our new niece

Meet Jael Ayn, our new niece! Drew's sister, Laura, gave birth to her at home on March 6 at 6:08 a.m. She weighed 8 lbs. 10.5 oz and was 20.5" long. She joins her dad, Dwayne, and her two brothers, Jason age 4 and Judah age 2. After three nephews, she's our first niece!! We're so excited! She resembles her brothers but definitely looks like a girl--maybe it's the chubby cheeks?? :)
I was there for her birth and it was amazing!! Such a miracle!! Here she is, merely minutes old.

Here she is closer up, trying to open her eyes.

This is Jason--also there for the birth--and the proud (and relieved) Mama.

And this is Jael, getting her first diaper change. Isn't she gorgeous?? All plump and pink!! I love it! I love HER already!!

Congrats, Gradins!!

Phew!! What a week!!

So with Monday being a holiday, Drew being home one day and with me now working four days instead of three--wow, this week whizzed by!! It's kind of a blur, too--except that I know I finally got the house all beautified and it looks darn good. Maybe I'll take pictures in the pretty morning light tomorrow before my event.
Gosh. What did I do this week??? Finally got groceries...ran a few errands...went to the bank twice...lots of laundry...lots of time with kids (mine and others)...yeah, good week!! :)
We had dinner with my boss/friend/neighbor, which was a treat. Today, I enjoyed a marathon play date at my sister-in-law's house. Gosh...I guess that's about it. I must say, Andrew had a good week, all things considered. A few rough spots, as always, but had no symptoms of a cold, which has been rare lately. And with all the time we spent with other kids, he did great! He's being super-gentle with smaller kids, which is such a relief to me. I hated him being the instigator, but now the other kids are the ones in the hitting phase--which is fine by me!! I'd rather him be hit than be the hitter--and he takes it all in stride, anyway.
Drew is now looking for a new job. He'll be done before the end of the month at his current job--and doesn't really have any clear direction on what he's doing next! I know worrying about it is fruitless, so I'm just trusting God to "do His thing." Keep Drew in your prayers. He's a smart guy--he'll figure it out.
I feel very at peace today and like good things are on the horizon. Plus, the weekend is here!! Hope your week was wonderful-
Tab

Finally feeling better

Wow. What a week. Last Sunday night was when Drew and I BOTH woke up with ear aches and that was the beginning of the end. We had a very rough week, both being sick and not being able to help the other. We'd just look at each other and shrug and try to take turns resting and spending time with Andrew. We both saw doctors and got put on antibiotics--but neither of us felt much better until the weekend and I didn't really feel like myself until yesterday. My ear is still ringing and very stuffy but the headache and pressure have decreased. Little by little, it's improving. Ugh, I haven't had such a bad cold in probably ten years. Yuck. And Andrew was such a trouper. Trooper?? And he seems to be feeling fine, just a little sniffly off and on.
So! Now we're back to the daily grind! With yesterday being MLK, Jr. Day, Andrew and I went to visit my mom after "work" got cut short. We had a picnic at her neighborhood park and had the place to ourselves for about 1.5 hours. Then Andrew slept in the car for two hours, allowing Mom and I to take turns running into stores (Target and Michael's) and sip Starbucks together and chat uninterupted.
My major projects at the moment are:
1. Getting ready for our "Jewels of the Desert" Red Hat Society event this Saturday at the Urban Tea Loft in Downtown Chandler. We're doing a "Red-uation," meaning one of our members hit the big 5-0 and gets to pass down her pink hat and start wearing her RED hat! Mom and I want it to be special and FUN! I got with a gal on www.etsy.com to make red and purple scarves for the ladies (we still love to play dress-up) so I have five orders and hope to sell the rest at the event--they're gorgeous!


2. Getting ready for my Third Annual Valentine's Day Tea Party to be help Saturday, February 9th at 3:00 at my home. Unless you have a garden you'd like to donate for the event--I'd love to it it outside!! :) If you know me and didn't get the e-mail invitation, let me know!! The theme is "Mad Hatter" so I'm going for a quirky, mismatched look--lots of wacky colors and unexpected touches. YES, all guests are required to wear a hat! The sillier, the better! This is my inspiration:

And here's the apron I'll be wearing--Mary E. with tea pots!! No, that's not me--it's a model. And, yes, I got it on www.etsy.com!

So that's enough to keep me busy! I'm off to start a load of laundry--hope you and yours are well and healthy this week! Thanks to all of you who were praying for us. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).

Is it wrong...?

...to feel kind of relieved that Christmas is over?? I'm actually excited about taking the decorations down, putting all the awesome gifts away and gearing up for a fresh start to 2008. There's a lot to look forward to!! "Life is good," as they say. It truly is.
Wow, what a Christmas! The gifts were awesome and Drew put together my best stocking EVER--and surprised me with lots of other goodies. Andrew was kind of oblivious but LOVES his new vacuum--it's the first thing he went to this morning. My plan is to go through his old toys and give a bunch away to charity to make room for the new stuff. Purge, baby!! I have a lot of good work to do now--scrapbooking, reorganizing my home office, putting pictures in albums--I can't wait!!
This morning is nice...Andrew is still vacuuming and I have a lovely choice of treats to enjoy with my coffee...aaaaahhhh. Here's a few highlights from Christmas--if you want to hear the full rundown of our Christmas Day, visit our family blog at www.agoodkindofbusy.blogspot.com
Happy Day-After Christmas--hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you have lots to look forward to as well!! :)

Here's the boys with Andrew's new Noah's ark toy:

This is me with my famous breakfast casserole, reserved just for Christmas Day:

Here's Andrew doing "Cheese!!" in front of the tree:

This is the amazing digital picture frame Drew's dad got us--my favorite new toy!! Andrew liked seeing the slideshow of Christmas pictures on it!

How can I NOT show you me in my new "clown camo" pajamas???

And here's Andrew with his vacuum:

He also got his first pair of light-up shoes, Hotwheels!! He actually WANTED to wear them! My dad got him a laptop as well--he's got lots of learning to do in the coming year!
I got a new J. Jill top--Mom gets me one every year!

And Drew got a grill and lots of cool accessories!! We're all going to enjoy it!

And here's our family on Christmas Day:

Hope your Christmas was super, too!! Let me know what YOU did!

tagged for a history lesson

This tag comes from my dear high-school friend, Jen. Her blog is http://jonandjen13.blogspot.com/
It's for a history lesson thirty, twenty and ten years ago. Here we go. This'll count as a "Didja Know?" too, cuz I haven't done one in a while! :)
Thirty years ago, my mom was immensely pregnant with me with my birthday only 22 days away. This is weird--I just checked my computer clock to find out the date and I kid you not--it said 11:29. That's my birthday. Whooooa.
ANYway, she and my father had just celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary, my brother was three years old and they were living on Lauderdale Drive in Jacksonville, Florida. She chose my name based on Acts 9:36 about "Dorcus," who gave to the poor. My mom's pregnancy and birth experiences definitely shaped mine...she had wonderful pregnancies and "easy," natural births. She was in total support of my choice to have a home birth and to breastfeed and has been an amazing support system in Andrew's first two years as well--always encouraging me to follow my heart and mother my son my own way. Now my mom is going to start counseling at a crisis pregnancy center and is considering becoming a doula! I'd love to do the program with her.
Twenty years ago, I was ten, which, like my friend Jen, was a HUGE transition year. We left the panhandle of Florida where my dad had been attending seminary and moved back to my hometown of Jacksonville. I started school and met two girls that are still my dear friends today. That was a year of shaving our legs for the first time, becoming interested in boys and getting in trouble a lot for talking during class. I had a slumber party for my tenth birthday, similar to what I'm doing for my 30th!! That year also set my educational course because I tested into the highest reading group, but the sort of "middle-to-low" math class. So it was throughout all of middle school, high school and college--I excelled in language arts and writing and was lousy in math. Did i know before then that I was lousy in math?? Probably not. But now it's something that defines me--I'm bad at math. I remember being an emotional basket case that year, too--hormones, probably. That's when my brother and I drifted apart and who could blame him--I was a mess! While I was the goody-two-shoes church girl that cried over nothing, he fell into the cool skater crowd. Our relationship never recovered after that.
Ten years ago, I was twenty. Wow, how funny! That was another major life change year, too!! I love this exercise!! I moved with my parents from Jacksonville to Gilbert, Arizona, leaving behind the only state I'd ever lived in and all my friends and family. The day before we moved, I got a prickly pear cactus tattoo to literally "mark" the new chapter of my life. I felt like I was starting over. It was the best decision I ever made. I needed that clean break, to redefine myself, to break free from my past. I wish everyone had the opportunity--even if they didn't stay--to do that. So many people don't know what they're missing. I started attending a church here, too, that was Calvinist, which opened up an entirely new way of looking at God and salvation from what I'd been raised with (Southern Baptist). I needed that, too--to be challenged. I took it as an opportunity to take ownership of my faith and really learn what I believed. That set me on a course that I am continuing on today, to discover what I believe, not what my parents believe. I had my first boyfriend that year, too, who took me to Mexico when I turned 21. And I met the women who introduced me to the world of natural health, which was completely new to me as well, and is something I am now very passionate about. Major year! The picture is me at 20, on a miniature golf date. I scanned it from a scrapbook--I had time to scrapbook back then--before I really had a life!!
And now. Mere weeks from my thirtieth birthday. I've been married for five years to Drew, the man I was meant to be with. That boyfriend? When we broke up, he said I was only 80% of what he was looking for. When I met Drew? He said--with no provocation--that he was only LOOKING FOR 80%. That's when I "knew." And I've never looked back. We have a son who turns two this week that brings us immeasureable joy. Being parents is the hardest thing in the world but, oh...that joy more than makes up for it. I have a home-based jewelry business...we're active in our church...I have dozens of amazing friends who pray for me and take care of me...I have a job taking care of a friend's daughter that adds amazing richness to my life...my mother is still my best friend...the list is endless. Nephews, tea parties, millions of pictures, a beautiful home, my health, my family...
I am so very, very rich. I have never been so sure of my faith in Jesus and His presence in my life. Every day provides new ways to know Him and to increase my faith. I am blessed beyond measure. Thank you, precious Jen, for this opportunity to reflect...I tag Brandie, Stacy and Kelly! :)

At the Farm

My mom and I took Andrew to a local farm on Columbus Day. We went last year, too...now it's a tradition! He liked riding around in the wagon and seeing the animls. He got to pet a horse...play in a big pile o' corn...grab a goat...slide...and he even picked out his own little pumpkin to take home!
Here's a comparison from last year and this year (yup, he grew!), him chillin' with the pumpkins and picking out his favorite. FUN!

Fun at the park

Since typically every Thursday is my DH's late night out, we went to my folks' house tonight. My dad brought home a yummy Chinese dinner, which was the perfect alternative to dragging Andrew out to a restaurant and it was sooooo good. Sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and crab puffs. Mm-mmm.
Then my mom and I took him to the park where we're going to have his 2nd birthday party. It is such a cool place but A4's favorite activities are swinging and pushing the big, black trash cans around. Isn't that a hoot?? Here's a few pictures to prove how much fun we had. Next time I need an hour to read, I'll just take my book and put him in the swing!

Saturday Coffee Talk

Ha!! Not really even one moment of peace and quiet today...but a busy day in a GOOD way!!
8:00 up and at 'em! No sleeping in today! Well, actually, 8:00 IS sleeping in--but not enough!
9:15 at the jewelry showroom picking up a bracelet for my mom
10:15 arrived at my parents' house for my dad's birthday brunch celebration. We had a lovely breakfast casserole, bacon, potatoes, fruit, mimosas, coffee...yum!! Brunch is my favorite meal!! Dad got lots of bird-related gifts for their yard. They've got a lot of wildlife as it is but now they'll have even more--and hopefully lots more hummingbirds!
12:15 swimming, picture taking, watching the Florida Gators play on their HDTV...it was great!! Andrew took a nice, long nap, too.
4:00 headed home
5:00 arrived at a birthday party for my neighbor/friends' two kids, turning 1 and 4. Andrew had a blast swinging, sliding, playing in the sand, playing with a truck, and playing with his daddy!! I was a blast. My friend knows how to party!!
7:00 I arrived home to realize I was already late for my Mom's Night Out!! So I walked in and back out again and headed to Bunco. Some new moms to the church were there, which is always good, then a couple moms who don't usually attend events and then a few regulars. It was so much fun!!
9:30 arrived home to find Andrew in bed. Nice!!!
PHEW!! I did have a nice cup of coffee at my folks' (which is my #1 goal on Saturdays)...and it was a pleasant, peaceful day for the most part...a pretty perfect Saturday, despite being a little rushed. Andrew was happy and played well, no major incidents, everything was fun and upbeat, I got to hang out with a lot of my favorite people...so, yeah!! Good day!! Hope yours was, too!!
P.S. The pictures are of me and my dad; Andrew with a dolphin painted on his leg and a doggy balloon; and my DH and I having mimosas.

Happy Grandparents' Day!!

I know it's one of those "Hallmark Holidays" but we celebrate every chance we get!! My parents (pictured today with Andrew) joined us at church then came over for lunch. We had a lovely day together. Andrew just loves them both...and gives his Nana lots of unsolicited hugs and kisses. She enjoys him as much as I do--which really warms my heart. Happy Grandparents' Day to my two grandparents in Florida, too (also pictured, when they were here visiting in July)! I am so blessed that I still have my grandparents to enjoy and that my son has all four of his!! We are so very rich.