girl with blog

redeemed {a DaySpring / (in)courage giveaway!!}

2012-05-15T23:37:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a bit out of shape lately - what with having a baby, then not being able to ~~work out~~ walk for the last 5 months. This makes me feel not awesome about my body - even though my body is marvelous. I mean, God made a p.e.r.s.o.n. in my body! That's amazing. None the less...

I have a few tactics that I pull out when I need a pick-me-up. First, my rockin haircut - I chopped it a last month and LOVE it. When I'm able to, I blow dry it, use a dab of pomade, and I'm good. Next is simple makeup. I never ever leave without lipgloss on. I actually sort of collect them. They're in every purse I own, the car, the bathroom, probably in the couch... =)

Finally, accessories. I try to buy things that I adore, then I wear them all the time. And you know, when my pants size isn't quite what I want it to be, sparkly vintagey pretties help. Enter DaySpring.

They have a brand new line of gorgeousness that I'm a little obsessed with. The Redeemed collection features vintage inspired pieces of jewelery, home decor, outside decor, stationary and mugs, and purses. Each is sprinkled with tiny reminders of who we belong to - our great God.

Redeemed - Treasured - Bracelet

This is just as lovely as it looks. It's my new can't-leave-the-house-unless-I'm-wearing-it item. I love love love it. On the back of the medallion thingie (that's actually the technical term) it says 'treasured, II thes 2:14. It's got a really nice weight to it, and I love that the charms dangle just the right amount off my wrist - enough to feel super girly but not long enough to be annoying.

Redeemed - I Am His Necklace

And this necklace. I love it. It's a really nice adjustable length, and is super easy to wear - it goes with everything. I am grateful when I glimpse the reminder inscribed on the back - 'I am His. II thes 2:13'

here it is on me... this is the longest setting. just right!

There are SO many more lovely items in the collection - I want this and this to come live with me, and I would happily gift these to a girlfriend... A girl can dream. =)

But guess what. I do get to gift one of my girlfriends. Thanks to this months (in)spired deals, one of you will WIN the necklace and bracelet featured above!!! Yep, one 'I am His jewelery set' is up for grabs!

Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: visit the Redeemed collection on DaySpring, then leave a comment on this post sharing what your favorite item is!

Optional extra entries (leave an additional comment for each entry):

Subscribe to girlwithblog via google friend connect or feedburner in the sidebar
Like girlwithblog on Facebook (also available in the sidebar)
Follow me (@anna_r) on Twitter
Visit the DaySpring Facebook page and leave some love - tell them girlwithblog sent you! =)
Do the same for our friends at the (in)courage Facebook page - they're such a blessing!

That's a total of 6 possible entries. Be sure to leave your email in your comment(s) so I can contact you. The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, May 22nd. Random.org will select a winner from the comments. I'll email the winner who has 24 hours to reply before drawing another winner. Giveaway only open to US residents.

Isn't it lovely that we are able to wear beautiful reminders of this sweet truth? That it doesn't matter our dress size or how many pairs of jeans we can't fit into anymore but keep anyway {tell me I'm not the only one who hangs on to a lost cause}... we are lovely and redeemed and His.
-anna
{girlwithblog}
*I received free product from DaySpring for review purposes - as always, opinions are my own. Affiliate links used in this post.

on Mother's Day 2012

2012-05-13T22:06:00.001-05:00

In lots of ways, it was a typical Sunday. We went to church, got a coffee treat on the way home, made brunch, took naps, grilled outside, had bath and bed... But today was a little different.

morning snuggles.

Today I was a mom on Mother's Day.

my babies =)

Now it's all over the web - people who don't think Mother's Day is cool. They say it's just a ploy from Hallmark and florists, and that it makes moms look greedy, and causes seperation and sadness, and is unnecessary.

pretty sure this is the face he'll make when he's a big boy and I try to steal a smooch =)

But I love Hallmark {I even worked there at two different points in my life!}. I like to think I'm not greedy. The seperation and sadness I can see, because I've been there. I'm still there, in a way. That could be it's own post. But unnecessary? What's unnecessary about celebrating people? I think it's all kinds of wonderful that there are celebrations built right into the calendar.

So today, we celebrated the extraordinary. We celebrated Sam, this lovely charming little boy who made me a mommy. There were cards and pink tulips and donuts. There were gifts of a CD Husby knew I'd love, and sweet little daisy earrings 'from' Sam. Husby wrote me a song {i. know. Swoon...} that he'll add a verse to each Mother's Day {swoon again...} Pictures were taken of our precious family and we loved our moms hard. We remembered the baby we lost, the pregnancy tests with only one line, the four years we waited...

Today we celebrated our journey.

-anna
{girlwithblog}

on identity: five minute friday

2012-05-10T23:43:00.002-05:00

Sweet Lisa-Jo hosts a weekly linkup at the Gypsy Mama called 5 minute Friday. That's exactly what you do - write for 'five minutes flat {on the given topic} - no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking'.

And right now, Sam is asleep so five minutes is just about what I've got =)

This week Lisa-Jo's Facebook friends chose the topic of identity.

Go:

For years I wanted my identity to be mama. Even after pokes and prods and loss and grief and aches and tears, I longed for a new identity. A new name. A new purpose. And maybe that's ok, to want to change or add to your identity. Because it propels us along to (often) better things, to (often) better versions of ourselves.

But sisters, let's remember our deeper identity. We are first daughters of a great big God. We are first loved - beloved - warrior princesses. Our identities may include mama, wifey, sister, friend, employee, homemaker... but there is a primary aspect to who we are in our core.

We are His.

And if that is our only identity, it is enough.

stop

-anna
{girlwithblog}

Just Write: on loving over fear

2012-05-07T22:56:00.001-05:00

My sweet Sam,I am a mother - your mama. I waited years to become your mother, did you know that? I worried that I would never become your mama, but I chose to love the hope of you more than I feared that worry, and endured countless finger pokes and vials of blood collected and swabs and doctor visits and vitamins and hormones and tears.

You were worth every. one.

It's 10:00 and the news is on. Your daddy wanted to see the stadium update and we didn't change the channel. You know that we don't watch the news because it makes mommy cry. There's a story right now about a 13 year old who took her own life because she was the victim of bullying and when her parents come on crying, sure enough my own tears stream.

Hers is a story I pray against being yours, and this is when it gets hard. This is when I choose love over fear. Because there are so many unknowns and horror stories that have given me nightmares and heartache, and I have to believe with all my fibers that the God who gave us you adores you and protects you and thought that your daddy and I could do the same. But when I hear of awful things happening to children, your darling face fills my mind and fear fills my heart and I can barely breathe. Then I hold you extra close or place my hand on your chest as you slumber in your cradle or smooch your cheeks and I relax, and breathe, and choose loving you over fear.

When you are bigger, my precious baby Samuel, you will run and play with your doggie and get dirty and bring bugs home and you will stay out late and play sports and go on dates and you will move away and love other people and I will still choose loving you over fear.

I would do anything for you, my dear baby boy. I would do finger pokes and medical procedures and I think my latest surgery is a little bit of proof =) and I would do no sleep and I will cry when you cry and do diapers and late nights and worries and dirty floors and love you right down to when it hurts.

I adore you,
mama
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This post is linked up with my friend Heather. Take a moment to read other freely written posts at her Just Write link-up.

on surgery {a quick update}

2012-05-05T20:25:00.002-05:00

My friends.

When I wrote that post on Tuesday night, fraught with feeling so much all at once, you were there. You left comments and texted me and wrote emails and DM's on twitter. You said you'd pray, that you were sorry, that this was miserable. You offered to bring meals, run errands, snuggle baby Sam, even offered frozen breastmilk because you knew I had to use all of my tiny stash. You supported me and held me up and I felt it. I am so appreciative and blessed.

Thank you.

Surgery went smoothly. Sam woke up to nurse right before we had to leave, the little darling. We were at the hospital at the crack of dawn, smiling as we recalled the last time we walked through those doors was when I was in labor. My doctor was able to get all the granulation and scar tissue. I'll go back in two weeks, and the stitches should have dissolved by then. Hopefully that will be my last visit to my OB for a year. I really like her, but I wouldn't mind not seeing her for a while.

I feel pretty sore. OK, I feel really horribly sore, like my hooha just got cut and stitched up. Weird. =) I've been moving (slowly) from bed to couch to couch and back to bed. Sam's done a lot of side-lying nursing, as it's pretty hard to actually sit.

In my not able to do anything-ness, I started reading a book just.for.fun. I don't even have to review it! This morning I read this sentence:

When this is all over, I'm throwing my body an awards banquet.
- Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions

I think I may just do that.
-anna
{girlwithblog}

on being in pain

2012-05-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

--this post includes TMI about my hooha. don't say I didn't warn you.--

I have to be honest with you, friends - I'm not doing awesome. My body has had trouble healing from birthing my baby boy, with his 14inch head. I haven't really gone into detail about this - just admitted the struggle, hoping it would just flitter away with the clicking of the keys. But it didn't.

When I had Samuel, I tore pretty badly, both externally and internally. I went to see a PA at my doctors office weeks postpartum because I - my hooha - was still in such pain. She validated my pain, but couldn't actually see anything wrong. At my 6 week appointment with my actual doctor, she did some more examining and still couldn't see anything amiss. She said to come back if I was still in pain in a month.

Being the obedient girl I am {ha!}, I gave it 6 more weeks. When poo-ing still made my eyes smart with tears and I wanted to curl up in a little ball if I walked for more than 30 minutes, I went back to my doctor. She found that in healing the tears, the tissue kind of went crazy and kept growing over the healed wound. It's called granulation tissue, and it's very painful and sensitive. The tissue must be stopped from continuing to grow, so they treat it by cauterizing it with silver nitrate.

I've now had three of these cauterizing treatments - which are as painful as they sound - and it's still growing. I'm now 19 weeks postpartum (that's almost 5 months, friends.) Today at my appointment, my doctor found that additional scar tissue has begun to grow underneath the granulation tissue, causing even more discomfort and pain. Since the treatments haven't solved the problem, it's time for the big guns.

On Friday morning, I'll have surgery to cut out the granulation and scar tissue. We have to be at the hospital before 6am, and I have to pump and dump for 24 hours. Recovery will take a while, and for at least a couple days I'm sure I'll be flat on my back in bed.

I'm angry because this is so rare. It *almost* never happens. I've had a few extremely rare things happen to me during this postpartum period, and I've gotta say that I'm not a fan. Things that rarely happen to folks are hard to talk about, because almost no one else has experienced them. The rare things that have happened on this journey have been painful and shocking, and I'm done being the rare case.

I'm sad because it's eaten up my first months with my baby boy. This breaks my heart. I don't feel like myself because my body is working so hard to make milk and continue to heal itself and function without much sleep. That's a LOT to ask of a body and I'm exhausted. I'm sad because I don't have a huge stash of frozen breastmilk (I'm home with Sam, so I nurse him nearly exclusively) and will use almost the whole stash during that 24 hours period when I have to pour that liquid gold down the drain. UGH. Makes me pukey. I'm sad that I've missed certain things - ahem - with my husband for almost 5 months.

I'm tired of feeling like I'm treading water, just trying to keep my head above it. Treading means moving in the same place, and that's exactly what I feel - I can't move ahead. I am so jealous of other moms working out and talking walks with their babies and wearing jeans and sleeping and being with their husbands - ahem -and not needing their body pillows anymore and living. They're shocked to hear I'm still dealing with hooha issues.

I'm defeated. With new stitches and cuts, I feel I'm moving backwards in the whole healing process. I've been in pain for so long now that it feels like it's never going to get better.

My hooha has had it.

But as in all nasty situations, there is hope. I have the tiniest bit of hope hat soon I will feel better, that my body will heal and my heart with it, that I'll be able to grocery shop without collapsing in pain afterwards, that I can stop icing and taking ibuprofen and wearing liners and nearly crying when I poo. Having my son is worth going through anything. My son. I'm a mama.

I will be ok.

But please pray for me? I would really appreciate it.
-anna
{girlwithblog}

ps - I have an excellent doctor who is doing all the right things. This isn't her fault. She's wonderful and kind and skilled. Just so you know =)

on being (in)RealLife

2012-04-29T22:53:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I went to a virtual beach house with nearly 30 other women. We savored chocolate cupcakes and drank hot coffee. We put our feet up, scooted together on couches,

shared blankets, laughed and cried.

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Every day, posts from (in)courage make their way to my inbox, and every day I read them. For over three years, (in)courage has make their site a virtual beach house, a 'home for the hearts of women'. We gather in that online space to reflect, share, learn, pray, and encourage one another. Last September, they announced their 'un'conference called (in)RL {RL = real life}. (in)courage would provide the content via webcasts, and we were to gather in our communities and just be together in real life.

Before I could think about it, I bought a ticket and created a local meet-up immediately.

See, getting together with girlfriends isn't easy for me. First of all, it seems that whenever a group makes plans, someone has to drop out at the last minute. Something always comes up that gets deemed more important than girlfriend time. And how many times have you dragged yourself out of the house to get together with someone when actually, you really didn't want to?

Let's be honest... staying at home in our sweats is easy. Saying 'I'm fine' is easy. Letting a friend leave a voicemail is easy.

goodies loaded in my trunk, on our way to inRL...

Not risking our hearts for friendships sake is easy. But gathering with women that we've never met before, dropping the 'fine', really being present with other one another... that's where the beauty lives. And the funny thing is, I adore hosting. Baking and decorating and remembering little details and greeting at the door and fluttering around... bring it. I love it. But letting my guard down and being real... that's where the trouble lies.

Thanks to (in)courage (and to the Lord, for putting the prompt on my own heart and Allison's, who graciously offered to co-host the gathering at her inlaws beautiful home), nearly 30 women gathered just north of the Twin Cities. We drove from all over the state, wearing jeans and waterproof mascara, just to be together for a few hours. The chocolate was rich, the coffee deep, the conversation sweet.

mmm cupcakes... did i tell you, i cut my hair? i did =)
and look close - I'm wearing the necklace.

It was so good that I don't even have any pictures - we were so busy being together that we even forgot to take a group shot! Gah.

the only picture i have from the whole day - most of our group as we watch the webcasts

Mason jars filled with shells and sand and candles were placed around the home, as well as a few lovely products from DaySpring. We prayed and wept as women spoke to us about community, something that we deeply crave and manage to all too easily evade. But on this rainy Saturday, we didn't shy away. We bravely left our homes and families and drove and found each others hearts in a basement room. 1300 other women did the same thing, in 20 different countries. Impressive, isn't it?

And I do believe that heaven resounded and satan trembled and our hearts glowed softly as we gathered in real life to praise the One who created us for real life. I believe that in our being in community, in our choosing to hug beyond the screen, in our being brave, we made Him proud.

I can't wait to do it again.
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You are able to purchase the webcasts and study guides and the super cute (in)RL tshirt. Tell me, who will you gather with in real life? Who are your girlfriends?
-anna
{girlwithblog}

*affiliate links used in this post

Samuel Robert - 4 month update

2012-04-25T22:53:00.005-05:00

My sweet mister Sam... He had his 4month check yesterday and ROCKED it! He charmed the doctor and all the nurses =)

4mo stats:

15lbs 8.5 oz - that kid gained over 5 lbs in two months!!
26.5" long - he grew two and half inches in two months
17" head - gained an inch in two months

4mo skills gained (thanks for the chart and idea, Johanna!):

Mastered (most kids can do):

smiles, laughs - YES!! Glory be, it's beautiful.
coos when you talk to him - yep. Like a champ.
can bear weight on legs - LOVES to 'stand' up. Loves to.

Emerging (half of kids can do):

grasp a toy - oh yeah. He loves rattles, this plastic ball thing, and a stuffed taggy block.
rolls over front to back - not only this, but back to front too. He's a rolling machine.

Advanced (a few kids can do):

imitates sounds: 'baba', 'dada' - not really.
cuts first tooth - lots of drool and chomping, but nothing cutting through
eating solids - nope. It's mama milk alone for a long time yet.

We also started cloth diapering this week! I wanted to hold off on starting until I was feeling better and up to doing lots of laundry. While I'm still not completely healed (more on that soon), I didn't want to wait any longer. So we bought a bunch of Charlie Banana OS dipes, which are so sweet because you can use reusable or disposable inserts. So we got both =)

So far so good!

It's been a great month, buddy boy... I adore you!

-mommy
{girlwithblog}

choices

2012-04-23T23:40:00.001-05:00

And in the blink of an eye, it's been two weeks.

I miss you guys. And writing here. Sigh.

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One of the many things that no one can teach you before your baby arrives is that you will now have to make constant choices. I'm not talking about cloth vs disposable, pacifiers or none, which pediatrician you'll see, when to start solids, bedtimes, vaccines, stay at home or work, daycare or not, type of clothing, to swaddle or not to swaddle, sling or stroller...

No, I'm talking about the choices you have to make for yourself, every minute.
- shower or get an email written?
- go to the bathroom or let baby keep sleeping on your lap?
- blog or take a nap?
- talk about the day with your husby after baby's asleep, or go to sleep yourselves?
- eat popcorn for dinner because it's the only thing I can make with one hand?
- wake baby to nurse or be late to the appointment?
- take the time to get dressed or toss on sweats again because they're fast?
- go to the grocery when you're out of food or stay home because you know the baby will cry at the store?
- call a friend to chat or soak in the rare silence?

With a babe, you get one of the things. You can do one thing. No more quick errands, no perusing Pinterest, no vegging out with the TV. And when baby is asleep, you move at lightning speed to get as much done as possible. Though that's a choice too - run around checking off the to-do list or collapse or shower or work...

But some things aren't a choice at all:
- The quickening of your heart when he snuggles close.
- The smile that spreads fast across your face when he grins toothy at you.
- The heart-swelling pride when he accomplishes something or just is being adorable.
- The glow when he wakes up looking for you, and laughing when his eyes land on yours.
- The love that grows and grows and grows and knows neither depth nor limit.

Some things just are, and you get them all.
-anna
{girlwithblog&baby)

a milestone for baby Sam!

2012-04-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

My little boy is such a stud.

He did it for the first time Tuesday for daddy! Then yesterday, he tried forEVER - we have 20+ videos of him almost rolling over - and finally got it!
Annnnd he grows up just a little bit more =)
-anna
{girlwithblog&baby}

you're already amazing

2012-04-02T23:11:00.003-05:00

The book sat in my 'to-read' pile, first on the nightstand, then on a weathered apple crate beside my old yellow desk. "I'll get to it soon", I told myself confidently, ignoring the twitch of my heart; I didn't really want to get to it. The cover made it look like something I'd love - fresh, pretty, pink, words of affirmation... But what I knew lay between the covers scared me. Too much truth - too many good things - they couldn't possibly apply to me.

Badly as I wanted to pick it up, there it sat. Still sits.

The lies swirling in my head sneak their way into my heart:
- You're not as pretty/fun/sparkly/skinny/good as you used to be.
- God liked you better back then when you were on fire for Him.
- Your husband is doomed to a miserable life with you.
- The things that book will say you are? You're not. Everyone else is, but not you
...and I just couldn't pick it up.

I have a beautiful necklace that declares who I am in God's heart. Some mornings when I consider clasping it around my neck, I don't. I decide not to wear it because that morning I don't believe it's true. Words like celebrated, cherished, created, chosen... at times, they just don't ring true for me. I can sit down with a girlfriend or college girl or former youth, and declare these things true for them, but when it comes to my own heart, it's awfully hard to swallow.

What is it that blocks this blessed truth from permeating our hearts? Living that truth would radically change my life... can you imagine?! Deeply believing, with the same kind of certain as our next breath, that we are

celebrated
cherished
created
chosen

I want to live like that. I want my son to see me living like that. I want to serve the One who made me to live into those words.

Though I haven't picked it up yet, that book is now on the coffee table in front of the couch where I nurse Sam. I also recommended it to be the next book we study in my small group. I will read it. And that necklace? I'm wearing it right now.

-anna
{girlwithblog}
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I was provided a free copy of You're Already Amazing, by Holley Gerth, for review purposes. This is my honest feedback, which you probably figured, since I admitted I hadn't read it yet. That lovely truth necklace is also HALF OFF right now, and worth every penny. FYI - DaySpring has a bunch of loveliness on sale right now...
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Affiliate links are used in this post.

Sunday Simplicity: palm sunday

2012-04-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

The people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. Running ahead and following after, they were calling out,

Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in God's name!
Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in highest heaven!

- Mark 11:8-10 (the message)

On this Palm Sunday, we imagine the parade He entered in to. Branches and coats laid down for His feet to step on, the wonderful welcome, adoration streaming from His peoples' faces.

How quickly they went - we go - from praise to blame, joy to apathy, faith to fear.

And so we journey through this Holy Week.

-anna
{girlwithblog}

thanks, an admission, and playing outside

2012-03-28T00:31:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement and praise that you left on my last post. You blessed me. The concept of Sam being miniscule and strong, and my grandpa going into fullness of life at the same time has floored me since I realized its occurrence. God, You are sweet and clever and good.
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I'm admitting my pain. Tomorrow - today now - I have my 4th visit to the doctor to try to figure out my postpartum pain. It's been almost 15 weeks and I still can't walk around Target for more than half an hour without wanting to curl up in a ball in my bed. The last visit, the 3rd visit, they did diagnose the issue - granulation tissue. Basically the cells overcompensate and grow weird. They did part one of a silver nitrate cauterization treatment. Tomorrow they'll see if the tissue responded to the treatment, and if it didn't, I have to have a little operation and they'll cut it out. It's feels like a big deal. I've been quiet about it around here because honestly, until last week I thought I just had to toughen up. Because who has pain this long after a smooth, natural, wonderful labor? Um, me. I'm miserable and feel fat - no working out when you can't even walk - and can't bounce my son on the bouncy ball that he loves and I hurt. So scared as I am of the procedure, I don't even care. I just want to be better.
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This weekend was unprecented in weather (as most of March has been around here). We laid a blanket out in our front yard and lounged around, playing with our sweet boy.

don't you just wanna take a nibble on those toes?!

How was your weekend?
-anna
{girlwithblog}

hands

2012-03-23T17:03:00.003-05:00

**warning: this post contains pictures, raw and beautiful, of my grandpa as he was dying**

A year ago this week, my dear grandpa went Home. I held his hand and sobbed with my husband as grandpa's soul left the shell his body had become.

Grandpa had celebrated his 90th birthday just days before. He was the first person in his family to make it to the milestone. I brought him a green cookie and spent a few hours with him talking and laughing. He hadn't told the nursing staff it was his birthday, so I spilled the beans then added more cards from friends to the wall.

When the hospital called and said we should come, we went. We stayed so long that Husby went to McDonalds and bought an obscene amount of food for us all to share. Our family decided then that the two of us would take the night shift, and my mom would relieve us early the next morning.
Jared and I spent the night adjusting his head so he was comfortable. I dozed in a chair next to him all night, never ever letting go of his hand.

The nurse gently told us it wouldn't be long, that she would quietly turn off the machines and return later. Husby and I saw his heartbeats slow, and cried hard and ugly.

He breathed his last, then joined his wife, son, brothers and sisters, and Father.

grandpa, 90 years

As grandpas life ended, we didn't know that a new one was beginning inside me. Our son was growing - tiny, miniscule, alive...

What a beautiful thing - the coming and going to and from heaven! What a gift it was to have been a part of that scene in grandpas hospital room. The divine, present, holy ground on sterile linoleum, two lives that wouldn't meet converging in one space.

sam, 3 days

As Easter approaches and we remember my grandpas' last days and my sons first, these intersections of death and life are on my mind. This is how it is with our Creator - Christ allowing death to overtake Him and life still conquering. There is such power in that life - in the life we have in Christ - and such honor in that He allows us to make new life, and such glory in leaving this life wrinkled and ready with 90 years behind us... I'm overwhelmed today, as I remember.

I've missed my grandpa and loved my son every day since.

-anna
{girlwithblog}

everyday miracles

2012-03-19T16:46:00.004-05:00

My friends at LoveFeast Table are having a party today to celebrate their new Gathered Thoughts box, and I'm one of the 'hostesses'. Join us at the table!

I can't help but drink in my new baby boy. His fingers, toes, belly button, round tongue, looooong eyelashes, bright blue eyes, giant grin, red-tinted hair... When he burst from my body, and they laid him on my chest, all I could think about was the miracle of him. He had perfect little ears and long skinny arms and toenails! Miracles, every one!

The fact of the matter is, each of us is a miracle. So many things have to go right in the making of a person, that each one is a straight miracle. And then the things that we do with our everyday... the things that God does in our everyday... they're amazing.

The bright sunshine, the near 80* temps {seriously!}, my dogs waggy tail, a gift in my mailbox from a friend, my husbands gaze, the cardinal family that lives in our backyard pines, a pumpkin pie latte in March, a new book, a quiet car ride {glory be!}, a cozy bed, my sister, a hot shower, answers from the doctor, my mom just a phone call away, the boppy pillow {honestly, it's a gamechanger}, get togethers with new friends, old friends visiting, our church family, a hidden piece of chocolate =)

it's the everyday miracles

that keep my hope alive

it's the way You move in little things

that helps me survive...

...what You do with my everyday is amazing.

Sara Groves

What miracles have you seen today?

join the party!

-anna
{girlwithblog}

Weekend ramblings & Gooseberry Patch winner!

2012-03-18T23:08:00.002-05:00

Just a late-night pop in to say hello! {waving} How was your weekend? Can you believe it's nearly Monday? These precious free days fly by... and in our case, they flew by with a warm breeze - we broke 80* here in Minnesota this weekend!! UNREAL weather! Not gonna lie, it makes me a little wary. Of the summer yet to come, and of the bigger picture (this is just not normal).

We celebrated St. Patricks Day by getting together with the families from my mom & baby class! It was such a fun reunion, and one of the girls {hi Jamie!} sent me these sweet pics that she snapped:

we tried an exersaucer for the first time - he LOVED it!

It was a fun day!

I have a full week of posts and fun things to tell you about, and to kick it off I wanted to announce the winner of the brand spanking new Gooseberry Patch cookbook Meals in Minutes: 10th Anniversary Edition! Thank you to everyone who entered - I'm going to write down all of your go to meal ideas and start trying them!

I'm super excited that random.org chose comment #5... she was a camper waaaay back when I was a camp counselor at a fantastic, faith changing Bible camp... and now she's married with babies of her own! I had no contact with her until a couple months ago, when we discovered we had a mutual friend who is hosting the inRL meetup with me!

(Amanda)Mar 7, 2012 12:18 PM

Sounds like a book I could use! My go-to last-minute meal is scrambled eggs with PB toast and fruit. Ready in 5 minutes! Or, if I plan ahead, pepperoncini beef sandwiches (put a chuck roast and a jar of pepperoncinis in the crock pot, cook all day, and serve on toasted bread with cheese). I totally understand the dinnertime stress - it's so much harder with a baby too! I usually am on my own with the baby and toddler while I make dinner, and I have about 30 interrupted minutes to get it on the table. It's pretty crazy. Meal planning helps, although I can never stick with it. I'm going to try doing some freezer meals though onceamonthmom.com, which could help a lot.

Congratulations, Amanda! Check your email =)

Happy evening, friends!

-anna
{girlwithblog}

on real friends, in real life {inRL2012}

2012-03-15T21:32:00.000-05:00

During the childrens sermon, in my white patent leather Mary Janes, I solemnly listened as the pastor spoke. 'Friends', he said, 'are from the Lord. Today, just ask someone to be your friend. It's that easy!' And everyone knows that if a pastor said it, it must be true.

I walked up to the new girl, pastors words ringing in my ears and heart.

I said, 'Hi. Want to be my friend?'

She said, 'No', and walked away.

I remember looking at the ground and trying not to cry,

big hot crocodile tears welling in my eyes.
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It's exhausting to build friendships. All the get to know you smallish talk. Trying to squish in coffee dates amidst the crying babies and work deadlines and LIFE happening. Deciding how real to be when the relationship is still being developed - just transparent enough to keep progressing but nothing too deep/revealing/freaky, 'cause that might scare them away. Wondering if they really like you. Hoping you're not bothering them with a text.

And if they don't text you back, trying not to cry.

You want to cry at that unanswered text for the same reason I wanted to cry when the other little girl said no. Because making a new friend is taking a gigantic risk. It's revealing parts of yourself and hoping - praying - that they're accepted and enjoyed and worth appreciating. It is exhausting. It is scary. It makes us feel exposed. So we use our screens and tablets and text messages and blogs, and we choose to put a little bit of ourselves out there, word by word, and with the pressing of the 'publish' button we reveal a bit of our heart. Comments and RT's and friend requests are the acknowledgement that we have been seen.
But sometimes we need to be brave and put more out there because we need to be hugged. We need to look into our friends eyes and see ourselves. We need to laugh and cry and eat together, all in the same night. We need friends in real life. It is an aching of our hearts, and one that is so common. But instead of banding together and accepting coffee dates and working to make friends, we hunker down and stay behind our screens because we think that everyone else has small groups and besties, and that we are the odd ones out.

You are not the odd one out. I am standing alone with you.

So let's come together. In real life. Offline and outside the screen and into a living room.

(in)courage had a brilliant idea for an un-conference, one that is happening all over the country. Click here to register - $10 gets you a sweet t-shirt and and a package of cards. The (in)RL webcast kicks off on Friday, April 27. Tune in by yourself for an hour on Friday for the keynotes. On Saturday meet up with friends to spend a few hours in real life. Think of it as a retreat where you don't have to leave town. (in)Courage will be providing video content which explores the topic of gritty, beautiful, messy, real life community together. We will have door prizes and snacks!

Want more ~~convincing~~ details? Watch this:

Minnesota gals, the sweet Allison and I are hosting a Twin Cities (in)RL meetup - after you've registered, click here to RSVP and join the meetup community, and here to join the Facebook event.

Let's be brave together. Let's venture out, and let new friendships cover the sting of the girl who said no.
-anna
{girlwithblog}

Garlic-Angel Hair Pasta & Shrimp

2012-03-14T22:02:00.001-05:00

When I was featured on the Gooseberry Patch blog almost two years ago, they asked me what my 30 minute go-to meal was. My answer was shrimp scampi! Now I am an early bird reviewer, and we still have scampi a few times a month. It's so yummy and simple, we love it. I really like to make a pasta to put under the shrimp, and this recipe from Meals in Minutes: 10th Anniversary Edition looked really easy. It was just the right thing to have with scampi!

Saute garlic (one of my favorite smells ever!)

Pour garlic, oil over pasta

add bread crumbs and mix

Top with shrimp.

Garlic Angel Hair Pasta

Gooseberry Patch

originally submitted by Terry Esposito, NJ

16oz package angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat)

7 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 C olive oil

1 1/3 C seasoned bread crumbs (I only used 1/2 cup, and it was plenty)

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. In a skillet over low heat, saute garlic in olive oil until golden. Pour garlic and oil over pasta; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Mix well; cover and let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

I'm having so much fun reading all your go-to meals! Have you shared yours and entered my Gooseberry Patch giveaway yet? Hop on over, it's open for a few more days!
-anna
{girlwithblog}

Colorful Couscous Salad

2012-03-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

There’s nothing better than down home, country style comfort food. That’s exactly what Gooseberry Patch excels at providing us – tried and true family recipes for delicious meals and sides, sweet treats and beverages. The new Meals in Minutes: 10^th Anniversary Edition is no different! But one thing that seems unique and I love about it is the very first chapter: Market Fresh and Fast.

Each of these yummy recipes uses veggies and fresh ingredients. Makes me giddy to think of this summer when we’ll walk to our neighborhood farmers market. Tables piled with rich greens, bright oranges, earthy hues of red and brown… gathering a basketful of color for my kitchen table… scrubbing my bounty clean, then chopping and peeling and sautéing…

**shakes head to break the daydream**

Over the weekend, highs were in the 60’s – we shattered a 130+ year old record here in MN! Husby and I deep cleaned the house. Having sat in the greyness of winter for months, we busted out our favorite lavender scented cleaners and the vacuum and went to town. Baby Sam was happy to nap for a couple hours in his new swing =) With spring cleaning happening, green grass and water scent floating through the open windows, and the sun shining, this recipe was just right for the Saturday we had this weekend.

Clean tasting and so pretty, we’ll definitely be using our fresh goodies gathered from the farmers market to make this again!

looks like a lot of ingredients, but all simple and fresh

Colorful Couscous Salad

Gooseberry Patch
Originally submitted by Donna Cash, MI

10oz box couscous (I used whole wheat)

¾ C olive oil* (I used 1/3 cup)

¼ C lemon juice (I used 1/8 cup)

1/8 C white wine vinegar (I had plain vinegar and used 1Tbs)

2 T. sugar (I used just over 1 T)

1 T garlic, minced (I used about ¾ T)

3 drops hot pepper sauce (omitted)

½ t. salt

½ t. pepper

½ t. lemon pepper (omitted)

½ t. seasoned salt (omitted)

¼ t. turmeric (omitted)

1/8 t. cinnamon (omitted)

1/8 t. ground ginger (I just used a sprinkle)

1 green pepper, diced

1 bunch green onions, diced

4 carrots, shredded

15 ¼ oz can corn, drained

15 ½ oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Prepare couscous according to package directions, set aside. In a large serving bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and seasonings; stir in vegetables and beans. Add couscous, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate. Serves 6-8.

*I reduced the dressing by half. I was going for a lighter version, and it was perfect. Also, I omitted spices simply because we didn’t have them =)

So springy, so yummy! Have you entered to win this brand spanking new cookbook yet? Hop on over for your chance to win!

-anna

{girlwithblog}

Friday Friends {or pictures of my smiley baby boy}

2012-03-09T14:10:00.002-06:00

I was working on a Friday Friends post, but these pictures make me happier =) He was 12 weeks old the day we took these (yesterday). That smile! Those cheekers! Oh my heart...
-anna
{girlwithblog&baby}

Gooseberry Patch: Meals in Minutes, 10th Anniversary Edition {giveaway!}

2012-03-07T09:30:00.000-06:00

**this giveaway is now closed**

We have a bad time with supper in my house. I think it's because about 5:00, we say 'I'm hungry. What should we have for supper? We have chicken, shrimp, or pancakes.' Oh, and did I tell you that my son often cries when we put him down? So now we have no thawed meat, one of us is holding Sam, and we're all hungry.

Cue the meltdown.

So when Gooseberry Patch sent me the brand new - it's so new you can't even buy it yet! - Meals in Minutes: 10th Anniversary Edition to review, I was really excited!

True to its title, most of the recipes are really quick to put together. The first one we made was No Bake Lasagna, and it was ready in less than 15 minutes!

In addition to the chapters of recipes, sweet tips and tricks at the bottom of each page, and those darling illustrations, Meals in Minutes includes Market Math. It's so slick - you look up the ingredient and amount of it that your recipe calls for and how that translates into actual amount you need to buy. For instance, your recipe calls for 1 cup sliced apple, you should buy 1 medium apple. You need 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, you'll use 21 squares. Like I said, slick!

Another bonus is the Perfectly Prepared Pantry list that's included. Honestly, if your pantry is stocked with all these ingredients, you would be ready to make anything. This list is complete. And it totally shone a light on how un-perfectly prepared my pantry is =)

Over the next 10 days, I'll be sharing meals my family made from this handy book. And then... I'm giving a copy away to YOU!!! Woohoo!! It's a win it before you can buy it giveaway! Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: leave a comment on this post sharing what your simple and quick go-to meal is {the funnier the better! PBJ's anyone?=)}

Extra entries (leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry):

subscribe to this blog via email or feedburner (or GFC)
like Girl with Blog on Facebook
follow @anna_r on Twitter
visit Gooseberry Patch's Facebook page and leave them some love! They are so generous to us, let's thank them! Be sure to tell them Anna at Girl with Blog sent you. =)

This giveaway will close on March 16th. I will choose the winner using random.org and notify them via email. They'll have 48 hours to respond to the email, and if they do not respond I'll draw a new winner. I was provided a copy of Meals in Minutes for review purposes, and another to give away.

All opinions are my own.

In your comments, make sure I have your email address. Have fun! I'm SO excited to read your go-to meal ideas!
-anna
{girlwithblog}

why I'm counting

2012-03-05T09:30:00.000-06:00

I have a tendency toward melancholy. Staying indoors, overcast days, mid-winter bare trees, being quiet... I don't mind these things. They make me cozy and calm.

Because I know this about myself, when I was pregnant I asked my husband to keep an eye on me and my emotions after baby was born. We've been watchful and prayerful, and so far so good. A little more anxiety than before Samuel, and it's easier for me to get irritated, but neither is consuming or big. I've had situational depression before, I know what to look for in myself and heart, and those things are absent (thanks God).
But the last weeks, I have been feeling a little off. Call it the baby blues, the mid-winter slump, or being down in the dumps. Envy comes quickly and creates a pit in my stomach. A case of the 'grass is greener' syndrome rears its ugly head. Unkind thoughts about myself slowly creep into my head. Loneliness and an absence of girlfriends - the call at 2am, coffee order knowing, rich-conversation-having kind - brings me to tears. Exhaustion sets in deeply, and so do the dark circles under my eyes. Postpartum pain lingers.

But through each symptom of unrest, a seed of gratitude digs hard in my heart, fighting to take root and bloom.
To combat the yuck, I will count. Along with Ann, and though I'm late to join, I'm counting His gifts. Three a day*, posted on Mondays. Because there are so many gifts, big and small, known and unknown, seen and forgotten.

I'm choosing to see. And in that choosing, the seed begins to bloom.

March:
1. a cold drink, working while Sam snoozes beside me, my soft bed.

2. enough money for what we need, a favorite pair of rosebud earrings, the wrap in which I wear my son.

3. a new-to-me sweater, bigger jeans to accomodate my body that bore a child, my wedding ring.

he was chilly, so i snuggled him up IN that sweater =)

4. best friends who are far away, getting up at 4am every night, no snow.

a couple of dear far away friends

5. a swing my son loves, new passion to cultivate friendships, red polka dot egg cups.

~anna
{girlwithblog}

*Ann provides a daily prompt - 3 gifts each day. I'll be quietly using these - you can download your own copy of the Joy Dare prompts via her blog.

bits&pieces and a fresh space!

2012-03-03T11:43:00.002-06:00

Ahhhhh. That's a happy sigh as I look around this new, cleaned up, updated space. Even though most spring cleaning happens in the spring {duh}, there's something fresh and lifegiving about having a clean, fresh, purged space in the winter - be it a blog or a home. I have the best designer ever - she's creative, super affordable, very quick turnaround, and sweet. The thought behind this clean up was to really let my pictures and words shine. I felt like they were getting overshadowed by all the clutter. Ever do things to your blog that you're feeling outside the screen? =)
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I've had a sort of glum few days. Nothing serious, just some blues and envy rearing their ugly. Yesterday to combat it I logged off and stayed offline. Twitter was making me feel bad, so I stopped looking at it. We had a family day and went to the new Lorax movie together, took a snooze, went to Sam's Club, and watched Twilight with a fire in the fireplace. It was a good cure for the blues =) I'm also going to try to join the Joy Dare with Ann at A Holy Experience. Each Monday I'll try to post the weeks gifts - 3 a day - inspired by her prompts. I'm a few months late to start, but you can join into joy anyday.
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My baby is two and a half months old. WOWZA.
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Being back at work is going well. Honestly, this is the first time in my life that crazy is the new normal. In school, there was always an end date. Church life, when I was a youth director, went in cycles of busy/crazy and quiet. Now? The only goal - the ONLY one - is to go with the flow each day. Everything is on baby's schedule (if you're a stickler, you could say ours is a combination parent-child led schedule) and that varies daily. But it's working for us, this new normal of flowing along.
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This is Nysse the dogs' new normal:

=)
-anna
{girlwithblog}

Friday Friends: 7th edition

2012-02-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

While I host a webinar and one of the grandmas is holding baby Sam, I'm cranking out a quick post! These are a few favorites from around the interwebs this week:
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My dear friend Kate shares several beauty products you can create in your kitchen! I'm dying to try the baking soda buildup remover, and can personally attest to the awesome-ness of her homemade sugar scrub.

Suzanne shares a beautiful video, 'God is not a white man', that spoke to me. I won't say anything else about it (except that the tune gets stuck in your head) but welcome comments - what did you think?

Bridget never fails to inspire with her gorgeous decorated cookies! Seriously, she's the reason I dabble in cookies every once in a while. But she shared these ridiculously good looking brownies. I may have to make them ~~tonight~~ soon.
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Do you have any favorite posts from the week? I'd love to read them - leave the link in a comment!
-anna
{girlwithblog}

Sam: two months

2012-02-22T14:25:00.001-06:00

My little boy is getting so big! Stats from his two month check:
Height: 24.5 inches (93rd percentile - he's so tall!)
Weight: 10.5 lbs
Head: 15.5 inches

Milestones:
Sam started smiling AT us a few weeks ago!!! Smiles, at you, from a new little baby = joy in its purest form. He holds his head up by himself and is super strong. Loves to 'stand' and put weight on his legs, and sometimes he'll follow me when I move across the room. It's fascinating and so fun to watch him grow!

Playtime:
He makes fun little coo-ing noises, and likes to play! We sing songs, he bats at the rattle on his playmat, and we bicycle his (looooong) legs. Samuel loves to 'stand' on your lap and look at you, smiling and cooing while you make faces or talk to him.

Eating:
Breastfeeding has come easily to us. I don't take this for granted and am so very thankful. I think, with how slow my body is healing, that if nursing wasn't going well I would lose it. Sam eats like a champ! We nurse about 8 times a day, which includes one-two sessions at night. I'm pumping a little bit after most nursing sessions, which results in about 4oz a day that I can store in the freezer. Sam takes a bottle like a pro. Daddy's given him a few, and grandma gave him one last night. Since I work from home, I don't really need a huge stockpile, but it's nice to have back-up.

Sleeping:
Sam usually sleeps from 11-330, nurses, and sleeps from 430-730. He'll nap during the day, but only if he's in the moby wrap - falling asleep on his own is just not his thing right now. I don't mind holding this sweet bundle while he sleeps, but it would be nice to also take a nap or get something done =) Once in a while I'll side-lie and nurse him, and he'll pass out. During these 'naps' I'll doze too - we are just too cozy! Plus I'm not worried about squishing him or anything, because I'm a very light sleeper and never fall all the way asleep.

Crying:
If I had written this last week, I would have told you that Sam cries all. the. time. Not at night, but during the day. Since 5 weeks old, he has been a screamer (do the math - that is almost 5 weeks of daytime screaming). However, starting Sunday we have had great days! Minimal crying and screaming, more smiling and happiness. THANK GOD. I'm hoping this sticks, because oh my stress. Please pray for us - that this daytime sweetness will continue.

Samuel, we adore you! Can't believe it's been two months (10 weeks now) already. You've changed my heart more in that short time than in the 29 years before it. I love you dearly.
-anna
{girlwithblog&baby}