The Bayou Belles and Their Beau

The Roomie

2013-05-20T07:27:00.000-05:00

I've had lots of different roommates from my college years to those years before I was married.

All my experiences have been positive. I never had a roommate that I had trouble living with, which is why I think being newly married was not that huge of an adjustment for me. It's probably because I'm so easygoing and flexible. {wink}

It's so funny that I would have such an easy time living with other people seeing as I am an only child. You would think it would be quite the opposite. It must be the deep longing for siblings that I always had. Who knows.

But, our little family has a roommate.

We will call her Laurie Belle because we consider her a part of our family now that she's here.

(She's on Medifast as you can see.)

Laurie Belle is staying with us for the summer. She's an incredible friend to me and we have made a pact to still be great friends once the summer's over. People have said things like "are you sure you guys will still be friends after this?" or "are you guys gonna be able to live with each other?" To which we both respond with laughter. Duh. Of course we will. We're friends and being friends goes way deeper than any type of disagreement we might have. Just because two people have strong personalities doesn't mean they can't live together. I know many couples who each have strong personalities and their marriages are successful ... HELLO ... Beau and I are one of them.

The idea that people who are similar and have similar personalities and demeanors can't live together or be together is absurd. Beau and I do have differences, but lots of similarities.

Laurie Belle's first weekend here = Success!

I love how my family was so willing to welcome her in as one of us without any hesitation. It showed me how good their hearts really are.

Laurie Belle ... it's gonna be a great summer, not just for us, but for you too!

Dinner Time

2013-05-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

We eat as a family at the table most nights.

Now, there are those nights that not all family members are home, but we make EVERY effort to come together as many nights as we can.

Although there are also those days that I want nothing more than a plate of food on my lap while I watch an episode of "Parenthood." Yessiree Bob!

Beau hates that. HATES.

He MUST always eat at a table. Always. I've never seen him not eat at a table. It's a prerequisite for his meals. He's so fancy.

Coming together every night as a family to eat a meal inspires so many thoughts and conversations. It's a time to connect and share about our day and the days to come.

There are many moments of laughter and even moments of tears that have occurred at the table. The laughter I enjoy. The tears over eating vegetables or due to sassy mouths I do not. There are even moments of 20 questions, mostly by La Petite Belle. She's quite inquisitive, sometimes to a fault. She says she's "just curious." There are all kinds of conversations that go on here.

Last night, Beau made this statement to La Petite Belle in reference to pulling up her math grade:

"The odds are stacked against you."

So sad. But true.

{I need you all to band together and pray with me for a math miracle!}

To which La Petite Belle replied:

"But, Daddy, what about the evens?"

She just doesn't get it sometimes. But, boy, does she bring joy to our table.

An Entire Post on Nutella and a Bit of Mommy Wisdom

2013-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

There is a love in our house.

It is the pure deliciousness of Nutella ... a creamy hazelnut spread created with roasted hazelnuts, milk, and the best part, cocoa.

If you haven't tried it, you are missing out!

In fact, when there is a jar in the house, dissension occurs between the children. This involves arguing over "who ate ALL the Nutella" and measuring the depth of the Nutella left in the jar, which then involves the discussion of who ate more and who gets the last bit.

Totally. Annoying.

The elder child even resorted to hiding the last bit of Nutella at the top of the pantry behind the sugar and flour. Little did she know, that the younger one would discover it anyway.

All this bickering caused me to put the Equal Distribution Policy in place. This same policy has been put in place for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.

One Nutella jar, divided into thirds and labeled ... that's how this works.

Now no questions or bickering. Everyone knows how much they have and can make preparations accordingly.

Now back to the awesomeness of Nutella ...

My favorite way to eat it is right off the spoon. Second favorite ... spread on a warm piece of toast.

Hoping my third favorite will be one of these that I've pinned, hoping to one day actually make them. Pictures with recipe links included. You're welcome.

Nutella Gooey Butter Cake

Nutella Cream Cheese Turnovers

Nutella Strawberry Tart

Chewy Nutella Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Nutella Stuffed Custard French Toast

OK. That's enough. I could literally post at least a dozen of these, but I'm gonna have to go get a scoop of Nutella now.

Idiosyncrasies

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

You have them. I have them.

Idiosyncrasies fascinate me. They're fun and I love when I discover the reason behind someone else's.

Remember? There was that fear of biscuit cans that I've since overcome! I always wondered why for thirty-some-odd years, I was so scared of exploding dough. Then my mother, very matter-of-factly, told me that I had a can explode on me as a child. DING, DING, DING! Everything fell into place and made sense at that moment. I face this fear head-on when the opportunity presents itself.

In fact, I have quite a few idiosyncrasies. Allow me to share. I'll limit my examples to five.

My husband, I'm sure, could think of many more.

BANANAS: I don't like them. I can force myself to eat a few bites, but despite my best efforts, that's all I can eat. However, I LOVE bananas and peanut butter. LOVE! I eat that almost every morning. Add a swirl of honey and ... delish! I also like banana bread, banana muffins, bananas in smoothies, or banana cake. LOVE! But, plain ol' bananas ... gross.

SANDWICHES: People may thing the way I eat my sandwiches are weird. I eat the outside, crust first, working my way to the center. I get that little habit from my mother who always said the center was the best part! Save it for last!

THE FOOT RUB: I have a habit, which Beau isn't particularly fond of. I rub one of my feet, preferably the left one, back and forth, back and forth, in order to fall asleep. It's not a conscious thing. I just do it. I'm pretty sure it's a comforting thing from all those years of being rocked to sleep.

VICK'S: If you've been here long enough, you know about my love for Vick's VapoRub. It's my drug of choice. I have used it on my lips every night for the past 25 years or so despite the warning to discontinue use after seven days. I must have it to fall asleep at night. Another thing Beau doesn't care for. The smell is like pure heaven to me. He can't stand it.

THE COCOON: I also like to cocoon myself on one side of my body, using the covers on the bed, specifically the leg on the outside of the bed. That combined with the foot rub and VapoRub makes me an interesting bedfellow. Probably from all those years of being an only child and never having to sleep with anyone ever ... ah ... the good 'ol days. I kid. I actually can't sleep well at all without Beau and I'm not even mentioning the noise machine I have to have. Geez. Talk about a high-maintenance sleeper!

I can't be the only one with such idiosyncrasies or odd habits.

You know you have them. Think about it. It'll make you giggle.

Thoughts on Grace

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Grace.

It's such an eloquent word. Just the mention of it causes me to breathe easier.

When I hear the word, I think of second chances and freedom.

I'm thankful for God's grace and have been meditating on what it truly means to walk daily in God's grace.

Grace is simply this: God's unmerited favor.

Three words with so much meaning.

We don't deserve the favor, but He gives it to us anyway. We can't earn the favor, yet He still extends it to us anyway.

Even further ... Grace is not only God's unmerited favor, but, the exemption of God's punishment.

Grace is our way of escape from the consequences we deserve. As sinners, we deserve God's wrath, but get His love instead ... even more ... His favor. Wow!

I can't say that I could ever offer someone else the same grace that is extended to me every day. My flesh screams for justice! I tend to want people to get what they deserve, yet want grace for myself. Wow. What a wretch am I!

It's easy to see how God's love for us is immeasurable and how our version of love does not compare to His. We just don't love people the way He does and we won't no matter how hard we try.

God's grace can go so far as to allow us to not receive the consequences of our own choices, our own actions. Amazing. Grace can actually turn our consequences around into something good instead.

That's not to say, as Christians, we don't suffer consequences. Believe me. I speak from experience. We do. You must always be prepared for whatever consequences you deserve for the actions you make. But, there are times in our lives that God gives us a pass. He really does. That's one of those God-moments where you recognize His goodness and see His hand in your life.

There are times I see that I really should have suffered or been punished for something I've done, but God extends grace to me ... grace I don't deserve.

However, there are also times that consequences just come. Consequences just so happen to work that way. That's when God grants us the grace to walk through the consequence to see what's on the other side ... usually something pretty awesome like wisdom or strength or peace.

Nevertheless, His grace is always there. It can't be hidden and it's something we are extended every day.

I like this definition of grace the best:

"the free and benevolent influence of a holy God operating sovereignly in the lives of undeserving sinners."

Operating! That means it's something He's managing every day.

Grace by no means frees us from living a life of righteousness. God still calls us to live blameless lives. But grace is there to catch us when we do fall.

We should never cheapen God's grace by ignoring His Word and thinking we can just keep coming back and begging for forgiveness. We cheapen it when we make empty promises to God over and over again with no intent to truly commit to Him or truly follow & obey Him. The grace we've received was bought with a very high price. Let's not take it for granted.

I absolutely love the lyrics of Amy Grant's new song, "Don't Try So Hard." So much truth about grace.

Thank you, God, for the grace you freely grant me every single day.

Always the bride ... Never the bridesmaid ...

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wait ... what?

Yes. Weird, huh?

I have been a bride. Only once. (but engaged & "promised" twice before so ... I know ... crazy.)

I have never been a bridesmaid. Never. Not once.

I came close a couple of times but no dice. There was always a sister or cousin or 2nd-grade friend that trumped me and got the job. I'm not bitter about it. Not at all.

Now, that I think about it, those girls quite possibly lost out on the greatest bridesmaid EVER! I know I would've been hard-working and perfect for the job!

In fact, for my own wedding nineteen years ago, I scrambled for bridesmaids. SCRAMBLED. And, I only had four. (sorry, girls that may read this that were in my wedding ... you were all great!)

I just never had a lot of girlfriends. I had one or two girls that I considered good friends throughout most of my life. But, I always tended to pull back at some point. I had trust issues.

I hate that I missed out on some potentially great friendships and relationships due to walls I put up and the idea that I didn't need any girlfriends. In fact, I didn't need anyone.

I realize now that girlfriends are essential to life. I feel very blessed with the generous amount of good friendships that I do have now. Very. Blessed.

Girlfriends play a part in our lives that no husband or boyfriend can play. It's just a different and special kind of relationship. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about (unless you are like me 20 years ago, then you have no clue).

I say all this to say that I appointed myself an honorary bridesmaid this weekend at my friend, Jeri's wedding. Yep. I'm bossy like that. I had SO much fun! My friend, Jane, joined me and declared herself honorary bridesmaid as well. Although, she has been a bridesmaid, so it obviously wasn't as special as it was for me.

We were at the bride's disposal. Her wish was our command.

Lunch delivered. YES! Just one of the simple tasks completed.

I even offered to hold her dress while she peed. True friendship! See? Told you! FANTASTIC bridesmaid!

But, the best part of being an honorary bridesmaid was getting to witness the beauty of this lovely lady marry one amazing guy! I pray God blesses them with many years filled with love, laughter, and happiness.

I love you, Jeri! I treasure your friendship!

(And since everyone thinks we're sisters, I've decided to appoint you my honorary sister.)

Life Interrupted

2013-04-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

That title is an understatement.

My live has been full of interruptions and I'm wondering if there's ever a time in our lives when we do live a life uninterrupted. Impossible.

We jump from one thing to another every day. Just the way it goes for us as women. Good thing God gave us the ability to multi-task, even though while multi-tasking we seem to forget some of the tasks at hand. Whatever.

I can't even seem to form one complete thought for an entire blog post focused on one specific topic or idea.

Not gonna happen.

Snippets of the week include:

* La Petite Belle asked me to make her "Reincarnation" milk yesterday morning. Then the joking of what "reincarnation" milk would cause ensued amongst the family. She meant Carnation Instant Breakfast of course.

* I started watching "Army Wives." Eh. It's no "Parenthood" or "LOST". Just OK.

* Beau and I were unable to clone ourselves and attend both an athletic banquet for La Petite Belle & a chorus concert for K Belle on same night at the same time. Boo!

* I actually prepared a home-cooked meal on Monday. Shocker! This hasn't happened much in the last month. My family was pleased!

* I resolved to start running again and have run a total of one ... count 'em ... one time this week. Fail.

* I spent over an hour studying about the Cold War with La Petite Belle last night. I will definitely have an advantage next time I play Trivial Pursuit.

* I spent 3 days trying to find the perfect new Facebook profile pic. No dice. Still looking.

* Had a blast last weekend celebrating one of my very best girlfriends, as she prepares to get married this weekend, by throwing her the cleanest, most fun bachelorette party around! Woot! Bachelorette scavenger hunt was a blast and may or may not have included lots of dancing and approaching strangers to ask for piggy back rides.

* The dogs, especially Oliver, are starting to annoy me with their cuteness and posing for photo opps every five minutes. Yes, dogs ... we get it. You love each other. Enough.

See? Not one complete thought.

I think I'm pretty much in a state of unmotivation (Not a word, I know) at present time, not just with blogging, but with pretty much everything. It's where I've been living for a while and I need to crawl out of it. I'm hoping that I can snap out of it soon because my kids need food and clean underwear as usual. Plus I'm going to the beach in a few weeks but don't seem to care about my bathing suit issue enough to get my lazy butt in gear. Don't even get me started on the housework that needs to get done. Ugh.

Nevermind. I'm going to bed.

This made me sad.

2013-04-19T07:44:00.001-05:00

No kidding. I cried. My heart hurt for women.

Why are we still dealing with this?

How can we make it stop?

Think of how different our lives would be if we did believe the truth of who we are.

So much truth in this and I commend Dove on their campaign. It is literally listed on their website as their "social mission" to show women what true beauty is. I love this!

If only we believed we were beautiful creatures, crafted by God's hand. TRULY believed it!

The thing I love the most about this is how others relate our personality and our mannerisms to our face and how it reflects our beauty, showing that beauty is not just what's on the surface. "Beauty is only skin deep" is SO off the mark. It goes WAY deeper!

I realize that a lot or most of these feelings stem from, not only society, but also past hurts and words spoken over us. That can be changed. We must change our thinking and our mindset.

What's on the inside shines through, whether good or bad.

So smile. You are definitely more beautiful than you think!

Come on, girls! Let's get past this! Resist the urge to entertain thoughts of insecurity and choose to believe truth. It's not an overnight thing, but with practice, it can be done.

Together, with all our insecurities pushed aside, we are a powerful force!

When will we learn?

2013-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have to admit I was in shock and appalled as I watched the horrific news of the blasts that went off during the Boston marathon. I was literally sick to my stomach.

I wonder why I was shocked. This is nothing new. In fact, unfortunately, it's becoming quite common. People are sick. We live in a fallen world. Terrible, I know.

But, why are we surprised when these things occur?

K Belle and I were discussing it and her questions as to why this happens provoked this answer from me: "We shouldn't expect Non-Christians to act like Christians."

She said, "Well, they could at least act morally."

Yes, they could. But, why?

Why should they?

Well, they should because it's the "right thing to do" in our minds. But, if they have no higher authority to answer to then, really ... why should they?

I do believe that God does create in us a compassion for people, a love, a tenderness. But, there's also sin from the fall, which creates a hatred for people and a desire to just please ourselves without care for anyone else.

We should never expect non-believers to have the same values we have nor to act the same way.

That's why I do not understand when Christians ban companies that are run by people that don't believe the same way they do. We judge EVERYONE by our standards, by the things we know to be truth from the Word of God.

It's like expecting cats to act like dogs. They're not the same. Yes, there are similarities, but a cat can't be a dog & vice-versa. However, we should expect the dog to act like a dog. Get it?

We should expect morality, righteousness, love, and compassion from Christians! That doesn't always happen of course, because we are all, at the end of the day, humans. But, if you claim to be a Christian, you are held to a higher standard and are called to meet certain expectations handed down by God Himself.

So, stop expecting righteousness from those who never claimed to be righteous or who have a desire to be righteous in the first place.

Instead ... pray, love, and stand up for truth. (Just don't expect non-believers to do the same.)

Taking TIme to Reflect

2013-04-15T08:04:00.000-05:00

Joie de Vivre is over and it was amazing!

I think this is, by far, my favorite year. And, I think I say that after every year.

It just keeps flourishing!

God is moving on the hearts of women, not only in our little city, but all over the world.

I feel a constant challenge to be the change that this world needs. I think of a time when women had no rights and our hands were tied to do much of anything. Thanks to many incredible women who stood up and said, "NO. I won't sit on my hands while people are hurting and dying. I WILL be the change! I WILL do something, no matter how small I think it is. I CAN do something."

Since then, a community of women have rallied together to be Jesus to a lost and dying world by clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, taking care of the orphans, sheltering those who need a home, and the list goes on.

It makes me so proud to be a woman! Women are truly beginning to live out their calling. God has given us all the tools we need to change the world. It's up to us to put them to use. God created women with this unique ability to nurture and take care of things; then he made compassion a huge part of our make-up. That's why we feel the call of God so strongly to do something when we see and hear about the travesties that are happening in the world.

So, as I sit back and reflect on the weekend, I am even more challenged to live out my calling to be the change and I hope other women are feeling the same urge. We are becoming a powerful force and voice in this world!

Now, let's get real ... there were moments this past week, where I sobbed. Sobbed, people. Like a baby. Why? I'm not sure. God was doing something inside me. I still have some unanswered questions like all of us do about my own calling. Also, exhaustion seems to turn me into a blubbering child. And, I definitely felt exhaustion start to hit me by Saturday.

I preached a message on Saturday morning about comparison. The whole message came out of incidents that happened in my own life right before the conference. Don't you just love how that happens? I figured if I was struggling with comparison, so are so many other people.

The message was almost not preached due to a meltdown I had about 20 minutes before service started. Exhaustion plus a massive headache and feelings of "I don't want to" caused me to question whether or not I should even speak. Then a lovely friend pulled me aside and prayed with me. And, I just preached it anyway.

God is constantly showing me how to just be me. It's OK. He likes me that way and if other people don't, well ... c'est la vie! No big deal. We've all gotta get over trying to make everyone happy and just be true to who we are. I'm learning that. Yep. I have nothing to prove to anyone but God.

When we feel OK about ourselves, we can breathe a lot easier. We can rest and relax. That's where I'm trying to live right now and I like it!

So ... now I take a breather, reflecting and re-focusing on what's ahead.

(photos of conference to come soon!)

Mind Consumed.

2013-04-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

I wish I had something witty or deep to blog about, but alas ...

I have not one complete thought.

My mind is consumed with the upcoming week -

www.jdvconference.org.

Excited and overwhelmed at the same time!

Excited to meet, hang out with, and hear from the incredible Holly Wagner, plus her husband, Philip to boot.

Excited to worship with the amazing, Christy Nockels.

Excited to see women all praising God with true freedom.

Excited to see women challenged and set free.

Excited to hang out with some pretty incredible women of God.

Excited to just have a fun weekend!

Now that I say all that, it makes the overwhelming part of it so worth it!

So, it's safe to say blogging has and will be sparse for the next week or so! I may collapse and sleep for an entire day when it's all said and done.

I hope you can manage without me.

Here's a little Christy for you...

BFFs

2013-03-28T08:13:00.001-05:00

There once was a little girl puppy dog named Roxy Belle.

She was a fantastic, sweet little puppy. Her family loved her so much! She was happy and content. And, her family was also happy and content.

One day, her family decided to take in a lonely, strayed puppy. They named him Oliver.

He was also a very sweet puppy and tended to take up a lot of his mommy's attention. All he wanted to do was be next to his mommy ... sit on his mommy's lap, sleep with his mommy, and follow his mommy around wherever she went. He even cried when his mommy would go into the bathroom to take a bath because he wanted to be with her ALL. THE. TIME.

Roxy Belle and Oliver got along splendidly! They played. They cuddled up together. It was quite precious. The family feared Roxy Belle would become jealous, but she really loved Oliver and he loved her back. Roxy Belle even became quite protective of her new buddy. They were really BFFs!!

Mommy started to try to pawn off Oliver's affections onto the other loving members of the family and Oliver started to warm up a little bit more to the others, especially his daddy ...

until one dreadful night ...

while both puppies cuddled up with their parents in the bed ...

all seemed to be nice and quiet ...

until Mama Belle felt Beau abruptly swing his body over and out of the bed ...

"Oliver peed in the bed!" Beau exclaimed.

"WHAT?!?!" Mama Belle replied.

Mama Belle snatched that pup out of the bed and vowed NEVER to let him sleep in her bed again. He was sentenced to his kennel for all eternity.

It has been a rough couple of nights since he's been there. There has been crying, not only from Oliver, but from Roxy Belle ... sympathy cries for her little friend. And, after a record of non-pooping in her kennel, she pooped in her kennel because she was so upset and disheartened over Oliver having to be all alone in his kennel. She couldn't take the crying anymore.

After Mama Belle had to once again clean up poop, which is getting quite old for Mama Belle, she came to a brilliant idea.

She decided to see what would happen if she put these two BFFs in the same kennel at night. So, she did.

And, do you know what happened? Peace. Yes, peace for all in the house. No crying or wimpering or barking occurred. Roxy Belle took care of her little friend.

If the family didn't love and respect Roxy Belle enough before, they certainly do now. She has saved the family sleep time.

Thanks, Roxy Belle. We love you.

{And, you too, Oliver ... affectionately referred to as Pee-Dog}

The End.

Biggest Change of the Weekend

2013-03-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Bangs.

Yes, I cut some.

Scared to death ... but I did it anyway.

I haven't had bangs in over 20 years and when I did have them ... Lord, help us! They were big!!

Here's a closer look at them next to one precious baby.

Wish me luck as I try to manage them at least for the next three weeks until they're too long and I have to brush them aside.

I'm also posting about Easter traditions on the Joli page today if you want to head over!

Loving Gay People (Controversial Post #439)

2013-03-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

OK. I've wanted to write this for some time, but, of course, have been worried about how some people may take the post. Oh well. Here goes anyway ...

I'm getting sick and tired of several things:

1. How someone's sexual preference defines who they are.

2. The growing acceptance and glorification of homosexuality in society.

3. Christians hatin' on gay people.

I could write a post every day for the next week on just those three things alone because they are such massive topics. A lot can be said about them and a lot has been written about them.

But, I've been thinking.

Really, it's all VERY simple, so allow me to explain it to you.

A - God loves people. ALL. PEOPLE. Gay people and straight people alike. See? Simple.

B - Homosexuality is not acceptable to God. It is sin just as adultery, stealing, lying, murder .... all sin. In fact, there are numerous sins mentioned in the Bible. The reason homosexuality gets the most attention is because it is a sexual sin and unnatural.

C - Some people say that homosexuality is not unnatural to them because they were born that way. I don't doubt that some people are born with a propensity toward homosexuality, but all of us are born with certain propensities toward other things, but that's where morality comes in. If a person is born with a propensity for murder, we wouldn't accept that as an excuse for their sin, just as being born "gay" is not an excuse for acting upon something that is so blatantly against God.

OK. That was a tough one.

D - Christians should openly love homosexuals. All the hating is not what God wants. Yes, God hates the sin. We hate the sin. But, they are human beings just like us. Our job is to speak the truth of God's love to them: God loves them no matter what.

E - Heterosexuals don't walk around proclaiming their sexuality and neither should homosexuals. Your sexuality should not define you. It's just a small part of who you are. So, stop basing your entire identity on an act that doesn't separate us from the animals. Do you not realize you are screaming this from the rooftops? You are SO much more than this one thing.

F - Hollywood and the government and now, Rob Bell {now very vaguely telling us not to worry about gay marriage ... geez} need to get over the fact that life should be fair for everyone. I'm very tired of the token gay couple in every TV show or movie just to show the token gay couple. We get it, Hollywood ... you support the homosexual lifestyle, but not everyone shares your beliefs. Obviously this is not going to change because of the society we do live in. But, I think the Christian message should ring louder than it is and more correctly than it does: Christians DO NOT hate homosexuals. Christians LOVE homosexuals (or they should). Unfortunately, the homosexual's lifestyle or should I say, sexual life, is not of God. That's just the simple truth.

So, how do we even get along?

I understand that it can be VERY difficult to have friendships with people who don't share the same values and beliefs as you do. But, this can be said about so many other people ... people of other religions, people of other denominations, people who don't want to live for God at all or believe in Him, people that find value in things that are of no value to us, etc. We still must love these people. We still must be kind to these people. That's just the way it is because God demands it.

So ...

1. We can agree to disagree.

2. We can pray that the truth of God's Word would ring clear in our nation and especially to our homosexual friends, that they wouldn't see us as the enemy.

3. We can just keep loving them no matter what.

Please don't misunderstand me:

We cannot back down from what the truth of God's Word says, but we must love.

So, no ... gay marriage will never be acceptable to God, which means it won't be acceptable to Christians.

And, just because someone doesn't believe the truth doesn't make it untrue.

Yeah, yeah ... bring on the comments because honestly, I could've written a book on this.

Dilemmas of the Week

2013-03-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

#1 - How to spell dilemmas ... yes, I had to google it. One 'm' or two ... two. Duh.

#2 - How to watch "The Bible" series without History Channel.

#3 - Losing 10 {maybe even 15} pounds in four weeks. 'Nuff said.

#4 - How to NOT eat my favorite Easter candies for the next four weeks ... NO Sweetart jelly beans or Dove truffle eggs or NOTHIN'! Boo hoo ...

#5 - How to NOT run for two weeks ... this is harder than it seems, but the diet calls for it. I think I might be sneaky and get at least one Saturday run in. I JUST CAN'T STOP!

#6 - How to figure out "LOST" again as I watch K Belle go through the final season. Still mind-blowing.

#7 - How to get Oliver to stop peeing in his kennel. UGH!

#8 - How to make Oliver more of a man dog and less of a baby boy. He is an incredible cry baby! {I may or may not have spoiled him.}

#9 - How to drink only one cup of coffee per day for four weeks when I typically drink three or more.

#10 - How to NOT stop my new diet by 6:00 pm tonight when Beau says I will. Meanie. He wants to be the only hottie.

Other dilemmas:

Now, let me get to solving.

This is what I'm dealing with.

2013-03-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Beau: (after weighing himself & then proceeding to put on a pair of his workout pants that are now very big on him ... pausing, looking in the mirror, pausing, then looking straight at me)

I am SO HOT.

Me: (rolling my eyes) I defer to "Hottie and Hottie"here.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen ... my hot husband has broken his 50 pounds.

Stand back because there's more to come.

He is lookin' good!

I just wish he were inspiring me to care more about my own eating. Ah well ... maybe I'll start tomorrow ... after all, tomorrow is another day! Let me just finish this bag of jelly beans.

Good Kinda Busy

2013-03-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

I've written here before how I hate using the word "busy." I hate using it any time. I cringe when it actually comes out of my mouth. Mainly because I think people, in general, hide behind that word and make it an excuse for not doing anything they really just don't want to do. I think we'd all just like to not hear "I'm too busy" and hear "I really just don't want to do it" instead. Just be honest.

We let busyness dictate our life.

Busyness has control and tells us what we can and cannot do.

Ridiculous, huh?

Because really no one is too busy to do the things they really want to do. As my mama always said, "You make time for the things that are important to you." So true. Wise words, Mama.

And, it is true. We definitely do that ... despite how "busy" we may or may not be.

I now think there are two types of busy: "good busy" and "excuse busy".

"Excuse busy" is what I explained before. "Good busy" is something totally different.

"Good busy" is when you see your goals being accomplished and positive things are happening. You can see the end-result and it makes the busyness all worthwhile.

That's where I am right now, the "good busy".

My house will stay in a state of disarray and messiness from now until May. Just the way it's gonna be and I'm content with that because I know good things are happening.

Work is over-the-top busy. When you work at a church, Easter and Christmas are definitely the craziest times, but, again, "good busy". There's a bigger picture!

But, this is coming up -

Joie de Vivre - www.jdvconference.org.

Another "good busy" and I'm pumped!

Throw in a husband, two kids, and two dogs, and you have CRAZY "good busy".

Now, let's not think for a moment, there may or may not be some small bits of meltdowns coinciding with all these events happening. That's pretty much a given. But, again ... big picture, "good busy".

And, I'm OK with it and I think those closest to me are OK with it too. I've got good people!

On the home-front, many household things are on the horizon. Many things that need to be completed by two very busy people.

Beau is also busy. When he's busy, I'm busy and vice versa. It's the nature of the beast.

The girls ... also busy, trying to get their grades where they need to be and finish off the school year strong. {This usually involves Beau and me too ... grrrr ... I simply don't remember how to do sixth or 10th grade math.}

The dogs ... Roxy Belle is a sweet angel now since we got the new puppy, Oliver. I'm just trying to teach him that, as a dog, he's supposed to detest peeing in his own kennel. Hopefully he's turning a corner soon.

We have two big changes in our family:

1. Beau has lost just over 50 pounds as of today. So proud of him!

2. La Petite Belle will be attending a new school next year, so we're also preparing for that. She got accepted into a school of choice for theatre (like her sister). Excited about that too and no longer having to pay private school tuition! Whew! A little breathing room is nice.

I started this out as a post explaining why my blogging will be sparse, but I guess you already figured that out.

Ridiculously talented.

2013-03-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

I know as moms we're supposed to say great things about our children. I get it. There's no doubt that our kids are all amazing to us. That's the way it's supposed to be.

However ...

I must say ... and I'm saying this out of all non-biasment (probably not a word, but ... you know ...) ... K Belle is truly gifted. God has given her such an amazing gift and ability to write some pretty incredible stuff, especially songs.

At a young age, she was writing songs. Last year, at 14, she wrote a song that won first place in the entire state Fine Arts competition. This year, her song, in my opinion, is even better than last year's. Although, she didn't win (I'm pretty sure she was jipped here, biased and non-biased opinion.), her song is AWESOME. Period.

Of course, this is a horrible phone recording and I can only get the first verse and chorus emailed, but here it is.

Of course, she doesn't like me giving her praise, but ... oh well ... it's my blog and this is something I want to remember.

I know God's got something great in store for this brilliant girl.

I guess I am that simple.

2013-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

La Petite Belle is in the process of writing a paper on her father and me.

Anything you ever wanted to know about me she wrote down in her language textbook and referred to as me "Subject A".

Mom:

Likes coffee and dogs

Favorite color is green

Dresses dressy

Likes Lemonheads

Loves to drink gingerale on an airplane

Loves to run

Afraid of biscuit cans

Did ballet and cheerleading

Women's minister

Works for my dad

Loves Pinterest

Likes to pick up stuff to eat & go home

Can sing, dance, and act

Loves Jesus very much

Had to have knee surgery

Loves Gone with the Wind and Steel Magnolias

Well ... I guess that pretty much sums it up. Not complicated at all.

Worst Half-Marathon Training Ever ... or Maybe It Isn't.

2013-02-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

I can't tell you how sick Beau is of hearing about running and marathons and foot injuries and blah, blah, blah. It's kinda the same way I feel when he starts talking about microphones or audio consoles or bass rigs or guns.

But, you know ... marriage is about TRYING to be interested in the stuff our spouse is interested in. So, I try. He ... hmm ... not so much.

Anyways ...

I trained horribly for this half, however, my time was about five minutes faster. So, I thought I'd let you in on my secret training routine.

Here goes.

#1 - Your training program will tell you to run four times a week. Don't. Run only twice. Once during the week and then your super-long run on Saturday.

#2 - Eat whatever you want. Really ... don't diet or even better, just eat ice cream. Mostly around 9:00 p.m.

#3 - Don't use energy supplements on any of your runs. Then, eat an entire packet right before the race and a few more every couple of miles.

#4 - Eat a gigantic steak the night before your race, and don't forget dessert.

#5 - This is really a serious one. For real. If you have the right shoes, you can do anything. (I finally got the perfect pair for me and my foot pain was minimal compared to the last half-marathon this past fall. Mizunos are the way to go in my opinion.)

Well ... that's pretty much it. Those are the things I did. If I can run a half-marathon with this type of training, so can you.

You're welcome.

Now ... onto looking for more races.

Not My Best Look

2013-02-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I did it.

I ran my second half-marathon. This one, the Rock 'n Roll Half-Marathon (NOLA), was 100 times better than the last one I ran in that there was so much more to see and my finish time was five minutes faster. I am happy that it was five minutes faster, but I did not reach my goal to make it in 2 hours, 30 minutes, but made it in 2 hours, 35 minutes instead.

Finished 573 out of 880 in my division; 3814 out of 5683 females; 6657 overall out of 9257 total people. So, I did better, but because I did not reach my goal, I'll have to keep running races until I do.

I was most proud that we did not stop once. We ran the entire way with no breaks. Yay us!!

(My buddy, Laura, and me. Couldn't have run this without her. Just missing our injured partner, Amber.)

I thought it'd be interesting to video myself in different spots during the race so you'd get a feel of what these races are like.

Here are my three disclaimers about these videos:

#1 I look like a hot mess. A. HOT. MESS. In that I am sweating profusely and as red as a beet. Sorry about that.

#2 Consider yourself warned: I do not wear make-up to run. There were plenty of girls in full make-up. Um ... why? I just don't understand. It's not a beauty contest; it's a race.

#3 I did not realize the camera's proximity to my face. WAY. TOO. CLOSE. Yikes! (Combine this fact with the previous disclaimers and you're in for a scare.)

So, without further ado ... here's what running a half-marathon looks like:

My last two videos were longer, but apparently, the iPhone only allows 54-second videos to be emailed. But, you get the idea.

Told you they were scary.

Now, you know what it's like. It's a lot of running, a lot of sweating, a lot of people panting heavily and just trying to make it to the finish line.

Tomorrow come back here to find out what my training program was. (Hahahahah ... laughing thinking about it.)

The Day I Discovered Crying is Not a Sign of Weakness

2013-02-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've spent most of my life as a non-crier.

Of course, until recently.

In the past five to ten years, I have become more of a crier (I blame hormones and age for this.), something that I have always not been able to stomach too much of.

I always saw crying as a weakness, especially in women. As a woman, I never wanted to be seen as always emotional or weak.

Now ... I know that crying is just an outward display of the inward things that God has put in us. I love how God has created us differently than men. He made us different for a purpose ... so that we can compliment and complete each other.

I say all this to let you in on a little secret:

I cried yesterday.

Actually, I cried twice yesterday.

The tears I cried came out of nowhere. They just flowed. I had absolutely NO control over them.

You see, last week I had my yearly mammogram. Routine. No big deal. I've been having them since I was 35 or younger due to a family history of breast cancer. But, I've always taken care of myself, always taken precautions. I really have never worried about it ...

Until last Thursday ...

when I got a call from the mammogram facility.

Calls are not good. Notes, letters ... good. That means everything is fine. I've gotten multiple letters confirming I have nothing to worry about.

The call gave me a little shock actually. I had an out-of-body experience as the lady on the other side of the phone explained why I needed to come back in on Tuesday to do a spot compression mammogram and then possibly an ultrasound. I simply said, "Uh huh" and "OK." And, then the wait began.

Thursday to Tuesday was a long wait.

I pushed the idea that this could be something bad to the back of my brain and didn't think about it too much. But, there were times when it would creep up and I'd have to actively cast it out like the Word of God says ... "take EVERY thought captive."

I did that.

Then, yesterday arrived.

I was OK until I started getting ready for the appointment. Whoever coined the term "emotional roller coaster" hit the nail on the head. That's EXACTLY what it felt like.

I had waves of all kinds of emotions ... from thinking about visions of my grandmother dying of breast cancer in the hospital to wondering how my family would deal with such a thing to I'm going to be perfectly fine to questioning where my faith in God was. Yep. I pretty much ran the gamut of emotions and thoughts there.

I realized throughout the whole waiting process that in the waiting is exactly where God is. God is in the waiting.

That's the point where our faith is tested, where we question, where we stand on what we say we believe. The waiting is sometimes harder than the outcome.

In the waiting room I was in, the women there were old hat at this procedure and discussing their mastectomies and their friends' cancers and treatments. Not what I wanted to here while I was going through this whole process.

As the lady called me in to do that compression mammogram, she started to explain a bit about what she'd be doing. That's when a few tears fell. I wanted to go in there boldly, head up, shoulders back, no tears. Didn't happen. There was a wave of emotion I couldn't hold back. After I got over being angry with myself for crying, I realized I needed to give myself a break.

The fact that I cried doesn't mean that I didn't have faith in God. I did. I do. Those tears meant, "God, I don't know what the result's going to be. I know you want me healed and whole. I know You are good. I'm a little anxious and also a little scared but I trust that You have everything under control. Nothing is too big for You or catches You by surprise." That's what those tears meant for me.

They weren't a sign of weakness, but of surrender to my God, the One who loves me, who formed my body and knows every part of it.

I did apologize to the lady for crying to which she said, "Trust me. I see a lot of tears in here. You're not the first." At that moment, I was overwhelmed by the thought of countless women day in and day out, going into this same room ... some leaving with great results, some leaving with a call to battle something they never thought they would have to.

The radiologist did send me for an ultrasound also. Good news though! I'm OK. I let out a sigh of relief when he said what they saw was a cyst, nothing to worry about. I should be good to come back in another year.

Praise God! I give Him glory for this good report!

Just that tiny glimpse into a world of horrible things I never want to experience made me want to celebrate and appreciate the things I have in life. And, I realized why don't I celebrate more? Every day should be filled with celebrations!

There is always something to celebrate in each day.

We just have to make a point of doing it.

Hottie and Hottie

2013-02-18T08:56:00.001-06:00

My Beau is three pounds shy of losing 50 pounds since the week after Thanksgiving.

He's looks amazing and is showing no signs of stopping now. I am so proud of him!

However, I can't help but relate to this episode of "The King of Queens" ...

He has given me fair warning to keep my eyes out for all the ladies looking his way {me rolling eyes}.

OK, Hottie ... calm it down. You're all mine.

He really is the epitome of will power right now. I actually feel like a failure next to him. I may or may not have had to sneak certain sweets into the house and may or may not have eaten them when he was not around in order to not face the death stare or disappointing nod. It's like living with Richard Simmons, shorts and all.

I love you, Mr. Hottie Pants! Keep up the good work!

Love is in the air!

2013-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

" ... everywhere I look around. Love is in the air, every sight and every sound ..."

Wow. Another old song that I'm sure most of you don't know.

Please tell me someone remembers this.

Love is definitely in the air at the Bayou Belle household.

My family was surprised with their gifts last night after church since K Belle has to be at school at a time that should be illegal, Beau and I decided to do it the night before. Nothing like trying to cram Valentine's Day or any other special day into five minutes before you have to walk out the door. I like to savor every moment.

So, last night they had heart-shaped pizza waiting for them.

Do you know how difficult it is to cut a whole pepperoni pizza into hearts?

Not easy, people. Not easy at all.

That's about as good as it gets with food design for me.

They also had a few goodies.

K Belle's ...

La Petite Belle's ...

Beau's ...

(which included a couple's massage and dinner)

And, my sweetheart, Beau gave me a little something too.

I'm a pretty happy girl.

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and a little chocolate!

50 Ways to Not Leave Your Lover

2013-02-11T15:04:00.003-06:00

" ... slip out the back, Jack ... make a new plan, Stan ... no need to be coy, Roy ... just listen to me ..."

I realize I'm dating myself by quoting the lyrics from that old Paul Simon song. I think that most of my blog readers will not know the song or get the title reference either . Whatever. I'm older, yeah ... we all get it. Laugh it up.

(In looking for a smirky face to put right here, I came across "Mature Woman with Sarcastic Face." Perfect and appropriate.)

Anyways ... as always .. I digress ...

This post is my tribute to this week of LOVE.

Valentine's Day is really a crock. So ... we set aside one day out of the entire year to proclaim our love for one another? Shouldn't that be every day? Just sayin'.

Who says you have to wait until Valentine's Day to buy chocolate or send flowers? I think that should be a regular thing. (Well ... except for the flowers. I don't care for them. They die. I like stuff that lasts.)

But, because it is a sweet little holiday, I am going to give you all I have learned in my eighteen years of marriage (Is it 18 or 19? Geez!!! It's one of them.) about how to stay in love so that you won't "leave your lover."

50 Ways to Not Leave Your Lover OR

How to Stay in Love:

1. Say what you mean. (Mind reading? Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.)

2. Tell the truth no matter what.

3. Be sensitive to each other's needs.

4. Date nights are essential.

5. Laugh. (You'd be surprised how important this one is when you've been married for a while.)

6. Look over the small things like socks on the floor & toilet paper rolls not being replaced.

7. Love every meal cooked, no matter what.

8. Voluntarily help each other.

9. Kiss and hug every day.

10. Reminisce about your dating days often. (This creates smiles & giddiness.)

11. Pour a bath for your spouse and give them some alone time.

12. Couches were made for cuddling. Do it.

13. Hand-delivered coffee is like magic.

14. Breakfast in bed even more magical.

15. Make holidays special. This doesn't have to be expensive. Just special.

16. Make birthdays even MORE special.

17. Let you spouse sleep in. Priceless.

18. Foot rubs. "Nuff said.

19. Say, "I love you," daily or more.

20. Make sure your wife knows how beautiful she is.

21. Make sure your husband knows that you'd still choose him.

22. Take mini-vacations alone even if it's just for a weekend.

23. Make an effort to be interested in what your spouse is interested in, even if you're not.

24. Talk. Have real conversations.

25. Ask your spouse about their dreams and goals.

26. Refer back to your memories of what made you fall in love with your spouse.

27. Keep love letters and cards, then read them every so often.

28. Make intimacy a priority. And, that's all I've got to say about that. ;)

29. Think of little things that would bless your spouse and do them.

30. Listen to music together.

31. Find new hobbies that you each would enjoy.

32. Be playful. (Nothing like a little wrestling or a game of chase to get you in a good mood.)

33. Cook your spouse's favorite meals often.

34. Be supportive in your spouse's endeavors.

35. Give your spouse space in the bed after cuddling time is over. Scoot.

36. Ask each other's advice.

37. Work together on decisions.

38. Give each other time to hang out with friends separately.

39. Apologize.

40. Don't be cranky. (This is a hard one when you live with someone for a long time.)

41. Always respect one another.

42. Nap together. Everyone's happier when they wake up from a nap.

43. Keep your teeth brushed and clean. For real. This is not a joke.

44. The past is the past. Keep it that way.

45. Forgive.

46. Never compare your marriage with anyone else's.

47. Do what you need to do to not be so tired that you have no time for your spouse. (Hence, the naps.)

48. Try to stay calm when your spouse is driving. (again ... hard.)

49. Talk about God often and what you're learning from Him.

50. Keep God in it and you'll make it!

Well ... that's my two cents.

Staying in love takes work because feelings fade. But, when you really love someone, you realize they're worth the fight.

I think Beau and I have a great marriage. Have we had tough times? Of course. But, we didn't give up on each other. Getting through those tough times made our marriage stronger than ever.

Now ... how about that Paul Simon song?