Prayers

I don't understand why some of us are dealt more difficult hands than others. Why some of us have to face incomprehensible challenges while others just seem to float through life, seemingly unscathed, without having to face any real adversities. And I especially don't understand why sometimes, even those who have faced even the toughest of situations, STILL encounter devastating road blocks through life. It just doesn't seem fair. To be honest, I sometimes get angry and think, "Okay, God. Xxxx has endured enough in his/her life. Give him/her a break." But it just doesn't go that way sometimes. And it makes me sad and frustrated and hurt and confused. 

I will never understand why the world works the way it does. At least, not during my time on Earth. As my favorite blogger, Glennon Melton says, life is beautiful and brutal. Life is brutifal. I'm just not sure why some have to face more of the brutal sometimes. It just isn't right. 

What I do know, is that life isn't fair. But what I also know, is that during these times, when my beliefs are shaken and my world view narrows and my heart starts to harden as a form of self-preservation, is that I need to turn to my faith. 

So, I pray. I pray with all my might, for good things to happen for good people. For faith and hope and love and good to persevere. 

I believe in the power of prayer. 

And so. I ask you to please, right now, as part of an unnamed prayer request, take a moment and send a prayer up to our good Lord. I've had many a conversation with Him. He'll be expecting your prayers. He'll know what they're in reference to; so, don't worry about the whole "unnamed" part. 

Thank you in advance. 

Coffee Date Friday: With My Sentimental Mug

The happiest of caffeine cheers to you! Today, should we meet for coffee (as part of a link up with Rags to Stitches), I would clink mugs with you using my beautiful new mug my sweet baby sister surprised me with earlier this week. She knew I regretted not buying it during when we were shopping around town during her recent Bachelorette weekend and gifted it to me earlier this week. I absolutely love it and the sentimental value it will always hold. So, cheers to thoughtfulness, family, and the fact that it's Friday!

Today, I would share with you:

...That my hardcore boozin' kickball team has our first game tonight at 6:30 pm. Woot! Now, dear Lawd, puh-lease don't let me pull a Charlie Brown and totally whiff when up at bat...er...at kick. 

...That, as I mentioned during our last coffee date, I am home for the next two weekends and am beyond excited to be a full-blown weekend homebody for a bit. While the last month o' traveling has been fun, fun, fun, I am tired, tired, tired. And have quite a few things to accomplish around the house.

...That I woke up yesterday feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as a Momma. That I found my creative kiddo spirit again and am excited for some fun things that I have planned for my babies in the up-coming weeks!

...That I am excited to head out for some solo outlet shopping for a large portion of the day tomorrow to (1) Stock up on fall/winter clothes for my kiddos, and (2) Soak up some quality me-time and quiet solitude before the craziness that awaits me next week (more on that at a later date). 

...That spending time with my girlfriends is so, so good for my soul. There is just nothing like being in a room full of women I love and admire, all so different but all so aware that the friendship we share is special. 

...That, while I absolutely LOVE to write-it is certainly my favorite personal pastime-I have had less time, and at times, less of a desire, to do so lately and am trying to quiet the voice that insists I write, write, write and instead focus on writing when I feel the urge. Quality not quantity is key for me. But. Still. Writing is my therapy and I think I need to try to carve out more time to do one of the things I so love to do. 

...That we recently tried a cowhide in place of our huge ugly outdated blue shag rug in our family room. While we were excited for the change, we decided we are definitely not cool enough to pull it off. So, back to the drawing board for home decor. Hopefully, things will go as planned, and we will have a major home decor do-over by the end of September. 

...That, to be honest, sometimes I struggle with my identity: of what I am good at, of what I was put on this earth to do, of what I want to accomplish during my life. I see others who are good at certain things, and enjoy doing those things, and wonder why I lack that talent and desire. But, as my favorite pastor, Andy Stanley, says, "There is no win in comparison." I couldn't agree more. I am going to really try to focus on being the best me and not the best somebody else. 

...That there are still just a few more images I need for my children's book. I may make one final plea for the remaining photos soon. I'm ready to see this thing in print!

And, now that our mugs are empty, I would give you a tight squeeze, thank you for being a good listener, and wish you the best as we went our separate ways to kick off the weekend.  I would also let you know that this will be our last Coffee Date Friday for awhile, as I have something else up my sleeve planned for the next few weeks. Stay tuned, and have a good one! Cheers! 

Summer Bucket List 2013: Making Progress

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good list. I don't go anywhere without my trusty notebook tucked away into the deepest depths of my diaper bag. Anyone who knows me also knows that if I don't write it down, I probably won't remember it. So. Again, my lil' notebook must be readily handy. 

Thus, it should come as no surprise that I love me a good, seasonal bucket list. Not only does it hold the promise of fun summer activities, it allows me to keep track of what we have done and what we hope to do before Labor Day arrives. 

You may remember when I first posted our 2013 Summer Bucket List. Well, I am happy to report we've been busy having sweet, summer fun 'round these parts and have checked off almost everything on our list! And now, for my own memory's sake, some photographic documentation of some of our bucket list adventures: 

• What's summer without running through the sprinklers? (Apparently, summer fun does NOT require sprinkler running for my Rals, who refused to get anywhere near it):

• I think donut picnics should be a monthly occurrence from here on out!

• We read a lot of books together in our home, but there was something extra special about doing it outside during our outdoor story time. 

• Last summer, I took Banks to see his first movie and couldn't wait to do it again this year! On our second annual Momma Movie Date, we saw "Monster's University," which was entertaining for all ages. And my ever-inquisitive little buddy even obeyed our pre-movie discussion about holding all questions until the end of the film. He sat quietly, snacking on popcorn and Skittles, while totally focused on the movie. Next up on the movie agenda, "Planes"! 

• Sometimes parents get to have all the fun! After a delicious 9th anniversary dinner (and several glasses of wine), my hub and I opted to continue the excitement...at Carowinds! We showed up two hours before closing time and rode every rollercoaster in sight over and over. It was an anniversary I'll never forget!

• One of my favorite memories from this summer so far is the water balloon ambush the kids and I pulled off. Such a surprise! And such a blast!

• Sometimes, you just gotta mix things up for breakfast, right? I mean, oatmeal and waffles can get a little boring morning after morning after morning. Enter: banana split breakfast. Yummy!

• We let our artistic side shine through one day last week with some family face-painting. Ta da!

• Sometimes it can be a little tricky to find activities that are fun and educational for both a toddler and pre-schooler, which is why we have frequented a few different children's museums this summer: Fun for all ages!

• We started a new family tradition this year for Father's Day, which just so happened to be an item on our Summer Bucket List: backyard s'mores. Mmmmm!!!

• We are also big fans of library story time, particularly when stories end with dancing and bubbles!

• Just this week, we crossed another item off our list: Backyard Bowling. Banks was getting strikes left and right, while Raleigh had a few mulch gutter balls. 

• If there's one thing Fort Mill is known for, it's the delicious strawberries that abound! So. Checking off strawberry picking from our bucket list was easy peasy!

• My little buddy, and little lady, too, love collecting rocks. Throw rocks and painting together in one activity? Well, it was a fun afternoon for this duo. 

• One of the things I love most about my family is that we are really active; so, it's been really fun spending time hiking the greenway that lies just across from our neighborhood...before the sweltering South Carolina sun heats things up by mid-morning, that is!

• Hear ye. Hear ye. Please stand as we welcome King Banks and Queen Raleigh, my royalty sporting their summery flower and fern crowns. 

• My little crafters (and peanut butter lovers) seemed to really enjoy making a bird feeder using peanut butter and bird seed, which now hangs from one of the trees in our backyard. 

• Given that anything and everything sports-related is always a big hit with my two-some, they were excited to see a few different baseball games this summer: One involved watching their Daddy play on our church's softball team and another included the experience of Banks standing on the field during the National Anthem during a Charlotte Knights game. Play ball!

• Another one of my favorite summer traditions for our little family? Puddle-jumping. Banks and I started this tradition last summer and continued the fun this year (while Raleigh was napping away). What could be more fun than throwing on a swimsuit, dancing in the rain, and jumping in every puddle in sight during the middle of a summer storm?! Nothin', I tell ya. Nothin'.

• Given that I take hundreds of photos every month, it should come as no surprise that Banks thoroughly enjoyed acting as kiddo photog for the day. He captured some great shots!

In addition, we have managed to check off: building sandcastles during our trip to the beach, continuing our annual tradition of making cement footprints as part of our outdoor decor, and allowing the kids to choose the dinner menu (breakfast for dinner: their favorite!). 

While we still have a few more items to check off our list before Labor Day, we've had a great time so far with all these Summer Bucket List adventures. Hopefully, we'll finish up with a few of our must-do summer activities before it's time to generate a new list for Fall! 

Coffee Date Friday: Sippin' With the Girls

Hey there! So glad you could stop by for a delicious cup o' caffeine with me during my latest Coffee Date Friday with Rags to Stitches. And actually, I should say with us, seeing as how you may notice you are also surrounded by seven of my very best girlfriends. That's right, it's girls weekend away for this Momma, and I'll be livin' it up with my favorite girls from Clemson all weekend, clocking in some laughing, shopping, drinking, celebrating, and catching up in Asheville (yep, my second trip there in less than a month!). So. If you were joining me and my girls for coffee today, likely with a little Bailey's mixed in this time around, here's what I would share:

...I would tell you that this is my fourth weekend out of town in as many weeks. Whew! I don't know why I take the time to completely unpack the second we get home each week, seeing as how I've been washing, rinsing, repeating for the last month solid. Not that I haven't enjoyed these trips-there's nothing I love more than spending time with my family and friends-but I am also happy to report that I will be home for the next two weekends in a row! Well, until my most favorite time of the year, football season, starts. But. For the two weekends following this one, I'll happily soak in a little homebody time. 

...I would share that we had an awesome weekend celebrating my stepbrother and sister-in-law's nuptials. Everything was absolutely beautiful and every detail was perfectly executed. I could not have been prouder of my sweet little ring bearer, who walked slowly down the aisle, gently carrying his pillow, smiling at all the guests, and craning his neck to find a familiar face. And yes, my eyes totally welled up as I watched him walking down the aisle. He then sat quietly and patiently through a Catholic wedding service before proudly making his way back up to the altar for his trip back down the aisle. And then. The best part? He was given a PRECIOUS personalized harmonica for his ring bearer gift, which he proceeded to jam on and dance with at the reception for approximately 4.5 hours straight. It was an adorable sight to see. 

...I would also tell you that my sweet girl, Raleigh, and my adorable niece, Cameron, looked too-cute-for-words in their Goat & Lulu finest at the rehearsal dinner. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ruffles is my middle name. Throw that on the tiny hineys of two bffs? Well, you can imagine how big my smile was every time I came across this scene: 

...I would admit that I have been fast asleep, tucked warmly in my bed, well before 9:30 two nights this week. I don't know if it's the stomach bug my girl and I have been battling, or my aging-by-the-minute-body that just can't throw down like it used to, but I have been tiiiired this week. Luckily, I'm feeling much more back on my game. Just in time for the weekend-ha!

...I would tell you that while I am soaking up time with my girls this weekend, my little buddy will be soaking up time with his Nana, Pop, and cousins (while my hub and my girl have a special Daddy-Daughter weekend). I'm pretty sure I've made it known how very, very blessed I feel to have the best in-laws parents in the world. From the time we arrive for visits in Aiken until the second we leave, you can be sure our Nana will be pitching baseballs, reading books, pushing swings, putting together puzzles, racing cars, preparing snacks, and snuggling with her grand babies, all the while our Pop is ensuring a delicious meal is in the works for all to enjoy. Needless to say, Banks was ecstatic when we told him about his big plans this weekend. As always, I'm sure there will be tears when it's time to leave Nana and Pop's and return to stinkin' ol' home. :) 

...Finally, I would share that I am so very grateful to YOU for taking the time to read my little ol' blog. It really means so much to me. I would also remind you how much I love hearing about YOU. I would try to block out all the Asheville background noise that comes along with a house full of loud, vibrant, vivacious women and focus on all things you while you filled me in on the latest and greatest in your life. 

And with that, I would give you a big hug and wish you a beautiful, fun-filled weekend before returning to my girls weekend away. Until next time!

Are There Any Sweeter Words?

Seriously. Will there ever be a sweeter conversation that I will ever experience in my entire life than this?

Momma: "Night-night, Raleigh."

Raleigh: "Night-night, Momma."

Momma: "I love you with..."

Momma and Raleigh together: "...ALL my heart."

Momma: "You're my best pal."

Raleigh: "Best pal."

Momma: "I love you."

Raleigh: "I love you, too."

And I am so, so blessed, grateful, joyful, lucky, happy, proud, enamored, thankful, gracious,  every single night, to have this exact same conversation with my girl. 

This girl makes my heart melt. 

Banksisms, Part 8

After the heaviness of my posts last week, I thought it was high time I lighten things up a bit. And now, without further adieu, I present the last round of Banksisms (Want more laughs? Check out Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7): 

Momma: "Banks, put a bite in your mouth." 

Banks: "Mom! I'm going in for a swallow!"

Ha! 

(While playing race cars, he was pretending to be the race announcer and said...):

Banks: "Folks, if I was any more excited, they'd have to throw me out of the booth!!!"

There is nothing like the imagination of a 3-year-old.

Banks: "Mommy, do you want to hear a dirty story?"

Momma: "Ummm...I guess so??"

Banks: "A horse jumped in the mud."

This kid needs his own show in Vegas.

Banks: "I wish Johnny's mommy had a different kid that was nice."

Buuuuurn. Luckily, he said this privately to me. I would have been mortified had he said it in public!!

Banks: "Mommy, when we get home, can I go poop?"

Momma: "Sure, buddy. How badly do you need to go?"

Banks: "Just a little bad."

Love the measurement system he uses. 

Banks: "Is Raleigh awake yet?"

Momma: "No, not yet."

Banks: "But the ice-poples are gonna melt!"

He usually calls them pop-stickles, which I love even more.

Banks: "Mommy, you're my best girl in the whole wide world."

If you need me, I'll be in a puddle on the floor. 

Banks: "Mom, I wish I were a foot."

Momma: "Why?"

Banks: "Because they're beautiful, and they're so impressive!"

No child of mine better develop a foot fetish. Blech!

And that, my friends, just may be my favorite round of Banksisms yet!!

Coffee Date Friday: From Beaufort

Hey y'all! Here I am, again, linking up with Rags to Stitches for Coffee Date Friday, this time coming at you from Beaufort, South Carolina, where my stepbrother is marrying the love of his life tomorrow. So, while I am enjoying some delicious, Southern coffee, and pouring you a steaming hot cup of your preferred caffeinated beverage, here is what I would share that has been on my mind this week: 

...My hub and I just joined a co-ed kickball team for the Fall with our neighborhood friends!! Yahoo!!! Seriously, I am so excited about it. When we were young and child-free in the ATL, we played on a co-ed flag football team and loved it. We are hoping to have just as much fun with our kickball team, which HAS to be fun given that games are on Friday nights, right?! As for the team name? The last I heard, we are still undecided, although my favorite two that were being thrown around are "Alchoballics" and "I've Got 99 Problems But My Kick Ain't One." Suh-weet.

...My hub was out of town alllllllllll week. Specifically, from Monday night through late last night. And we were up and at 'em bright and early this morning to get in to Beaufort for the bridal luncheon, rehearsal, etc. Whew! Someone pour this Momma a glass o' vino...well, after my coffee, of course. ;)

...Did I mention that my little buddy will be knockin' 'em dead in his first ever gig as a ring bearer tomorrow? Oh man. I seriously cannot take the cuteness that is his ring bearer outfit. If you follow me on Instagram, I apologize in advance for the proud Momma overload. 

...As cliche as it may sound, I would share that I absolutely cannot BELIEVE that it is August. What the what? Where in the world did the summer go? Although, I will say, I am getting my first real itchin' for a cool breeze, college football, fireside s'mores, pumpkin lattes, and ever-changing leaves. 

...My hub and I are going to start volunteering in our church's children's ministry this month, and I am so excited about it! One of the reasons I pursued a career in pediatric neuropsychology is because I love spending time with children. Another reason is because I am passionate about helping others. Put the two together and throw in Jesus? Well, Hallelujah! 

...I would tell you that nothing in the whole wide world makes me happier than this:

...And finally, I would say that I hope Randy and Mariah have a beautiful wedding weekend that is all they have ever dreamed it would be. Here's to great times, great family, great friends, great laughs, and great memories. 

All that being said, I would hope that most of the conversation would focus on all things YOU. I would tell you that I love to listen, that it is one of the reasons I pursued psychology as a career after all, and I would enjoy every single second of you-dom that was so graciously shared with me. 

I would wish you the best and then hurry on my way to get ready for all the wedding weekend festivities. After all, a girl needs to freshen up for these kinds of things, right?! 

Happy weekend! And happy coffee consumption!