Double Digits

Well...for some reason I had a momentary brain lapse and thought he was 10 months. He is really 9 months old. I will just keep this post up here for when he is 10 months!




Do you remember when you turned 10?
I do.
I could not wait to hit the double digits. 9 was just so plain and "young". When 10 hit, I had arrived. In my mind, I finally fit in with the majority of the world, barring the triple digit Guiness Book of World Record holders...
It is amazing that the same number that caused so much excitement in me now is bittersweet.
My baby is in the double digits.
My baby is 10 months old today. Never to be classified as a single digit again!!
In honor of this double digit day, I will recount a few things that make me smile as Jonah's Mom.

1. You clap like a happy little fool all the time. Always keep that encouraging spirit.
2. You are crawling like a champ. We were a little worried about you, as you were the slowest in our Life Group:) You took your first crawling advances in your own time; always stay true to yourself.
3. Now that you are crawling, you have realized you can move vertically, too. You are pulling up on anything that is in reach. Keep climbing and reaching up...
4. You like to babble to yourself in the crib in the mornings. Your voice rises and falls as you talk to "Mr. Knotts"...Always speak up when you have something to say.
5. Your smile is instantaneous, and you are easily amused...Always remember to rejoice in every circumstance.

I pray over you every night a blessing from Numbers 6:24. My own parents prayed this over me before I closed my eyes each night. I want the last words you hear at night to be a blessing.

My dear Jonah
"May the Lord bless you and keep you, May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you, May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace".

Love to you, JR!!!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere...

I couldn't think of a catchy title for this post, so this is what you get. 5 years ago on June 18th at 5pm, I married my best friend. We were married in my grandparent's church, which I always thought was so beautiful. I loved the tall windows with shutters and large white steeple. I loved the two sets of double doors that looked so welcoming. We had our reception at the Charlotte Museum of History. Such loving family and friends helped with decorations, candles, and flowers. I loved the cake with its different patterns for each layer; we had our monogram (ASP) on the third layer. The bridesmaid's flowers were just what I had envisioned, and I loved my blue hydrangeas with white flowers that had little pearls in the center. So unique, and definitely an "Anna" thing. My dad sang "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as the wedding party entered, and my Uncle Earl played "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" when my dad and I entered. My dress was simple but elegant; I would have chosen it a million times over again. It was the third dress I had tried on, and my mom had actually picked it out for me. On the rack, it didn't have a special glow to it. When I put it on, I knew it was the one. I'd love to put it on and prance around the house!
Despite all this, it is not about the wedding, the cake, the matching flowers, or the tuxes that weren't my favorite but Patrick insisted on....
It is about the life that starts the minute you say "I do". To paraphrase, we promised to love no matter what. We must love even when a new TV is dropped and wedged in a doorway the first week of marriage, when horrid kidney stones result in an ED visit and wreck on the way home from the ED, when football seems to be tearing your husband away all the time, when your new dog fingerpaints with his poopy every single day, when you realize you spent more than you earned for the month, when you and your parents don't see eye to eye, when your ac goes out and you spend the night in a scary hotel, when you take the leap of becoming homeowners, when your roof loses shingles and you need a new one, when your refrigerator breaks a week later, when one spouse is hormonally challenged because of pregnancy, when grad school is undertaken while working a full-time job, when you realize you will be parents yourselves and you are scared out of your mind, when 8 weeks into your pregnancy you think you may lose your baby, when your friends do experience the loss of their child and you are forever changed, when your child is born but can't leave the hospital when you can, when financial decisions are not agreed upon and causes strife, when jobs come and go, when finances seem to dwindle, when life happens.
The two become one, and it is no longer "mine" but "ours". Our struggles, our triumphs, our sorrows, our joys. It is a choice to love no matter what.
When the valleys come, I will remember that day at 5 o'clock, when I promised to love no matter what.
Love always hopes, always trusts, always perseveres.
Love
Never
Fails.

Confessions of a Loser

Well gang, it has been awhile since I posted. There is a time and season for everything, as good ole Ecclesiastes says. My season of weight watchers had been going fairly well until this past week and a half. I somehow got sidetracked, and I dove into several kit-kat bars. Well, it was more than "several" kit-kat bars. It was more like I totally disregarded all points completely and just ate. Well, there are days/weeks like that. However, I have lost a total of 6 lbs, and despite my rebellious week, I did not gain. However, I did not lose, either.
There. I have confessed. I confess I am a loser, but not in a bad way! I have lost weight, and I hope to continue. I feel better, even if it is not noticeable.

On a different note, I signed up to be an Ironmommy!!! Not only did I sign up, but I declared myself leader of ironmommies in Greenville, NC. I found this group by browsing a site called "Skirt Sports". Basically, the site is adorable, girly, athletic wear for women. While perusing the site, I saw an ironmommies link. What drew me in was the motto "No Mommy left behind!" How cool is that? You set your own goals and participate in races with your group. You obtain local sponsors to help defray costs, and you wear the same outfit. I have to say, the outift sold me on the whole idea. Don't call me shallow, because I know you are thinking it. I will include a picture at the end of this post, and you will totally get why I am doing it! (the most important reasons are to achieve goals with other women, fellowship, and enjoy the sport of running with others!)
Anyway, who is in it with me? I've been running faithfully, and I can actually tell and feel a difference in my body. I am able to go farther and faster than I ever have in my whole entire life. Sounds dramatic, right? It is the truth!!! If you live in or near the Greenville, NC area, please comment and let me know if you want to participate! We are signing up for a 5k sometime in early fall. So far, I have 5 women wanting to join!! Now, for the best part ever:





THE UNIFORM!!!
www.ironmommies.com