Support TEAM FAITH

OK followers - help me out here!!! The March for Babies is coming up SOON! Check out my badge on the side - see how far behind I am on my donations??? Help me out! $1.00 is appreciated! So many of us have a personal connection to situations that the March of Dimes supports.

Don't let me down!! If you'd still like to join the team, click on the badge on the side. We'd LOVE to have you!!

MORE SOON!

Just When You Think You Know.....

How blessed are you?? I'm sure we would all quickly say VERY BLESSED!!! Read this blog from the beginning and you will have a new, deeper appreciation for blessings!! These are friends of ours and their posts about their adoption journey.

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me!!

We're BAAAACCKKKK........

WHEW! We're back! I mean this on several fronts. Let me explain.

A couple of posts ago, I lamented that our hard drive had crashed. Well, turns out it was the entire motherboard (sounds like a Star Trek reference!). When they tried to replace it, the new one fried too. Thank goodness for tax refund money! Every year we have such plans to pay off things, save, invest in college funds, etc. Every year unexpected expenses pop up right around the time we get our refund. Thank you Lord that you provide it when we need it!! I am now typing on my new MAC that came today!! We made the switch - we are all MAC at our house now! A little scary, I know! For the last month, I've had to share computers with Stewart. Sounds a little spoiled, but he has CONSTANT work to do with his Ed.S. degree he is working on, so my requests to check blogs, read emails, pay bills, etc. seemed trivial in his busy world. I did sneak on some, but not nearly enough!! So, here I sit in front of a GIANT, TV like screen with the tiniest keyboard and "smart" mouse. It's definitely smarter than me!!

We're also back from a Spring Break get-a-way! We ventured out to the new water park resort in Sevierville. If you haven't been and you have kids, you should plan a trip soon! It's a little pricey, but considering it has restaurants, arcades, and more water activities than you can name, you could go and never leave! Taking into consideration all the places you could go and tickets you would buy makes the room price not bad! Check out their website!

I also feel like saying "I'm BACK" in the everyday, I think I can do it, I know what my name is, we all have a supply of clean clothes and underwear waiting, I'm pretty sure we'll make it another day - sense of things!! I've been in a FUNK the last few months! I'm blaming it on transitions (I don't do well with changes in routines!!), too many sick days, and not enough sunshine!! Just the past few days have felt so much more like ME! With Mom's help, I reorganized and repurposed a few areas in the house this weekend. All of you with growing babies know about constantly re-thinking where to play, how to store toys, etc as they grow, develop, and learn to get into new things. We were long overdue making our playroom safe for EK to play in! It had been Abby's palace full of tiny toys easily swallowed for TOO long! We spent too much time running after EK making sure she didn't have anything in her mouth! No more! Abby has a play area in her bedroom now with her "big girl" things, and the playroom is safely shared by both girls! I'm still about 5 loads shy of getting all the laundry caught up, and now I need to switch the closets to spring clothes, but hey, at least I'm moving in the right direction!!

I have MUCH more to say.......but I'm trying not to have a forever long post here! Stay tuned for more ramblings........

Opposite of ARRRGGGGGhh.....

Today has been a GREAT day!! Totally opposite of the "ARRGGGHHHH....." day earlier this week!! Nothing major - Stewart was caught up on his never ending homework associated with his Ed.S. degree he's working on, EK was in a super great mood, Abby is SO excited for it to be spring break, and we went out to eat with friends after church with no fit or eyebrow raising looks from surrounding tables! I'm still trying to work on those moments that the fear of "what's going to happen next?" starts to creep up. Tonight as I rocked EK and snuggled with Abby, I tried my best to be only in THIS moment and not worry about another. I pray the Lord will help me continue to do that!!

Here are a few pictures......EK before church and Abby after :) We're all so excited to be going out of town later this week. We ALL need a get-a-way!
I haven't solved the hard drive issue, but I have found that almost all if not all of the "lost" pictures are spread out among Stewart's, my Mom's and my computer at work. I had also uploaded a lot already to Shutterfly and just hadn't done anything with them yet. I WILL be researching and subscribing to one of those automatic back up programs after this. I think I felt more physically sick over this than any stomach virus!!

Happy Spring Break Week!!

Just one of those days.....

AAArrrgggg........... that's what I'm feeling......just aarrrrggggg.....

Forgive the rambling - maybe if I get it out it will help. Somehow writing is therapeutic. May as well try. This is your warning - probably nothing inspiring here!

1. My hard drive crashed!!!!! I've NEVER had this happen! I've taught tech classes for years, and never have I ever had anything like this happen! One day it was fine, the next gone!!! I can reload emails and contacts, I'm not as worried about the files, but MY PICTURES!!! I'm backed up from Abby's birth until her 4th birthday! Hello - that eliminates a year and a half of her life and ALL of EK's life!!!!! EVERYTHING!!! I'm digging for memory cards, checking work computers, Shutterfly albums, etc. I'm sure I'll find a way, but the thought is making me want to alternately throw up and squall!!

2. My "rookie" status at work is starting to wear on me. I LOVE, LOVE my new job and the opportunities it offers! I am SO thankful that the Lord has provided it, but the learning curve is STEEP! Everyone says, "Don't worry, it will come. You will never know it all, etc." But I'm exhausted from turning in circles trying to do the right thing and then hoping and praying I did! This will sound really exalted, but going from KNOWING what I was doing and doing it well, to not having a CLUE is wearing on my nerves!

3. Layla Grace - most of you know about her. If you don't, here is her site. The death of a child brings it ALL back. Completely different circumstances, but the death of a child just hits TOO close to home. As much as I've tried to pray for the family, but not get pulled into the details, it's like a haunting in the back of my spirit that I can't escape from.

Just one of those days - all the tiny details fell apart in my lap. Were any of them life shattering - absolutely not! Meanwhile, they've put my grandmother in the hospital. Thankfully, it is a condition that she has battled for several years, and this episode doesn't seem to be a super serious one.

Just one of those days where you want to go back to bed and start over to see if the details fall in place this time!!

Good notes - had a GREAT Girl's Night Out with some GF's from church! Great times!! Tomorrow is another day - I WILL roll out of bed on the other side and keep rolling. Just one of those aaaarrrgggg..... kind of days!

Directions

Several have asked for directions to tomorrow night's Praying for Kensley Celebration Concert. It will be held in the auditorium at the Columbia High/New Century Technology High School campus. The school address is 300 Explorer Blvd. Here are some basic directions:
1. From 565, exit onto Research Park Blvd
2. Immediately exit onto Old Madison Pike.
3. Turn right onto Old Madison Pike.
4. Pass Bridge Street Town Center.
5. Go about 1 mile to the red light at Jan Davis Road.
6. Turn right on Jan Davis.
7. When Jan Davis dead ends, turn left on Explorer Blvd. The school is on the left.

Hope to see you there!!

Praying for Kensley Celebration Concert

Please join us this Friday night for the Praying for Kensley Celebration Concert! It will be held at New Century Technology High School/Columbia High School Auditorium. It will feature many southern gospel groups who have all been affiliated with Dustin and Melissa and their families. This is a benefit for the family, but more than that, it is a celebration of where God has brought Kensley since that fateful day in October (read here). Word is Miss Kensley herself is going to sing!!

We would love to see you there!