that person

Spencer and I decided about 15 months ago that life really is a miracle. I know we should have realized that a lot sooner considering we had two kids whose pregnancies and births went on without incident, but we didn't. One of those things we took for granted, I guess. But now, every time a baby is born - alive and healthy - I find it a complete miracle. There are so many things that can go wrong. The fact that more often than not things go right just blows me away.

I feel like I've become that person that people go to when someone they know goes through something similar to what we went through. And you know what? I actually like being that person. It causes me to think about Macie, which, admittedly I don't do as much as I used to. It reminds me how precious life is.

Last year, two of my former YW who are now in college emailed me because one of their friends was in labor about to deliver a son who had passed away in utero. They wanted advice on what to do. Last summer, one of my friends had been told the baby she was carrying had a disorder that would most likely prevent him from living more than a few hours after birth. I thought about her daily and I know thousands of prayers were said on her behalf. That baby was born perfect and healthy - a true miracle. I still get teary when I see him. She had to go through a lot. And, just last week, another friend emailed me because she had a friend in labor, only 20 weeks along. I found out today that baby was born today and only lived a short time.

All these things cause me to reflect on my own life. They make me, if only for a minute, appreciate my children (all of them) so much more. They make me remember just how precious life is. So, while my heart breaks for these other people, it doesn't cause me pain to think about it or talk about it. I think it puts things in perspective for me.

But for that lady who lost her baby this week...my heart sure hurts for her.

Winner!

OK, this was honestly one of my smartest ideas because I got some GREAT (new) ideas for dinner! You guys are awesome! It was totally worth it for the recipes alone. You all should go through them yourselves, if you haven't already. Actually, I'm considering doing something similar in the future. Maybe I'll solicit advice on....I'll think about it...

Anyway, I wish I could give you ALL a watch, especially after reading your comments. Like I said, stay tuned and I'll pick your brains again for another chance to win a watch.

Instead of being boring (100% fair) and using random.org, I wrote all your names on equally sized pieces of paper and had Tyler choose one out of a bag. He didn't know any of the names but before he stuck his hand in he said, "I'm going to try to pick Ashley." :)

But...the name he picked was...Cindy! He was happy about that too because he LOVES Cindy. And Cindy, you were the last entrant last night but still made it in time! All that mixing up and shaking and his fingers still found your name. Congratulations!!

Thanks for playing!

giveaway...finally!

OK, here goes. I made lots of these last month for a boutique and have a few left so I thought it would be fun to give one away. These bands are interchangeable, so it's fun to mix and match.

I'm not gonna be all fancy and let you have up to 5 different entries for doing different things and then telling me about them in the comments. Just one entry per person. But I want your chances of winning to be relatively good, so just in case there are more than 50 people, I will pick two winners. Anyone can enter, but the contest will be over on Wednesday at midnight. Tell me what your favorite thing to make for dinner is. Because, darn it, I am struggling lately with what to make every night! It will be a random drawing, so don't worry about having the BEST recipe (though I'm incredibly excited to try some new things!).

Here is the watch:

Lots of blue. I typically don't make them with symmetrical beads but I tried it this time and kinda like it.

Good luck!

(In case I need to add another watch, I'm considering this one....)

*Also, I totally copied my aunt, who gave me my first watch last year. She was my inspiration!

experience

We went to Hawaii a little over two years ago. I am a huge, sometimes obsessive deal finder, and love to do things the cheapest way possible. For this reason, our entire 6-day trip cost us less than $800 in total. I also found ways to cram in as much as we could during our time there. We had so much fun but came home exhausted. We placed that excursion in our "trip" column and not in our "vacation" column, kinda sadly but also rather proudly.

I have a little bit of regret about cramming all of that in. I still don't know what exactly, if anything, I would take out if I were to do it again. But not once did we go sit on the beach in the sunshine and read a book or just relax. Nope, couldn't fit that in among all our plans.

I know of lots of people in the blog-world who choose a word for the year. I thought (and still think) it's a little silly. But I like the bigger idea. I'm not a resolution type of gal, so this is my way of rebelling against the idea of resolutions but still finding a way to do something a little different and make myself a little better. So, here we go. My word is Experience (the verb form). We actually aren't planning to move this year (gasp!), which automatically brings a smile to my face. But we do have a few really exciting things on the calendar. Things I want to be sure I enjoy.

So, for the couple of events/trips we have planned, I am determined to enjoy the ride a little bit more. I am determined to experience joy in my children a little more. (I can't tell you how proud I was to see Tyler holding a pen the right way today, writing his letters during church.) I am resolving to have a little more fun. This morning in the shower I got so excited for the things ahead. 2008 was a sad year, and 2009 was stressful. I feel less stress than I have in a long time (just as of this morning, mind you), and I am confident about the future, especially this coming year.

Here we go!
(check back later this week for the giveaway!)