing; that would make my life easier.  I always seem to enter the waiting room with the ending credits rolling.  

Another Mom was waiting with her three girls a few chairs down, one of whom couldn't have been older than three. She looked at Emerson screaming and then back at her mother and proclaimed,  "Mama, it's tough having a baby, isn't it?"  The mother replied, "Yes, honey, it's tough."  TRUE STORY!

Once in the examining room Emerson began barricading the door with this metal rack in an attempt to block the doctor from coming in.

Somehow he managed to get past her treacherous trap...(we distracted her with juice and fixed the room without her knowledge).  Then he checked her ears and told us that she had a double ear infection.  At least her antibiotic tastes like Bubblegum.

Later my family spent at least FIVE hours taking down my Christmas decorations.  Looking back on it, I have no clue how I ever did that all by myself.  It looked like every war and weapon of mass destruction had been reincarnated in my living room.

The next day I thought, "Hey! I should wear those new boots I got for Christmas!"

They were a little tighter than I remembered, but the salesman told me that leather stretches and that I should get a size that is a little snug initially.  Okay.  Well the more I walked around Wal-Mart the worse the pain got.

Is this self check-out lane open?  OUT OF MY WAY!

It was not until I got home two hours later and took them off that I realized one minor mistake.  I had left the PLASTIC in the shoes!!!

There's your sign, Sherlock.  I could not believe I had made such an egregious error.  I don't care what Barbie Girl says...life in plastic is NOT fantastic.

We also enjoyed having Christmas with my grandparents and Uncle, minus Ryan who was on vacation and poor Mama who had a terrible upper respiratory infection and sore throat.

Mama's new found voice earned her an audition for the new spin-off on 'Tales From the Crypt.'  

We rang in New Year's Eve in Dillon and watched fireworks and the ball drop at Rene and Steve's.  Look who stayed up for the entire occasion and fell asleep two minutes after the ball dropped?  Also, she was not a fan of the fireworks that sounded like bombs.

In the last couple days of freedom I enjoyed Percy and Willie's lunch and the new Annie movie with Meagan AND a fun day with Anna and Jordan.

2014 was such an absolutely wonderful year.  There were so many new holidays and milestones that we got to experience with Emerson, so much happened in our family, and we had a million things to be thankful for.  Here's a 2014 recap:

January

Ryan and I rang in the New Year in Columbia with Emerson, which included a trip to Outback where she had an infamous accident at the table.  That diaper change took ten minutes and about ten thousand wipes.

Later that month the Snowpocalypse happened, and my Mom was literally "iced in" the Lexington Medical Center after her ablation.  They were running out of room for patients, so they contracted with a company and arranged for an ambulance ride across town to take her home.  It stalled at the bottom of our hill, and the paramedics walked my Mother safely to our front door.

How's THAT for delivery?  The whole time she was texting me from the stretcher that the interstate was completely deserted and looked like the rapture had occurred.

We celebrated Emerson's three month "Birthday" on January 29th with snow and a fluffy bear suit.  What a way to ring in the first quarter of her life!

She also attended her first ever Birthday party that month for Wren!

February

Emerson's first Valentine's Day was also filled with ice and snow.  BOTH my Dad and I took horrible falls trying to move our cars out of the driveway.  He fell on his head; I hit my hip and sliced my hand.  Ice = 2, Poppy and Katharine = 0.  As a result Jay gave each of us special rubber/cleat covers to put over our shoes in the event of another ice storm.  He said that he loves gag gifts that are also practical.

#beprepared

I tried my first ever at-home picture session with Emerson that month and fell in love with photographing her and experimenting with different backgrounds.  This would quickly become a hobby (Easter, Dedication, Fourth of July, and Christmas pictures to follow).

February 2014 also marked Emerson's first trip to the ER for potential RSV that ended up being something viral and non threatening.  However, don't we all get sick on weekends and holidays and other times when the doctor is not open??

Fortunately she got better quickly. On February 29th we celebrated her fourth month!  This was also the exact day that we found Emerson flipped over in her crib for the first time.

March

This month included many playdates, visits, parties, and her first stroll around the neighborhood.

Spring Birthdays in our family include Mama, Nanny, and Daddy.

*Not pictured here is Jay.  He was doing the Charleston Bridge Run while the rest of us pigged out on cake.  The skinniest one of us.  And he was running....

We were blessed to be alive and celebrate month FIVE!

April

Highlights of this month included Laurel and Jennifer's weddings and Easter!

We definitely made our rounds for her first Easter.  I had several friends over for a pre Easter celebration, and at church on Sunday Emerson was passed around more than the offering plate!

We also found out that Laura and Scott were going to have a baby girl!

We celebrated month six with a new pair of kicks!

May

Emerson took her first school pictures this month.  And I'm pretty sure she got an A+.

May also included my first Mother's Day and was so incredibly special.  Emerson was dedicated, we had a big celebration dinner in her honor, and we had our first mother/daughter photo session.

We celebrated month seven in Heaven!

June

On June 4, 2014, we celebrated our wedding anniversary.  Three was the special number of the day; I had a huge crush on Ryan in the third grade, and we celebrated our third anniversary as a family of three.  How often does that happen?

On Ryan's first Father's Day I painted signs for all of our Dads representing how long they had been fathers.  Seven months now seems like so long ago!

June also began the month of some awesomely fun activities, like crawling, standing, swimming, and going to the park!

At the end of June we bid farewell to Jay as he took off to begin his Doctorate of Philosophy in Chicago.

Month eight was mighty great!

July 

We celebrated her first July 4th with a trip to the beach, and...a picture session?  Imagine that. 

I helped host baby showers for Laura and Meagan, and we also enjoyed ourselves at some Birthday parties.  At the end of the month I played and sang in Leah and Don's wedding.

We felt fancy and fine as we celebrated month nine!

August

Emerson put on her Gamecock cheerleading uniform for the first time.  Unfortunately it did the Gamecocks absolutely no good this season.

I also had the opportunity to sing in Dillon Congregational's Sing Fling again.  What a nice group of people they are! The second week of that month Ryan's mother came to keep Emerson and ended up taking care of THREE sick children; add Ryan and me to the list.  We all got a stomach virus, and mine ended up putting me in the ER, where I soon found out that I had gallstones that needed to be evicted from my body.

But that didn't stop me from making a trip to Monroe just a few days later to celebrate with Emily and Myers for their wedding day!

On August 20th, the same day that Meagan had her baby girl, Charlotte, I had my gallbladder removed and was out of work for two weeks in what was a very tough recovery.  Fortunately I had a wonderful in-home nurse.

To celebrate month TEN we dressed like a hen!

September

We commemorated Labor Day with Emerson's first trip to the zoo...in 100 degree heat.

And the first weekend of that month we celebrated Gabe and Audrey's Birthdays AND met Charlotte for the first time...all on the same day!

I also made this parenting parody of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off."

Time for fall school pictures!  How about a little flashback?  We've been sailing away since 1987 all the way into 2014!

Emerson went to another Birthday party that month, too! She also popped the buttons off of that outfit.  What made me think that she'd still be in 12 month clothing at less than a year? Hahaha.  She wears 2t now.  

And this little cupcake turned eleven months old!

October

October 2014 included more events than there are pieces of glitter in a jar.  It is an explosive month of Birthdays in our family: mine and Ryan's, his Mom's, his cousin's, my grandfather's, and even more.  It is THE month to be born!  This year we both celebrated our milestone of turning thirty when he surprised me with a weekend at a Bed and Breakfast in Asheville where we visited Biltmore.  It was incredible!  I also had family celebrations and dinner with my wonderful friends.

We met my Mom's brother and sister in honor of what would have been Grandmama Alice's 100th Birthday, October 5th, and Emerson got to meet some of her cousins for the first time!

We celebrated Ryan's Birthday with a cookout at his parents' house.

On October 18th we had a blast at Caroline and Robert's wonderful wedding.

The following weekend was the "Emerson Alice in 'ONE'derland" Birthday party.  You only turn one once in a lifetime; that's for sure!

We brought Emerson home from the hospital on Halloween day last year, so I guess that didn't technically count as her first halloween.  This year I knew I had to do something extra special, so I made a dog house to go with this precious costume.

#happyhowloween

November

We celebrated Aria's Birthday princess style AND met Miss Maddie Moody, the newest great Moody granddaughter.

Thanksgiving was a BLAST.  This turkey was a ham!

We welcomed Jay home with open arms, especially after his missed flight.  Thanks to Ryan for picking him up at the airport and saving the day!

December

We rang in our month with a hospital stay for pneumonia on the 1st, but I believe you have seen for yourself how special the rest of the month was.  Highlights include FBC's "Born is the King" musical, Megan and Josh's reveal party, Ryan's new truck, and almost TWO WEEKS of non stop family and friend gatherings, church services, parties, meeting Santa, and CHRISTMAS itself...need I say more?

And to think, these are just the highlights.   I'm sure that I have missed some events, even after all of that!

You've just gotta keep looking forward and looking UP...like Emerson's hair statements this year.

Every January the same bittersweet feelings kick in.  Do I really have to say goodbye to this year?  The past two years in particular have been so packed full of blessings that I don't want them to end.  There are few things more depressing in my opinion than taking down the Christmas tree.  Want to know why I always have fake trees? Because I couldn't bear to throw it away.  True story.  It breaks my heart to see Christmas trees by the side of the road.  I mean, let me get this straight.  You pick a tree out at a farm and fawn all over it, take it home and decorate it, put a bow or angel on its head for a few weeks, and then, BAM!  In the can. 

Everything you own in a box to the left.

I mean, we are all about 'saving the trees', right?  This just doesn't sit well with me.

There are many reasons to feel down in the dumps after Christmas is over, but there are also many reasons to be positive.  Here's how I'm trying to look at it:

After Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve, January gives us a chance to recharge our batteries.  Get in better shape.  Pick up that old project were were working on, (like Emerson's scrap book that has been sitting, unfinished, for months).  Enjoy the TONS of new TV shows that are about to return.  Dive back into the Bible.  Relax.  Not be in a panic about having gifts to buy and deadlines.  Start a new hobby.  Look forward to the SNOW!  "They" say that winter is going to be tough this year;  I am personally hoping for an epic snow storm, because I thrive on chaos and disaster.

Just think: while 2015 may be unfamiliar to us now and unchartered territory, in just a few months we are going to be looking back on the memories we made, and we're going to miss it.  One of my main goals for this year is to live with purpose in EVERYTHING that I do.  Even if I don't like doing it.  Sweeping the floor may not be my favorite past time, but it keeps dirt out of the house that could cause sickness, and it protects Emerson from swallowing something she shouldn't.  You see...it has a purpose.  Even if we don't see it.  All things need to be done for His glory.  One of the things I desire more than anything in this world is to find out God's will for my life (in addition to being a wife, mother, daughter, and sister), but if I seek Him daily I know He will reveal it to me in His time.  

If you're reading this you have been given a whole new year of promise, possibility, hope, and future.  Some of us may not have the entire year, but it has already started.

Make each day count...before it's a memory.