I’m becoming my mother!

Growing up, I used to find myself following my mother around a local pottery/garden shop. She would spend hours looking at fountains, plants, and house décor. I, on the other hand, would unenthusiastically walk behind her counting every second until we could escape the boring place. I never understood why she and my grandmother enjoyed spending money to then go and plant things. They, in turn, would explain how therapeutic gardening was for them and how I would understand one day. (I didn’t ever think that would happen!)

I must give my mom and grandmother some credit here – they both have a great green thumb. Each year, they pull their plants out and get them refreshed for spring. Next, they go and buy new plants to add to the collection and it looks fantastic. My oldest brother got the talent for landscaping. I, on the other hand, have been known to kill ivy.

Fast forwarding a few years to the present, I’ve found myself learning about plants and home décor. I’ve always been a huge fan of plantation homes and how they are landscaped. There are at least three reasons I now find myself eating large amounts of crow: One: I now go to the same pottery/garden shop I dreaded as a child. Two: I happily give up shopping trips to stay home and decorate the backyard with a cool new fountain or wind chime because it’s relaxing. And three: I take my poor little girl to the plant shop while she looks at me with the same bored look I gave my mother. Yep…it’s happening. I am officially turning into my mother one day at a time.

If anyone could attest to this idea, it would be my best friend Kate. She and I have known each other since grade school and we talk at least once a week to keep each other in check (mostly to laugh at one other). I tell her how much I put my foot in my mouth and she clues me in on her latest kitchen design she is working on. (Not that I’m proud but her latest just got featured on HGTV.) Nonetheless, Kate has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly from me so when I start telling her my planting journeys she can not help but laugh hysterically while reminding me how much like ole mama I’m becoming.

So, is it okay to become like your mother? In my case, my husband would probably have to say heck no. (Just kidding!) But to me….it’s really a blessing. She is one of the smartest people I know and I can only hope to teach Little Miss half the things I have been able to learn from her. In a nutshell, she is stubborn, funny, very determined and most of all a true person who I am lucky enough to have teach me the love of business, plants, gardening, and life!

Much love,

CSA

The Terrible Twos Already?

(insert laugh here)....the past few weeks have found us entering into a phase where patience and sanity are pushing the limits. I consider my husband and I somewhat intelligent people; however, no school, seminar, or parenting website has even tried to explain how the heck you deal with a toddler's tantrums. Are these the terrible twos?

It started about a month ago. I try and take every other Friday off to spend time with our Little Miss. She is 16 (almost 17) months old now and still fascinates me as I watch her advance. On this particular day, we did our usual morning breakfast, followed by a fantastic walk, great lunch with daddy, and then mama had this wonderful idea of getting the weekly grocery shopping done before the weekend rush started. Big mistake! As we walked into the doors of Target, Little Miss kindly started to tug away from me. Grabbing her to stop as I got a buggy, she proceeded to throw herself down to the ground, kicking and screaming bloody murder. Are you kidding me? With people looking and giving me the "control your kid" eye, my blood pressure began to boil. Do I spank her right here? Do I leave or become that parent that has a screaming kid throughout the store? I had no freaking clue. All I knew was I had a screaming kid and I was pissed. To add to that episode, these tantrums are starting to happen at restaurants or social events too. My husband is a lot more patient with her than I am, but we are still in this flux on how to discipline her effectively.

It's good birth control I suppose, but how the heck do parents do it? We have been blessed with an extremely independent (i.e. stubborn) daughter. Watching her these past few months, I have been amazed at how quick she catches onto things, and more importantly how sneaky she is. She knows exactly what I'm telling her - I know it. But, when she is in a mood or doesn't get what she wants, the battle is on and God help me it wears me out. How do we discipline a toddler? We both believe in spanking; however, I don't think spanking every other minute is very productive. Then comes timeout which is a whole other story to me. She will not stay in the corner for anything. It's so nerve racking. People are constantly asking when we are having another one. Our answer - as soon as we can tame this one! HA!

Long story short, just laugh with us during this stage. There are nights when we find ourselves exhausted and annoyed at each other because of different parenting tactics or having to leave an event early because we have an insanely grouchy Little Miss. I swear I'm starting to see gray hair and Dave laughs because he thinks he is balding more and more each day. All in all, I think this is God's way of getting us back - for being the stubborn children we were to our parents and for reminding us that, even though intelligent, we sure as heck don't know everything.

Much love,
Carla

Grammy

I had mentioned in a recent post that my grandmother has been continually ill this past year. It's hard for me to really capture how neat of a lady she is, but if you are lucky enough to know her you can understand exactly what I'm trying to say. She is by far the most genuine person I know and sees people for who they really are. She's smarter than folks give her credit for and she has an amazing faith. She's my Grammy and if I'm being completely honest, watching her age has been a really hard adjustment for me.

She started her career working the 7 to 3 shift as a floor RN. After working and retiring from a local hospital at 65, she decided to come back into healthcare as a diabetic educator and continued working until she reached 70 years old. To this day I run into people that have worked alongside her. Each of them tell me similar stories: how she always cared for the patient first and was by the book when it came to nursing. That's our Gram...always making sure everyone else is okay before herself. The caretaking even spilled over into our family life. If one of us got sick or fell and scabbed a knee, Gram was there to rescue us. When my mom had breast cancer, Gram was the one who picked us up from school and made sure we were okay. She has been a rock through everything, quietly protecting us in more ways than we knew.

After my grandfather passed away in 2001, she moved in with my folks. I was in college at the time and I know it was a major adjustment for my parents, but I so looked forward to driving home and spending time with her. We used to stay up for hours sitting on her bed talking about life. The conversation could go from shopping to boys to religion and I loved it. She has a way of telling you the truth in a gentle and honest way. Never once has she said a hateful thing about someone else - she might not like what they are doing, but she has never been hateful. Instead, she answers each rough patch with two simple phrases: "patience darlin patience" or "such the life."

She was the one who, after I brought my now husband home for the first time, looked at me and said, "I like him darlin" while everyone else was sizing him up. I'll never forget that! She was smitten with him before I was and I have to admit she has good taste - I'll take smart and humble over cocky and dumb any day! Her advice on love was always the same: don't worry about what others think; you have to decide what makes you happy.

It's those little tidbits she has given over the years that I have come to be grateful for. We have had some pretty close calls with her lately - one while she was staying with my husband and I and another where she could not remember our names. It's crazy how you jump into action when someone you love is in need. I've learned first hand you will do anything when placed in that moment. In each little episode though, somehow/someway she has amazingly bounced back and gotten to come home to share more memories with our family. She comes home a little weaker than before but constantly remains the lady that wants to do nothing more than to be with her family.

I know I'm running on borrowed time lately and the wisdom she has bestowed upon me is such a blessing, but I hope that I can live up to the great lady she is. She is my hero and someone that, even when she is gone, I will remember forever. I have started getting real emotional each week when she is with my little girl reading a book or playing with baby dolls. It's in those little moments that I cherish memories that are being made and appreciate our different generations being able to spend time together.

Until next time...much love!

My Sunrise

Each year, our church does a Lenten devotional booklet for members to read each day in preparation for Easter. It's a short little thought booklet and somehow I get roped into writing one every year. Although a little early on my deadline, I hope you enjoy:

2011 Devotional

This world can sometimes knock the breath out of you. We all grow up and get so wrapped up in the big business deal or birthday parties or ourselves that we forget to really stop and look around at all that God has provided for us. Instead, we become complainers and keep taking for granted so many gifts we have on a daily basis. Just think for a second with me: what are some of your daily gifts?

For me, that gift is the sunrise. A sunrise makes me stop for those few little seconds each day and realize that God created everything. He has created all of us: the birds, the trees, the clouds, and has brought life into each. I can remember a time growing up when I thought everything in this world was as marvelous as that sunrise. A time when I didn’t fear being judged or being perceived badly by other people. Instead, I focused on what was good in the world and how I could help the world become a better place. I don’t know about you, but I want and need that positive thinking back in my life.

My hope this Lenten season is that you take a moment and find your sunrise. Make a point to stop each day and thank God for that daily gift you have been given. I know for me, through good times and bad, that sunrise gives me reassurance that God knows exactly what I need and what I need to be doing.

Much love,

Carla

Christmas 2010 - For those of you that did not recieve!

I forgot! Some friends of ours have moved and didn't receive their annual Andersonville letter. The world stops I know, but here is the copy. Sorry for the delay. Merry 2010 Christmas! :)

12/8/2010

Well Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Our hope this season is that you and yours are doing well and enjoying this season without too much hassle. I can’t help but get a little giddy lately thinking about Sasha’s face opening presents and really embracing Christmas this year! Life in Andersonville has definitely changed. My oldest brother used to always say “you will be there one day.” Well….we are here and boy is it funny. Dave and I now wake up early, sing various kid songs, plan before leaving the house, do spot checks on our clothes for “spit up” marks, and have officially mastered the dirty diaper. Life in the fast lane, right? We have officially arrived and ironically enough, we love it!

January marked a big change for our family. We ended last year talking about the purchase of a new house. After much packing and a great moving crew, we left our little townhouse and the memories of our first home. I have to laugh because if I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times from Dave and my dad: “Carla, you have too much ______ (I’ll let you fill in the blank)! All in all though, we love our new home and have enjoyed being able to have our friends and family come and enjoy time together. The neighborhood is great, kids live all around us, and our neighbors have been nothing but excellent. It’s a true blessing getting to make this new house our home.

Now on to Miss Sasha. She is still the apple of our eye and has every one of the grandparents wrapped. Her smile just reminds us of how blessed we are to be parents. She is now 15 months old and into EVERYTHING! Besides her usual baby doll or blanket, she enjoys reading and LOVES music. Anytime there is music on, she dances around clapping and laughing. Not that I’m biased or anything, but the girl has some rhythm. I’ll keep you posted on where this takes her! In October, we celebrated Sasha’s first birthday. I’ve always said I would not be one of “those parents” that has elaborate birthdays, so when I looked up and finally counted the 60 adults and 30 kids in our backyard, I had to laugh at myself and joy the bandwagon. It was perfect though. Sasha had such a great time and we’ve realized anything with the Anderson/Sepulvado family is never going to be small.

Dave and I are doing well. Dave is still a computer programmer with Morris and Dickson. They now have over 100 pharmacies using their software and continue to roll new ones out each week. I’m still in awe of his talents and really thankful that his company is so wonderful. He’s a great dad and a wonderful husband! As for me….I’m (really it’s “we”) are still building and diversifying our medical staffing business. Our team is excellent and I am very thankful to work with such great people. Our big news for this coming year is moving into our new office building. We are set to close this week and move in this weekend! Maybe we can have a baby daycare in there somewhere?! More on this topic for next year’s letter.

Until next year, we leave you with a wish for a wonderful holiday season. Our hope is that you find time to enjoy the real reason we celebrate Christmas – the birth of our Savior! And as our family always says, we wish you and yours Health, Wealth, and Time to Enjoy It!

Much love,

Dave and Carla Anderson

Has it really been two years?

Has it really been two years since my last post? That's insane!

It's remarkable how quickly time flies so let me just catch everyone up in a nutshell of the many exciting events happening in the Anderson household.

1. October 5, 2009 marked one of the most rewarding days in my life. Sasha Renee' Anderson came screaming into this world with a head full of black hair and a smile to just melt you over. She is perfect and we have started a blog for her (www.sashaanderson.com) if you want to keep up with us there. Being a mom is quite frankly the best and worst feeling all wrapped up in one. Best because I never in a million years knew I could ever love something like I love her (and Dave of course!). But worst because, as a working mama, I struggle so much with my time. Work calls but that smile when I walk in the door.....I just can't even describe that feeling. I'm in love with this child and it amazes me that we have been blessed with such a terrific little baby to call our own. We are about to celebrate her 1st birthday! I'm so excited to get to watch her - she is so social and independent (and stubborn)....I have a feeling my grey hairs are just days away but would not trade it for the world.

2. WE MOVED! Yes, after two and a half years of looking at houses, Dave and I finally found a house we just loved. Our little townhouse was missed for all of a second, but when we walked into our current house we knew that was it! It's been great hosting parties, cheering on our favorite football teams (ie LSU and Saints - GEAUX DAT!), and mostly just being able to have space for our little family. The dogs love the backyard, the neighbors are great, and we enjoy just being at home grilling most of the time. I'm excited about the projects we will eventually get to, but for now we are making it our home and we are loving it!

3. We made four years! In August, Dave and I celebrated 4 years of being married together. I'm very blessed and a little shocked I haven't run him off yet. He still is my rock and quite frankly my best friend, seeing me at my best and worst usually all within the same day. Although we have our moments (what marriage doesn't), my favorite time is crawling into his arms at night and waking up to his snore. Yes, ladies...ole stud muffin has quite the snore when he is pooped! Shocking I know! He has not surprised me with how hands on he is with Sasha and I am so very very thankful for all he does for us - he's a great daddy and husband!

Those are really the big 3 events going on with us. I still can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged! What a slacker Carla - GEEZ! I'll try and update soon but until then, I would ask you to tell your grandma/grandpa you love them this week. My Grammy has been continually sick this past year and I know her time is limited with us (post more later). My Grammy is my heart and the person who has taught me so much about caring for others and seeing the good in people. So, in honor of "Gram", just give yours a call and a quick "I love you!"

~ Carla

A peaceful weekend!

The past few weeks have been overly crazy in our world. Between work and teaching and work and traveling and oh yes did I forget work? My life was beginning to literally feel like a gigantic whirlwind of deadlines and well ... I finally became exhausted.

So, after much discussion, my husband forced me to kick back and do nothing this last weekend. Now, if you know me, you realize "doing nothing" is somewhat of a hard cultural idea for me. I'm from a family that is born to work. We hardly, if ever, did "nothing" growing up, so it was a challenge for me to sit down and just relax for a full weekend. My husband, on the other hand, could do this every day of the week. He would LOVE to be able to wake up everyday at noon, play some video games, pal around in pjs, and just hang out. I suppose that is why we make such a good couple - I keep us on deadlines/he keeps us sane.

Nonetheless, the weekend was fantastic. We were able to spend that time being together, without the alarm clock, catching up on house stuff, drinking coffee on the patio, reading the newspaper, playing with our puppies, and we even topped it off with great fellowship with some ever so wonderful friends. It was amazing how much closer I feel to my spouse when we take time out like this to laugh, to cook, to play video games, to blog and to listen to music. It's those little moments that truly make this life worth living!

May you find time this week or weekend to go to a quiet place and find rest. Have a great week!

He's Still Got It!

'SHOT THROUGH THE HEART AND YOUR TO BLAME; YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME!'

Anyone who loves 80's rock music as much as I do can recall the blasting lyrics of the one and only Jon Bon Jovi. I have LOVED this band's music for ages now, and secretly had a crush on them for years! The list of songs can just go on and on, and man do they still have it! For decades now, Jon Bon Jovi has been able to rock out as only an official rocker can do and FINALLY...I GOT TO SEE THEM!!!!

Now, I must admit...I have seen some good concerts during my life. The Rolling Stones, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Martina, Faith and Tim, Elton John, RICKY MARTIN, Michael Buble', Metallica, Aerosmith, Caroline Spine, Rod Stewart (NOTE: my taste in music is VERY broad)...that is just a short list of folks, BUT this past Monday topped them all.

For a Mexican girl who loves music and dancing, you better bet your bootie I ROCKED OUT for 4 1/2 hours to classics like It's My Life, Open All Night, Bed of Roses, This Ain't a Love Song, I'll Be There For You, Shot Through the Heart, Livin' on a Prayer, Born to Be My Baby...oh there are SOOO MANY!!!! I thought I was literally going to lose my voice b/c I was singing so loud! [Quick back story for a second: Dave and I initially found out about this concert months ago while at one of our friends weddings in Houma. Dave got on his laptop in the hotel and ordered 4 tickets. I grabbed the phone to call my insanely cool mother in-law who likes to rock out to Bon Jovi as well. It was set...Dave and myself, and his parents were going. The only sits left were behind the stage. "No worries," I said to my husband....I didn't really care where we sat.]

WELL...we got to our seats Monday night and amist a sold out crowd, we sat directly behind the stage but up on the second row with a perfect eye shot of the entire band all right in front of us. I was/still am beside myself! And ladies...just in case you are curious...Jon Bon Jovi is STILL good looking! My mother in-law and I can vouch. Speaking of, the crowd was great too. It makes me smile when people forget about life for a second and just let music take control. We had grown men and women of all ages just letting go, forgetting about feeling old or worrying about grown up stuff. It was perfect. I sat next to a man who was there with his mother (a survivor of cervical cancer), and she danced just as much as everyone else. The whole experience reminded me of the old saying: "Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

I don't know what allows you to get away and forget about life like music does for me, but I do wish that you are able to take some time this week to find that. And to Jon Bon Jovi and his entire band...thank you for coming to Dallas and allowing me to escape into a night full of 80's rock, good fellowship, and my all time favorite....DANCING!

"May the Lord Bless you all the Days of your Life."
Psalm 128:5

A thought

For those of you that have been wondering, I have NOT forsaken my blog. The happenings in the Anderson world are never dull and I promise to give a semi-short recap soon. Until then, I am reminded how God acts in our life and goes both before and behind us to direct our path. He is there and he is alive in all of us.

I leave my thoughts today dwelling on this scripture reminding myself that even though life is tough, God is there to pick me up, dust me off, and guide me to make a difference in the world. Many blessings to you and your family this coming week and may God use you in the same way! Enjoy!

The Armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."

Ephesians 6: 10-20

Freedom

I have been thinking about my grandfather a lot lately and the talks we used to share. Those talks about freedom and why we are able to have/do certain things. Now, by NO means was my grandfather perfect, but one of the most humbling experiences I have had came when a man wrote my grandmother after Papa's death.

The letter told of how "Billy" (my grandfather) had saved his life during WWII. How Billy flew in, against orders, to help save he and his crew when their plane had been shot down by the enemy. My grandfather, "Papa" (to me), was a Navy pilot, and never in a million years would have told us that story. We heard about those fun times in the Navy...those times when the boys would all get together and drink, but never had we heard about how our grandfather saved lives. Sadly and especially today, I wish I could tell him thanks.

I can't even imagine what some soldiers have to "blank" out when returning home from war. Their stories I'm sure are altered and the pain locked deep inside because regular ole Joes like myself can't take it. I am reminded of that each time I get off a plane and I see a military person walk by me ready to get home to their kids or when I turn on the news and hear that another 10 soldiers were killed because some crazy man hates our American government. I am reminded of that each time I play with my nephews or think about our future children or whenever I watch politicians do the same song and dance everyone loves to hate: candidates say one thing "to get a vote" but then never DO anything to help once they get into office. How do you explain war to a 4 year old and when will these politicians start realizing that real lives and families are being impacted?

My point is this: Please pray for our country's leadership, our troops, and our future generations to come. I am not one to push a candidate on you, and certainly do not want to get into a policy argument, but I do feel it's time to pray on this issue as our country is in need of a major "Come to Jesus." We need a leader who will watch out for our people and restore the faith that my grandfather talked of during his WWII days. To you soldiers: Thank you for saving our lives and our freedom and please know you have people thinking about you everyday!

New Years 2008

Well Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2008. Seems time just keeps flying by and frankly I'm getting kinda weirded out.

I turn 26 this month (I know I'm ancient right?!). I now like going to bed at 10 PM (OR earlier if I'm lucky), our friends are actually beginning to get pregnant and "stuff," Dave and I continuously talk about "old married people stuff" like updating the house and/or shopping at Ellis Pottery for decorations, and we lately amuse ourselves by sitting on the couch comparing HDTV to regular TV! I know...exciting right? So, what the heck is going on?

Seems the "honeymoon period" is in fact wearing off and life is beginning to settle in as it should while my wifely duties have started to become more natural. To be quite honest, I have started to enjoy them a lot. HAHA! But as I have ventured more and more into marriage, I can't help but wonder about this honeymoon period. Why does it have to end? And where does it go? Do couples one day wake up and decide to be boring and not into each other?

After having this conversation with my husband and others at work, I decided to "define" my idea of "honeymoon period." It's the point during a marriage when you continually flirt/leave your spouse wanting more (Sepulvado-Anderson, 2006). Yes, you're married, but it seems during this period it's almost like a playful game that keeps the spark and sass between both parties. I'm not talking about the idea of men or women spending money to by their husbands/wives gifts or some fairy tale ending some people dream of. I'm talking about the playfulness, the spark, and the ongoing idea of hey...your my husband/wife and I want to jump your bones. The idea of saying hey..thanks for being my rock and the one I depend on during even my roughest days. What happens to this?

I have seen/heard from numerous people who have been married much longer than Dave and I that life just seems to get in the way. Take a moment and remember back to your last dining out experience...did you see one of these couples? You know the people that just sit there (without emotion), no talking or spark. Instead they eat, stare into space, and leave without even the smallest gesture to one another. Has life gotten in their way? I have to say yes... and I would go even farther saying that I think life gets in the way of a lot of our relationships.

Seriously...think about it. Each morning you get up, get dressed, race out the door, blast into work and try to work/smile for at least 8 hours (if not longer), get off, stop by the gym, come home, wash/clean/feed whatever and whoever is in your household, and then maybe just maybe have about 2 hours tops with your spouse. From there usually people have other obligations either with work or school. I know I teach one night a week at a local university here. I love it; however, grading/prepping for class can sometimes take me hours. And this does not include the time you spend with your kids. EXHAUSTING right?

So, to wrap up my thinking for the day, my point is that the honeymoon period can stay alive during your marriage. It can and it will if you just remember to flirt and have fun with each other even during bad days. My hope is that when you read this you remember to keep that sass in your marriage - be confident in who you are and show your spouse how much you love him/her. It's during those flirtatious moments when you remember that feeling of falling in love for the first time and why God brought you two together in the first place! I have been reminded lately when we are sitting on the couch and looking at the differences between 720p and 1080i television (whatever that means) how much I love my husband and how I am so thankful that our spark is still alive!

Happy New Year everyone....let's have a rockin' year!

"God has given us these times of joy." Psalm 81:4

I love the holidays!!!

So, these next few weeks kick off my favorite time of year....the Holidays!!! Something about the cold weather, LSU games (yes they are still fantastic), hot chocolate, and that smell of burning wood outside just makes my heart skip!

Cooking for our family is an all time favorite of mine. Now, don't let me fool you...my cooking is by far not perfect, but getting together and hearing the joy that comes from a dining room table as all your family and friends are together is priceless. So many traditions are shared, jokes told, and memories retold. As my Dad says, "that is when your house finally becomes a home" and I could not agree more!

Even more fun is Reed (our now 4 year old nephew). He is taking a liking to Uncle Dave and Aunt Carla now calling us to see if he can spend the night with us. We do everything from watch movies to cook to play ninja turtles and spider man games (with toy figures as well as on the Wii). I see him looking up to Dave so much and I am so thankful to have moved back to watch this little boy grow up. God really does lead you in life as I never thought I would return to Shreveport. Now, I can't even imagine being away.

Thanksgiving was a blast this year. We got to spend half the day with my side of the family. Our newest little nephew (Owen) is starting to laugh and want to be held by ME!!! My morning was spent playing baseball in the backyard with Reed, holding Mr. Owen (now almost 6 months old), and laughing at my brothers and Dave when they ate way to much.

About twoish, we headed to Dave's side of the family. They have some meaningful traditions as well. Every year I am amazed at how real they are....what you see is what you get, and I love it. They enjoy getting together, having way too much food and doing my all time favorite thing....laughing with each other. This year we got to celebrate a new arrival....Dave's cousin had her first baby (Ms. Bailey) and she is so pretty. Let me know if you don't believe in God...I will show you this little baby! UGH...she takes my breath away.

Decorating is an exciting moment too. In my house growing up, my parents would always wake up the day after Thanksgiving, have cinnamon boiling on the stove and Christmas music playing as they worked together to transform our house into Christmas time. This year, that tradition unfolded for Dave and I too. We both woke up, started the music through the living room speakers, put the smell of cinnamon on in our kitchen, and felt the cold air hit us as we brought down box after box from our attic to begin transforming our home into Christmas time. Crazy how traditions do in fact run from generation to generation!

This holiday season I am reminded how blessed we are as a family. I pray that you take a moment and see what traditions you have in your family, what your children will remember when they grow up, and how lucky you are to be alive.

Stillness

Every Sunday, I can always bet that something in the scripture is going to knock me across the head. In fact, I have this running joke with myself that it's God trying to knock the hardheadedness out and actually make me listen.

So this past Sunday amist all things going on, I here:
"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Interestingly enough, tonight (Tuesday)I got home and was looking for a fairly important document we needed for business. I had turned my house upside down FOUR different times before tonight, gone to my parents and ransacked their office and now I was back home looking AGAIN for this one delicate piece of paper. As I was throwing papers around, I heard a soft voice in my head...."Be still, and know that I am God."

"Yeah right God", I said to myself. "I am here in a pile full of my junk and I really don't have time to be still right now. I love you and all but just wait a second." I found everything from our marriage license to old pictures...but still no document. I turned off the light and started to walk to the bedroom in defeat. Then the verse came to me again..."Be still, and know that I am God." At this point I just said okay and began to look one last place. Still nothing. "Dang it," I thought, "its got to be here somewhere!"

I walked into the next room, and my husband was sitting at my desk as still as he could be flipping through some papers. His stillness caught my eye as I had just heard that voice in my head and well....I guess you can figure out what happened....he had found the document. Chills just ran up and down my body...no way did that just happen to me.

Now I'm not one to preach or tell you how to lead your life, but I truly believe God gives us signs in life. If we listen maybe, just maybe we can find what we are looking for. "Be still, and know that I am God." Very meaningful to me this week and my hope for you is that you can take a few minutes each day and be still with the Lord. It's in that stillness of time that God has some of the best life lessons!

Blessings to you all,
Carla

Serious decisions

Laughter seems to get me in trouble quite often. Yes, I'm the youngest of three and like attention...what can I say. I like to make fun of things and I seem to side with a joke rather than being serious simply because lets face it: 1) nothing is ever as bad as it could be and 2) frowns give you wrinkles for heaven's sake!

So humor is one of my many gifts; however, I have come to respect seriousness for what it's worth recently. I am finally learning to trust in the Lord and become serious when I say 'okay, lets start making a difference.'

I thought I trusted in him before....I mean when your mom has had cancer, and your dad has suffered a heart attack believe me you realize really quick that someone/somewhere high above is watching out for you. But lately, God is giving me an even more personal lesson in seriousness and trust....He is teaching me to be serious when it comes to things like my marriage, my family, my friends and the relationships I build on a daily basis, my career, and last but certainly not least my health.

October 9th, 2007, I had weight loss surgery. I was/still am embarrassed (part of me excited), but after months of praying, followed by research, followed by information seminars, followed by doctor's trips, and finally pre-op appointments, I am finally becoming serious about me and my walk with the Lord. The me that is a wife, a future mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I am finally seeing that a corporate office and/or fancy title is not going to help me become the person I need to be, and I'm having to lay it all out there and trust in the big man upstairs himself when it comes to life.

As I wake up each morning, I am blessed to look over at my husband and thank God for giving me such a rock to lean on during my hard days. I am blessed to have a great family and group of friends that rock my world because they are so awesome and I am blessed to be able to laugh and keep my sense of humor to go out and face the world even during serious times!!

Remember: 1) nothing is ever as bad as it could be and 2) frowns give you wrinkles for heaven's sake!

Introduction

After months of hearing how I should do this, I figured I would take a chance and try this little thing called "blogging." I have always enjoyed writing, but having others actually see everything I write...that's like having someone hear you pray...it's a different story. So, where to begin?

About me I suppose: I am a fairly independent, married, mother of two (dogs that is) and love being able to say "I'm alive." I write from the heart and can always use a laugh. Hopefully my stories will have some connection to you and we can dance this little dance called LIFE together!