Kat's Birthday

This weekend the fam loaded up in the green big van (what Kiddo used to call our Astro) and headed down to Kat's to celebrate (albeit a day late) her 40th birthday. And I'm not spilling the beans here, people, she confessed her age on her blog. I heard that collective gasp.

We had the best time. It's been way too long since just our families got together. Sound Man and The Bob spent the first part of the evening grillin' some mean steaks.Actually, I think The Bob did all the grilling and Sound Man just kept him company.
They love each other.

Kat made the salads while I did nothing took pictures. The kids ate croutons while we waited.
I think Fep is choking on hers!

Meanwhile, Dixie the doggie posed for me...She's lickin' her chops for summa that steak!

After we ate (of course I was too busy feedin' my face to take any pics of our wonderful meal!) we brought out the cake!If you wonder who in the world placed those candles...well...I never said I was a cake decorator.
That, along with the fact that they were melting extremely fast, made us laugh. Hard.They were pretty sad.

Fep accompanied us with her violin while we sang "Happy Birthday". This girl is good. She also played a few other selections for our listening pleasure. She tried to show Kiddo how to play. Hmmm...I think we'll stick with piano!

Then it was time for presents. Moose wanted me to see the butterfly he got for his Momma. They pay attention to their Aunt Heather's blog, too!
Then Fep gave her some sweet chocolate, so Kat gave her a sweet kiss. But the highlight of the evening was THE card.We opened that Hoops and Yoyo card (I lurve Hoops and Yoyo!)probably ten times during the evening. It was just so catchy...

After the hoopla settled down, we adjourned to the dining room to play games. First up, Farkle. My husband needs to work on his photography skills.

The girls won both games (I won Farkle and Kat and I as a team won the next game, Pictionary) so I guess my husband decided he didn't want to take a picture of us drawing our hearts out. Oh well.

It was so good to spend the evening with them. Our families love each other and have since the mid 90's, before any of our children were born. Kat and I have a friendship like I've never had. I cherish it!Happy (late) Birthday, Kat! I love you!

Giveaway at Creative Home Expressions!

Y'all know I love giveaways. Well, it turns out this one is VERY timely. Kathy at Creative Home Expressions is hosting a giveaway from Warehouse Fabrics Inc. And boy howdy do I need it! I was rifling through my fringe last night lamenting how low my stash is. Time to replenish! And $25 worth of fringe from Warehouse Fabrics would be really helpful! Thanks, Kathy!

Got any projects that require fabric? Then get over to Kathy's and enter the drawing!

Honest Scrap Award!

I have lots of pics to download and share about the last few days (Sound Man's 5k, the CD concert, etc, etc.), but I wanted to do a quick post because Missy from Southern Queen Bee awarded me the "Honest Scrap" award! As with other awards, here are the rules:

1.) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award. ~ Thanks, Missy!
2.) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.
3.) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4.) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving.

Okay, ten things...let's see...

1. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a little girl. Then I realized I'd have to see blood and stuff. Changed my mind really quick.
2. My husband and I had been dating six weeks when he asked me to marry him the first time. I turned him down.
3. My dream vacation is actually a combination of vacations. Driving to the mountains, enjoying them for a few days, then heading down to Disney to have some fun, then over to the beach to relax for a looooong time.
4. I eat weird things. Not gross things, just weird things.
   
5. When I was little, all of my stuffed animals were named Mary. Even the stuffed clown. Which, surprisingly, didn't creep me out.
6. I dream about what my dream house would look like to help me go to sleep at night.
7. I wish Sound Man and I could spend more time together. We don't go on enough dates to suit either of us.
8. It sometimes disappoints me that I never had a little sister for Kiddo. And I'm thinking that by now, if it ain't happened, it ain't gonna happen.
   
9. Making tassels is one of the joys of my life!
   
10. And since I'm being honest, let me say lastly that I wish my home was as pretty as some of yours. I have parts of my home that I'm very proud of, but there are others that make me cringe when I look at them. Like my kitchen. And my front porch. And my master half bath. But, instead of becoming jealous, I want your blogs to inspire me to do more for my home, to make it the haven God would have it to be. Keep inspiring, ladies, keep inspiring!
    

Here are the seven lovely ladies I would like to award:

1. My BFF, Kat at Reflections. How could I not award her with an award about encouragement?
2. Darlene at Darlene's Days. She always has the sweetest posts about her family, and she always leaves me the sweetest comments.
3. Katy Lin at The Great Adventure. She and her husband, Austin, are starting a ministry that just blesses my heart!
4. Richella at Imparting Grace. She has already written a heart felt honest post that I hope you'll read.
   
5. Kari & Kijsa at, well, Kari & Kijsa! Not only do they have a beautiful blog, they can also write beautifully, too!
6. Katie at Intentionally Katie. She is about as honest and transparent a blogger as I've ever read. Not to mention she's a cute preggo.
7. And finally, Teri Lynne at Pleasing To You. This girl is chock full of encouragement. She never ceases to put a smile on my face. And I bet if you go to her 100th Post, she'll give you something sweet. I laughed. I cried. It moved me. No, seriously.

So, there you have it. My Honest Scrap. I giggle every time I read that. Say it fast and see if you don't, too! Thanks again, Missy!

Preparing My Fingers for the Burn

Fall just seems to bring out the decorator in me. Not that you can tell by looking at my house. However, it also brings out the crafter in me. After months of taking care of Momma, starting school, getting ready for our Worship Team's CD, and visiting the ER I'm ready to start tasseling again! I still have TONS left from the A'fair, so I'll be loading a lot over the next few weeks. Just in time for the holidays. Funny how that works out, isn't it?

So, if you're in need of a fall decoration, or a Christmas gift, or just something pretty to add that little "something" to your home, check out my Etsy shop! Just added a few new ones today, and I'll be adding more this week!

Linked up with Pretty Organized Palace's Weekend Boutique! Every Friday she highlights different crafters so that we can all get a jump on our Christmas shopping!

I Don't Have Time for This!

To my sister and cousins who may be reading this: sorry I didn't call you. It's been kind of hectic today.

--------------------------------------------------

Take Mom to radiologist. Check.

Educate Kiddo. Check.

Rehearse for CD recording. Check.

Get tassels ready for Etsy. Check.

Visit the E.R. Che....Wait...What?

So, last night I'm lying in bed, reading. As I'm about to turn out the light, I realize that my right leg is sort of asleep. Weird, because I didn't sit on it funny. But, I thought, whatever. I turned over on my side, only to have my leg feel worse. Okay, turned over on my other side. Not helping. I lay there for an hour, hoping the feeling will come back in my leg. It doesn't, so I get up and sit in the recliner for a little while, hoping that will work. Nope. It's at this point that I realize that my right arm is feeling like it's asleep, too. Not. Funny.

I stayed up until four, trying to imagine the weirdness away. It didn't want to go. I went back and laid down in bed, worrying, crying, and not knowing what to do. Go to the E.R? Not go to the E.R? I woke Sound Man up with my crying, and I told him what was going on. I had asked the Lord to let me know if I should go to the E.R. or not. When Sound Man asked me if my face was numb, too, I realized then that it was. Not completely, just enough to feel like it was going to sleep. That did it. We got up, got Kiddo up, and headed to the emergency room. It was 5:00 a.m. My blood pressure was 185 over 114. I almost fell over. By 11:30 they had run a CAT scan, had drawn 100 (okay maybe just 5) vials of blood, and had done motor skills tests on me. My blood pressure came back down, and everything seemed normal.

Except I don't feel normal. My leg, arm, and face still feel like they are trying to go to sleep. Especially my foot. I have to follow up with a neurosurgeon to see about other tests they can do. They let me leave with the diagnosis of "peripheral neuropathy." Basically, it means my nerves are wacko.

I told some friends tonight that if I had known I was going to fall apart a month after turning 39, I'd have stayed 38!

More updates when I know more. I do have lots planned for the fall. I have so many more tassels to load on Etsy, and my shop is going to be featured on a WONDERFUL girl's blog when I can get my act together.

IF I can get my act together.

Getting Ready for FALL!

Right now, at 4:30 p.m. on September 2, 2009, it is 80 degrees. In Memphis. What's wrong with this picture? Well, actually, NOTHING! In an area of the country where summer temperatures last until October, having an early autumn is loverly. I haven't yet been able to convince Sound Man to turn the air off and open the windows at night, but we're getting there.

With the temps so uncharacteristically low, it puts me SO in the mood for fall. In the past couple of years I have realized that fall was my favorite season (not to be confused with Christmas, which is my favorite holiday...oh yeah...been thinkin' about it since, oh, February).

Here's what I love about fall...

I love the colors...

I love the food...

I love the sky...

I love the food...

I love the decorations...

I love the food...oh, did I say that already?

And the thing that warms my heart the most about fall? I guess it has to be this...

Keeping the Swine Flu at bay.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

See what other Blissfully Domestic divas are saying!

AND link up at The Inspired Room for a chance at a

Homegoods shopping spree!

Confessions of a Germaphobe

Hello. My name is Heather. I am a Germaphobe.

I pour Germ-x on restaurant tables, wiping off the surfaces, and if I have to touch the chair or food tray, I slather the stuff on my hands, too. I hold ketchup bottles and salt shakers with paper towels. When I go to the store, I ALWAYS use the anti-bacterial wipes when they're available. And when they're not, I IMMEDIATELY use Germ-x when I finish up. Need I say more?

I admit it. Gladly. I mean, who wants to be sick? I will do just about anything to keep from getting sick, even to the point of wearing disposable gloves while tending to my up-chucking son. When he looked at my hands and said, "Why are you wearing gloves, Momma?" I felt kind of bad. But I didn't take the gloves off.

So, today, I tried yet again to instill a healthy fear of germs (and/or viruses) into my son. We were at the grocery store to pick up a few things when we both had to go to the bathroom. When he came out, I asked him if he had opened the door with his bare hands after washing them. He had. So, I made him go back to the bathroom to wash them again. When he came out, I asked him if he had turned the faucet off and gotten a paper towel with his bare hands. Yes, he had. So I made him go back to the bathroom and wash them again, after instructing him to pull the paper towels down (you know, the pumping kind of dispenser), turn the faucet on, wash his hands, use the paper towel to dry his hands THEN turn the faucet off THEN open the door.

After the first time I sent him back he said I was a germaphobe. I told him that I was unashamedly one and that he better be one, too, or he would end up losing his cookies at some point. At first he said he'd rather do that than wash his hands again, but then he came to his senses and washed his hands for the third time.

So, how germaphobic are you? Am I crazy? OCD? I'll think about it some more and get back to you. After I change my facemask.

My Husband Rocks!

Today marks the last day of Sound Man's weight loss competition at work. I'm so excited for him! PLEASE go see him to find out how he and his partner, Keith, did!

(Here's a hint...he and I are going on a date tonight with his winnings!) WOOT WOOT!

More about what else he plans to do with it later...shh...it's a secret....

Check out Katy Lin at The Great Adventure to see why she started MHR Fridays!

Falling Down Revisited

I have sooooo much going on right now - edjumakating my Kiddo, carting Momma back and forth for radiation, working on Worship Team stuff (we're recording ANOTHER CD on September 12th! WOOT WOOT!), etc, etc, that I have had no time to get a battery for my camera. That's my excuse for not getting a post up with pics and I'm sticking to it. So, in light of that, I will do what everyone does in blogland and repost an earlier post. This one makes me laugh every time I read it. And since today while I was in rehearsal with some of my favorite peeps in the world, we started talking about our Atlanta trips and I was reminded once again about...well, I'll let you read about it....

May 8, 2008

I have mentioned many times about my trip to Atlanta (or, as Scarlett O'Hara says, "AtLANta") where I fell in the parking lot of North Point Community Church. I've put off explaining it for long enough. You deserve the story. Maybe. Anyway, here goes...

A year ago, we (meaning a bunch of friends from my church and I) were on our way out of one of the sessions of the Thirsty '07 conference being held at North Point. It was the absolute best conference I've ever been to. Such a place for soul rest. Time to drink in the beauty of Jesus. Worship led by the likes of David Crowder, Matt Redman, and my fav-o-rite of all favorites, Chris Tomlin. So as we were leaving that place of worship, rest, and healing, I noticed that part of the parking lot had been cordoned off by little orange traffic cones. They looked a lot like these:

Heading for the vans, we stepped off the sidewalk very close to the traffic cones. I, obviously, a little too close. After seeing the traffic cones and subconsciously telling myself, "Stay away from those things...they are there to let us know not to go near them," I suddenly feel something wrapping itself around my foot. At first, I thought it was my purse, which tends to get in my way (that is another post in and of itself). Then, when I realized it wasn't my bag, I thought, "What in the world? I need to get away from this thing." Then, it was as if time stopped. I realized I had tripped on one of the neon orange traffic cones that were there to keep people off of them. And I began to fall.

I fell forever. I tried to right myself, but just couldn't get my feet right. I kept falling. I noticed the blue of the sky and the green of the trees. I fell some more. I recited the Gettysburg Address. Twice. Ten minutes later (okay, it was really just seven) when I finally landed on the asphalt of the parking lot, I was laughing so hard at myself that all my friends were standing over me wondering if I was okay (and laughing their heads off once they realized I was okay). I was fine, my foot was just a little scraped. And my pride was more than a little bruised.

So there you go. Full disclosure. I feel cleansed.

I have no idea what happened to the little orange traffic cone. It was probably helped back to its post by its little neon buddies. After they finished laughing at it.

Homeschooling is Very Educational

My son is taking piano lessons. This week his first song to work on was the children's song, Alouette. You know, the one sung in French. As he was playing this morning, I was singing away...

"Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tête
Je te plumerai la tête
Et la tête, et la tête
O-o-o-o-oh!"

And so on. Just a pretty little French song, right? Well, I don't speak French, so when my inquisitive 9 year old son asked me what it meant, of course I had to look it up. Here's what Wikipedia had to say...

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Skylark, nice skylark

Alouette, je te plumerai

Skylark, I shall pluck you

Je te plumerai la tête

I shall pluck your head

(Je te plumerai la tête)

(I shall pluck your head)

Et la tête

And your head

(Et la tête)

(And your head)

O-o-o-oh

WHAT? It goes on to say that it was sung as a French Canadian song that trappers would sing as they paddled down rivers to pass the time. Skylarks were eaten as game birds during that time, so evidently they were hungry as they traveled downriver. Although after finishing this song, I can't imagine anyone being hungry. Here are the other additions to the verses, added one on top of the other, like we do with "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

Et le cou
And your neck
Et le dos
And your back
Et les ailes
And your wings
Et les pattes
And your feet
Et la queue
And your tail
Et le coeur
And your heart
Et les poumons
And your lungs
Et le cerveau
And your brain
O-o-o-o-oh

Alouette, gentille Alouette

Skylark, nice skylark

Alouette,

Skylark,

'Tu es un torse saignant

I left the translation for that last line out. You can look it up if you want to. But since I have peeps from Australia, and possibly even Great Britain, that sometimes read my blog, I will refrain so they don't think I'm cussing (or I guess they'd say "cursing", but hey, I'm from the South) on my blog. And only the Lord knows what kind of freaks I'd get on here if they happened to Google that phrase.

You're going to look it up, aren't you? So now that I have now ruined this precious little song for you I'll say that I figured if I had to learn about it, so did you. That's homeschoolin' for you. You're welcome.

I was going to go eat lunch now, but...um...(turning green)...I think I've lost my appetite.

You Know You've Had a Bad Day...

When your Mother has to have 10 more rounds of radiation because she's broken two more ribs due to the cancer.

When your husband finds out he has to have a root canal.

When you wake up feeling like you're having an asthma attack, but you don't have asthma.

I so needed to read this joke today...sorry if it offends...but it made me laugh my tail off.

I was in the pub yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to pass gas. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my poots with the beat.

After a couple of songs I started to feel better. I finished my drink and noticed everyone was staring at me.

Then I suddenly remembered that I was listening to my iPod.

There is Hope for this GRITS

Have y'all seen that acronym? GRITS? It stands for Girls Raised in the South. And I am proudly a GRITS. That sounds funny but you can't really say I'm a GRIT because then it would just be Girl Raised in the.... See? It's not grammatically correct, but this time I'm okay with it.

Having rambled on about that, let me say that during my adult life I have almost felt like an impostor in my own country. Now, don't get me wrong...I can talk the talk with the best of them, and I do lurve pinto beans and corn bread (and turnip greens and corn bread? Oh. My....love that, too!). I even like grits (the real thing this time) on occasion. But there was one Southern staple that I just didn't like. Couldn't make myself like, no matter how I tried.

Tomatoes.

(insert collective gasp from all other "good" Southerners out there)

I know, I know. Just call me Ouiser Boudreaux. But trust me; I have tried to like them, and have even made it to where I can eat them if they are cooked in something; I even like chunky tomatoes in my spaghetti and chili. But if you get a tomato near my hamburger or club sandwich, heaven help you. I don't even like to take them off the sandwiches because tomato slime always lingers. I thought I was destined to be the Southern girl with the dirty secret. (Okay, it's not so secret...there are plenty of servers in restaurants who have faced my "displeasure" at having a tomato tarnish my good food)

Then, Momma came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. She had been craving a BLT for a month, and nothing the hospital had could even compare. So, we planned our menu around having bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches one night. Sound Man got it all prepared, even cutting the tomatoes really, really thin. I think he was being optimistic that I might actually try one.

Well, lo and behold, I actually wanted to try one. So, I put mayonnaise on my bread, layered lots of lettuce and bacon, and gingerly placed a thinly sliced tomato on my sandwich. And took a bite.

You know what? I. LIKED. IT. No, I mean, I reeeeeeeally liked it!

This was taken after I had eaten half the sandwich and realized I HAD to blog about this astonishing revelation!

I ate this second half, then ate another half of one. I couldn't believe it, and neither could my husband or mother. They didn't give me too hard a time, for fear of jinxing the whole thing.

Now, just 'cause I've fallen for the culinary delight of a good BLT doesn't mean I'm going to stop ordering my Mexican pizza at Taco Bell "with NO tomatoes, PLEASE!" Or I'm going to go totally crazy and start eating tomato sandwiches (bread, mayo, tomato, a little sprinkling of salt) like my husband does when his dad gives him some fresh tomatoes from his garden.

But I've made progress. There is hope for me yet.

What (in)courages me?

I am really excited about a new website that has been in the works for a while, called (in)courage. Y'all, reading the list of ladies associated with this site is like reading through my blog list. Please head over there to find out from them (they do such a better job than I would) why they are, who they are, and what they are about.

As their name implies, they want to encourage us as women of God...give us hope and more ways to connect with His heart...something my heart longs to do more and more!

They asked us to tell them what encourages us. Just a simple post, right? As I have thought this over the past few hours, I have been overwhelmed when I think about what and who encourage me. How in the world would I be able to narrow it down? My friends? My Women's Ministry peers? The Worship Team? My family? YOU???

My husband had been out with a friend "man-shopping" (my new made up word for when men go out and hunt for...hunting stuff...completely boring for us non-hunters) and called to find out what the plans were for dinner. I told him I was stressed, the kitchen was a mess, and I just didn't feel like dealing with it right then. "Okay, tell me what you want and I'll get it." It was then that I knew what I would write about.

My Mom has been here at my house for over a week, and while I love having her here...would rather her be here than anywhere, it is draining playing the part of incompetent nurse. I am having to do things I never, ever thought I would be strong enough to do. The thing is, I'm really not strong enough. If I were to try this by myself, I'd end up an emotional heap most days. There have been nights when all I could do was cry, hoping I didn't wake my husband. But, of course, I would. I mean, having your bed shaken with the uncontrollable sobs from the person next to you is not very conducive to sleep. And though I would apologize profusely for waking him up (trying not to get him wet in the process), he would take my hand and tell me it was alright...it would all be alright....

And don't think he saves this for just his sleep deprived moments. He has cooked supper most nights since Mom has been here. He has cleaned more in the past week than I think I have in the past two months. He has made a grocery list and has actually braved that most horrible abyss...Wal-Mart...just so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

He has calmed me down in moments I thought I was going to lose it. He has repeated over and over that I am strong enough for this. He has welcomed his mother-in-law into our home with open, loving, welcoming, protective arms.Why God blessed me with this man, I don't know, but I am so very grateful.

What do you do when you don't have birthday candles?

My sweet secret guest blogger, Sound Man, baked me a delicious cake for my birthday, which seems like it was a month ago, not just a week. He asked me what flavor I wanted, and I decided in a strange fit of weirdness that I wanted carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. NOT normal for me. When Momma made me cake, I usually asked for yellow cake with homemade fudge frosting. Momma would make a sheet cake, poke holes in it, and pour the warm fudge frosting over it, soaking it into the cake's holes and covering the rest of the cake. Why I didn't ask him for the same thing, I don't know. But I'm glad for the departure.

Mmmmm...I can still smell the cream cheese frosting. But...something's missing. Can you tell what it is? Well, not that I wanted any, but we didn't have birthday candles. So, what do you do when you don't have birthday candles?

Well, you do what any self-respecting husband would do! You use a Yankee Candle! I giggled hard when I came to the table and saw this at my place...

Then my family sang "Happy Birthday" to me, and I blew out my candle.

Wanna know what scent the candle was?

Buttercream. Not kidding. We were fresh out of Cream Cheese.

Guest Blogger has a secret!

TODAY IS HEATHAHLEE's BIRTHDAY. But shhh, don't tell anybody. :-)
Today I wanted to sneak into this lovely blog and wish the best woman on earth a happy birthday. Some ** years ago God smiled on us to bring along a woman with a genuine heart, a love for others, and a love for Jesus. I have had the privilege of being married to her for 14 years and I am looking forward to growing old with her. I wish I could go into all the ways my wife deserves to have an awesome birthday. Please join me in wishing her a Happy Birthday!

Guest Blogger
aka Sound Man

Rest for the Weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30

I am ready for some soul rest. The past week has been soul-wearying. Even with Kiddo at camp, Momma was still in the hospital. She's here at home with me now, so we're both getting more physical rest, but I need the soul rest only the Savior can give.

This song by Kari Jobe never, ever ceases to bring peace to my soul, whether I'm listening to it or singing it. It comes straight from the Word. If you need some rest for your soul, or if you just want to usher in some peace, listen.