Mother's Day 2015

It was a great day. Flowers, church, Central BBQ and dinner with friends. Oh how I love being their mom! 

My (not so) New Job

For those of you that don't already know, I took a new job back at the very end of April. I stumbled upon an opportunity that I simply could not pass up. I'm basically doing all the same things I've always done my entire career, it's just that now I'm now doing them from the comfort of home (other than client meetings) with a wonderfully flexible schedule…meaning I set my own hours. It's been a great fit so far and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to continue to do what I love on a schedule that fits my personal life. I've been holding off making a "social media" announcement until our new website was up and it just launched on Friday! Check it out! Some funny stuff in our bios. That Anna Underwood conducts a thorough interview and what she put together for each of us makes me laugh out loud! I am blessed to work with some wonderfully talented people! Enjoy!

31

I know I say this every year, but I think my 31st Birthday was the best yet! Thanks to all my friends and family for making it so special! 

Redeeming Love

Best book I have ever read. Ever. 

The BIG 3.0.

 

This past Friday, I celebrated my 30th Birthday! I spent the whole weekend celebrating!

On Friday afternoon, I headed to the lake to meet up with some of my college girlfriends. We hadn't all been together like that in years and it was long overdo! We didn't take very many pics. We were too busy talking and catching up. It was blissful!  It was so relaxing to just lounge around in our PJ's, eat, hang out on the boat, eat and eat some more. I didn't apply a drop of make-up the entire time. It was the good life, for sure!  

Perfect weather, perfect setting and perfect company!

My mom cooked dinner and a birthday cake for us Friday night, we stayed up late talking, slept in on Saturday morning, had a delish breakfast, were joined by Emily S. and Sadie Belle, and then headed out on the boat for the afternoon where we snacked and chatted the day away. Then dinner in the cabin and a good chick flick to end Saturday night. It was a great time had by all and something we must make a regular occurrence out of...at least do annually! So. So. Fun. And a big thank you to my in-laws for coming to Memphis to help James with the kiddos!

Sadie Belle Smith

Mandi, Trisha, Emily W., and myself (pardon the attire and lack of make up!)

JOB

That's right folks, I've got me a J.O.B. As of tomorrow, I'll be the new Executive Director for the Memphis World Trade Club. And....I'm pretty excited about it. It's a part-time gig, just 10-15 hours a week from home. I think it's going to be the perfect set up for me. Since it's a club and not a business, I'll be an independent contractor. You see, all of the officers and board members are "volunteers" that have demanding day jobs already, so the club has to have someone handle the day-to-day dealings and that's going to be me. I'll manage their website and member database, coordinate their monthly club meetings and all member communications, and help manage and coordinate the details for their annual Port Night event at the Peabody in November. I don't know much about International trade, but I will very soon!

The kids are going to start Parent's Day Out at Highland two days a week (Tues. & Thurs.) so that I'm not trying to squeeze work into nap time every day. I believe it will be super flexible and low stress, which is exactly what I was hoping to find, but wasn't sure existed. I mean, where do you even look for low-stress part-time jobs that are very interesting?? And I didn't find this job, it found me. It was totally a God thing and I am so thankful. An answer to our prayers.

Change

2011 has certainly been the year of change for us. BIG change including:

1. Selling our first home.
2. Having another baby!
3. Buying a new home.
4. James starting a new job.
5. Me quitting my job.

Yep, that's right. I have quit my job and starting tomorrow I will be a full-time stay-at-home mom. It still sounds weird for me to say it or even type it in words. It's not how I thought I would ever refer to myself. Honestly, I have never aspired to stay home full-time. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I just never thought that I would be doing so. Until now. So, here I am taking the plunge. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity. I don't know if it will last a week, a year or longer. I'm just going to take it one day at a time.

And there are a lot of reasons I'm staying home with my kiddos, but let the record show that none of them are because I think that kids of mothers that stay at home are "better off." In fact, I think that's absurd. Kids thrive at home as well as in day-care. I believe it's more about good parenting than whether mom works or not. I know that some women continue to work after having children because their career is important to them. Some women work after having children because they have to in order to provide for their family. On the flip side, some women stay home because they can and they want to. I could keep going, but I won't. Whatever decision a mother makes, and for whatever reason, is admirable. It's all hard work and it's all important. No judgment here, just admiration for all good mothers!

Okay, disclaimer over and now back to me...

I also did not quit because I disliked my job. I had a great job. I had been at the agency for over seven years and had built strong relationships with my colleagues and clients. It was an extremely difficult decision and one that took me months, if not years, to finally make. And I will miss it. I'm sure some days more than others, but I will definitely miss it. A bittersweet decision for me.

And now, I only look forward. Forward to all the many adventures that lie ahead. The good, the cute, the frustrating and the difficult! No looking back!

Happy Birthday...to me!

Today is my birthday, and I've had a great one! The day began with James and Case walking in to wake me up singing "Happy Birthday." Well, James was singing and holding Case, but Case was dancing while James sang. It was too cute!

Then I arrived at work to see this around my office door...ridiculous, I know, but very fun!
And this is what my desk looked like...a Birthday balloon, presents and a little chocolate cake!

It was so sweet of my co-workers and friends to get me gifts...Kendall got me the framed butterfly letters (ACN ~ my initials) and Donna got me the candle and cute wine cork.

A group of gals at work took me to lunch and we dined outside and it was beautiful! I even got a little bit of a sunburn on my arms...pathetic, I know...

And then I came home to these beautiful tulips (my favorite and James knows it) in my Mother's Day vase. Clearly James reads my blog and read my pointer last week! :) I also had a surprise on my deck from Mandi...strawberry cupcakes...yummy!!!

All in all, it's been a great day! Thanks to all my friends and family for the cards and phone calls and for helping make the day special!

Going Deeper

Okay, okay, so I know that my blog posts are always very lighthearted updates on my precious baby. No politics, philosophy or religion, etc...But, I thought I'd throw in a deep one for once.

One of my friends at work has a cute little box of cards that are "conversation starters." Today a few of us were sitting around answering the questions and having a good time, and then a rather serious, thought-provoking topic was broached. "Your most spiritual experience" or something to that effect. The first things that came to mind were my most thankful moments, but later I got to thinking more about it and my most "thankful" moments weren't necessarily what I would consider "spiritual" moments. I mean those don't happen every day...So I've thought all night about my truly most "spiritual" moment and I really can think of only a very few, one of which really stands out in my mind and I thought I'd share.

In September of 2007, I had a miscarriage. It was a difficult time in my life and the Sunday following, we were at Church in our usual spots singing the same 'ole songs...and honestly, I really wasn't overly thrilled to be there. I think James made me go. And then, we sang a particular song. A song that I've always been especially fond of, but this day it suddenly took on a new meaning and I was so moved as I listened to the lyrics and worshiped, that I was powerfully and most definitely "moved" by the spirit and I knew that the Lord was with me at that exact moment and was holding me together and keeping my heart from breaking. It was at that moment that I knew that things were going to be okay...that I was going to be okay. The song is "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman. Here are some of the lyrics:

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 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

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your Name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

I realized something that morning. Something that I'd said my whole life, but never really believed until that moment. Good things and bad things happen in this life, but no matter what happens, the Lord is good and he is there t0 hold us together. We are still "blessed" no matter what our circumstances are...good, bad or ugly.

Now, more than a year later, I have a precious baby boy that I am so thankful for. And while the loss was difficult for us at the time, it's comforting to know that if my first pregnancy had gone as we had hoped, then we wouldn't have Case, and I can't imagine life without him. He is our greatest blessing, and so darn cute, don't you think?

Okay, okay, so enough of the "deep" stuff. I promise the next blog post to be back to lighthearted stories and pics of my boy!

I Pledge

I was off on Monday due to the MLK holiday and got the rare opportunity to watch the Oprah show. Ashton and Demi were on her show that day and they showed a clip of a video that they directed called the "I Pledge" video. They created this video in a response to President Obama's call to service and it features many celebrities pledging what they each can do to pitch in to make this a better America, and the responses were mixed and all over the board, both little and small things and both serious and funny things. Anyway, I thought it was FANTASTIC, and it inspired me to think about what I pledge to do, so here you go, just to name a few...

I Pledge to:

To be a good mother

Recycle

Choose paper instead of plastic

Stimulate the economy by frequenting the mall :)

Serve the poor in Memphis

So, what's your pledge?

Worst Week Ever

This week my ears have both been completely swollen shut and I have been in some serious pain. I have had three knee surgeries and a baby and nothing has hurt as bad as the ear infections I've had this week. I had to go to an ENT doctor and have "wicks" put in my ears so the medicine could get inside them. I have gone over four days not being able to hear anything but my own talking and chewing. I've been about to go CRAZY!!! The good thing was that they were outer ear infections, so I wasn't contagious, and didn't have to worry about Case getting sick. Thank goodness James' mom was able to come down on Monday and stay for a few days to help me out. I couldn't take care of my baby! She was a real life saver!

What a way to spend my last week of maternity leave! Makes me so sad!!!

Below are a few fairly recent pics.

Case got a little TLC last weekend from his Mimi and Nanna in Mtn. View.