Easter 2013 & Baptism

We had an incredible Easter this year. This was by far my favorite Easter to ever experience in my life.

Gregg's parents flew down with Kiddo's favorite cousin, Miss. RC. It so happened that RC turned 16 while she was here on her visit. And if you know me at all, you know that I tried to make it a special day for our Sweet Sixteen year old cousin! We ordered RC's favorite birthday cake - white cake with blue frosting. We also decorated the house for her arrival and then celebrated with all of us going out to the Rain Forest Cafe. The girls had a wonderful time and I was able to get the waiters to sing very loudly Happy Birthday to RC before we left. So much fun!

We were blessed to be able to share in this special time in RC's life. I can't tell you how much we love that young lady!

As special as RC's birthday was for us, and the joyous event of our Savior rising from the grave and accending into heaven, we had another reason to celebrate during this Easter. Violet was baptised on Easter Sunday. My beloved had the incredible honor of baptizing our beautiful girl right after our church's Easter service! Violet made her profession of faith three years ago but we waited on her baptism for a few reasons. First, we were without a church home at that time. And then, while we believed her decision was solid, we wanted to make sure she fully understood that decision.

Easter was an emotional filled day for our little family. My beloved struggled to get through Violet's baptism a few times as his heart swelled with joy over the moment. I stood on the side and was overcome with pride and joy over this special moment in our daughter's life.

Gregg reading Violet's statement of faith to our church family...

Gregg praying a blessing over Violet's life as she continues to grow in faith...

Look at the joy on my baby girl's face as she came out of the water!

Oh, what a joyous day this day was! I get emotional as I think of all the ways God has blessed our family. We've been given an incredible little girl to raise and we can't thank God enough for choosing us to be her parents.

Heart Issues

The past few days have been a bit of a challenge for our little family. Violet has been testing her limits to see if she can get away with something she couldn't have a few months ago. As a result, we've been having to say NO a lot more than usual. And, unfortunately, we have to watch her more closely than what we've had to do in the past (which was constantly in the first place). Many people would say her actions are a behavioral issue and needs to be punished appropriately. While I don't think they are entirely wrong, there are consequences for our actions, I don't think they are entirely right either. No, the underlying issue here is a heart issue. My precious daughter has been looking at outward things, activities and items, as more important than her relationships and respect for them. 

 Look at how sweet and innocent she was at two months of age!  Where has the time gone?

Now, don't get me wrong, I have an incredible kid! But I also know that she is not a perfect creation. No one is. And we have to remind ourselves quite often, and others as well, that she is only seven years old. She looks older than she is (she's tall for her age) and is well spoken for a child her age. Because of that, people think she is closer to ten than eight. Unfortunately, because of these things, people expect more from her than what she is emotionally capable of. I'm not making excuses for her behavior. I'm just putting things into perspective. You can't expect a seven year old to behave like a ten year old!

Something that has been placed upon my heart lately is that parenting isn't always easy. It's not always pretty. Sometimes it is downright ugly. And most assuredly, it WILL be difficult at times! Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, effort, selflessness, and the willingness to get down on your child's level and get messy with them. We can't expect great things from our children if we aren't first willing to pour all of ourselves into them! I want Violet to be the better parts of her father and myself and that means we have to give those things to her.  

To pour life affirming grace into our child it requires us to be there in their lives, actively participating in it. It means setting down your iPhone, book, dinner preparations, or whatever is stealing your time and attention, and listening to what your child is saying - whether that be with actual words or with their actions. What is your child doing? Who are they with? What are their dreams? What's their favorite color? Their favorite food? Just as it does with everyone in our lives, it takes work to get to know your child! And just as it is with every relationship in our lives, you get out of the relationship what you put into it. 

I must confess, we have been greatly distracted around here the last two weeks. Violet's normal daily routine has been turned up-side down lately. And I have not been the mother I want to be or can be to the precious gift God gave me in a daughter. Some of the issues we are dealing with in Violet's behavior are the direct result of my not being more in-tune with my child. She is not the only one at fault here as I have my share of the blame. Ouch, that really hurt.

I don't believe anyone could question whether I love my child, because I do. With my whole heart. But being in this human frame I am in, I often act, well human! I mess up. I screw up. Daily. Hourly. I am child of God living in a fallen world and I can't raise my daughter without the grace and mercy that Christ has provided for me on the Cross. If I am to make a positive, lasting impression on Violet's heart, one that will make a difference in her life and thus in this world, I have to love her the same way Christ loves me - mercifully, freely offering forgiveness and grace, and instructing her on how to live a life based on God's Word and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. 

Field of Dreams

In my last post I shared our beautiful state flower, the bluebonnet, with you. Well, our search for more bluebonnets continued this weekend. Gregg, Violet and I went to one of my favorite areas of Texas - Brenham and Chappell Hill. Or, as I like to call them, "God's Country". The rolling hills of this area are so beautiful and they remind me of my time spent at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Go Cru! Whenever Gregg and I would drive home, or back to school, we would drive through this lovely land. It truly is beautiful!

During our drive we were hopeful that we'd see the beautiful flower that we were seeking. But we also knew that we were at the ending of the small window of time when they are in bloom. We drove around, enjoying the scenery, with only seeing a small patch of bluebonnets here and there. But there was nothing like what we found last weekend. Just as we had about given up hope of finding the blue fields of our dreams we topped a hill and found a treat more special than a truck load of candy! We found our beloved bluebonnets!


We were in a bit of a race to get that one special picture as there were some nasty clouds rolling in. The wind was pretty crazy, we were in the hills after all, and so Gregg had Violet and I facing the wind. This photo is straight from the camera, and could use some touch ups, but I actually like it. This photo gives you an idea of what a field of these beauties looks like.


My handsome hubby was a bit on the scruffy side today and he really didn't want to have his photo taken. Thankfully, I was able to convince him to get in front of the camera with our beautiful girl. I love this photo! There were a lot of giggles going on when I snapped this and it makes me smile seeing them enjoying their time together.

My Heart Belongs In Texas

This should come as no surprise but I have to just come out and say it....
I LOVE TEXAS!!! I may not like the area of Texas that we live in but I love this great state, and my heart belongs here. Depending on where you're at, we have a little bit of everything - coastal living, prairies, woods, and so forth. And spring is one of my favorite seasons here. The wildflowers are blooming right now and the fields look like watercolor paintings.

We are at the tail end of what is called "Bluebonnet Season". The bluebonnet is our great state's flower and the two go hand in hand. The historian Jack Maguire once said, "The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland..." And no truer words have been said about the two. There are websites and festivals dedicated just for the bluebonnet. People travel from all over just to catch a glimpse of our famous state flower. And if you're lucky enough to find a nice patch, that's not on someone's private property, you pull over and take as many photos as you can.


My little family and I are planning on driving around on Saturday to look for bluebonnets. We may even catch part of a festival if we have time. As we are nearing the ending of bluebonnet season we may not find the ideal patch but that's okay. We will be out as a family, enjoying our time together, and that's all that really matters. Well, that and pride of our great state!

My photos here aren't the best. If you're interested in a better idea of how beautiful our state is during the bluebonnet season then go look at this video. The video is long but the scenes are beautiful!

Better Than I Imagined

As I lie here my thoughts are going to that age old question, "what if?". There are so many memories running around in my head right now. For instance, what if my biological mother hadn't given me up for adoption? Where would I be today? Where would my parents be? Would I have ever met the love of my life? What would I be like as a person today? Would my faith still be an integral part of me? I would like to think I would be the same person I am and that everything else would have fallen into its place - my faith, my marriage and my daughter, all together as it is now. But the reality of things though would probably point to no, it wouldn't be the same.

All these questions, and hypothetical ideas of what life would be like, make me all the more thankful for the life I have today. My parents who adopted me loved me and did everything they could to give me a good childhood. They provided so many things in my life and encouraged me to pursue the talents I had. I know I am who I am because of my parents influences in my life. A lot of the things I achieved we're due, in part, to their never ending support and encouragement to give my personal best in all that I did. Even my faith was shaped a great deal by my parents. Most particularly my Dad. He was a pastor and I grew up in the churches he was at. I know he wondered at times if I was actually listening, paying attention to anything he said. Despite my youthful antics and mistakes, I did pay attention Daddy.

I have made a lot of mistakes in life. Most were little things that didn't affect anyone but myself. But there were some pretty doozies too. Mistakes that could have really hurt me or someone else, or both. Yet God spared me. He looked upon me with a great merciful heart. I am standing here today only because he protected me from some horrible outcomes - like the giant black Brahma bull I just barely missed hitting while driving home. I was running late for curfew and tried to make up the time on a little back road that led home. I rounded a curve, going much faster than I should have, when I noticed two big eyes as they turned to look at my car. That massive bull was pitch black and was standing right in the middle of the road. I didnt see him until I was right on him. If he hadn't turned his head I would surely have hit him. Run ins with creatures that big rarely end well. For instance, I have an uncle who lost his leg when his truck hit a horse. Take a look at the photo below and you'll see pretty much what I faced that night...

(photo is not my own and artist is unknown)

As I look back on my life, I can see my Father's hand at work in my life. He guided me when I was lost to the trappings of this world. He protected me from things that could have had a tragic outcome. And He brought me to where I am today. He took me from the small country town in Northeast Texas where I grew up to a large city right on the Gulf - a place where I knew absolutely no one. He guided me to new friends and to a young man who stole my heart almost immediately. That young man grew to be an amazing husband, father, provider and church lay-worship leader. And I am incredibly blessed to call him my husband!

My life didn't turn out the way I thought it would but it is so much better than I imagined it could be!

Sleepless Nights

Insomnia seems to have struck again. Only this time it has struck Violet. My baby girl has the same issues with sleep that I have. From some of the research I've read, sleep issues are inherited. There are a few things about myself that I wouldn't have minded passing down to Violet, although I can't think of a single one right now, but insomnia is certainly not one of them!

Violet has never really been a good sleeper. A great deal of that is mine and Gregg's fault. Violet got really sick just before her first birthday and we fell into the terrible habit of her sleeping on our chest. The poor thing couldn't breathe well and, as we all know, you can't sleep when you can't breathe. Because nothing would keep Violet elevated enough to be able to breathe at night, Gregg and I would take turns on who slept with her in an old pink recliner. That led to her sleeping in our bed, something we did for a few years. Gregg and I really screwed up Violet's sleep patterns in an effort to get some sleep of our own. We are all now reaping the seeds that we sowed back then.

Violet has finally learned how to sleep in her own bed. And, she's gotten to where she can go to sleep on her own, thanks in part to her great desire for a sleep-over. But it's still difficult at times for her to settle into sleep and to stay asleep. We're making progress, but like all habits, the worst ones are the hardest to break. And it appears that tonight is going to be another sleepless night.

Dewberry Farm

We had our yearly field trip to Dewberry Farm recently. As usual, we had a wonderful time. Truly, this has to be our favorite field trip for the whole year. There is so much to do and the kids always enjoy every moment of their time while there. The only sad thing is that we have to go home.

One of the first things Violet did was hit a favorite slide.


Then she ran immediately to this new feature at the park. So much fun!


Of course, you can't beat feeding the goats...


We finally got a picture with the three Indian Statue (I only managed to get two in this shot) that greets all the guests at the entrance to the park.


The new zip-line was a huge hit with all of our kids!


I took a unique self-portrait...


Kiddo and I then took a fun little ride together...


Violet went to the jumping pillows and had an amazing time there. Girlfriend caught some serious air!


And then she crashed! Look at that face of hers. There's no way you can't see the pure joy on her beautiful face.

Catching Up

Hey there everyone! Are you still with me? I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm sorry. Life has been so crazy and hectic lately that I've not had much time for blogging. So much has gone on that I'm not really sure where to start. First off, we've finally found a church and have dived in there. It took us so long to find a place to join but it feels good to be a part of a community again.

The school year kicked in and we've been crazy busy the last five weeks. It's amazing how fast time has gone by. We've already had three field trips. So far, we've been to the Houston Arboretum (highly recommend it!), the Houston Museum of Natural Science and we just returned from Dewberry Farm. Needless to say, we have been doing a lot. Our school work has increased a great deal this year and we've had to adjust to that. And let me just say, it has been quite the adjustment! We are still a part of Classical Conversations and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of such a great program and an amazing group of people. Truly, I'd be so lost without our group.

Some of our homeschool group at the Houston Arboretum field trip, taking notes on what they found after skimming the pond...


With the new school year has come new responsiblities. I've been working hard on our afternoon program's reading time. I did this last year but didn't really know what I was doing. This year I've worked hard to step things up and have organized our books to go along with either the history or the science that we've learned about that day. This has brought out my inner-bookworm and I have had so much fun with it. Also, I've been setting up a new website for our group. This has been a huge challenge for me but I've enjoyed working on it. I'm so excited about the new site and am proud of myself for taking on this challenge and learning something new. It's also an honor for me to be working on this project because my director had the faith in me to ask me to do this.

Violet's birthday was in August. I managed to get our yearly video montage done and posted it on time but dropped the ball on everything else. On her birthday, we enjoyed a low key night at home with just the three of us. The celebration started off with me singing Happy Birthday to my precious girl at the time of her birth, 1:16p.m. Later in the day, Violet received a very special phone call from Belle (of Beauty & the Beast)! Amazingly enough, Belle knew a lot about Violet - what kind of cake she likes, what her favorite color is, and what she wanted for her birthday! It was a magical moment that made the day even more special. Later, we feasted on Violet's menu choices - Piggy Rolls (aka pigs in a blanket) and homemade mac n' cheese, and to balance everything out I added a salad. There were lots of phone calls from family and she was showered with gifts galor. We then feasted on a cake that Violet and I baked earlier in the day. Surprisingly enough, it was edible and quite tasty! A few days later we celebrated kiddo's birthday with our church family and a few close friends with a big water slide and cake. It goes without saying that Violet had a blast!

My baking skills are improving!


Baking skills aside, it's the magic of making a wish and blowing out candles that matters...


Even she was amazed by the cake!

Love

No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside.

Tested By Fire

I've been rather distracted lately. Situations beyond my control have nicked at my sanity to the point where I feel broken. It's hard to see something you love literally burn before your eyes. It's even harder when you know people are losing nearly all their worldly possessions - homes, pictures, physical remnants of their family history, the things that tie you to your history. And worse, actual loved ones.

My beloved state of Texas is truly going up in flames. And there is nothing I can do to stop it. This is personal for me because family and friends are being affected by these fires. And it truly hurts my heart to see what people are going through.

Wednesday was a particularly hard day for me. I'd been wrapped up in watching everything on the news, or on the Internet, when something in me snapped. Like twisting an ankle when you fall, it happened that quickly. My heart was broken and I needed a lifeline. So, I called a friend. And it was during that call that I realized I was exactly where God wanted me at that moment in time - because in my brokenness, I was more willing to come to Him in prayer. In my brokenness, I was more willing to ask Him to take control of these fires than to ask Him why. And it was in my brokenness that I realized God knows what the future holds and He can do mighty things through these fires. I need only to trust in Him, the author and creator of this world and all that is within it.

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Things That I Love Right Now

Some of the things that I'm loving right now are...

1. Air Conditioning! It is so stinking hot here in South Texas right now. Enough said.

2. My trusty little fan on my nightstand that runs on high while we sleep. It helps to keep us cool but it also blocks out noise.

3. Medical care and insurance. I've been fighting a migraine for the last week. It has been a killer. Our insurance helped us save some money on the prescriptions I've had to get lately.

4. That our homeschool program will start in August!!! I miss my friends and the opportunity to see them once a week. And what's even better, Violet is ready for school to start as much as I am. I truly love our Classical Conversations group!

5. Sketchers Shoes! Violet was given a pair of Twinkle Toes as an early birthday gift back in April. I noticed at the first of May that the fabric on her shoes was pulling away from the rubber sole. I immediately called Sketchers and they quickly worked at fixing the problem. We've ended up with a new pair of shoes and they gave us a different size to accommodate how long Violet went without her shoes. She would have outgrown them during the time period it took to get the shoes back.

6. How God has taken care of my little family over the last few months. Gregg was told by his employers that they were having to shut down the surveying company he worked for in the middle of June. He immediately had his resume out and within a few days two companies had called and arranged interviews. Gregg had two job offers, one from each company, the following week. Within a ten day time period, Gregg lost his job, interviewed with two companies and was offered jobs with both, he accepted one offer and started his new job. Gregg just completed his first full week with his new company. I'm amazed at how quickly all this took place and so grateful for God's provision.

7. Cross Community Church in Katy, Texas. Gregg and I have gotten involved in a church that is planting in our area. After looking for a church to call home for an incredibly long time, we feel like we've finally found the right place. Our church is in it's earliest stages of development but we have high hopes that God will use us in great ways to make a change in our community.

8. My daughter's sweet, gentle heart. I mentioned earlier that I've been dealing with a migraine for the past week. Violet has been such a sweetheart during this time. We've had a lot of snuggle time, curled up in my darkened bedroom and watched TV or read. She has been so helpful too, watching over me and asking if I needed something on a regular basis. This is SO not how I envisioned parenting, as it really stinks for my daughter to have to experience this with me, but Violet has been such a trooper this week. She hasn't complained once about not getting to go out or do something. Lord, how I love that kid!!!

9. That the weekend is finally here! We get to have some family time. I'm not sure what we're going to do or even if we're going to do anything at all. I'm just excited to have all of us together for a few days.

10. Rain! We have been in a severe drought in our neck of the woods. The heavens have opened up and given us rain the last few days. Some have lasted longer than others. No matter how long the shower is, we're thankful for it.

One of the Greatest Gifts I've Ever Received

I was playing around on facebook several months ago when I noticed that Rachael Rossman, an incredibly gifted artist, had a giveaway on someones blog called The Modchick. I have been a fan of Rachael's work the moment I saw it floating around on the Internet! When we lost our beloved cat, Pepper, there was a part of me that hoped we would someday be able to get a portrait of her. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever expect that I'd actually WIN a Rachael Rossman portrait of my choice!!!

When I saw the contest at Modchick, I thought "It won't hurt to at least try." So, I entered the contest. Lindsey's question to answer for the contest:

"What do you love most about your pet?"

Since we no longer own a pet, this was my response:

"We had a beautiful cat that passed away last year. Pepper was my best friend, always by my side for fifteen years. Her loss is still incredibly hard at times. I’m just now able to consider adopting another cat into the family. Still, I miss my furry, grey, hemingway feline!"

Ever since I found out that I actually won this giveaway, I have been in a state of shock. Tears of joy have flowed from my eyes numerous times today. This is a dream come true. I immediately got in touch with Rachael. She asked me to send her two to three of my favorite photos of Pepper. The one Rachael chose was my absolute favorite. It is a picture I was fortunate enough to take when Violet pulled Pepper up into her lap. Violet called out to me, "Mommy, look! Pepper's sitting in my lap!!!" It was obvious that Pepper didn't just jump into my precious little girl's lap. There was a great deal of maneuvering to get her there. And I'm pretty sure it was against Pepper's wishes. But that cat was amazingly sweet and let Violet have her moment of joy. Here is the original photo...

Rachael did an amazing job. Right?

This painting means the world to me and I will cherish it forever! Thank you Modchick for hosting this giveaway. And thank you Rachael for providing the artwork. Words cannot adequately express how much I love my painting. Thank you, thank you from the depths of my heart.

Recovered

Monday is a blur to me. Valentine's Day officially kicked my tail.

Seriously.

The day started abruptly at 5 a.m. when Violet decided to wake up. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed. And I rolled out of bed as blurry-eyed as a drunk on Sunset Bulevard.

Once I loaded up on coffee, like two or three cups of the stuff, I was ready to tackle the day. Somewhat. I ended up drinking even more coffee while at school that day. (Mondays are when our home school group meets.) Mondays always start off early, just not that early, and are always busy. So, it's no surprise that I didn't get to sit down the whole day except for a few minutes at lunch. Otherwise, I was on my feet the whole day.

A busy bee has got nothing on me! Of course, I was on a caffiene high for most of the day. So I had that in my favor. A bee only gets a rush on honey and pollen.
Our Classical Conversations group celebrated Valentine's Day like most everyone else does. We had a little party with tons, and I DO mean TONS, of sugar!!! Woo hoo!!! SUGAR!!!!!!

I had the privilege of working with some amazing women who helped me set up for the party. And, we had twelve moms bring cookies, some made from scratch and some store baked. Either way, it doesn't matter. A cookie is a cookie, right? There were 74 kids on campus that day and we had enough cookies for each kid to have two and for all the parents to have one or two themselves.


One of our very talented moms made the banner that we hung behind the table of treats. Another mom brought the lovely flower arrangements on the table. And another mom brought decorations and balloons. It's impossible to single out every mom who helped out because it truly was a group effort. A group that I am incredibly blessed to be a part of.


After the day program was over, we still had another three hours to get through. Oh. My. Word. I am beyond exhausted at this point and my caffiene high had worn off. But you know, I would do it all over again and again and again! The joy on the kids faces was worth every bit of effort that went in to this party. But my day didn't end there.

Violet has been working so hard on her school work lately. As a reward for good behavior and hard work, Violet earned a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's. So, where do we go for our Valentine's Day dinner? You guessed it! Chuck E. Cheese's!!! Ahh, the things we do for love. Yet again, I'd do it all over again because I got to spend time with my family and we made a very special girl beyond happy.


So, even though it took me three days to recover from Valentine's day, I just want to tell you that I love you guys! I've made some amazing friends through this little blog of mine (you know who you are!) and it wouldn't be right to not pass some love your way. I hope you had a wonderful day!

Half Is Better Than Nothing

Oh, kill me now. I am stretching myself and my boundaries right and left. For one thing, I've joined a weekly photo assignment called 52 Weeks of Me. I really don't like being in front of the camera. And now, and now, I've added exercising to my routine. What am I thinking?!?!!!

Torturing myself seems to be a common theme in my life right now.

But, I'm doing these things not only for myself but for my daughter and husband too. The photos are for Violet's benefit. Someday she'll look at our photos and notice that there are none of me. Hopefully, she'll be happy that I undertook this project. That she'll look at my photos and remember me as I am now.

I have selfish reasons for exercising. To be perfectly blunt, I am so tired of always being tired. The extra insulation that I've been carrying around for countless years is getting to me. I need more physical strength and energy to keep up with Violet.

Oh, and let's not forget that I am one of the women that are running the afternoon program for our home school group on Mondays. I help with the reading portion, something that I love. I also help with P.E., something I have loathed up until last week. We are working more relays into the P.E. time. The kids LOVED it and so did I. That is until I was bent over in pain later that evening because my muscles were screaming at me. "Whhhhyyyyy did you do that to us?" they screamed. To which I replied, "It was a moment of insanity! Please forgive me!"

My moment of insanity turned in to an eye opening moment for me though. I realized that I can change how my body responds to physical activity by becoming more physically active overall. So, once I healed up a little after Monday's activities, I started working out.

Well, let me rephrase that. I started "trying" to work out. It seems that my tired old body just doesn't have a whole lot of stamina right now. So, as I set out to complete a video work out, the farthest I've managed to get to was half way through. But at least I made it half way through! That's half way more than what I was doing. Which was nothing. My goal, finish the videos!

Stretching yourself can be painful at times. It can be really, really painful at times! But it can also be worth every single ounce of that pain. If I can gain strength and energy through the exercise program then it's definitely worth the pain! If I can keep up with Violet, and be more active in her life, then bring on the pain.

Things are changing a lot in my little world and all for the good. So, just bear with me if there is more whining and crying than usual on here. I foresee some pretty rough days ahead of me. Thankfully, I have an incredible family and some amazing friends to cheer me on! Family and friends that I am forever grateful to.

Better Than Pearls

I am over the moon happy right now. My Christmas gift, something I've wanted for the longest time, has finally come in. Gregg ordered a necklace for me from The Vintage Pearl. My necklace is prettier than I imagined it would be and had to share it's beauty with you.


I'm such a lucky girl.

Beauty Has Its Price

When you use a styling tool on a near daily basis you expect it to work properly. Especially if you keep the tool clean and lint free. The last thing you expect is for it to catch on fire while it's in your hands! While blow drying my hair the other day my hair dryer's cord started sparking. I was in the full-on head upside down stance, trying to add just a tiny bit of body to my lifeless hair, when I heard a popping sound. I turned the dryer off, lifted my head, and saw sparks shooting out of the cord of my dryer. Yikes! I held the dryer in disbelief when a flame shot out and hit my wrist. Immediately I dropped the thing as my brain processed what was happening. My blow dyer just caught on fire and burned me. Wow! Thankfully, it died withing a few seconds of landing on the floor.

Violet heard the dryer drop and she came running to see if everything was okay. What she saw put her in a tailspin. Fire freaks my little girl out just as much as it does her mother. After answering all of Violet's questions and reassuring her that I was okay she finally settled down some. That is until she noticed my burn. Poor thing went into full-on mothering mode and made sure that I was okay. Man, I love my kid!!!

As if getting burned wasn't enough of a downer, I had to go out and buy a new blow dryer that night. As everyone who is trying to stretch each and every penny as far as it can possibly go knows, this was not something I was happy about having to replace. Especially once I saw how much blow dryers can cost now days. Ughh. So, I determined that I was going to call the company to see about getting reimbursed for all of this.

Just a side note: I always take care of the things I use. My blow dryer didn't have any lint in the unit. The cord is always loosely wrapped and then dropped in it's little basket where it waits until it needs to be used again. No built up residues from hairspray or anything like that. From all outward appearances, there was nothing wrong with this blow dryer.

I spoke with the company that made the blow dryer earlier in the day. They were on top of things. Even though my blow dryer is several years old it didn't matter to the lady who I was dealing with. Here is the most part of our conversation...

Customer Service Lady: "I heard you had an incident with one of our dyers? Are you okay?"
ME: "Yes, for the most part. I have a tiny burn mark on the underside of my wrist that is a little bigger than a cigarette sized burn. I was frightened more than anything."
Customer Service Lady: "I bet. So, Mrs. Wiltshire, what can I do for you?"
ME: "Ummm, I'd really appreciate you reimbursing me for the cost of my new dryer."
Customer Service Lady: "Yes mam! We can certainly do that for you. You will be getting a postage paid envelope in the mail next week. Just put your receipt in that and mail it back to us. You'll get a check the following week."
ME: "Wow! Thank you!"
Customer Service Lady: "Thank you for letting us make this right for you. I hope you have a good day now!"

Now, I'm no fool. I know they are doing everything to cover their tails so that I won't sue them. Which, really, I have no desire to do. In my opinion, we live in a nation that is too quick to sue. I just want the situation to be taken care of and then call things even. But, I must say that their customer service was amazing.

My new blow dryer is the exact version of the one pictured here with the only difference being the color. Mine is a bright blue. When I pulled the blow dryer out of the bag Violet's response was, "Oooohhh, it's so pretty!" She is such a girly girl.

Silent Night

One of my favorite times of day is bedtime. I love the ritual we've created that surrounds this time of preparing for bed. Once the teeth and hair are brushed it's time to cuddle up in bed and read a story or two. This is such a peaceful time and is one of the few times in the day where I have Violet's undivided attention. Once the book is read and the lights are off it's time for some lullabies. Violet calls them her songs since they all were either created or adapted for her. Someday, if I'm brave enough, I'll share them with you here.

After tucking Violet in for the night I went out to the living room and enjoyed some reading time. Violet had been sleeping for over an hour when she came rushing out of her room. Even though she was sort of awake, Violet was pretty much out of it. I never figured out what woke her up. My being awake and so easily accessible was rewarded with something from the past...

My beautiful girl climbed into my arms, snuggled in, and fell fast asleep. It has been several years since she fell asleep in my arms. Tonight's rarity made me realize how much my arms have ached for this. I've missed her presence in my arms, her contented sighs as sleep settles in, the weight of her body as she gives in to sleep, and the trust that it takes for your child to do all of those things. I thought Violet had outgrown being held in my arms for any real amount of time. My heart is bursting with joy as I find that I was wrong.

Violet isn't as small as she once was. She doesn't fit in my arms like she did when she was a baby. Yet, my heart made sure she fit when she came to me tonight. Sitting on the sofa, with my precious child in my arms, while looking at the Christmas tree we finished decorating earlier today brought me to tears. Tears of gratitude for this moment. Tears of sorrow at realizing how fast my little girl is growing up. Tears of hope as I dream of our future as Mother and Daughter. Tears from realizing that even though we may drive each other crazy, we love each other more than anything else. Tears from realizing how incredibly lucky I am to be Violet's Mother and that I was here to enjoy this moment in time. And then I cried when I realized I had to carry her back to bed and wondered how I was going to manage that.

Weekend ~ Part 2

Sunday was a WOW day for the three of us! We were given tickets to this year's Texas Renaissance Festival and our only opportunity to go was this weekend. So, with Violet's presentation ready to go on Saturday, we went to the festival on Sunday. The weather was overcast and quite chilly but we still had a fantastic day.


Since Violet didn't get to wear her costume on Halloween, we let her wear it at the festival. Everyone addressed Violet as "Princess" throughout the whole day, something she adored. She was even singled out by one of the workers at the festival and asked to enter a dancing contest within minutes of our entering the grounds! We never made it to the contest because there were so many things to see and do. I must say though, she was quite beautiful in her dress...


Violet finally had the opportunity to ride a pony on Sunday. Her pony's name was Happy but I think kiddo was the happiest of the two...


We got to ride an elephant. Let me just tell you now, it was a scary, thrilling and very uncomfortable ride! Here we are on top of Paige...


We saw a living statue. She was very eerie but beautiful at the same time. Also, she was one of Violet's favorites at the festival...


We saw a phenomenal Birds of Prey show. The birds were stunning and the show was very informative and entertaining. This owl will be at this week's Harry Potter movie premier...



We cheered on Sir Thomas, a knight from England, during the royal competitive events...



And we met royalty! Queen Anne Boleyn...


Violet like Queen Anne so much that she asked if she could babysit for us the next time Gregg and I go out.

Queen Catherine of Aragon...



King Henry VIII...


Oh what a tangled weave those relationships were!

Gregg and I have heard mixed reviews on the Renaissance Festival. People either love it or they hate it. The festival can bring out some pretty crazy people (think Spider Man in a kilt!), some of whom need lessons in modesty. We were fortunate in that we didn't see a whole lot of questionable/revealing outfits (IE. women wearing chain mail and nothing else) and most people were well behaved. We knew we would have opportunities to teach Violet about modesty and the difference between reality and fantasy while at the festival. Maybe that helped us in how we viewed things or we just got really lucky on the day we went. Either way, we plan on going back to the festival!

Dear Mr. Weatherman,

I know you can't really control what the weather decides to do. But if you have any pull whatsoever, please, please, please (with a cherry on top!) let the weather be nice the next two days!!! You see, we've had a rough few weeks around here. As a result, my precious little girl has had to miss out on a lot of exciting opportunities. Now that we're feeling better, we have the opportunity to go back to Dewberry Farms AND the Texas Renaissance Festival FOR FREE!!! Please, for the love of God and this poor Momma's soul, let the weather cooperate with us!!! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Cabin-Fever Momma

Prayers Appreciated

I'm here to ask you to remember a dear friend's son in your prayers. J. (the son) was in a horrific car accident a few nights ago. The accident was so severe that they actually had to life-flight him to a major hospital here in the Houston area. (Thank God for quality health care!) J. has had two surgeries already and is in stable condition but in critical care.

God had his hand on J. during his accident. Three air bags deployed and they had difficulty getting him out of the car. His mother said that to look at the car you wouldn't expect anyone to survive. It is truly a miracle that he's alive today!

Please keep J. and his family in your prayers. The recovery process sounds like it is going to take a while. His Mom, who is like a second mother to me, is holding up well (as are the rest of the family). Still, this must be affecting them a great deal.

I remember when J. was born. He was three years old when Gregg and I were married and was already quite the lady's man. J. went to every woman at our wedding reception and gave us all hugs. That act was a great reflection of his Mother and her loving spirit. It's hard for me to think of him as a young adult now, ready to take on the world and make his mark on it. I believe that God is going to use this young man's life in remarkable ways. That he survived this accident is a testament that God has greater plans for him.

Thank you for your prayers!


UPDATE:
J. is home recuperating! Thank you for remembering him in your prayers.