Another dog needs a home

Well, around this time last year, some of you may remember that I was trying to find a home for a beagle mix dog and her two puppies. So here we go again. I'm actually more desperate this time to find a home for this little girl dog because she's actually been staying with a friend of mine who already has 2 dogs and 2 cats. PLEASE PLEASE tell everyone you know about this beagle mix female. They think she's about 1 or 2 years old. She's probably around 30 lbs. or so (I'm not really good with that) and she's had all her shots and has been spayed. She's fine with cats and other dogs. Here's some pics of her.





PLEASE let me know if you or anyone you know is interested.

God Gave Us Instincts

I know it's been a while since I've blogged....sorry, classes have started back, I have a lot more clients, and I'm preparing to take my boards this semester. I'll try to do better with the blogging though.

Well, I wanted to share a story with everyone that will hopefully inspire you to trust your instincts, especially those of you who are females. Last night, I stopped off at Wal-Mart to get a few things for dinner; it was around 6:00. I began to notice that the same man kept showing up in the isles I was in (and I was being very random in my shopping, not going down adjacent isles), and he had no buggy, only a 6-pack of cokes and some chips. He kept making eye contact with me and smiling. So I tried to keep from being paranoid, but then as I was checking out, he walked right in front of my line toward the door (which happened to be right in front of the doors), all the while looking back at me several times. So that was when I called a good friend to see if I was just being paranoid (I don't tend to be paranoid, distrustful - maybe, but nieve - not very). As I was telling her the story, the guy stopped right outside the sliding doors, stepped off to one side and began staring back inside through the doors. That's when my heart began to start beating faster and faster, and I began to feel very nauseated. I have a history of panic attacks, so I tried to keep myself calm, as hard as it was not to think of all the things that could happen. Thankfully, my friend on the phone encouraged me to get security to walk me out. By the way, Wal-Mart was very nice when I requested that, and the security guard told me to always trust those feelings. The guy wasn't waiting outside the door anymore as we walked out, but I have a strange feeling that he was waiting at the other set of doors since I had to go toward the other doors to get to the customer service desk. Anyway, the whole point of this is to say that, sadly, we don't live in a safe world. I'm not trying to make anybody scared or worried because that's obviously not what God would want for us, but I'm just encouraging everyone to be careful, aware, and to trust those feelings that I believe God gave us for a reason.

On this same note, God is really helping me through my anxiety and desire for control the more and more I am willing to listen. I feel like I have experienced so much this year that has been so out of my control - losing Sam and Steve, the horrible wreck, and now my experience last night. God has used all of these to bring me to a place of surrender. I'm sure I still have things I'm holding on to, but I have definitely seen my personality go from a very controlling, organized, planning, got-to-have-it-all-together person (in a freakish way, not that those things are bad things) to a more take-it-as-it-comes person. I know I'm not completely there, but I feel like this will be something God will work on in me for a long time. As chaotic as it feels to be this different, there's that peace that passes all understanding too. The lyrics in Sanctus Real's song "Whatever You're Doing" really encompass what I feeling:

Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly

The Uncle Joey Face

Well, Caiden decided over Christmas that he either doesn't like his Uncle Joey or thinks it's really fun to look at him like he doesn't. I doubt he doesn't like him, but it was definitely funny that EVERY time we would mention "Uncle Joey" or Joey would look at Caiden, he would make the same face....





Thought these were cute too...

He decided, all by himself, to do this in his play pen...



And I think this is so funny that he shows his teeth when he smiles; he looks like a little bunny rabbit!

Christmas in G'ville

Christmas was extra special this year because it was my nephew's first. Even though he enjoyed the wrapping paper and ribbons more than his presents it was still very cute!


His favorite present was definitely his wagon. Now who do you think asked Santa for it to be an all terrain one?



Joey was also a happy boy Christmas day.



But I think my brother-in-law Mike was the happiest.


Mom always gets the boys some kind of toy. Last year, it was marshmallow guns. This year....

remote control helicopters.

Even Rocky and Ty got in on the Christmas fun.



But in all the gift giving, we were reminded of the Ultimate gift God gave us - sending His Son to become like us and give His life for us. Thank you Jesus!

God's Sovereignty

I was very much reminded of God's complete sovereignty yesterday and hope to continue to use my experience as a reminder. I debated whether or not to post these pictures because I didn't want to be dramatic or trying to get attention, but I was convicted that I need to be using this experience to honor God. Therefore, know as a preface to reading this that this is all for HIS attention, and not mine. I was very much reminded of God's complete sovereignty yesterday and hope to continue to use my experience as a reminder.






As I was standing on the side of the road, looking at this and taking these pictures, (but more so when my husband got home and I got to hug him) I realized how miraculous it is that I am alive and even more so, that I was not even injured. I literally crawled out of that driver's seat with nothing but scrapes, bruises, soreness, and sticky coke-glass-filled hair. To me, that is a huge testimony that God still has things for me to do here on this earth. I know we can never truly know why God in His sovereignty allows some of us to survive and some of us not, but I do know that the only way I am typing this today is because He has a plan. I may not understand in my finite mind why I survived that crash yet several of my other dear friends are no longer with us, but I will say that I am so thankful that God knows and that He gave me another oportunity to share His amazing soveriegnty, grace, and mercy with others. Any of you who are Christians reading this, please consider every day you have as a blessing and take every oportunity you are given to share about you're amazing life in Christ. I type this knowing that in our sinful nature, it is very likely that I will be tempted to let this passion for living in the moment fade away, so please hold me accountable to that. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, I challenge you to explore your questions but know that we may never get those answers, just also know that in these passing days which we are never guaranteed, Christ is the only one can give us hope in a hopeless, scary, and depressing world. He is worth not knowing the answers.

Blogger Tour of Homes

I was tagged by a fellow blogger to post my Christmas decorations so that we could all "tour" eachother's homes for Christmas. I think it's a great idea, so I thought I'd participate.






Hope to see others!

Can Things Ever Be Simple?

So we had this ugly brass and stainless tub and shower faucet. Sorry I don't have a picture to show it in all it's glory. So we thought in all the other upgrades we were doing, we'd get an oil rubbed bronze one to match the towel bars and sink faucet we had gotten. First of all, the oil rubbed bronze finish is ridiculously more expensive than any other, but after much searching and determination I found a tub and shower faucet for $55 on ebay as opposed to the $200 ones in stores (ebay is the best thing ever for remodeling)! Well, lesson number one: order the same brand faucet as the one that is already installed even if it comes with the valves. The valve that came with the one we bought was too big to fit in the hole, so no big deal, we'll cut A hole in the wall to get to it, patch it up and be done.




Lesson number two: either we have bad luck, or things are never that simple. We tested the faucet, and it kept stopping up, so Joey tried to do it by himself, bless his heart - go under the house, turn off the water to the tub, clean out the sawdust in the pipe (sawdust was from having to drill a hole in the stud for the valve to fit), going back under the house to turn back on the water, and then testing the faucet again. Over, and over. So he finally asked me to help. So I sat under the house, walkie talkie in hand, facing one of my biggest fears - that I might see a rat- waiting for Joey to tell me to turn on or off the water. Finally Joey got all the sawdust cleaned out, and the tub faucet worked. Next, (lesson number two continues) Joey takes off the old shower head and pipe and puts the new one in. Thinking, "whew, we're done," Joey takes a shower. Well, then we see our carpet in the bedroom behind the wall of the shower is soaked as well as some of the sheetrock. So Joey, bless his heart again, finds out the pipe for the shower head broke when he was having to keep twisting it so that it would quit leaking. Therefore, hole #2.




Thankfully, it is finally finished AND works. I don't think Joey thinks it was worth it, but man that old faucet was ugly and didn't match any of the new stuff. Oh well, just the glories of being a homeowner, right?