Pop Rocks for Breakfast

Thinking back to cooler times...

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:10:00 +0000

After taking 8 weeks of maternity leave earlier this year, it was just implausible that we would also go on a family vacation this summer. First, I don’t think my boss would be crazy about the idea of me taking more time off, and secondly, vacations just aren’t the same with a newborn in tow.

So, instead I reminisce.

Normally I would reminisce about our week long trip to the beach in Sanibel, or our two week trip to Asia that we took last summer. But with the heat here in Dallas ringing in between 111 and 113 for the past week, I am reminiscing about a colder place.

Washington D.C.

Chris, ChellBell, and I took the week of Christmas a couple of years ago and headed to D.C., one of my favorite cities in the US. It was the Christmas before Obama was inaugurated, so the place was a ghost town. Seriously, everyone was saving their vacation days for the inauguration, and we pretty much had the city to ourselves. We stayed at the newly opened National Gaylord hotel, and one night we were the only guests in the hotel. If you have ever stayed at a Gaylord property, you know how big they are and how it would be a little freak-ish to be the only people there. And it was.

We had a blast that week. We brought construction paper and made a Christmas tree with cut-out ornaments on one of our walls. (We ate at the same restaurant several times, and the owners ended up buying us a little Christmas tree for our hotel room and giving it to us one night at dinner!) We introduced ChellBell to all the notable things in DC, went to the National Cathedral for the Christmas Eve service (sigh….), and then went snow tubing in Pennsylvania on Christmas Day.

Ah, to be back in snow right about now… I think I will go crank the air conditioning and live in this memory a little longer.

My favorite picture of the trip? This one of ChellBell in front of the Smithsonian’s massive doors:

Want to tell all about a great vacation or a place that makes you reminisce? Come join us at Friday DayDreamin' over at RWeThereYetMom (click the button -- it will magically take you there!!):

120 months on a scale of 1- 10

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:56:00 +0000

Dear ChellBell,

Today you turn 120 months old, and it doesn't take a math wizard to figure out that your age has just jumped up to 2 digits from having only one for the past 9 years and 364 days. This is a milestone that won't be topped until you hit 100. In other words, today is kind of a big day.

In all of time, or at least since I've been around, it hasn't been good enough to measure things with words. Words like "good" or "great" or "horrid" or "fantastic" just weren't enough. We've always had to measure things with numbers - to score things. We'll say, "how would you rate that?" or "on a scale of one to 10, how was it?" and 10 is always the best. It represents greatness. It represents perfection, and something that couldn't be better. We use the phrase "a perfect 10" to refer to someone who is crazy-beautiful or a balance beam routine that has no flaws. You just can't get better than 10.

It seems less than coincidental that you are turning 10 today, because these really are the best days of your life. Don't get me wrong - growing up is great, and of course getting married and being a Mom can be great also. But at 10, you are discovering how big the world is and who you are choosing to be in that world. Your responsibilities are still relatively light and your days still involve recess and lunch with friends and summer camp. And you have your whole life ahead of you. These are definitely good days. A 10 on a scale of 1 - 10.

You have changed drastically in the past 10 years. So drastically, that it seems like there is no way the time should have passed as quickly as it has. You have gone from being a tiny baby to a silly little girl to a smart and hilarious young lady with so much potential, and you've done it all in what seems to be the blink of an eye. So fast. I might even say Too fast. But with every turn in the road, with every change, with every milestone, you have become more amazing than before.

I love you. I am proud of you. I am proud to be your Mom. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that you love being 10. Regardless of what this year brings for you, you will always no-matter-what be loved by your family. Our home will always be a safe place to ask questions and talk about life. You will always be important to me, and I will always be grateful to have you as my friend. And I will always feel that having you in my life rates a perfect 10.

Love, Mom

Cella's 10th from Rebecca Darling on Vimeo.

119 months - saying goodbye to 9

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Dear ChellBell,

You are well into 119 months, with your tenth birthday right around the corner. It takes my breath away that I have been given an entire decade with you, to watch you grow and learn and make mistakes, and to watch me grow and learn and make mistakes at the same time. We're taking this walk together, you know, and just because I'm supposedly an adult, I am still growing up as a Mom right by your side.

I wish you could have a day in my shoes to watch you. You would learn a lot about yourself. You would understand why I say you're beautiful. You would see that you have a million reasons to believe in yourself. You would see how incredibly talented you are. You would see that you and I are completely different in so many ways, and that my creativity is being stretched to find the best ways to keep you in check, keep you as naive as a 9 year old should be, and keep you as informed as a 9 year old should be. And you would see how my heart pounds with love for you.

Plain and simple. I'm crazy about you. Even in the moments where we look at each other and wonder, "what planet did she come from??" - even then, I'm crazy about you. I do not want to take one day with you for granted, and I hope you don't take for granted one single day of life.

Do you ever get tired of my phrase, "One day you'll understand..."? Well, make a list my friend, because when you become a Mom, you really will understand a lot more things. Things just make sense that never really did before. You understand why your Mom did all those crazy over-protective stay-up-til-you-get-home kinds of things. You understand why your Mom taught you to chew with your mouth closed. You understand why your Mom told you to not gossip or say mean things and to hang out with good kids. All those things that seem to be so blah-blah-blah to you right now. They will all make sense. And you will find yourself saying many of the things I say to you now, and you'll stop and smile a little bit, because you'll finally understand that your Mom really did want the best for you.

But right now, I know you are starting to question if I really know what I'm doing. And here in a few years, you'll be convinced that I don't. And I might agree with you from time to time.

But my love for you, well, that's not going anywhere. I will always know what I'm doing when it comes to that. Because, honestly, I just can't help it.

Enjoy your last few weeks of being 9 and the ending of your first decade. The best is yet to come, my friend.

Love, Mom

Weekend Trip - ZippityDooDa

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:10:00 +0000

In keeping with our Not Bummer Summer escapades, we headed to New York this past weekend. New York, Texas, that is, which is about a 2 hour drive southeast of Dallas. New York is in the Piney Woods region of Texas with rolling hills, tons of huge trees, and lots of small towns. We went through windy back roads until we started seeing the yellow signs marked NY-TX Adventures, which led us to this view:

Greeted by this crew:

Who suited us up to ZIP LINE!

There were 10 in our group, including Keri, my friend who moved to Singapore about a year ago.

Our zip line adventure took us through a course of 6 different lines, tree to tree, with the last line being 100 feet long and 100 feet high.

Our guides were absolutely fantastic and brought their humor to each station, especially when some of us didn't brake quite fast enough and ended up sharing a few "intimate" moments with the guys in their attempt to prevent us from smacking right into the tree at the end of the line.

After a wonderful morning of zip lining, we headed over to the little town of LaRue and ate lunch at "The Store" where the onion rings were amazing. We were surrounded by locals who did not know quite what to do with us loud, big city folk. They weren't sure they wanted us there until we bought out the counter of fried pies to take back to Big D.

As we were leaving LaRue, we passed a little place called the Blueberry Basket, a farm where you pick your own berries.

These crazy kids picked about 15 quarts of blueberries:

That turned into these:

Which turned into this at our cookout that evening:

It was definitely an exhausting day, but we came home with buckets full of blueberries and hearts full of memories!

Weekend Trip – Across the Metroplex

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:51:00 +0000

It is not uncommon for people to refer to Dallas as The Metroplex or DFW, where Dallas and Ft. Worth are smushed together as if they are one city, as if the D can not be separated from the FW. Downtown to downtown, it's about an hour drive, and while the cities are relatively close to each other, they are like siblings who are nothing alike.

Our second escapade in ChellBell's Not Bummer Summer entailed a trip across the Metroplex via the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and an afternoon at Ft. Worth's world-class zoo. Here are the highlights:

All aboard!
The TRE train runs between Dallas and Ft. Worth, and though it added a few minutes to our trip, it was a really fun, comfortable ride

The girls started off so well-behaved...

But then things started to get a little crazy!

We finally arrived at the zoo, which is actually one of the top 5 zoos in the country

Greeted by this pink beauty

Who began to show off his yoga moves

I couldn't keep up with this pose, so we moved on

And ran into this dinosaur (we heard a lady say, "Is this real, or is it counterfeit?")

This one definitely is not counterfeit

This one needs to get a plastic surgeon and a good dental plan

The highlight of the day was the bird aviary

Although the Dads lacked enthusiasm

As did the zebra

The rhino was a big ham, posing all different ways for us

But the real stars of the day were the Meerkats - we could have watched them for hours!

This baby giraffe was a little shy

But the penguins put on a show

While the big cats just lounged in the heat

It was time to head back to the D side of the Metroplex

And we all felt a little worn out

Blissfully exhausted from an exciting adventure!

Sister

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:51:00 +0000

A sister is someone you share life with
Share memories with
Share parents with
Share late-night-under-the-covers-with-the-flashlight-on moments with
Secrets
"I-got-your-back"
"Don't-worry-your-hair-will-grow-back"
"I hate you"
"I love you"
"He didn't deserve you anyway"
"I'm proud of you"
And everything in between.

My sister has taught me that no matter what, I will never live life alone, because she will always be first in line to grab my hand and say, "Come, let's walk this road together."

Happy birthday, sis. Wishing you an amazing year ahead of being loved the way you love.

xoxo

Where I'm From

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:33:00 +0000

I’m from Tinker Toys and rotary phones, from The Carpenters coming to life in my basement and discovering the Sound of Music for the first time.

I’m from dogwood and honeysuckle and endless summer days in a backyard of mighty oaks

I’m from chores and Sunday drives. I’m from homemade sweet rolls and formal dinners with cloth napkins.

I’m from God’s grace and forgiveness and don’t judge lest ye be judged.

I’m from secret clubs and roller skating on the driveway and Are You there God, It’s Me Margaret.

I’m from Goodbyes and Hellos and new homes every 2 years. I’m from Texas - DC - Hawaii - Tokyo and home is where your heart is, along with a well-stamped passport.

I’m from family dinners around the table and meals that begin with prayer.

I’m from the Tuckers and Hennebergers who could not be more different and a discovery that I’m a little bit of both.

I’m from ‘it’s best to conform’ and a growing determination to be my own me that’s just a little different from anyone else.

I’m from stubborn and perfection and loving and laughter and fighting and always making up before the sun goes down.

I’m from stories that were told over and over but never written down and old black and white photos stored in a cardboard box. I’m from never forgetting who I am, whose I am, and where I come from. And being satisfied with all three.

I was inspired to write this by Connie at The Young and The Relentless. Visit her site for a template to write your own. Where are you from?

Oklahoma, OK-LA-HO-MA (and TX too!)

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:18:00 +0000

Every weekday around 6:30, you will see me pull into my driveway, walk into my house, kiss the girls on the head, and head directly to my room do-not-pass-go-do-not-collect-$200 and kick off my fancy work shoes, get out of my suit, and get into flip-flops and something that could easily pass for pajamas. Comfy -- that's my number one goal at 6:30 each night.

So you can only imagine how excited I was when these fancy and comfy and blissfully wonderful flip flops showed up in my mailbox in a blinged-out envelope. My new friend Suzanne from Tales From the Lime sent these from the great state of Oklahoma for Becca's Bloggy Flip Flop Exchange, Season 3. The flip flops were accompanied by some bath salts, a great insulated lunch bag for the "apple of my eye" - ChellBell - and a really cool wine bag. I also got a hand-written note and some cool facts about her town, including a hand-drawn Eskimo Joe's logo, which was really impressive (oh, I love that place!).

ChellBell got into the Flip Flop Exchange action this year also and squealed to see this package arrive from Kayleigh whose Mom posts at The Lawrence Family. This package came from Texas, just hours away! ChellBell SCORED with the absolute coolest flip flops, a sand art project, a neat bottle-top bracelet, some candy, and a flip-flop cookie. Kayleigh also sent a hand-written note (and evidently she has Beiber Fever!).

We LOVE our flip flops -- thanks Suzanne and Kayleigh!! And thanks to Becca for setting it all up!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:46:00 +0000

The nanny called me at the office to say that baby Emmy found her feet. Not that they were ever missing -- she just woke up one day and realized they were there. And not only did she discover that she has feet, she also discovered that if she leans her head forward just a little bit and at the same time pulls her feet up toward her face, she can easily fit one foot nicely in her mouth.

One day, say in about 14 years, she will be mortified that she ever did that. And I will have lots of pictures of it to show her friends and potential boyfriends. Gosh, I love being the parent!

If I'm honest about my feelings, there's something kind of gut-wrenching about getting a call from the nanny to hear about the baby finding her feet for the first time. I mean, it's crazy-exciting that she's exploring her world and discovering new things, but it's also painful to realize that she's doing these things when I'm not there to experience them with her. Even as I sit in my office doing a job that I love, there's nothing I wouldn't have given to watch little Emmy shoving those toes in her mouth for the first time.

With ChellBell, I was home during her first 18 months and got to see a lot of her "firsts", although ironically I was at a Junior League meeting when she rolled over the first time and was in the bathroom when she took her first step (Chris got to experience both of those moments). But largely, this working-mom-with-a-newborn thing is new for me. I read a post today where a woman professed her jealousy of her SAHM friends, and I would guess that many working moms have those moments, just like many moms at home have those moments where they wish they could have a day at the office.

I'm learning to juggle it all including the realization that I'm going to miss out on some "firsts". But I figure that there will be a first time for me to see her do everything, even if it's not really the first time. There will always be days where the grass looks greener in someone else's yard, but for today I'm just going to enjoy my work and then rush home to tell Emmy all about the piggy who went to the market.

Thirty seconds with Emmy

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:12:00 +0000

We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weekend Trip - Visiting the Galaxy

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:18:00 +0000

Fifteen years ago, I moved to Dallas - "Big D" - and fell in love with the city. Dallas has everything a girl could want including 3 Nordstroms, the original Neiman Marcus, museums, concert venues, and 4 nearby lakes. It's not uncommon to see groups of people from small towns take "field trips" to Dallas for all of our big city luxuries, and it makes me feel lucky that all of those things are right here in my own backyard.

In attempt to plan a Not Bummer Summer for ChellBell, I started researching fun things to do on the weekends and have discovered that although we have so many things in our city, there is a very exciting world right outside the 4 walls of Dallas - charming towns, neat downtowns that do not involve a skyline, and lots of Dairy Queens.

Our first "stop" for the summer was a trip Saturday night to the little town of Ennis, TX just about 30 miles south of the heart of Dallas. We drove through the towns of Wilmer, Ferris, and Trumbul before joining about 500 other carloads of families at the Galaxy Drive-in Theatre.

I seriously - until that night - had never been to a drive-in movie. Growing up in places like Honolulu and Tokyo afforded me some really cool opportunities, but a drive-in movie was not one of them. And I have to say that it was a blast! Hot as hades (seriously 104 degrees at 7PM), but even with the heat, we had a great time sitting in the back of the SUV eating popcorn and cotton candy and watching Mr. Popper's Penguins.

We ended the night with a stop at the local Dairy Queen but were reminded that they roll up the sidewalks a whole lot earlier than we do in Dallas when they turned the lights out at 11, just as we were pulling in. So we headed back to Big D and got some ice cream a little closer to home.

It is sad to think that at their peak there were over 4000 drive-in theaters around the country and now there are only 370. I hope that if you have the chance to visit one either close to your hometown or while on vacation, you will take the whole family and experience this little slice of America!

In The Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:42:00 +0000

Last night ChellBell and I went to a late night showing of Judy Moody's Not Bummer Summer. By "late night" I mean that the movie started at 8:35 and wrapped at 10. In my defense, it was the latest showing available. On a side note, we were the only people in the theater, which was kind of neat and kind of creepy all at the same time.

The movie is about a red headed girl named Judy Moody who is super-excited about summer and has mapped out ways to get Thrill Points for all the exciting things she has planned for her and her friends. It ends up that her friends already have plans to go away for the summer to do really cool and exotic things, and Judy decides that the race is still on to see who can get the most Thrill Points and have the most exciting summer. Though her plans to do crazy and daring things don't really turn out the way she had planned, with a little help from Big Foot and the ice cream man, Judy's summer turns out perfectly.

I've been feeling bad for ChellBell, wondering if this was going to be a Bummer Summer for her. Don't get me wrong, she is signed up for all kinds of camps and activities this summer along with the ritual sleeping in and occasional I-don't-want-to-get-out-of-my-PJs-today-so-let's-watch-movies-all-day kind of days. But this summer is different for her. First, there is a 3-month old in the house now who can't just hang out at the pool all day like ChellBell is used to doing with the Nanny. Secondly, I just went back to work after maternity leave, so there will be little flexibility or time off for me. Which means no big vacations like we've done in years past.

I don't know about you, but while I was growing up, summers were all about-care free living and adventures, and I want to make sure that, even with a newborn in tow, and even though both Chris and I work, we do things this summer that are adventurous and get ChellBell a Thrill Point or two. At the very least, I want her to have some fun memories from these months off from school. So Chris and I are mapping out a summer plan. That plan includes making the most of our weekends by heading to places close to Dallas like Fort Worth, Dublin, the Hill Country, and Greer Farms for some berry-picking. There are also a ton of things to do right here in our own backyard.

I think that if we are deliberate about making our time count, it will definitely be the NOT Bummer Summer for Chell. (And who knows, we might even sneak in another a late night movie every once in a while...)

The Happy List

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:44:00 +0000

We have only marked off the first day of Summer 2011, but I can tell that things are different. There's a different feeling in our house. It's relaxed, chillaxed, restful, peaceful... I think everyone is just plain happy. I came across The Happy List over at Our Dandelion Wishes, and so I'm putting together my list of things that are making us happy at the Linebarger house this weekend:

ChellBell is attending Fine Arts Day Camp next week and has a solo in the production next Friday:

This little one turned 3 months yesterday and is consistently sleeping 8 hours at night:

It's summer and we are eating lots of this:

and lots of these:

And these are blooming in my yard:

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?" -
Albert Einstein

What is making you happy this week? Head over to Our Dandelion Wishes and start your own Happy List!

It's better than starving, I suppose

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:10:00 +0000

Question: What do you get when you ask two 4th graders what they want for their last-school-night-sleepover dinner?

Hint: it takes some of these (super-sized crispy taco shells)

and some of this (spaghetti with meat sauce)

with heavy influence from this TV show

and looks like this:

Answer:

Spaghetti Tacos

That get a thumbs-up from these girls!

And just like these two girls, spaghetti tacos are actually a pretty fun combination that I'm glad I didn't miss out on.

Flip-Flopping -- It's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:36:00 +0000

It's the 8th day of June, and ChellBell is STILL in school if you can believe it. We have end-o-the-year parties today, and the final bell rings tomorrow after lunch. And summer can (finally) begin!

But summer has already begun all around us. Most of you have already had a week or two of vacation and pool time and staying up late and sleeping in. The signs of summer are everywhere -- fewer school zones, less traffic in the mornings, and the snow cone stands that have popped up everywhere. One of my favorite signs that summer has begun is Becca's Bloggy Flip-Flop exchange where bloggers from across the country swap flip-flops, the absolute necessity for summer.

So whether you have already started on your summer tan, or you are still driving carpool every morning like me, head over to Becca's blog and get started. Tell her I sent you!

Don't judge a book by its cover

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Tue, 31 May 2011 04:36:00 +0000

And don't judge a dog by how cute he is...

The Little Dog evidently had a sweet tooth today because he
left this in the pantry for me:

Not getting his fill by eating 4 Godiva truffles, he also ate 15 oreos.

And should you be concerned about his consumption of chocolate, rest assured that the Little Dog is fine. In fact, he has surpassed his nine lives and is proving to be immortal. It seems that eating thumbtacks, a tube of caulking, double A batteries, 30 days worth of progesterone, and chocolate will not harm this dog.

(And we're deep-down glad about that because he is pretty cute!)

That Face!

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:16:00 +0000

I love having a long weekend to spend time loving on this girl

And this girl

How blessed we are!

A Tale of Two Trees (and one amazing friend)

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:41:00 +0000

Lovable Labels BlogHer Conference Giveaway Contest
This post was written as an entry to the Lovable Labels BlogHer Conference Giveaway.

When Chris and I moved into our current house, we "shifted" from the tradition of picking out a live Christmas Tree to the utter convenience and bliss of the pre-lit, artificial tree. I will spare you the details surrounding this shift, but suffice it to say that it has saved our marriage and saved Christmas in the Linebarger house.

I don't miss the pine needles or endless arguments about putting lights on the tree, but I do miss the tradition of picking out the tree. To me, it's a big part of Christmas, every year searching for The Perfect Tree. I remember one year as a little girl, finding a beautiful tree. We brought it home on the top of our car, only to find that there was a hole in the front of the tree -- a big empty spot with no branches. How could we have missed that? My Mom sat there trying to decide what we would hang in the big empty space, but then my Dad had a brilliant idea. He grabbed one of the branches that he had sawed off the bottom of the tree and gently nailed it into the trunk where the empty space was. And the tree was perfect. No empty spaces.

So there's this other tree of ours. The Family Tree. Unlike the Christmas Tree, we don't get to go to the lot and pick those out. You just get what you get. I've never been very close to my extended family -- everyone's scattered or uninterested. And there have been some big gaping holes in my family tree. Big empty spaces where it just seems like something should be. But growing up, God has been faithful to send friends who became like family, maybe even closer than family. It's almost like He's gently "nailed" new branches into my family tree to fill the holes.

One of those branches is Becca, my life-long-though-I've-only-known-you-nine-years friend. God knew that I needed another sister in my life, so he set Becca down in a house right next to mine, along with a girl ChellBell's age, a precious son, and a husband who likes the same things mine does. And wah-lah, our sisterhood began.

Becca is fiercely competitive, smart, creative, and organized. I'm serious, all that rolled into one person! She is a great Mom, an avid reader, and a gracious hostess. She lives life deliberately -- she plans things out. She reaches goals. She bakes.

And she is an amazing friend.

Becca and I have learned a lot from each other over the years. Like sisters, we are different in so many ways. But alike in so many more. She has filled a big space on my family tree, and I am overwhelmed at the gift of her friendship.

Three years ago, Becca's job moved her to Austin -- about a 3 hour drive from Dallas. After six years of having her next door to me, it was devastating to say goodbye to impromptu Friday night dinners, late night card games, "I'm running to the store, what do you need?", and having my best friend a short walk away. We have done our very best to stay connected, and though new babies and soccer schedules make weekend trips virtually impossible, there are just some connections that will never be broken.

Becca, you are -- whether near or far -- an amazing friend and a forever, permanent part of who I am.

Thanks for being my branch.

This post was written as an entry to the Lovable Labels BlogHer Conference Giveaway. Winning this contest would mean that Becca and I could attend the BlogHer Conference in SanDiego together!

15 years and a 4-letter word

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:33:00 +0000

I am very quick to admit the things I love -- chocolate peanut butter cupcakes from Sprinkles, just about any shoe that Tory Burch designs, lunch with my closest friends, the color pink, and making things pretty. And that's just a small sampling.

Funny how I will squeal out in the middle of Nordstrom, "I LOVE this handbag!!" without a second thought. But I knew Chris Linebarger a very long time before I would even let myself admit that I loved him, much less whisper those words. "I love you."

It's easy to "love" things. We are not really asking them to love us back. We are just expressing our temporary adored-ness and infatuation with something that is most likely temporary. Seriously, how long do you think a Sprinkles cupcake lasts around me? And shoes that I have loved (enough to go into debt for at some points of my life) have eventually made their way to my Goodwill pile.

But loving another person -- well, that's different. Because we want to be loved back. And we want to know that we will be loved for a good, long while. And we want to make sure that we won't ever be tossed in the Goodwill pile.

When I married Chris 15 years ago, I knew that I was going to live the rest of my life with my best friend. I knew we were going to laugh a lot, and we have. I knew that life would be more fun and more adventurous with the two of us together. But I had no idea how much I would be loved.

Loved with the kind of love that never ever stops.

Love that is there when I wake up in the morning and my hair is all yuck and I seriously need to brush my teeth.
Love that is there when I mess up.
Love that is there when I am ranting and raving about some stupid thing.
Love that is there when I spend too much on the AMEX.
Love that is there even though I need to lose "just-a-little-bit" of weight.
Love that is there when I leave my credit card at the restaurant.
Love that is there when I burn dinner.

Love that keeps going and going.

Chris, if there's one thing that has surprised me in 15 years, it is how you go on loving me, difficult as that must be much of the time. When I feel like I am playing tug-of-war with the world, you so quickly come to my rescue and help me pull. You silently show me love by doing more than your share around the house and filling in the gaps that I often create. You find ways to show love without words, but you also say the words, just in case I didn't know.

But I know.

And though I still may not scream in the middle of Nordstrom, "I LOVE Chris Linebarger!" everything inside of me does. And will. And will continue to always love you.

Happy 15 years of us.

xoxo

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:20:00 +0000

Remember Snow White and her little friends, the Dwarfs, who sang all happy-ish while they marched off to work? I can't remember what job they had -- some sort of manual labor -- but I always wondered how they could be so happy about their jobs.

This past week I Hi-Ho'd myself back to work after 8 weeks of maternity leave. I can't say that I whistled a happy tune or sang on my commute to the office. Instead, I just cried and yawned a lot thanks to being hormonal and not getting any sleep. That is, until I got to the office, and then I put on my happy face and my serious let's-get-to-work facade and jumped back in the game.

My boss is glad that things are back to normal. He's glad that everything is the same as it used to be before I left. He sees the same girl who has been working for him for years. I am parking in the same spot, sitting at the same desk, wearing the same pre-maternity suits that I did before. I run the same meetings and have the same goals.

But I am not the same girl.

I'm a mother of 2 now.
I've welcomed a second girl into our family.
I've had 8 weeks off from work to readjust my priorities and remember that the most important things in life are the man I sleep next to at night, the baby I feed in the middle of the night, and the sweet girl who for the past 8 weeks has gotten off the bus at 3:14 and run home to tell me about her day.

Don't get me wrong -- I love my job. I love the work I do and the people I meet every day. It is a privilege for me to get to help someone find a new job and share that excitement with them. It is fulfilling for me, and I love the company where I work.

But in the past, it's been my focus. Sometimes I've gotten so excited about success at work that I've lost sight of what's waiting at home. Sometimes my priorities have gotten a little out of line, and I've put my job before my family.

It's amazing what an 8 week step back will do to remind you of what's important. It's amazing what 6 pounds 8 ounces of baby can do to turn your life upside down. It's amazing how a family of 4 sitting around the dinner table makes me rush home at the end of the day.

I know it will get easier to get back into work. The goodbyes in the morning won't be quite as hard. But nothing will ever be the same.

And that's a good thing. Enough to even make me whistle a little bit.

Haikus from a new Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:55:00 +0000

Week One:

You were very loved

Before you were even born

Welcome to the world!

Week Two:

Sleep has been exchanged

For holding this sweet baby

What a lovely trade

Last night (Week Three):

Baby sleeps all night

Mama stays awake checking

Oh the irony

And some Iambic Pentameter from the Little Dog:

I can't believe they brought a baby home

She's always in my spot on Daddy's lap

Who is this mistress stealing all my love?

Did they forget that I'm the baby here?!

I will not have a thing to do with her

In hopes that one day she will go away

And in the meantime, I will sit and sulk

And find more things to chew on in the house

It's the end of the world as we know it

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:30:00 +0000

It's 6:30 AM, the alarms are getting ready to go off, and craziness will ensue in our home. Getting breakfast made, notebooks signed, hair flat-ironed, trying to find another day of maternity clothes that fit over this belly that are appropriate for the office, and get out the door with carpool in time for the kids to be at school before the bell rings.

Most families I know are going through their usual routines this morning. It's a normal Thursday, and this is what we do on Thursdays.

But this morning, I am taking just a minute to ponder on a normal Thursday. Because tomorrow, it all changes.

Tomorrow we will wake up super-early and head to the hospital. And while everyone else is running around with their Friday routine, getting lunches made and notebooks signed, we will be having a baby. And the next time I come to a Thursday or Friday, our routine will look completely different, because we will be a family of four, and our morning routine will involve a new little life.

We've been a family of 3 for going on 10 years now, so I'm not quite sure how to anticipate the change. Long gone are the days of diapers and someone who is dependent on me for everything. Long gone are the days where we were awoken during the night by a baby's cry. But here we are at the starting line again, ready to shock our systems and try it for the second time.

We are thrilled. A little nervous, but thrilled. It's been a long journey to get to this point, and it is surreal to think a baby will be joining us in about 24 hours.

So today I'm just going to enjoy my Thursday with my family of 3, pondering on the amazing years we have had together, and tomorrow we will celebrate adding Emmy, and becoming a family of 4.

It's the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine!

Making Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:59:00 +0000

In less than 4 weeks, our little Emmy will make her debut and soon be heading home to her new room. With me having to stay off my feet these past few weeks, it has been hard to make much progress in the nursery. But with the help of my fabulous husband and one very excited big sis, we're getting closer to being finished. I still need to find a rug, hang some things on the walls, and wait for the side table to arrive, but it's exciting to watch this room come together!

Take a look!

This is your pilot speaking...

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Going into the holidays last year, Chris and I decided that gifts would not be a really big part of our Christmas. We really don’t like how Christmas has become about obligatory giving instead of sharing time and making memories with friends. My belief is that if you are going to give someone a gift, it needs to have thought behind it. Something that made you say, “Oh you are going to love this!” rather than, “Oh, I need to get something for so-and-so.”

One of the best gifts I’ve ever been given is a flying lesson on a Cessna – just genius – I loved it! I don’t have any plans to become a pilot, but the whole experience was thrilling and unique, and the kind of gift that took a lot of thought.

Leading up to my lesson, I did a lot of research on the instruments and the pilot’s responsibilities. One thing I found fascinating is that pilots file a flight plan before they go on a trip. It maps out where they are going and precisely how they are getting there. This keeps them from running smack-dab into another plane along the way. And once in the air, they follow the flight plan detail by detail.

When I came to Capstone (my current company), I found out that my boss had written a book with a friend of his who had been diagnosed with, and has since passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). The book they wrote is called “Change in the Flight Plan.” My boss’ friend, Paul, had been a recreational pilot and understood the importance of filing and following a flight plan. But when it came to his own life, his flight plan was changed drastically when he heard the doctor speak his diagnosis. Not that his ultimate destination had suddenly changed, but the way he was going to get there had taken a radical turn.

I’ve thought a lot about the “flight plans” of my life. For practically everything in life, I make the decision. I am in control. I decide where I am going and how I am going to get there.

You too?

But every once in a while, God either gently or abruptly reminds us that we are not actually in control, and we not the final “filers” of our flight plan. We get a diagnosis, or our spouse moves out, or we lose our job, or Mr. Right doesn’t call back, or the stock market crashes – our situation changes, or our plans change. It can be devastating.

I am in the middle of a change in my flight plan, and as I look around, so are many of the people in my life. The thing I am keeping in mind is that my flight plan has not been removed altogether. God isn’t going to send us out without a plan on file, allowing us to potentially crash and burn. There is a plan in place. It just may not be the path we originally planned to take. But if we get to know God, and we learn over time to trust Him, we will see that His plan works. It might be out of our comfort zone, and it might be the most difficult thing we’ve ever gone through, but it may be the one way that He shows us who He is – rather than letting us do our own thing and missing Him completely.

A Mom's Request

noreply@blogger.com (Christie in Dallas, TX) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Dear Baby Emmy,

7 weeks from today, you are scheduled to make your debut. I will be holding you in my arms, which seems a little surreal to even think about. And while the last 32 weeks have seemed like a long wait, my heart has been waiting even longer to add you to our family.

But we do have 7 weeks left before that magical moment of your birth, so let’s get a few things straight.

1. I need sleep. I am well-aware that after you are born, you will keep me up all night, and I am prepared for that. But right now, I take carpool in the mornings and go to work and need to actually be productive at the office, which is difficult to do when you keep me up all night. Kicking and moving from 2 – 5 AM is just not acceptable. Please try to do whatever it is you are doing in there between the hours of 8 AM and about 10 PM.

2. Please stop making me throw up. You and I have been together for 32 weeks now, and the whole throwing up thing in the beginning was tolerable, even sweet some days, because it reminded me that you were in there and growing. But at this point my belly looks like I swallowed a small planet, I pee all the time, and you constantly kick me (refer to request #1), so I seriously no longer need the throwing-up as a reminder. We are all fully aware that you are alive and well.

3. My bladder is not a trampoline. Please stop bouncing on it.

4. My ribs are not for playing hide and seek, so please stop trying to wiggle your way behind them.

5. Please enjoy the 7 weeks you have in your nice, warm environment, because I don’t think – for a while, anyway – you’ll find the outside world to be as cozy and wonderful. In our world, the lights are very bright, you have to ask for food, and there are dogs who will want to smell (and maybe even lick) you. Once you get used to all of that, though, you will realize that it is pretty cool out here. You’ll realize that you have this amazing family including a really funny Daddy who will sing silly songs to you and rock you tirelessly when you are unhappy. And your big sister, who is so loving and will make up songs for you and try to make you laugh and teach you how to read. There are so many friends and family members who have been praying for you for an awfully long time. There are all kinds of things to explore – things that have different colors, things that all feel differently, and things that have different smells. There is hugging and kissing and laughing. And the shoes… Oh, there are the most beautiful shoes waiting for you!

6. We are getting a beautiful pink nursery ready for you with the most amazing crib, and everything will be ready for you when you arrive. But no need to rush – stay your 7 weeks. You have a whole lifetime waiting for you.

Love,

Mama