Things I Love Thursdays 3.30.06

Thing I Love: Making Lists (primarily To-Do Lists)

I told you it was coming, so here's the deal. I love making lists...packing lists, to-do lists, places to go lists, lists, lists, lists. I love them. There is something about having it all right there on paper and knowing exactly, in order, what's going on. To-do lists rule my days. Every morning, my first task is to make a list, in priority order of things that MUST be done. Even when I leave the house, I make a detailed list of places to go, in the most logical order with a list of things to do/get at each location. I even have to-pack lists typed up and saved on my computer so that if I am going somewhere that I have gone before, be it an overnighter to my mom's, to camp, or to the beach, I know exactly what to pack every single time. One of my favorite to-do lists of all time is the Middle School Music Week To-Do List that Lori and I have tweaked over the past couple of years. It's about 2 pages long, and it tells us step by step, month by month, exactly what we need to be doing to have everything done before camp. It's even color coded. I love it. Lists are what keep me sane throughout the day. I have so much going on here and there, I don't know whether I'm coming or going most days. If I don't write it down, I am sure to forget it. I am obsessed with to-do lists, and I am ok with that!

PS...to all my faithful blog readers: I would like for you to know that you DO NOT have to be a fellow blogger to comment on my blog. I have it set up so that anyone can comment, even if you don't have a blogspot account. It's fun, and I would love to hear what you guys think about all this randomness!

Must Haves

AJ tagged me on this one, and I'm passing it on to my girls, you know who you are!

The top 5 must haves

In My Fridge:
1. Diet Coke with Splenda
2. Water
3. Ice Cream (it's in my freezer, but I guess it counts)
4. Milk
5. Yogurt

In My Closet:
1. My 2 favorite pairs of Gap Jeans
2. My cute new green cableknit sweater that I got for $9 at Wal-Mart!!! :)
3. My Birks
4. My Rainbows
5. My 3 favorite pairs of Old Navy lounge pants (fleece and otherwise)

In My Purse:
1. Chapstick
2. Sunglasses
3. Orbit Sweet Mint Gum
4. Hair Rubberband (gotta love those, right AJ?!)
5. Cell Phone

In My Car:
1. My new Wacky Wednesday Tag CD from Brooke :)
2. My trusty plug in jumper cables for all the times I need to be a "Helper Car"
3. Cute Umbrella from Target
4. Empty Diet Coke Can
5. All my mp3 CDs

On My TiVo (If you don't have it, pretend!):
1. Oprah
2. 24
3. The Unit (go ahead and laugh Lori, Brooke Maleah and Sabrina...I know you want to!)
4. American Idol
5. The Real World

My name is Sarai, and I am a blog slacker.

So, I haven't posted in a few days and I haven't theme blogged since Thursday. Instead of playing "catch up" I'll just explain my blog slacker excuse and be done with it all!

Friday was my birthday. I turned 25. I think that is the first time that I have actually said I am 25 years old. It's weird. Not it in a bad way. But weird none the less. Probably because as a child I thought that at 25 I would be married (check) and have a kid (no check...and I'm ok with that). It's just funny when things don't exactly turn out like you planned. Anyway, Friday night Lori, Brooke, Maleah and Joel came over for a kickin' party!! We had some tasty burgers for dinner and some DELICIOUS HOT PINK Birthday Cake with Ice Cream (My favorite!). They came bearing WAY more gifts than they should have, but I have to admit that these friends hooked me up with some fun stuff-Vera Bradley cuteness, smell goods from Bath & Body, cute PJs, fun friendship plaque, a STINKIN cute watch (that I can make my own bands for!), a HUGE bag of Reese's Peanut Butter things (Thanks, Bina!) and one heck of a good time! We played Scene It Movie, and Marty, who acted as "game master" cheated and made it look like the guys won...when really the girls one...he admitted it...he even said that we could have beat them twice...that didn't matter...it was my birthday...and I wanted to win...instead, I felt like a big loser...on my birthday. I have a sneaky husband.

Saturday, my uncle got married. I think Marty said it best when he said that it was "a memorable occasion". Yes, it was. My uncle, Eric, is 40+ years old, and never been married. He has however been engaged several times, but it never worked out. He also REALLY likes alcohol, which made the day a little more adventurous than I had hoped for. Good times.

Sunday was a pretty relaxing day...had dinner with some friends after church and then watched some NCAA Tournament action. Not too, shabby.

Monday and Tuesday...craziness. When I have to be away from home for a few days, or even just one night, I feel like I get so behind on things. This was no exception. I was in Sylva all day Monday and Tuesday organizing my dad and step-mom's kitchen. They have next to nothing for cabinet storage and what they have is not very useful-shelves aren't adjustable, cabinets are either too deep or not deep enough. They did, however, just buy some new pieces that are really nice to help store stuff. It was quite the job, but I think it looks great. Hopefully, they will be able to find everything!
Tuesday night, since I was already over in that neck of the woods, I did a Tupperware party and didn't get home until almost 10:30 last night.

Because of my late night and busy week thus far, I slept in this morning. I had planned to sleep in until 8...and at 8:45, I woke up. I immediately felt rushed and knew that I would have more to do than I had time for. So far, I've been able to accomplish more than I thought I would, but there is still WAY more to do. I love to-do lists...for more on to-do lists, check back tomorrow.

Top Movies of '99

Per tag by Sabrina and Maleah, I will share with you the top movies of 1999. These may not have made the Top 10 list or anything, but it was what I was watching:

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
-The first of many shagadelic films, and while it's not the most moral film I've ever seen, it is stinkin' funny!
Cruel Intentions
-Don't know what it is I like most about this one...Ryan Phillipe or the soundtrack!
Notting Hill
-Julia & Hugh, two of my favs, and one heck of a chick flick!
American Pie
-Sadly enough, I have seen this movie more than once.
The Blair Witch Project
-For me, this is one of those movies I couldn't wait to see in the theatre. I didn't really get it then, and I still don't get it now...but there's about 2% of me that thinks it might like to watch it again...
Random Hearts
-Not a bad movie...it's just that I saw it about 422 times when it was on the campus movie channel.
The Bachelor
-Such a cute movie! I still watch it when it's on TV.
The Green Mile
-I saw this one twice in the theatre, and haven't seen the whole thing again since. I don't know why, because I really did like it!
And finally....
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
-If you know me, you know that this one's a given!

Thing I Love Thursdays 3.23.06

Thing I Love: Surprises, good ones.

It was Tuesday, March 21st. I had just attended the funeral for Sgt. Kevin Akins, and had been much in prayer and thought for his family and the family of SSgt. Joseph Ray. It hadn't really been a "great" day. "Attending funerals" is not on my list of things to do have the best day ever. I was sad. I was exahausted from all the crying.

I had made plans to attend a concert with Dove Award winner Kyle Matthews at Mars Hill College that night. Marty and Andrew, and their ever growing band, were opening with some praise & worship music, and so I thought I would go hang out, have a little worship time, get my mind off all the craziness of the day, then come home to crash on the couch. Marty had told me to be ready at 6:30, and he would come pick me up.

So, I was getting ready (ie. putting on non-waterproof mascara and reapplying the make-up that was somewhere on a tissue) and I heard door shut outside (thought it was Marty), heard someone at the door (thought it was Marty) and heard someone knock on the door (thought it was Marty, and that he should use his very own house key to get it-the door was locked). So, I ran into the kitchen to unlock the door. As I did, I saw the front end of a black car in the drive. I was expecting a package to be delievered, so I thought it was the delivery dude. Well, as I rounded the corner, I couldn't believe my eyes. There before me stood Brooke, Maleah & Lori!!! It was such a surprise!!! Well, you must remember that this had been a VERY emotional day for me, so when I saw them standing there, Maleah with a bouquet of flowers, all waving and smiling, I could do nothing but stand there and cry. I didn't open the door. I just stood there...hand over mouth...tears streaming down...door shut and still locked. FINALLY, after all the slow-motion-ness of the event stopped, I realized that I should probably let them in!!! They explained to me that since I had already planned my own birthday party, they wanted to do something for me for my birthday. (Note to reader: I had planned my own party because I wanted to make sure that we could all get together and celebrate! I waited until a week before to officially plan and send out an announcement, so it's not like I had been planning for months or anything. However, I would like to say that appreciate Maleah's willingness to plan her own birthday party this week...even though her birthday is in July! Planning is essential, my friends!) So, they surprised me at my house with flowers and cards and even a fun CD! They whisked me off to dinner, they wouldn't tell me where, but it was Chili's.

The funniest thing was that they had pulled this whole plan together, but hadn't thought about a way to keep me from eating dinner before they got there. By the time they showed up, I had already had dinner...3 pieces of pizza...I wasn't hungry anymore. However, I did go to Chili's with them, and had a nice little Cesar salad. on our way out, a very mean lady in some very not-so neat make-up asked Maleah if she was on drugs. The proceeded to tell us that our laughter in the restaurant was "Inconsiderate". Well, in case she hadn't noticed, we were in Chili's...not the Grove Park Inn...and she just so happened to come on a night when they didn't pass out the "No Laughing" rule at the door. Genius, I tell ya.

Then, we took a nice trip to Target, where I got a whole bag of stuff for $4.71.

Then, they took me to the finale (drumroll, please) DAIRY QUEEN!!! I am a HUGE fan of ice cream, and especially, the Blizzard. Well, I wanted a Reese's Peanut Butter ( no surpise there) Blizzard, so that's what I ordered. Then, the girl behind the counter said "I've got a Butterfinger Blizzard" and I was like, "Well, I had a Heath bar Blizzard, but I'll eat Butterfinger." It was the most confusing thing ever. I ordered one thing...told them I had something else...and ended up eating something totally different! It was ok though, because the Butterfinger Blizzard was delicious!

I'm telling you, these friends absolutely made my day...week...month! It was such a surprise and such a blessing, and I will never forget it! I love you, friend 1, friend 2 and friend 4!!! Thanks for a wonderful night!

Tell All Tuesday 3.21.06

Fact: Since my brother joined the military, I have cried a lot.

Joseph joined the Army Reserves in October 2001 because he wanted to help fight the war on terrorism. I wasn't quite as gung-ho as he was. It seems that for the past 4 1/2 years, I have cried more tears that I ever had before. Joseph has been deployed onto American soil 2 times, and even then, while he wasn't running off into downtown Iraq, it was still hard. He was doing a lot of heavy work, and being at forts near the coast made them a target by terrorists. So I was scared because I didn't know what was going to happen...would he stay there for his deployment or would he be sent on to continue his job overseas. And I was sad. After all, my baby brother was leaving. I was still living at home at the time, and I wouldn't get to see him (and argue with him!) when I wanted to. It was heart-breaking.

Then, on February 12th 2005, he left for Fort Bragg. This deployment was a 2 month training for a year's service in Afghanistan. Not that is was easy the other times, but this time was way harder than I ever expected, and it lasted for what seemed like forever. Every time he called from Bragg, it was nothing but a cry fest for 30 minutes while we both tried to get out what we wanted to say. Then, came the final visit before Afghanistan. It's so hard to look someone in the face and not know if it's the last time you will ever see them.
For the past year, since the 391st actually left for Afghanistan, it's not been anything like I expect. One thing, for sure, it that it's been an emotional rollercoaster. It's always good to hear from Joseph, but it's never easy. It's a constant reminder that he's not here with us, and there's always the possibility of him not making it home. This week has been especially hard dealing with the deaths of those four soldiers who were killed by a roadside bomb on March 12th. I had never even met these guys, and it seems that at the very thought of them, I can't stop crying. I don't understand it. I guess that's what happens when someone close to you is in the Army. Everyone immediately becomes a family member. Sgt. Akins' funeral was very emotional. It was so hard to watch his family mourn for him. He was only 29. They thought they would see him at the end of April. It was hard to hear his fellow military buddies get up and tell stories of their time together in Afghanistan amidst a sea of tears. It was hard to see the medal ceremony. Each medal that he received was given to his parents. It was hard to hear as they read the letter from the President that accompanied the Purple Heart. It was even harder to watch that officer hand his mother and father his dog tags. What a heart-breaker. That represented the finality of it all, and it wasn't easy. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire place. The most amazing part of the day was when the funeral procession made it's way through the little town of Burnsville and for 6 straight miles the roads were lined with people honoring this fallen soldier. Some had flags. Some held their hands over their hearts. Some teared up. Local business shut down so that their employees could stand on the streets in honor as well. The Jr. ROTC stood at attention saluting the entire mile long procession. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Knowing that an entire town stood still for just a short time to honor this man. And yes, everyone in our car was crying.

I would like to think that the crying is over. But it's not. The 391st is scheduled to come home at the end of April, and there will be more tears. These will be happy tears-for the overjoyed feeling we will have to be hugging our soldier-and sad tears-for those guys who will have to embrace their families when they know there are 6 families who won't ever get to embrace their soldier again.

Joseph signed a contract with the Army Reserves for 6 years. 4 1/2 years are finished. I am sure that the next year and a half will hold more tears. But, I guess that if these guys can make sacrifice upon sacrifice, upon ultimate sacrifice, the least I can do is shed a few tears.

Mad Music Monday 3.20.06

Seems like Mondays are becoming my serious somber writing days, but there's a lot on my mind these days, and it seems like music is what is triggering/helping me through these thoughts. I don't know how long this will last, so bear with me.

I am preparing, today, to attend the visitation at a local funeral home for Sgt. Kevin Akins, one of the soldiers who was killed by a roadside bomb last Sunday in Afghanistan. He was a member of the 391st with my brother, Joseph. This is not the way I want to spend my Monday night, or any night for that matter, but I have to keep telling myself that this is not the way his family wants to spend tonight, either. The other fallen soldiers have been returned to their homes as of last night, and their families are preparing for funerals and burials later this week as well. Please continue to pray for these famlies as this process for a funeral for their loved one is finally taking place. It's been a week since they heard the news that their soldier's homecoming would not be as they had planned, and now they can give them a proper funeral and burial. Today's song is a song that I have clung to this week. I hadn't heard it until I started listening to The Fish on XM radio, and immediatly knew I liked it. It is my hope and prayer that the families of these soldiers will cling to this promise. Please don't forget to pray for them, and the soldiers who are still in Afghanistan completing their mission.

Cry Out To Jesus-by Third Day

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
When you said goodbye
And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough
For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

the Whatta Cute Bag! collection

I wrote, a few days ago, about my love for grosgrain ribbon, and told you all that I would be posting some pics of my creations. Well, wait no longer because here they are! All these items are part of the Whatta Cute Bag! collection, and I LOVE THEM! I love that they are so cute and that people around the world (well maybe not, but a girl's gotta dream!) will be sharing in the cuteness! I also love that every single one is unique. They aren't made by a machine in a factory. They are designed and hand made by me. Therefore, every on is an expression of my creativity. Check them out and let me know what you think!

**These are burp cloth sets (and I am not really sure why half the pic is cut off!) and they come in a set of two with coordinating ribbons. These are just a few examples.
**This is a pic of my original creation, the Whatta Cute Bag!. This is the one I am carrying right now, and I love it because it matches my Petal Pink Vera items that I ordered! It also has my monogram on it, but I couldn't put that in the picture because these are for my flyers.
**These bags are part of the "Mommy & Me" collection. They are matching bags for mommies and little girls. I think they are absolutely adorable, and I love the spring colors!

So, there ya have it-my creations! Be looking for some pics of my newest creation, as of today, fleece blankets with grosgrain ribbon trim. TOO CUTE!!

Friend of the Week 3.17.06

Friend of the Week: Lilly

Lilly is a 4 year old who was adopted by our good friend Diana. Lilly came to Diana from Kazakhstan whenshe was 13 months old. Since then, we have watched her grow and learn and with Diana marrying one of Marty's best friends, Andrew last June, our "family" continues to grow and grow. Lilly is far beyond her years, especially for a child who spent the first 13 months of her life in a crib in the other side of the world. After she began to warm up to us Americans, she immediately acted as though she had known us for years. She is always having conversations with us, like grown ups would. She is so good at copying EXACTLY what she hears adults say, which can be funny at times, and not so fun at other times! For example, her aunts recently took her to the Cabbage Patch Home in GA and let Lilly adopt her very own Cabbage Patch. Well, there are a few things you should know about him: he's probably the whitest (not human) baby I have ever seen and his name is Trevon Juan (pronounced Trey-vaughn, Juan...not imagine that being said by a 4 year old with a southern accent!). While we all think this is really funny, Lilly doesn't get it. Trevon Juan is her baby so much so that she "disciplines" him just like her mommy and daddy discipline her. At Christmas I heard her say in a whisper to Trevon Juan "What did mommy tell you? Do I need to put you in time out? You need to stay right here and think about what you've done until I am ready to play with you again." I thought I was going to die trying to hold in my laughter so she wouldn't see me crackin' up over what I had just heard!! It really was too funny. A couple of weeks ago I was in Murphy, NC organizing my friend's classroom. I met her at her church (where Lilly and her parents attend) that afternoon. I was standing around talking with some friends waiting for Breeze and I to get to work, and all of a sudden I hear from across the room a little voice say "SARAI!" I looked up to see Lilly running toward me, taggie blanket in hand. I was thinking that I hadn't see her since Christmas and her hair was getting so long. She ran right up to me, threw her arms around my neck and said "I haven't seen you in so long! Do you see my longs hair? My mom curled it for me this morning." It was adorable. She is quite the little girlie-girl. I certainly don't know any other kids who have been picking out their shoes & hairbows since they were 2 (and they always match!).
I love that Lilly, and I am so glad that God saw fit for her to bless our lives.

Things I Love Thursday 3.16.06

Thing I Love: Birthday Cake & Ice Cream

In anticipation of my birthday in a week and a day, I would like to write about one of my favorite foods of all time-birthday cake and ice cream. Regular homemade cake is ok with ice cream, and I will certinaly not pass it up, but birthday cake....with that sugary icing...preferably chocolate cake with white icing is just to die for!!! I really like birthday cake with vanilla ice cream or moose tracks ice cream or mint chocolate chip ice cream. I love the way the icing kinda crunches in my mouth because of all the sugar that's in it. And, I...LOVE...CORNER...PIECES!!!!! The more icing the better!! I am fully aware that this particular food combo is not in accordance with my diet plan. Thank goodness my birthday is only once a year!!!

Soundtrack of 1999

Maleah tagged me on this one, so here it goes!

what were the five songs that made your senior year of high school (like a soundtrack sampling) and the one-line story behind them?

1. 1999 (Prince)-No surprise here! 1999 had finally arrived, and being the class of '99, we totally adopted this song as "ours"!
2. "Come On Ride the Train" (Don't know the artist)-The majority of my senior year Friday nights were spent at after football dances, and this was quite the popular dance tune. I think I can, I think I can...
3. "Macarena" (Los something-or-other)-Another catchy Friday night dance tune, and a song that could officially be retired without hurting anyone's feelings!
4. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (Aerosmith-from the Armageddon Soundtrack)-I had to have a ballad in the mix! Great movie, great soundtrack, and it was the song to dedicate to that special someone at the prom.
5. "Hit Me Baby, One More Time" (Britney Spears)-Britney hit the charts in '99 for the first time with this song, and of course, we all had to go buy the CD. Come on, it was Britney Spears!!!!

I love this tag because it brings back memories of songs from one of the most memorable years of my life, and I get to remember through the songs of other's Senior Years. Go ahead AJ & JoAnna...if you guys are up for it!

Tell All Tuesday 3.14.06

Short story: Last night, my car battery dies because I was a dingy and left my lights on...this led to Brooke and I attempting, and succeeding I might add, with jumper cables. I will end with this, it was frustration, laughter, craziness, laughter, and girls giving some mad high fives!
So, it was my first attempt at using jumper cables and for a more detailed version of this story, you should check out Brooke's Account on how the whole thing went down!

Mad Music Monday 3.13.06...and other thoughts

First of all, here's an update on mine and Marty's sickly condition: I am feeling MUCH better. Marty is still a little nauseous and doesn't have much of an appetite. However, I think that Duke's 16th ACC Tournament Title (which now tops Carolina's 15 ACC Tourney Titles) and then Duke getting first seed in the Atlanta region for March Madness made him feel better, if only for a little while! Hopefully, he will get to rest a little this week during his Spring Break, and will soon feel better.

I am writing this Mad Music Monday with mixed emotions...I want to cry...I want to smile. This day has been an incredibly emotional day for me, and it's been from one extreme to the other. First of all, I made plans with Brooke to meet her in Hickory tonight for dinner, which made me happy from the moment I woke up this morning. Then, I got home from running some errands with Marty and got a package in the mail from Lori that contained 2 of my favorite things: CUTE stationery and REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER EGGS...IN WHITE AND MILK CHOCOLATE!!! Yes, all those things together made this girl SUPER happy.

But then there's the part when things are not so happy. At this very moment, my heart is breaking in two for people don't even know. I got a call this morning from my brother's fiance who had news that 4 members of my brother's troop were killed in a roadside bomb yesterday. She immediately assured me that Joseph was ok, which was a huge relief, but along with that comes the feeling of guilt. How can I be so relieved to find out that Joseph's ok when 4 different families are going through extreme shock, and grief and pain right now? And then she told me some of their stories: One was a guy who lives in the same county as Marty and I. One guy was a medic who had been working with the 391st during their tour in Afghanistan. One was a fellow soldier who had been assigned to complete some tasks with the 391st. And, the story that hit a little closer than the others. The other soldier is the husband of one of Staci's (my brother's fiance) high school friends. They have a little girl who turned 2 last week. This 23 year old woman has another child from her first marriage, which ended because of her husband's death. So here she is: 23, 2 kids, widowed twice. The fact that he and my brother were friends and that Staci and she were friends makes it all a little more real than I would have ever hoped it to be. I can't imagine what that poor girl is going through today. Knowing that yesterday, she had a number on her calendar representing the number of days until she got to see her husband again. Knowing that this morning her world was turned upside down when she opened her door to find 2 army officers standing there with the worst news she could imagine. My heart breaks. It breaks because I know that it could have been Joseph. It breaks because those little kids are both going to have to grow up without a dad. It breaks because she is living my biggest fear...death of a loved one...for the second time. It breaks because I know I don't pray enough for those soldiers who are over there fighting for our freedom. It breaks because it hit too close to home.

After Joseph signed on with the military, his favorite song became "American Soldier" by Toby Keith, which is my Mad Music Monday selection, in honor of the 391st and in memory of those who have made such a huge sacrifice for our country. Joseph always has been a shower singer, and I remember many times when he would put that particular cd in, put that song on repeat, turn it up FULL BLAST, and then sing at the top of his lungs for a good 20 minutes. Even though I had heard him sing it a hundred times, I had never really listened to the words. So, here they are. Read them. REALLY read them and take it in. And then please, please say a pray for those guys who are planning to make the trip back to the US in a month. And then say a prayer for the families of those who are coming back much sooner than they had planned.

American Soldier-By Toby Keith

I'm just tryin to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother everything to everyone
Up and at em bright and early, I'm all business in my suit
Yeah I'm dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don't do it for money, there's bills I that I can't payI don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's, my responsibility Yeah
I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend's been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core.

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don't want to die for you, but if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don't come free.
I'm an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
I'm an American Soldier, I'm an American.

This is NOT fun!

After I ranted and raved over cute little Bella yesterday, I was SOOOOO excited to get to go see her. Well, at 5am my stomach decided it didn't want me to see Bella...and it didn't want me to sleep...and it didn't want me to leave the bathroom for 3 hours. I am not sure if it's food poisoning or the stomach bug (Marty is feeling flu like symptoms today too...but none of this fun stuff like me...lucky guy!). All I know is that it is NOT the most fun I have ever had in all my life. My back hurts. My arms hurt. My legs hurt. My knees hurt. I'm thirsty. I'm hungry...wait, no I'm not...yes I am...AH!!! I can't walk to the fridge without feeling like I have something attached to me sucking every bit of energy out of me. I'm cold. I'm sweating. It's Marty's Spring Break and all we can do is lay on the couch and not take care of the to do list I so neatly planned for us to do. So, just in case you were wondering...we are having a blast over here.

Friend Of The Week 3.10.06

Friend of the Week: Isabella Tate Hawkins

We are leaving tomorrow to go visit the Hawkins family in Raleigh for the weekend, so I wanted to write about the youngest Hawkins (though not for long), Bella.

Bella is the daughter of our good friends, Aaron and Eli (who Marty met at Mars Hill College). Since Bella came into our lives November 27th, 2003, we have been completely in love with her. I never thought that a 2 year old could be such a true friend, but she sure is. Even though we don't get to see her often, she is always asking her mom and dad about us. The funny thing is that she doesn't know who "Sarai" is...yes, she knows me, but not as Sarai. As a matter of fact, she will correct anyone who utters that word when referring to me. If you ask her who I am, she will respond "Water Rai". When she first began to talk, she couldn't say Sarai so I was referred to as "Rai" (a nickname that stemed from Marty calling me Sayray..then his friend Andrew calling me Rai, and various others who still call me "Rai"). Well, last summer we were at Eli's family's lake cabin in SC and went out on the water for some tubing activities one afternoon. Bella, watching me tube from the boat, started saying "Water Rai". She actually added "water" to everyone's name that day, but it only stuck with mine. So, now, a year later, she still calls me Water Rai, and it's the cutest thing I have ever heard. I have to wonder, though, if she will teach this name to her baby sister, Eden, who will be born in May, or if this will be a me and Bella thing...either way, it's ok by me! Nothing melts my heart like hearing that little girl ask for her "Water Rai"!!

Bella has one of the strongest personalities I know. There is no doubt about it that when you spend time with her, whether it be for 10 minutes or 10 days, you know exactly who she is and what makes her tick. She is VERY energetic (I guess I really don't know a 2 year old that isn't!), she loves to dance and sing VeggieTales, and loves to watch Noggin. She loves her family and is very excited about having a new baby sister, even though she is very confused as to why baby sister Eden and the Garden of Eden have the same name! :) She loves God and enjoys going to church and on play dates with kids from church. She loves people that love her, and she is probably one of the cutest kids in the whole world! After all, who wouldn't love this face???
I love you little Bella, and I am so excited about sharing life with you!

Things I Love Thursday 3.9.06

Thing I Love: Grosgrain Ribbon (pronounced grow-grain)

I have always been a fan of cute things. Over the past year God has been preparing me for the blessing of making cute things as a job! I started out making cute little handbags out of placemats and cute grosgrain ribbon. It was just a hobby at first, but now I have moved on to making them to sell at some local booths, and have my very first festival coming up in June. Through the idea of a friend at church, I am now making "Mommy & Me" bags (matching bags for mommies and little girls) to sell at her baby boutique booth in Asheville. I am also making embellished burp clothes, and am experiementing with diaper bags, and bibs. IT IS SO MUCH FUN!! Every item is a new and different creation, and I love seeing the finshed product. Plus, I get to sew and be crafty while watching TiVoed episodes of Oprah! What a fun job! All these things are possible because of grosgrain ribbon. In my opinion, everything is cuter with grosgrain ribbon attached to it!!
Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart to purchase some supplies for all these crafty projects, and had previoiusly been HIGHLY disappointed with their ribbon-by-the-yard selections. They were all ugly colors and designs of ribbon. Well, as I rounded the corner, my eye caught the top row of ribbon, and I really had to contain myself. There, in front of my very eyes, was some of the most stinkin' cute ribbon in the world! Pink & black polka dots, pink & white polka dots, aqua & black, polka dots, fun summer color stripes, cute little fishies, green & pink polka dots...and $50 later, I had enough ribbon to cover our entire house!!! I went completely overboard, all for the love of the grosgrain ribbon. I love sharing cute things with the world!! The good news, now that I have close to 200 yards of ribbon in the living room floor, is that I am VERY excited to use it all for my booths and festivals, and my business account paid for it (yes, we can still eat this month!).
Be looking for some pics of my fun products. Once I make some to keep (people are wanting them faster than I can make them) I will post the cuteness for you all to see. YAY for grosgrain ribbon!!

Tell All Tuesday 3.7.06

Because I am a child of the 80s, this is really hard for me to admit. There are certain things involved with the 80s that no matter who you are, how old you are, or where you were during the 80s, you just did them. This one thing, though, I am pretty sure that I was probably 1 of maybe 10 80s children in all the world that didn't do this one thing...watch ET in the theater. I didn't watch ET until the 20th anniversary edition came out, and that was because Marty rented it for me to watch just so I could say that I had. I have to admit though, that it probably would have been a much better movie had I seen it when it first came out. But, it was an enjoyable flick...it was cute, it was funny, it was sad, Drew Barrymore was adorable in it...and there were Reese's Pieces. That's really all it takes to make a movie good! :)

Mad Music Monday 3.6.06

Music I Listened To This Week: Justin Timberlake

Yes, I own the "Justified" album (please note, that I didn't purchase it myself, but got it from a friend who was putting it in a yard sale!) and yes, I listen to it ocassionally. I don't exactly agree with everything he portrays to the media and I never thought I would like the album, but I really do. There are several fun songs on the CD, like "Senorita" and that infamous song he and Janet sang at the Super Bowl, and then there's the Britney song "Cry Me A River". It's a fun road trip CD (but what would I know...it's not like I ever drive anywhere!!!!). It's way to dance in the car with! I never owned an N'Sync CD, so I guess this is my ex-boyband-er fix! One thing I do know for sure is that the boy can sing!

Friend Of The Week 3.3.06

Friend Of The Week: Beth

Beth and I go WAAAAAAAAY back. We met as campers at Truett Camp about 10 years ago. The next year, we got to work together as counselors there, and became instant friends. Over the years God has seen us through some major ups and major downs, but all the while, He had a plan that our friendship would last forever! Beth is now serving in Bosnia, helping to build playgrounds and youth centers. She has been there for what seems like forever of a 3 year term. We don't get to talk very often because phone rates are so high, but thanks to IM we do get to chat and catch up ocassionally. Just the other day, I got a surprise IM from her, and it made me sooooo happy! She ended up signing off before I got the message she left, but it felt so good to know that she was thinking about me! :) One of the most special times, to me, in our friendship was the day, about 2 weeks before our wedding, that she called and surprised me with the news that she would be able to fly in for the wedding!!! I immediately put her in a black dress and told her that she WOULD be a part of the day! It meant so much to me to have her there on the most important day of my life...from all the way around the world! This is a picture of us from my wedding, and it's one of my favorites. Mazi, I love you & miss you so much, and I can't wait to see you in July!

Friend

I am taking an 11 week long Ladies' Bible Study at our church on "Covenant" (by Kay Arthur). I really had NO idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this thing. I knew that it would be a good way to meet other stay at home wives/moms in our church and would hopefully help me grown in my walk with God.

Well, I am here to tell you that I never expected what I have received from the study so far. We started out talking about covenants made in the Bible (between men and other men or between men and God-like when God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations through a child with Sarah, when God promised to save Noah and his family through the flood and then sent the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with us that He would never again flood the earth). Then we moved on to the covenant we make with God when we accept Christ into our hearts, and how the symbol of that covenant is The Lord's Supper. It really makes me think about all the times I haven't treated my relationship with God as a covenant, or binding agreement. I treat it so flippantly, as God has been sure to point out, but this study has encouraged me to live a life that reflects the covenant I made, knowing or unknowingly, with Him when I asked Jesus to come into my heart.

This past week the opening line of one of the lessons was: "Friend is a covenant word." Anyone who knows me (and Brooke, and Lori, and Maleah!) know that the word "friend" is not just a term used to describe each other, but often our names. It's not uncommon for one of us to yell "Hey Friend", and while no one else in the room has any idea what we are talking about, the friend knows. The best is when we are all together and someone says "Hey Friend" and we all know exactly which "friend" is being referred to, even though no names have been said. That's just how it is with us. I had always just thought of "friend" as a fun way of addressing people, and it was often turned into a joke when we would start counting how many times the word was used in a single setting. After this particular day's lesson, and then our group discussion on Tuesday, I look at this word in a new light. In all of Scripture, Abraham is the only person who is ever referred to as a "Friend of God". I think it was because Abraham was just that close with God. After all, he was seconds away from sacrificing the son that he had waited so long for God to bring into existence, when God told him to stop and said "Now I know that you fear me". They had quite the tight bond, Abraham & God.

It reminds me of a song we had at our wedding. It was sung by dear sweet Mel as our attendants entered the sanctuary. It's called "My Friend" by Crystal Lewis, and here is the chorus:

I love you, my friend
For giving to me
For being my confident
For letting me be me
For sharing your heart
For taking a stand
I want to be like you
I love you, my friend

When I think of all this, it brings me to this point: I NEVER want to take that word and defile it again. It has a sacred connotation that I never saw before. God has shown me through study of this word that these friends I mentioned earlier and I have a covenant with each other. While written or unwritten, it's still a covenant-a binding agreement-that holds us together. We help hold each other accountable, and we have the best time of just about anybody! These are people that I can truly call "friend". So, I challenge anyone who reads this to think...think about those in your life who you call "friend" (especially those of you who may address people with this word and you've never really thought about it, or don't even REALLY know what it means) and don't use it so haphazardly. Think of Abraham, the Friend of God...and if you can't say that you have that same kind of relationship that he had with God, then don't use it. It's a challenge I am willing to take. I hope that my friends will join me.

Things I Love Thursday 3.2.06

Thing I Love: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some things for the house and my business, and just so happened to stumble upon the Easter candy aisle! Well, I did contain myself (believe me, it could have been A LOT worse!) and only bought 1 (family size) bag of Reese's Cup Miniature Eggs. Reese's Cups have always been among my favorite foods/candies, and Reese's Easter Eggs (the regualar size onres) are probably one of the best foods I have ever encountered IN...MY...LIFE!!! I LOVE THEM!!! Well, there are like 200 calories in one stinkin' egg, so I have had to learn to refrain unless I have been good the rest of the week. We have a little candy bowl in our living room for our friends to enjoy when they come over (believe it or not, I have actually been REALLY good about not splurging with the candy bowl every day..but, yes, I do eat out of the sacred bowl.) and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a festive Easter candy to liven up the color of the bowl...especially REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER MINI EGGS!!!! So, if you are ever looking for a chance to help me ruin my diet, just send some of those my way. (PS...about my diet...I have been pretty good about watching what I eat this week, but have been on the go non-stop all week long, which means no exercise. Yesterday I went to help a friend paint, so at least I wasn't sitting on my butt all day. And today, I had to go do some shopping in Asheville, so again, I wasn't just sitting around. Monday I was wedding shopping with my future sister-in-law, which meant, again, that I didn't get to work out. Tuesday was Bibile Study along with about 460 other things to do...so the bottom line is, I haven't spent any time with Billy Blanks this week, and for the first time in my life, I kinda miss exercise! I like this feeling...I just hope that my Monday morning weigh in doesn't reflect my less active lifestyle too much.)