My Life Verse

I believe my gifts are encouragement, dedication, creativity,and service.

What are yours?

And do you have a life verse?

This one has been with me for several years now, and I don't see it going anywhere any time soon;

serving other is at the very heart of who I am, and there are few things in this world that make me as happy as helping another.

Here's wishing a happy Tuesday to you and you and you.

P.S.) This post is best when scrolled through quickly. Try it now; thank me later.

Making My Cheeks Hurt

Some days I smile so much at the joy that is this little girl,

that by the end of the day....

...my cheeks literally hurt.

And I hope it never, ever stops.

Here's hoping your weekend was even half as good as mine, which came complete with a lunch date with my mom, new mascara, and a viewing of The Vow.

Happy Monday/Nine Weeks Test Week/Almost Spring Break to you and you and you!

This Week, I Am Happy

Today I'm home with a kidney infection.

This means I'm :

a.) watching Grey's Anatomy reruns like an addict

b.)chugging cranberry juice by the gallon

c.) wasting time on Pinterest

d.) all of the above

However, I refuse to let one yuck day put a damper on all the things I have to be thankful for this week.

In no particular order, here are some things that are making me smile as of late:



This week I got to spend some time talking with this precious girl. Although she's not going back to Africa this summer, she is doing awesome things, and I could not be more proud of her.

(Note: no, the man in the background was not staged. Sometimes good things just happen; try not to be jealous, mkay?)

So, Libby's tonsils have been MIA for several months now. She's sleeping better, breathing better, and enjoying the day in and day out more than she used to; this makes me one happy mom.

Ever had one of these lovelies? You should. They are amazing.

This week my bff Meagan and I survived our first charity ball. Good times were had by all, and lots of dinero was raised to help local kiddos in need. Love when that happens.

On our recent trip down South, Libby and I got to spend some time with my pseudo little sister, Rebecca (aka Libby's godmother). I'm still smiling about the way these two love each other and communicate. Seriously, there has never been a better match. Sometimes I make really good decisions; clearly asking Rebecca to be her godmother was one of those times.

In the past week, I've read the first two books in this series. I wasn't so sure I'd love them at first; they're a little rough around the edges. But love them I do. Add these to the list of unfinished stories floating around in this here head; the third book doesn't come out for several months....boo on this.

And last on today's list, I am loving watching this precious couple prepare for their upcoming trip to Uganda. If you're looking for a great daily read, I strongly suggest you take a peek at their blog. Pretty sure one peek is all it was take for you to become hooked; it was for me.

Here's hoping your Thursday is top notch and that both of your kidneys are a-ok.

Oh, and do you follow me on Twitter? If not and if you want to, you can find me here.

Hope to see you there soon.

Today I'm linking here and  here. Join me?

Libby: The Interview

Have you ever interviewed your child?

For whatever random reason, Saturday morning Libby and I were sitting around indulging in lots of nothingness, when the idea of an interview with my seven-year-old came out of nowhere.

So, we sat down and the questioning commenced.

And now, dear Blogging friends, is your chance to get to know the Libster a little bit better.

If you could only watch one movie from now until the end of time, what movie would you watch?

The Princess and the Pony

What's one thing you'd really like to learn how to do?

Shimmy (as is in shake your shoulders...she has to do this in her dance recital in May and is terrified she's going to mess it up. Poor child and her no shimmy skills; let's just say, she get it from her momma.)

What book character is your favorite?

Opal from Because of Winn-Dixie

What's your favorite thing about God?

He's really sweet.

What's your dream job?

a fashion designer

Where do you want to live when you grow up?

in a big house in Alabama

(Her best friend lives in Alabama, so this is not as out of the blue as it may seem.)

What's your favorite thing Mom cooks?

whoopie pies

Which of your birthday parties has been your favorite?

It's a tie between my painting party and my cake party.

What is your favorite thing about our family?

that I have a sister

What is the most important thing for a friend to be?

She has to love God. 



What is the best advice you could give to an incoming first-grader?

Don't bring toys to school or you'll get in trouble.

What's your favorite thing about Hollyn?

She's really sweet.

What's the most annoying thing your Mom does?

Interview me.

And there you have it folks.
This is me, the annoying interview mom, saying I hope your Monday is the best Monday ever and that it's filled with lots of hugs, happy thoughts, and ear-to-ear grins for all involved.
Mine will be filled with reuniting with college friends, froyo, and hopefully some Chick-fil-a. which means my week is off to one heck of a good start.

Redeeming Love {a review}

I have a confession: I have had this book for three years and just now read it.

This rarely happens at my house.

Generally I buy a book and have read the first twenty pages by the time I leave the bookstore parking lot.

Having finished it now, I can plainly see that this was God's timing. I NEEDED this book more now than I did three years ago, and I am 100% positive that I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much then as I did at this point in my life.

To put it mildly, I LOVED this book. In case it's not one you're familiar with, it's based on the book of Hosea in the Bible. It's a beautiful story of unconditional love and forgiveness, but it also speaks volumes about recovery, acceptance, and dealing with the hardest of hard times.

I've said this before, but for a long time I was very skeptical of Christian fiction. Shame on me, I know. I think I was just scared that Christian fiction would be like bad Christian music. By this I mean, there is some Christian music that I just can't get enough of, that moves me to the point of tears, and that rocks me to my core. However, there is also some Christian music that makes me want to rush to change the station before I am eaten up with cheesiness. 

While I'm sure some Christian fiction is a little cheesy, this book is certainly not in this category. In fact, this was one of the most emotionally powerful books I've ever read, and my friends,I have read  A LOT of books. There were literally parts that were hard to read-- not because I didn't understand them but because they were just so upsetting and overwhelming.

With that being said, let me also say that I now believe I have a greater understanding of God's forgiveness for me and unconditionally love for me than I've ever had. God used this simple story to confirm His love for me and His desire to pursue a relationship with me.

BUT, the best part, in my opinion, is how I can easily see God using this book in so many different ways in so many different lives. It can mean one thing to me, one thing to you, and one thing to someone else. I LOVE when God does this.

So, this weekend I suggest you snuggle up with this book, a box of Kleenex, and some mint Oreos.

 You can thank me later.

God has great things in store for you, lovelies, and if you read (or have read) this book and it moves you, do tell. I LOVE hearing how God uses something as simple as a book to touch our hearts.

Here's wishing a happy Friday to you and you and you.

Bubble Pizza: A Four Ingredient Work of Art

Hello, lovelies.

Sorry I've been a bit MIA this week.

It's not that I don't love you, because I most certainly do.

However, between traveling home on Monday, a field trip on Tuesday, and now preparing for our local Charity Ball, I have been one cra-zy girl this week.

Forgive me and love me still, mkay?

Good.

And now that that's settled, I want to take a sec. to share a yummy yum dinner recipe with you.

It's super easy and loved by all...my kids especially love this one.

Readers, I'd like to introduce you to what I call BUBBLE PIZZA:

Looks delish, yes?

Here's what you'll need:

3-4 rolls of small biscuits

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 lb. sausage (browned and drained)

1 jar pizza sauce

After browning your sausage, cut the biscuits into small, bite-sized pieces. I literally use my scissors for this. Cover the bottom of a small pyrex with the biscuit pieces. Next you simply layer your remaining ingredients: pizza sauce, sausage, cheese. Then you bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. And if you like your pizza withe\ olives or peppers or whatever else, you could easily add those as well.

If you make it and enjoy, let me know.

If you make it and DON'T enjoy, that will be sad for you and me both.

Here's hoping your Friday is top notch, and before you go a few random facts:

-I have read six books so far this year. It's February. This means I'm living on the nerdy side of life...and I like it.

-Hollyn just came up to me while I was typing and said, "Momma, I want to sit your lap." Oh, be still my heart.

-Today felt like spring, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

-I love Africa so very much, and it has been on my mind nonstop lately. I literally wake up in the middle of the night and instantly pray for Africa. I hope everyone is as passionate about something as I am about making a difference there; passion is a very good feeling.

Happy almost Friday to you and you and you.

I'm linking this post here, here, here, here, and here.

It's What Best Friends Do

In case you missed it, this past weekend Libby and I drove to the land of far, far away to have a much needed, long overdue girl's weekend.

It did not disappoint.

And while there are so many things I'm itching to share with you, the thing that stuck with me the most is what I leaned from watching Libby and her best friend, Lily.

A lesson in friendship awaits:

Best friends, after seeing each other for the first time in a long time, stay up way too late and wake up way too early....but there are hap,hap,happy just to be together.

Sometimes best friends hold hands for no reason other than the fact there are few things more comforting than the nearness of the one who knows you best.

Best friends always share, whether it's their time, their hardships, their joys, or their purses so they can look 'fancy' for church.

Some things (like parades) are naturally fun, but everything is more fun when shared with your best friend.

There is no such thing as 'wasted time' or 'being bored'
when your best friend is involved; simply being together is enough.



There is nothing funnier than best friends being completely themselves
when they are together...except maybe best friends being funny in the middle of the night. 

There are some things in life that only you
 and your best friend will ever fully understand.



The moments shared between true friends are priceless,and there is very little that can
 compare to the joy that comes from time together. 

Here's hoping we are reunited very, very soon.

Have you talked to your bestie today?

Today I'm linking this little post o' mine here.