Have You Ever Felt Crazy?

Do you ever feel just completely overwhelmed?? You can hardly think because so much is running through your mind at about 1000 mph. You don’t even remember what you ate about 30 minutes ago or even if you ate so you eat again and then end up with a stomach ache. Bed time is late and then get up time is early, so sleep pretty much doesn’t happen. You have so much to do that you aren’t even sure where to start so then you are rushing around at the last minute to get everything done. Yep, that is totally where I am right now. So I thought that I needed some help and accountability. Here is the list of things that I need to get done between now and December 8^th. I know that is exactly a month away but if you knew how many crazy things I had to do between now and then you would be stressing too.

Here is my list of events and everything I have to do to accomplish the events:

1)      Surprise Party – November 10

·         Set-up decorations

·         Prep food

·         Clean house

·         Clean yard

·         Set-up food

·         Party hardy!

2)      Trip to Disney!

·         Clean house for people staying to watch our fur babies.

·         Bathe the dogs.

·         Wash a massive amount of laundry.

·         Go shopping for breakfast items and snacks.

·         Have friends over to meet our fur babies.

·         Pack clothes.

·         Pack car.

·         Forget about the world for one whole week!

3)      Mommy Owned Business Fundraiser – December 1 (More info on this soon!)

·         Order necklaces (I had to have some things crossed off the list! ;)).

·         Order Business Cards.

·         Make coasters.

·         Have Coaster Making Party.

·         Package coasters.

·         Acquire black table cloth.

·         Make necklace display.

·         Buy plate stand for coaster display.

·         Acquire cash box.

4)      Parents’ Night Out Fundraiser

·         Create event.

·         Recruit baby sitters.

·         Pick up pizzas, chips, and drinks.

·         Age appropriate activities.

So, do I have enough to do?? I am feeling a little overwhelmed and all prayers would greatly be appreciated! Thanks for reading all of my ramblings! Thank you to all of my friends for putting up with my crazy and forgetful self. A special thank you to my husband and bestie because they see it more often than not! Love you all!

MIA

I have totally been MIA for a while...Sorry about that! There are a couple of reasons 1) Our Big Announcement (If you haven't heard about it yet check it out here.), 2) I've been battling sickness, and 3) I am working on some posts and I want them just right. :D So please have patience and stick it out with me! You won't be disappointed. Promise!

Remembering Where I Was

That September Day ~ Alan Jackson



Where were you when the world stopped turning
that September day,
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock
At the sight of that black smoke risin' against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger and fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who dont know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride for the red white and blue
And the heros who died just doin what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters

*Chorus*

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning
that September day
Teachin' a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages
Speak to some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out an buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on 'I Love Lucy' re-runs
Did you go to church and hold hands with some stangers
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

*Chorus*
*Chorus*

And the greatest is love

And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stoped turning,
that September day

Where were you on this day 11 years ago?? I was 14 years old and on a family vacation. We went to Poinsett State Park in South Carolina. We didn't have a lot of money back then and family vacations were a real treat. I remember that we hiked and fished a lot that week and it was a real time of family togetherness! We had no tv or radio. It was so nice to just hang out together without distractions!

The morning of September 11, 2001 was a relaxed morning for us. It was our last day of vacation and we were in no rush to get home. Mom and dad had left us to fish and they went to the main building to talk to the park ranger about the alligator incident earlier in the morning. I remember them walking back and telling us that we had to pack everything up and head home early because something terrible had happened and Daddy needed to be available for work. So we packed everything up and got in the car. My parents told us what happened and at that point I didn't know much about the World Trade Centers. But shortly after that I knew that what had happened was a very horrible thing! We listened to the radio the entire way home. Even at 14 I felt very motivated to do something. But what could I do?? I couldn't donate blood. I wasn't a firefighter or paramedic. I wasn't really old enough to do anything of "importance" but I was old enough to pray! Boy, did I pray! I distinctly remember being very frightened because my dad was a firefighter/paramedic and he may have to join crews looking for victims. I knew it was dangerous and my dad never backed down from a challenge. Especially since some of his "brothers" had lost their lives doing what they loved doing! All I could think about as a young teenage girl is, "If he goes, will he come back alive?" Yes, selfish but who wants to lose their dad willingly?

When we made it home, we turned on the tv. We finally got to see the horror that we had been hearing about on the radio. It was way worse than anything I could ever imagine! We finally heard about the Pentagon being hit and we did know people that worked there. Then the plane went down in the field. It was all so horrific. It was all anybody would talk about. It was a very hard time for all of America. Some people sought God's face and churches all across America were more full than normal for a while and some people cursed God wondering how He could let such a horrendous thing happen. When I think back to that time, all I can think about it the pain and suffering of a nation.

Where were you on that terrible September day?

Please Join Us

I am asking everyone who reads this blog to please pray for me and Kalan. I know that I dislike when people do unspoken prayer requests but we truly are not ready to share specifics yet. We are in the midst of a very hard and huge decision and would definitely covet your prayers! Thank you for praying for our family and when we are ready to share our decision I will most definitely post it!

Philippians 4:6-7 ~ “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What I've Been Doing Lately

I have been super busy this weekend between a birthday party for a 3-year-old and all his buddies; teaching Sunday school for the 0-4 year olds; a dinner party with friends; hearing a couple's adoption story; getting my hair did; another dinner party; not seeing my house for 4 days straight except to sleep and get ready; and looking into some possibilities for our future (updates on this later once we decide it is time to share with everyone!).

Now, I have 3 parties to help plan before mid-November (one Over the Hill; one baby shower; and one cowboy camp-out). I LOVE planning parties! I really would like to share the parties and how they went together and then maybe one day I will be a big event planner that makes the food for the party! Then after the parties comes DISNEY!! So stinkin' excited for a vacation and a chance to relax!

I could also use some help on what you all would like to see on my blog. I am kind of at a loss as to what I should blog about. I feel like I do a lot of talking and they are pretty boring. HELP!!

Eden Village

I want to tell everyone about the church that Kalan and I call home. Eden Village Church is the church plant that we are involved in. Check out the website here.

It all started with Michael and Heather Mole inviting us to come hang out with a group of people that were involved in a church plant. We thought it would be a good idea to go and check it out because we hadn't really hung out with Christian people our own age since we had gotten married. So we went and hung out with a group of strangers (Michael and Heather were the only ones we knew) and that is an absolute big deal for Kalan because 1) he hates crowds and 2) he isn't very social unless he knows you. I will not lie when I tell you that I initially thought that it was a very strange group of people but when we left we felt very welcomed and like we had a new set of friends.

We continued to hang out for a couple of weeks and then decided to go to "Village Group". On a side note: "Village Group" is where we get together with other people from church that live in our local community and do a bible study; dig deeper into Sunday's sermon; share prayer requests and struggles; and serve the community with Christ's love. It is a great place to get to know people more on a one on one basis and to build up a community of people that are there for you whenever you need them!

After attending for a couple of months, the elders said that they wanted to start having Sunday evening services. Everyone was excited to finally be holding actual church services. So then the work began.

It is cool to be in a church that is just starting out, everything is brand new, and you get to make all the decisions. The elders actually asked me to head up the children's department. I was honored and terrified at the same time. So I started contacting other churches to get copies of their children's ministry paperwork and started composing EV's own set of documents. It was a lot of work but fun at the same time. Now we have a well functioning children's department, EV Kids. There are things that still come up and there are times that it would be easy to quit but God has placed me in this place of authority for a reason and I will press on in His mission for my life.

Now back to EV. We have an amazing group of people that are in the body there. We are all very different and hard times do come but the difference between us and a lot of other groups is the fact that we have Jesus and He commands us to forgive and move on. It's really cool to get to see the body work that way. We have a great pastor that is real with us. He isn't afraid to be himself or admit falling short and his struggles. It is refreshing to see that!

If you live in Savannah and don't have a church that you go to regularly then I would totally recommend coming and checking us out! Click this link to get the address and the time for the service on Sunday. Maybe I will see some of you this Sunday!

Back To School

So in my last post I shared how Kalan and I are making some major decisions in our lives. One of those decisions, is me going back to school and a huge career change.

Let's go back and look at how I came to where I am today. About 5 or so years ago I was on my way to school! I had taken a little bit of a break after high school but now I was ready to pursue my career. "What career was that?", you may ask. Photography. I love taking pictures of other people and events. I am a bit of a picture-holic and have photos from as far back as when I was 10 years old, maybe even earlier. I had done all of the paperwork and had my student loan. I was two weeks away from leaving for school, when my dad told me that he thought it was best that I didn't go. Now, I was more than old enough to make my own decisions but he was my daddy and I still lived in his home. So, I called the school and told them that I would not be attending come fall...It was definitely amongst the hardest conversations that I have ever had. After that I put school on hold for what I thought would be forever. I continued to work full time and bust my hump to make it to where I am today.

Today, I have a husband who is backing me 1000% on my journey back to school. I know it will be really hard because I have been out of the classroom since I graduated in 2005. But it is a change that I am so looking forward to!

So here are my plans so far (unless God sees fit to bring us a precious little one :D), I plan on attending Virginia College in Savannah around the beginning of the year. Click here to get an idea of what the program looks like.

The program I am taking is the Culinary Arts certificate program to begin with, which is a 9 month program. Classes are Monday - Friday 5:30 pm -10:40 pm. (I am still going to work full-time, hence the late hour for classes.) The last 11 or so weeks of the program I actually have to intern somewhere and put my skills to the test. Then I will get my certificate. After I complete that program, then I want to do the Pastry Arts certificate program, which will only be one more quarter of work because the first two quarters are same classes and they don't require you to take them again.

I am super excited about the program because they are going to teach me how to do everything by hand (They have a bun press that is brand spanking new and never been touched), they will teach me to cook everything from chicken to wild game to tofu and everything in between, they will teach me how to not chop off my fingers, sanitation, and all the other good stuff. It is a good program to teach a little bit of everything.

Yesterday I took the placement test, which pretty much told them that I could read, write, and do math and I filled out my application online. Later this week I get to meet with the financial advisors and get the ball rolling with that. So pray as Kalan and I figure out the next step and when the best time is for me to start school. I definitely don't want to jump into this blindly! Look for other posts along the way about my journey back to school!

Blessed Be Your Name

So I was going to write about my Saturday but my bestie wrote a post up that is way more eloquent than anything that I could ever write. So check her post out here. We had an amazing time and it was really cool to share my "childhood" with my friends!

I'll be upfront about something, I LOVE kids! I have always wanted kids since as long as I can remember. My dream growing up was that I would marry right out of high school and we would have lots and lots of babies. Well, I didn't marry right out of high school. It was actually 4 years later that I met Kalan and we have been married for almost 2 1/2 years now.

When God brought Kalan to me, He sent me the perfect man for me! When we were engaged Kalan asked me if I wanted to adopt because he really wanted to adopt children. I have a real heart for orphans and I had never said anything to Kalan about wanting to adopt children! How cool is that? Kalan loves kids. He wants them just as badly as I do.

We have been trying to have children since shortly after Kalan and I got married. After a year of no pregnancy and my health seemed to deteriorate, we decided to see a doctor. All the tests came back normal and the doctor told me that nothing was wrong with me except being "pre-diabetic" (Which I think was a false "positive" because for that test you are supposed to fast for at least 4 hours and I had pancakes and syrup right before my doctor's appointment.) and everything with Kalan looked fine. Kalan and I both got the feeling that the doctor I was seeing was really blowing me off. So we have decided to see another doctor in Savannah but choosing one hasn't been easy and the insurance factor has also been a nightmare. So please pray for us!

Now back to the story, with us wanting children so badly and then not being able to for whatever reason and seeing friends get pregnant and have babies, it's been really hard! I remember when one of my friends told me she was pregnant and they had only been married for a short time, I was super excited for her! I knew that her and her husband would make AMAZING parents but what about my baby? I cried on and off for three days, not because she was pregnant but because I wasn't. As more friends get pregnant and have babies, it hurts more. There is no lack of interaction with babies and I love every single one of them.

I started asking God: Why me? Why am I the only one not having babies? Why do I have to suffer? Why did You put this desire for kids in me but are withholding them?

Recently, Kalan and I have decided that we still want children but we don't want to put our lives and plans on hold forever waiting for children to come along. We know that God will give us children when He is ready. In the meantime, we are seeking God's face for the next step in our journey as a couple. We are looking into me going back to school for certificates in Culinary and Pastry Arts. It is completely different from anything that I have ever wanted to do before but I have found this new passion for cooking and baking and I love sharing this with other people. Sorry, rabbit trail...

God has been teaching me a lot lately about being content where He has me. I know that I am not in a bad place, most adults would love to be where I am right now, but it isn't where I want to be. Yesterday, we sang the song "Blessed Be Your Name" in church. It really hit home for me. I supplied the lyrics below and I want to expound on how they touched me.

Blessed Be Your Name

            ~ Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful                                      
Where Your streams of abundance flow            
Blessed be Your name

(God has blessed Kalan and I with so much! I can never truly thank Him enough for everything that He has blessed us with!)

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place                      
Though I walk through the wilderness                
Blessed Be Your name

(Even when I feel completely and absolutely alone, God is still there and He is still to be praised!)

Every blessing You pour out                                
I'll turn back to praise

(When things are easy and good, it is easy to praise Him.)

When the darkness closes in, Lord                 

(When things aren't going so well, then it is much harder to praise Him but it is now even more important to praise Him!)

Still I will say    

                                                      

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering               

(I have suffered and I have grieved and I have forgotten the goodness of God. )

Though there's pain in the offering                

(It will hurt sometimes but we will come out on the other side more refined than before.)

Blessed be Your name    

                               

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away                              
You give and take away                              
My heart will choose to say                       
Lord, blessed be Your name

(God could give us a baby tomorrow and then take it away the next day. BUT HE IS STILL SOVEREIGN! I must CHOOSE to still praise and bless His name in the midst of tragedy!!!)

Not having children hurts, to be honest. But my God is a great and good God and I know that His timing is always perfect. I may be impatient and hate the not knowing but sometimes all He wants us to do is take a giant leap of faith!

James 1:2-8 ~ "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Let's Par-tay!

Last night we had a super sweet family have a bunch of almost complete strangers over for dinner. I have known this family, the Moles, for a very long time. I went to the same church as them since I was pretty little. So it was nice to hang out with them and let Kalan see why I love this family so much. There was a total of 22 people in one house! Crazy but fun!

The menu for the night: Fried porkchops (I am not a huge fan of anything fried and these were A-Freakin'-Mazing!!), Mac-n-cheese (Way better than anything I have ever made and I LOVE my mac-n-cheese!). twice baked potatoes (again yummy), white rice, butter beans, and homemade gravy. All of that was for dinner. For dessert the adults had home made peach cobbler and chocolate delight, while the kids had ice cream sundaes in waffle cone bowls. I walked away not having to eat for the next week because I ate so much! Thanks Mole family for all the hard work you put into the meal!

This is Jennifer, she played the music at my wedding and she played it for me last night. It was so nice to sit and listen to such beautiful music and think back on that sweet day! Thanks Jennifer!

This is Ms. Dawn, she is a wonderful woman that truly has the gift of encouragement! Go check out her blog here, everyone should benefit from it! Whenever I have something going on in my life she is always there to listen to me and to pray for me or give me godly counsel. I am truly thankful for her! She was also the person in charge at my wedding. She did a fabulous job and followed the instructions to the letter! (Even if I was being a bride-zilla!) This is the only picture I have of her to date and I am really going to work on fixing that situation.

Check back tomorrow to see what I was up to today!

Today My Heart Is Aching

"Have you ever been hurt and the place tries to heal a bit, and you just pull the scar off of it over and over again?" 

Courtesy of Rosa Parks

This is how I feel today. I thought I was ok...I thought I could handle it...I thought I was ready for rejection...But alas, I was not and I "pulled the scar off" again.

I beat myself up over past and present sin pretty frequently...It is bad and a sin. It is one that I have struggled with for a very long time. Kalan has been very instrumental in helping me to deal with the grief and heart ache that I put myself through and I am very thankful that God has given me to Kalan!

Today I just want to crawl under a rock and cry but my God is strong and through Him I am strong! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to me! I am so unworthy but You still love me!

I have been living by the following verse for about 2 1/2 years and it is more personal now than it was then.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Sorry for all of the "doom and gloom" today but I really want to be real with all of you and being sad is part of life! On to more happy news! Tonight I am going to a PAR-TAY! I am so stinkin' excited to sit and talk with a family that I have not really hung out with since I got married! So look forward to pictures tomorrow about good food and friends!

Home Is Where The Heart Is

So Kalan and I took a huge step for a bunch of crazy 20-somethings! We bought our first house last year and we closed the week before Thanksgiving. God was so completely and absolutely gracious to us! We found a foreclosure way out in the country for a fraction of what the house is worth and we are only pay $50 more a month for our mortgage, insurance, and taxes than we paid for just rent. How awesome is that? The house about 1,800 square feet. It has 4 bedrooms (plenty of room for a growing family :D), 2 bathrooms, and the obvious stuff, living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and Kalan got a two car garage (that we don't park cars in right now because a) I am frightened that I will take out the house or break some mirrors on my car and b) we have some house projects being stored there right now but eventually Kalan will be able to park his car in there)!

So let's take a tour of our house. Be prepared for a very picture heavy post!

Here is the front of the house.

From left to right the windows belong to: The guest room; The dining room; and the garage.

The groom carrying the bride over the threshold.

Funny story: Kalan is not much taller than I am maybe 3-4 inches. (No, he does not like when I wear heels!) I also match him pound for pound (For now, we are working on losing weight and being healthy again.), so when he went to pick me up I almost squashed him like a bug. My friend, Heather, was taking the picture for us and we were all laughing so hard that we did fall down and then Heather had to sit on the floor before she fell down. The saying is so very true, "A picture is worth a thousand words (memories)"!

The man in the picture is Heather's husband, James.

Kalan painting.

Living Room

Kitchen

Me painting.

Dining Room

It is hard to see but we do have a tray ceiling. 

Master Bedroom

Looking through the door.

Looking to the left. We do have a shower on the other side of the tub but it isn't functional.

Looking to the right.

All the way to the back we have a toilet room. 

Master Bathroom

Wait 'til you see what we have done to this room!

Guest Room

Office (And one day nursery. :D)

Guest Bathroom

The awesome fan that actually came with the house!

Dog Room

I will show you the progress of the house in later posts, so don't think that this is what the house still looks like! If you know me, then you know that I can never leave well enough alone!

108 Days!!

"108 days", you may ask, "until what?" My reply to you would be, "'Til the best vacation in the world!!"

Kalan and I are taking a vacation with a sweet family to...Are you ready for it?...DISNEY WORLD!!! 

*trumpets sound, dancing in the streets, and loud cheering ensue*

 We are all very excited! Especially the kids, which are going to be 5 and 3 at the time! The good thing about taking kids to Disney World? People don't look at you funny when you want to get on the kiddie rides! ;) So be on the look out for the count down and then the updates while we are partying it up!

Welcome To The Family

They say families are like fruit cake; sweet, fruity, and filled with nuts. 

Well, our family is nothing like fruit cake! We are all just a bunch of nuts! 

Head Nut: Kalan

Fun Fact About Kalan: If it were up to Kalan our first born son would be named Gandolph. 

Thankfully we got rabbits first! 

And then there's me: The Crazy Nut

Fun Fact About Me: I am an extrovert that isn't good at meeting new people. 

Oldest Fur Nut: Eko

Fun Fact About Eko: She is the smallest member of the house at 3 lbs but she has the biggest personality!

Second Fur Nut: Meka

Fun Fact About Meka: She thinks she is a cat and likes lounging on the back of the couch.

First Hopping Nut: Frodo

Fun Fact About Frodo: We just found out that "he" is quite possibly a "she"...Let's not talk about how we found that out!

Second Hopping Nut: Gandolph

Fun Fact About Gandolph: He is the reason we found out that Frodo is possibly a girl!

Now everyone knows how crazy the Smith household really is!