Tragedy

Tonight, hug your babies a little tighter. Sounds cliche. It really does. But we live in a world where even sending our babies to the schoolhouse can end in tragedy. May God have mercy on us as a nation. And may God's glory be revealed through this dark and tragic hour. Let us all pray a little harder and love like we've never loved before.

Life Lately

I have been TERRIBLE at updating my blog recently!  I have tried to upload a few pictures on here, but apparently Google limits you to the amount of pictures you can post before you have to start paying them a monthly fee.... Um, sorry Google, but I'll just have to figure out a way around that.  You will be seeing NONE of my money.  But I digress, life has been crazy, busy and chaotic fun. Having 3 active kids at Christmas is chaotic fun.  Sometimes it feels as fun as having my fingernails ripped off one by one, but I PROMISE I'm trying to enjoy even the frustrating moments.  The moments that it looks like a bomb went off in my house, or my one year old rips the ornaments off the tree and makes a run for it, or when she takes my bowl of shatterproof ornaments and uses them as her own personal baseball, soccer ball, and football, or when my boys are fighting and screaming at and kicking each other over who gets to turn on the train under the tree, or who's turn it is to turn on the flipping outside lights.  Oh yes, these are the days of our lives...... And I know all too soon they will be gone.  So I take a lot of deep breaths, say a lot of prayers, and maybe indulge in a shot of something strong while I'm curled up in the fetal position as the kids pound on the bathroom door after me like a bunch of hungry vultures.....

And I guess I should mention that Chad started a new job back in October after our vacation.  It's a long story, it was a very tough decision for him to make.  Ultimately it was better for us as a family.  He was in a management position at the job he left, which he strongly disliked that part of the job.  He does not like having to be "a boss". So, in the job he just started, he is not in a management position, which sounds like he took a step down, but he is actually getting paid more and the other perks far outweigh where he left.  Including the fact that I now have health insurance!!!! BIG perk.  However, he no longer has a company car.... which does kind of stink, because both of our vehicles are pretty much riding on borrowed time.  But they are still running beautifully..... I just don't want a car payment.  EVER.  It's been over 7 years since we've had one.  Oh my, I'm digressing again.............

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And for the record, it's always been said that boys are more active than.  Well, Mary Grace is proving that to be false.  She is into everything.  I don't mean a little either.  She reminds me of a pinball machine.  Bouncing from one thing to the next.  I have found hairbrushes in the kitchen cabinet, her brother's underwear in kitchen cabinets, tomato soup FROM the kitchen cabinet in her closet, toilet paper shredded into little pieces like a snowstorm in my bathroom.   Oh, and that's just  a taste of what daily life is like living with an active one year old who skipped walking and went straight to running.  Who knows?  Maybe she'll be a marathoner.

Team Edward!

Yep. Me, the person who would rather read a book than be bored to tears watching a movie. Me, the person who can't sit still or focus long enough to watch a movie. I did it. I sat in a movie theatre for TWELVE. HOURS. yesterday. And it was awesome. I fell into the trap that millions of other women (er.... teenagers???...)did, when I said I wouldn't do it. I became a diehard "Twilight" fan. But really, it's only because I'm in love with a fictional vampire named Edward Cullen. The sad thing is, yesterday, for this all day marathon, the theater was full of moms. And grandmothers. And the parking lot was full of minivans (one of them mine!) It totally creeped me out a little. But I did get to spend the day with some sweet friends who had been counting down the days with me. The verdict on the final movie: worth the wait. #teamedward

Mary Grace's first party!

 Elvis "Kisses"!

 "Keep Calm and Love Elvis" magnets and ornaments I had made for her party!

 This is a collection of birthday cards given to me on past birthdays.  Mary Grace just tried to rip them off the fridge continuously, so I decided to make a piece of "art" (I use that term loosely) out of them.  I spray painted some canvas black and used Modge Podge to glue these suckers on.

 Coasters I ordered. (Etsy is a GREAT website.  Custom made to order things of all sorts and prices that are hard to beat!)

 The gift table. (Actually, it was my son's train table covered in pink!) The big pink car is supposed to be a photo prop.  As in, you can get behind it and take a picture of your head sticking out.  I just liked it as a decoration.  The doll on the left was a birthday present from my MIL 2 years ago.

 Another Modge Podge creation.  This was an actual magazine ad from 1956.  I found it on eBay for $5.  I just liked it.  Didn't know what to do with it, but I liked it.  This idea came to me at 2 a.m. one morning when I couldn't sleep.

 I made this Elvis ribbon wreath.  Fun and unexpectedly easy.

 "Hound Dog" Rolls.

 I ordered the record bowls from ebay. I was going to use them for snacks, but they were so cute, I decided I didn't want to cover them up.  I think they are easy to make yourself if you have any old, unusable records lying around.  But I didn't.  And I wanted Elvis records.

My aunt from Texas gave me the Elvis tin sign in the middle of the table.  Just because she knows love Elvis!

 Chicken "Love Me" Tenders

 No explanation needed.  An Elvis favorite.

 I had this dress made for Mary Grace complete with matching headband.  (Another Etsy order)

 This kid loves to eat.  She was begging for my mom's food right next to my dog, who was also begging.

This party was so much fun!  I think I had a little too much fun, but it beats the overdone "Princess" theme. I could have done SO much more, but for a family party, I didn't want to spend anymore money or energy than necessary.  (Although I probably spent a little more money that I should have....)

By the way, the cupcakes had edible Elvis faces on them.  But, seeing as how here in the south it was 80 degrees warm and humid in the middle of November, the homemade icing started to run, and the images didn't quite stick like they were supposed to.  Which is why there is no closeup!

It's America!

So as many of my friends did, I went to bed last night with a heavy, grieving heart.  I was also angry.  So angry at our country.  So angry at the mentality of many Americans.  Maybe I was too angry.  I said some things I shouldn't have, and I thought some very unfriendly thoughts.  I suppose that if Mitt Romney had won the election, I would have been saying, "Hallelujah!  God is SO good!'.  The fact of the matter is this:  Hallelujah.  God is SO good.  So as I lick my wounds, try to lighten the heaviness on my heart, and try not to become overcome with anger over what America has become, I'm going to remember:  We are all just human.  I went to bed mad, hurt, and weeping.  I got down on my knees in my bedroom and cried.  I never pray out loud.  EVER.  Unless I'm praying WITH someone.  But last night just seemed like the right time to cry out to God.  And while no peace came sweeping down into my heart,  the sun still rose this morning, and God still sits on His throne.  Sovereign. Just.  Righteous.  Loving. Reigning.  Perhaps this is going to turn out better than I think.  God knew about this long before we did.  He loves Obama just as much as He loves any of the rest of us.  Maybe God will use this to change hearts.  Whatever the reason for this particular outcome, God has a reason that is much, much bigger than ours.  And may He continue to bless America.

And the finale!

 And here are the final pictures from our vacation.  I know you have all been eagerly waiting, biting your nails with suspense. (I kid!) For some reason, Blogger decided to do what it does best and rearrange all my pictures randomly.  So, these are all out of order.  Anyway, Chattanooga Choo-Choo and Rock City are where we spent our final 2 1/2 days of vacation.  So much fun!

 Getting ready to ride the Incline Railway!

 View from the railcar as we were going backwards up the mountain.

 In Rock City!

 She passed out.  She looks like a drunk at a bar!

 Underground headed to Ruby Falls.

 So awesome!  Ruby Falls.  An underground waterfall, and no one has ever been able to figure out where the source of the water comes from.  The amazing things God does in nature!

 This sort of gives you a feel of what this looked like in the early 1900's when the trains were still leaving out of this station.  The torches were awesome.

 The rail car we spent 2 nights in.

 Part of the station that is now a restaurant.

 Inside the lobby.

As as said, these pictures are backwards.  This was as we were leaving Gatlinburg.

The Ogle house.

My angels!

And this is back at Chattanooga.  

We ate at one of the finer restaurants at Chattanooga Choo-Choo the night we got there. I saw a family of three: a father, and his 2 sons. One of which had Down-Syndrome. We decided to ask our waitress if we could pay for the family's meal. I ASSUMED we would remain anonymous. (You know what happens when you ASSume). The waitress

told the family. They came over to our table to thank us. (Embarrassing and awkward). The dad told me that his wife was killed in a car accident 2 years ago. And here he was with two sons. One of which was VERY disabled. The father was so indescribably thankful. I cried. Even though I wanted to remain anonymous, it proves that you never know just how God will USE you and BLESS you all at once. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow..... Ever so freely, when you look for them in all the right places.