Right Now I am..

Listening to: Amos Lee "Windows are Rolled Down" and "Gypsy Woman" by Curtis Mayfield It is starting to feel like summer here which makes me want to listen to oldies and remember summers at Sullivan's and my mother playing oldies on the beach.
Reading: Radical by David Platt and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and Grace Notes by Phillip Yancey
Parenting: translating all the Korean Loulie speaks throughout the day and keeping her off anything over three feet high.
Working on: my kitchen--I have spent every night painting cabinets and washing floorboards. It is my personal Hell. Oh, and I've been helping Bert with some work too which has been exciting and a little challenging in trying to manage some work again and loving on my Bug.
Thankful for: the way the Lord is working on me--digging in on the ugly and the blind spots in my life yet giving me peace that Easter overcame all of it!
Making: a skirt for me, pants for Loulie and an Easter dress for a friend's child (pics to follow)
Wanting: I don't want to want this and it is way out of my price range BUT I just really can't help but luv this top.
Wishing: that my fairy godmother would show up and clean this house. That chick has been on vacation for way toooo long. Who the hell does she think she is?!
Hoping: that all of you reading this have a great weekend!


I have been super busy but hope to be back on the blogging circuit soon!


And......just in case you have missed the BUG.....

Ready for swim  lessons

Resume Part One

The other night I rented Morning Glory --a romantic comedy starring Rachel McAdams as a newbie producer of a morning news show. I thought it was hilarious.  It got me thinking about working and my past jobs and how there seems to be a pattern that resonates with all twenty somethings and first jobs and perhaps that's why I thought this movie was so funny.

Have you seen the movie? How does your post grad experience match up?

I graduated in four years with a very generic degree and no idea what in the hell-o I wanted to do. So after a four day stint doing tours at the CNN center and taking MARTA into downtown every morning, I found myself a promising internship at a Children's Hospital in a more central area of Atlanta--it paid a whopping $200/week.  I spent the next five months preaching to my mother, my boyfriend, my best friend and anyone who would listen that if someone would just give me a chance, I would commit my life to showing them what a great job I could do. 

Just like the character in the movie; after stalking multiple people in parking lots, sending out numerous follow up emails and all but following the receptionist to the mailroom to make sure she delivered my resume; I finally got a few interviews where I completely oversold my meager five months post college work experience and promised that I would work day and night to make sure that my market would see share increases (whatever the hell that meant--I probably read it in Interviewing for Dummies). 

After an overly kind, very desperate woman who probably saw sucker tattooed on my forehead interviewed me, I had a job.

And just like Rachel McAdams in the movie, it took me about 5 seconds to realize I had been thrown into a lion's den. That the person before me had burnt bridges with almost all my clients, that there was no trust left with my organization, that I had a budget of about zero, that my market goals were ridiculous for my territory and that no class in college or in the expensive prep school my parents sold a kidney to pay for ever taught me how to write a business plan.

So I spent my first few months schlepping from office to office, wearing a suit my mother had bought me along with a smile that I hoped would keep me from getting my head bitten off by the angry receptionist. It took one year, lots of late nights, one panic attack on the side of Buford Highway and a lot of persuasion to actually pull off what they had asked me to do. I exceeded the goals for my territory in enough time to interview for my next job. Which turned out to be on the south side of Atlanta. Seriously, one of the first doctors I called on ended up on the news two weeks later for harassment of patients and drug reps. I was 25, had no husband or kids and got to travel every few months for work. I loved it!

And I continued this pattern, loving each job for different reasons and thriving on the challenges they shot my way until exactly a year ago....

when I retired to be a stay at home mother!

What one year "in the field" can do to a good pair of shoes

First Beach Trip and the One Thing I Can't Live Without

The tater tot has decided that sleeping is a hobby and not a necessity. It is KILLING me! More importantly, its killing Bert. After 10 months of waking up at least 3 times a night to get my colicky, sleep optional baby to sleep; I have learned to let her cry it out. Not Bert--after sleeping restfully through the first year of Loulie's life, his motherly instincts have kicked in and he can't stand to hear her cry.
Or as we have both come to realize, whether we let her cry it out or not; no one can really sleep through "Mama Dada Mama Dada Bidge"! So all the coffee in the world could not help me out this morning. I plan on lots of jumping jacks and toothpicks for my eyelids :) So please excuse any rambling or grammatical errors.


 Loulie seems to keep finding herself surrounded by cute boys....

My cousin, his wife and their two kids were staying out at Wild Dunes this past weekend. We headed out there so Loulie could play with Clayton and Bubby. They are 6 weeks and 17 months older than her--just enough to keep her on her toes. It was our first afternoon on the beach this year only to have the weather turn on us after a few minutes. It was fine by Loulie who we discovered does not like the sand on her feet. A true girly girl! That will be plenty convenient this summer since we live at the beach. I guess Loulie is going to be THAT kid on the beach in laced up sneakers. Even though we had to head inside, you can tell the fun didn't stop for these three characters.  With a condo full of toys their favorite pass time was yelling and singing to people walking by on the beach.

The weather that rolled in on Saturday has stuck around for the entire week making me feel like it is still winter and giving us lots of time to catch up on our indoor activities. We've started reading Radical by David Platt for small group along with several other small groups in our church.  It is challenging to say the least. Platt discusses whether or not we have taken the gospel and adapted it to fit the American dream. That God's blessings don't necessarily mean a nice home with a two car garage, only eternal life offered through a sacrifice by His only Son. That the blessings God offers are available if we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus. 
See what I mean by challenging? 
"It is by grace that you are saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that one can boast." Ephesians 8:9 
Platt chalenges our response to this gift and describes the response to the gospel as this...
        "that gift of grace involves the gift of a new heart. New desires. New longings. For the first time, we want God. We see our need for him, and we love him. We seek after him, and we find him, and we discover that he is indeed the great reward of our salvation."
There's really just nothing else to say after that.


Have a happy weekend!

An admission

I have not eaten anything green in two days.
Yesterday I had a chocolate chip cookie for lunch followed by a chocolate chip cookie for dinner.
It has rained for the past four days.
My legs are see through. If any medical students need to see an example of the human circulatory system, I am more than happy to bring my white legs by.
Loulie's mommy and me swim lessons start in 6 days.
I am currently in the market for a full body swimsuit. Think circa 1920s


I can't wait to not only put on a swimsuit but leap in and out of the pool running after an 18 month old--NOT! 

Postmodern reflections on religious attitudes

Our small group is in the middle of studies right now. As a way to educate ourselves as well as arm ourselves when asked questions about Christianity and our love of Christ, we decided to delve into a couple of different religions. Because how arrogant is it to push your beliefs on another person without knowing theirs? I feared this a little at first hoping that nothing seemed to make too much sense to me because the last thing I want to be is a doubting Thomas. I should have known that after reading through two chapters on Islam and Mormonism, that God's truth would be even more real and that my soul would rest in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. That his death on the cross is the only thing that can save me and bridge the gap between my sinful self and God.

I did however find the Buddhist idea of reincarnation fascinating. The idea that you can die and come back as something or someone else. Because ideally all Buddhist should want to come back as the one and only....Miss Bridget Bojangles

She spends her life "resting" on top of our bed. She doesn't seem to care if it is needed or not. And when the sheets are being washed or there is something of her interest on TV, she just makes herself comfortable in the den...

                        

When she occasionally gets the energy to get up, she has quite a few past times that interest her...

It's a Hard Life

Oh, and she's not loved at all....

Oh to live the life of Bridget Bojangles--sleep, play, sleep, ride,sleep and eat. Bert and I joke everyday that we want to come back as her!

(Bet you thought from my title that this was going to be a serious post--yeah right, it's FRIDAY!!!!!!!)

*But if you are interested in learning about other religions as well as their thoughts on Jesus, pick up Fast Facts on False Teachings)

Happy Weekend!

This is your brain on 5 hrs of sleep...

Loulie and I traveled back to Georgia AGAIN this weekend. I have been having a little middle ear trouble that was causing me some problems. We headed to Macon last minute on Friday morning so that I could get an MRI. While having your body shoved into a giant magnet is not the most pleasant of activities, I am so grateful to my brother in law for helping me out and getting me in quickly. (I really don't know what I would do without him and his innate generosity. He really doesn't think twice about helping others.)
 This is going to shock most of you who know me but the MRI did in fact confirm that I DO have a brain. It is there and empty of any funky growths and my ears are healthy--praise the Lord!

                                         

Even though a last minute trip to Macon was not in the plans it worked out great for two reason:


1) My dad's last day of work was last Wednesday so we got to spend all of Friday afternoon and Saturday with him which was awesome and also unheard of. I cannot remember in 30 years when my dad was just hanging out with us at 2:00 on a weekday afternoon. Though he enjoyed being with us Loulie, he admitted that retirement was not his bag. Good thing because he left Sunday for Knoxville so Loulie, my mother and  I got to see him off which was worth the long drive home.


2) Loulie and I got see my nephew's first baseball game of the season. We missed my other nephew's because of Loulie's nap but will have to get over there again to see him in action. The picture below is from after William's game and has quickly become my new favorite. 

My two nephews are as handsome on the inside as they are on the outside and I'm pretty sure Loulie was the envy of every middle school girl at the baseball fields that day.


So after a quiet weekend with family and an uneventful trip home on Sunday, I have been thrown back into reality--a filthy house and a to do list a mile long. And who really wants to do anything but play outside and enjoy this glorious weather? Is there such a thing as seasonal ADD? Because I have it!
Here are a few pictures of Loulie with a cherry blossom background. Macon hosts a big festival every year and even though we missed the festivities my mother and I were trying to capture the beauty. I'm pretty sure I threw out my back lifting Loulie into that tree but I think the outcome was worth it! 

Happy First Week of Spring!!!

The Bewitching Hour--the REAL reason Jesus turned water into wine

This is what our house looks like around 6:00 in the evening...

It's not pretty. And like flipping a light switch, Loulie's collicky twin can appear from nowhere. It's pretty hysterical if you think about it. About the time you start to cook dinner, straighten up the house, and your own engine gets a little low; the kids decide to unleash the beast.
I have a friend who home schools her three kids with another on the way--she is the sweetest, soft spoken, faithful person I know. When discussing the bewitching hour phenomenon and how we feel bad that our husbands daily walk into total chaos at 5:30 and who would want to come home to that, she remarked, "That's why I start drinking wine at 5:15 so that when he walks in the door at 5:40, I can put on my happy face."
Isn't it the truth? I am not a big drinker at all but I truly believe that God invented wine for this very reason. The Happy Hour is not for the young and free but for those that need a little dose of happy to forge through to the 7:00 hour.
That being said, the above picture was taken while we were making brownies for Bert. Everything was fine until I moved the pan from the counter to the oven. Loulie dove head first into the batter, laid out on the floor and proceeded to tighten every muscle in her body and scream. Being the great mother that I am, I went to grab my camera because this is good stuff to have on hand for blackmail one day. I should probably be embarrassed that my child can throw such an unbelievable fit but I am really just jealous--jealous that I can no longer shove my hand into chocolate batter and throw a tantrum when it is removed.


At any rate, this little episode and the events that followed kept me from writing my St. Patty's Day post--I am always a day late and a dollar short. We didn't really get to celebrate--we had a doctor's appt during the parade and none of us look good in green. Plus last year's experience kind of scarred poor Loulie. 
     It was St. Patty's Day, I was late for work, Bert was dressing Loulie. He yelled upstairs asking what I wanted to put her in. I yelled back anything green. When I walked downstairs, she was wearing a camouflage onesie with a ruffle on the back that my dad had bought her as a costume. Running late and all, I went along with it. Keep in  mind the child has a wardrobe ten times nicer than my own and could have been in any number of cute dresses but green was necessary. We arrive at daycare when the director says, "Oh Mrs. Dasher, did you not get the memo?"
"What memo?"
"Well, it's class picture day." 
So there's Loulie in her camou onesie for class picture day. I might as well have given her a miniature rifle as a prop and maybe a little squirrel tail cap. Add that to the list of proud moments in parenting! :)
SO we bypassed the green this year but did listen to a little St. Patty's Day trivia. St. Patrick was actually not from Ireland, he was from Wales and his color was not green but blue. He is credited with bringing Christianity to the pagans in Ireland. So I kind of like the whole March 17th celebration a little more now--because I love blue but am mediocre about green and totally dig St. Patrick's passion for Christ and    sharing it with others. I'm not sure where the leprechauns and beer come in. the only thing I can think it that St. Patrick came home a few many times at 5:30 and introduced the beer to the Irish as well!