When is the right time to start trying to have a baby? I know I may receive some varying degrees of answers, and I am prepared for that, but I would like to know when you think is the right time...or is there a right time? BL & I have been married a whooping 3 months, but we're in discussions about when would be the right best time to "start trying". Now that the wedding is over, I hear this question often: "when will you start having kids?" We both agree that the whole thing is in God's hands, and that we have to trust in His perfect plan for us. That is a big statement.
TRUST. HIM.
Putting my trust, and all control into HIS hands. I fear failure, and can't lie, I fear the 'unknown' of it all. I feel like it makes me a failure to admit that but I bet there are several women who fear the same thing. Maybe? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Maybe not. I am too scheduled, too type A...I like plans. I need to pray over Jeremiah 29:11 (and many others like it) a little more.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
His plans may not be my plans. Did I mention I was a planner. As in, I like schedules. A lot.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will make your paths straight"
He will make your paths straight, as in He will mark the paths. You will follow Him. Not your schedule you wrote on a post-it last night.
Here are my top ten memories/moments/etc from Christmas 2K10:
PS, before I start, I would like to point out that our family does a holiday 'rotation' every year with the in-laws. I am one of five -all married- kids, and it's easier to rotate spending time with our family and our in-laws every year, so we rotate Christmas and Thanksgiving with all siblings and in-laws. This year we were with my parents for Thanksgiving and with in-laws on Christmas, and next year we will be with in-laws for Thanksgiving and my parents for Christmas. May sound tricky but it works well for us!
1. It was my first Christmas as a married woman!
(this is how Daddy Lyons dressed up his Lions for Christmas!)
2. We had about 2 inches of snow here, and it was the first "real" white Christmas in Georgia in over 100 years.
3. Gus got a ducky from Santa whom we named Harry. Needless to say, he is in L-O-V-E with this thing!
4. Starting a new tradition with BL - the years we're with his family we'll continue this tradition: we stayed in our own home Christmas Eve and made a big ol' breakfast dinner feast on Christmas Eve. This was so fun (and yumm-o), and then we went to 11pm church service and came back home and drank mimosas while we opened gifts...so fun!
5. Sleeping in really late on Christmas morning. After all, we were up until 3:00 playing with the new Logitech remote Santa Chrissi brought BL (btw, coolest remote & huge hit with the hubster!!).
6. Getting to sneak in a trip to see some of my family before we went to his parents' house. It was nice to see everyone and hug momma Mel and daddy even on a year I wasn't 'supposed' to ;)
7. Eating waaaay too much good food at BL's parent's house on Christmas night. It was a feast, to say the least!
lazy sleepy husband!
8. Sleeping in again the day after Christmas (to say this was a lazy weekend would be an understatement!).
9. Not taking hardly any pictures. This is not something I am proud of, believe me, but I wanted to jot it down to remind myself that the memories are in my mind ;) HAHA, truthfully I will just have to make up for it when we have Christmas #2 this weekend with my parents & siblings!
10. Shopping with my mom for hours yesterday...not just because of the quality time on my last day of "Christmas break" but also because we killed it! By killed it, I mean scored some good deals and crossed a LOT off of her list - WoooHooo :)))
Do you have an anthem?! A song that pumps you up no matter what kind of mood you're in, what kind of day you've had, what crazed hormonal rampage you're on (did I get too personal there?! ha!). I think most people would say they have at least one "go to" anthem that will solve all of the world's their personal problems, at least for 4 minutes while they jam out....
I'd like to thank Mary J. Blige for my go-to diddy. 'Just Fine' by MJB is the perfect pick-me-up.
Let it go……
Can’t let this thing called love get away from you
Feel free right now, going do what you want to do
Can’t let nobody take it away, from you, from me, from we
No time for moping around, are you kidding?
And no time for negative vibes, cause I’m winning
It’s been a long week, I put in my hardest
Gonna live my life, feels so good to get it right
So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
No stress through the night, at a time in my life
Ain’t worried about if you feel it
Got my head on straight, I got my mind right
I aint gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine
Feels so good, when you’re doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
Keep your head up high
In yourself, believe in you, believe in me
Having a really good time, I’m not complaining
And I’m a still wear a smile if it raining
I got to enjoy myself regardless
I appreciate life, I’m so glad I got mine
So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
Aint worried about you and what you gonna do
I’m a lady so I must stay classy
Got to keep it hot, keep it together
If I want to get better
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine
I aint gon’ let nothing get in my way
(I ain't gone let nobody bring me down, no, no, no)
No matter what nobody has to say
(No way, no way, no way)
I ain’t gon’ let nothing get in my way
No matter what nobody has to say
Feels so good, when you’re doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
It’s a really good thing to say
That I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine
So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
No stress through the night, at a time in my life
Ain’t worried about if you feel it
Got my head on straight, I got my mind right
I ain’t gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine
Long, long ago (ok, 25 years) my world was changed forever. Before this day 25 years ago, I was the only girl...only sister, only daughter, only granddaughter, only niece.
Then these two came (look how cute they are!).
From that moment on, not only was I not the only girl, but they were now "the girls" and I was Chrissi. Now, before I go further I must say, I was a happy big sister, and I loved these new girls! I was happily joining in the new life with the boys, the girls, and Chrissi. HAHA, this is starting to sound like a middle child rant! Even though growing up we didn't always get along and we weren't usually friends, we were always sisters. God had a plan for us. Looking back, I wish I knew then what I know now - these girls would be my closest friends in the whole wide world! Praise the Lord that I grew up and grew to love the girls my sisters more than words could ever (and I do mean EVER) express. I know I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again - I may the big sister, but I am the one who looks up to them. They are amazing, Godly, loving, fun women, and their families have grown even more since my post on their birthday last year!
Ashley (older by one minute) is a mother of three beautiful kiddos - Jr, Colton & Tinsley Mae. She is married to Matthew and live about 30 minutes away from us. BL & I love going to their house, hanging out & playing with the kiddos; they are a great family!
Elizabeth (the baby, by one minute) is a mother of one adorable boy - Jakson, and expecting baby #2 this spring! [ps, canNOT wait to find out what you're having next week!!!] Elizabeth and her husband Josh live about 45 minutes away, but hopefully that will change...ahem....
Funny side note, I think our husbands have a pact together that they will never live within a certain mile radius of each other. They know doing this would reduce the amount of time they would see their wives - ha!
So today, although I cannot be with you, you're both on my mind and in my heart. You are THE BEST sisters I could have ever imagined having. Thank you for being you, day in and day out. My life has been richly blessed by these two women, and continues to be with every passing day. These two 'girls' inspire me to be who I am every single day. I am one proud big sister!! Happy Birthday :)
what is making me feel good on this pretty Friday morning......
1. The hope that Grandma may get to go home from the hospital today.
2. Is it just me, or does God blow your socks off with his creation when you feel the most down/stressed/sad/frazzled? Crazy how pretty the sky has been this week. I love it! I took a pictures of this beautiful sunset as I walked to the car Sunday after checking g'ma into the ER.
3. Last night, we purchased over $60 in goodies from Hobby Lobby for under $30...that's how we roll. LOVE deals from the Hob Lob :)
4. Friday night with nothing to do. I used to hate not having plans, now I love it! A night at home with BL. Perfect.
5. Christmas is a mere 8 days away. Need I say more? I realize this may send some into a frenzy, but I am ready. If by ready you mean I need to wrap several gifts and maaaaybe purchase a few more.
Are you feeling good today? Go link up with Erika! Happy Friday, folks :))
If you've followed my blog for any amount of time this year you know I just got married this September. I feel like it's about time to (cue suspenseful music: dun-dun-dunnnnn) change my name. There are (seemingly) so many steps to take and I don't even know where to start. I have a business trip next week so I don't want to change my ID just yet because it will affect my plane ticket...I think? Then there is a whole list of things I need to change: bank account, passport (yikes!), cell phone account, credit card, and I know there must be 100 more I am missing on my long list.
HELP!
The Nest gave this great tutorial, so why am I so intimidated by this? Was anyone else overwhelmed with the process? Have any advice? There is no question in my mind that I will take BL's last name, but does anyone have suggestions on how to make this process easier?
Well folks, it's Thursday...time to get thankful! This week I am focusing my thankful list on my FAVORITE time of the year, the Christmas season. So here goes, the top ten things related to Christmas that I am thankful for....
1. Artificial Trees - I know people will disaree, but I am allergic, so fake trees allow me to enjoy the sparkle without the weezing, ichy eyes or runny nose! I also love how easy they are to put up/take down. LOVE it :)
2. Although it may be too commercialized, I am thankful that this time of year reminds us to give back to others
3. Holiday Treats - ok, my waistline does NOT agree with this, but my tastebuds sure do!
4. Christmas Music - will always be my favorite genre! Seriously, go buy this.
5. Gifts - yes, I agree that way too much focus is put here, but gifts is my love language, and therefore shopping for my loved ones, using the best gift wrap and other 'embellishments' I can cheaply find to make the boxes purrdy just makes me smile.
6. Red cups from Starbucks - makes me happy every time they start serving up coffee treats in these babies!
7. Christmas Cards - true story, the entire month of December I anxiously await the arrival of our mailman in hopes that there will be a beautiful Christmas card in the bundle. I love seeing how kids have grown, lives have changed, and how beautiful the people in my life are ;) Christmas Cards, I am thankful for you! [ps, I canNOT wait to share our cards...which are arriving today...woop! woop!]
8. Decorating the house - I am so thankful that I collected plenty of goods post-holidays when I did not own a house, and I now have a LOT :)
9. Nativity Sets - I have too many for our tiny home, but I couldn't care less. I love all sorts of sets; my Willow Tree set, my (prized) olive wood set Mom & Dad brought back from Isreal, teeny tiny sets, you name it. I love the ever-present reminder of what the season is REALLY about.
10. The Birth of our Savior - God's only Son, sent to earth to live among us and eventually die on the cross for us. There is so much power in this I can't even begin to wrap my head around it all. I am always in awe of how He came, how He lived and, ultimately, how He died.
I love blogging...I love reading blogs, writing blogs, stalking blogs, etc...and I really love when bloggers award give their fellow bloggers cute awards. I am super exitced to say that I was awarded the Stylish Blogger Award from sweet Tyly over at One Mile at a Time...Thanks Tyly, and ps, i love your name (pronounced tie-lee, as I learned tonight)!!
Rules for this award are simple - share 7 things about yourself and share the award with 3 other folks. So here goes:
1 - i am the middle of five kids
2 - the only instrument i have ever "played" for real (ok, it was third grade) is the recorder
3 - i grow increasingly more like my mom with each passing year. and i love it ;)
4 - my name has always been, and i am sure will always be, misspelled
5 - i have zero desire to go to any form of grad school. ever. maybe this will change, but i doubt it
6 - i have crazy self-control with things like m&m's or hershey kisses, but could/would eat my weight in Haribo gummy bears (gold bag, they are THE best!). one of the best days in South Africa was when a collegue came over three weeks later than we did and she brought me a HUGE bag!
7 - i like office supplies. a lot. i think new pens are the best, new notebooks are perfect, new scissors are great, and i think you get the point ;)
And now to share this award with three other bloggers...I'd like to give it to:
So that's it for me, and so concluded the acceptance of my first award. WooHoo! It is now time for me to get back to taking care of my sick husband and eating Chinese takeout that he can't enjoy because of an upset tummy. Hey, I take care of him but I have to take care of me too...haha!
Every week, my friend Candra over at Curious Georgi has a Thankful Thursday blog party. I love taking time to reflect on what I am thankful for. Since Thanksgiving was last week and I did not post about it, this is now my opportunity. After you're done reading you can write you own, then hop on over & link up!
Here are some of the things I am thankful for today...
1. warm house - there are far too many people who don't have a home or can't pay their heating bill. I am so thankful for the blessings and provisions to be able to keep my house toasty!
2. my family - we had an exciting adventure to Wilderness at the Smokies last week for Thanksgiving. If you have children and live anywhere near TN, you owe it to your kids self to go. The adults loved it too! Big thanks to my momma, Momma Mel, for planning such a fun vacation!
3. flannel sheets - just because I can run my heat doesn't mean I can (or will) blast it. I am so thankful for my flannel sheets keeping BL and me warm at night!!
4. our new Sunday School class, The Union - this is a FABULOUS group (30+ couples) of folks who have been married 5 years or less. BL and I have felt immense blessing through this class and really look forward to the growth within this class, both together and in fellowship with others in our stage of life!
5. safety - my neighborhood was on 'lockdown' a couple of weeks ago because two armed robbers were on the loose, and it made me so aware of how safe we typically are around here. There are so many places (even nearby) where you don't feel safe on a daily basis. I am so thankful I was able to purchase our house in an area where I am safe - way more often than not.
6. Mickey D's tea - half and half, light ice, with lemon, $1.06. Yes ma'am!! (side note, if you have not tried this you have not tried the best tea besides my Granddaddy's!!)
7. The ability to walk/run - sometimes I am lazy & don't run for over a week, and then I am reminded that there are thousands who would give anything for the chance to run....and I lace up my shoes and enjoy God's creation (ok, sometimes I enjoy the creation CREATED by God's creation...i.e. the treadmill)
8. Blogs - I love getting to know people through blogs. I think blogging is a great release, and at the risk of sounding 100% lame, I love my fellow bloggers, and have gotten to know some really neat gals on here. I hope to someday actually meet some of you.
9. CHRISTMAS TIME!!! I love Christmas in the understatement of the century, and I am thrilled to be celebrating with BL as my husband this year as well ;)
10. Speaking of BL, that is my last item on the list - My Husband - I had no clue what was in store for me when I said "yes" to his proposal and "I do" at the altar, and I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for us. The love we have for each other is stronger than ever and founded on something way bigger than BL or me. I am so blessed to have a man who not just accepts my faults, but loves me every day in spite of these faults (and boy are there a lot of them!). I am so so SO thankful for this handsome man, and I am SO looking forward to our lives together in the days, months, years ahead! I love you Boo Boo!
So clearly someone, ahem, ME has a really big problem keeping up with an everyday blog. Ooops. I am going to go ahead and finish out this bad boy in this post, then focus on more important things...like Christmas :))
Day 24 - Something you've learned Life is too short. Enjoy every second you're blessed with because we're not gauranteed the next.
People want to be treated well. Some people may act rude, and like they don't need kindness, but we all do. Go hug somebody ;)
Never try to microwave anything longer than 25 seconds while you have the TV on, Christmas tree lit, lamp turned on or while listening to surround sound. Darn breaker will trip every. single. time.
The color of a person's skin makes zero difference in who they are, the way they love or they way they deserve love. We are all God's children.
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
crazy selection here folks...I have a odd collection of 2,800+ songs, and I love it! 1. Mr. Brightside - The Killers 2. Hoopes I did it Again - Reliant K 3. Maybe Next Year - Meiko (yeah! Christmas music!) 4. Home for Christmas - NSYNC (another Christmas tune, how did I get so lucky?!) 5. We Can Work it Out - David Archuleta 6. I have and I always Will - Dave Barnes 7. Sparks - Coldplay 8. The Wanderer - Dion & The Belmonts 9. Clean Breaks - Dashboard Confessional 10. Dangerous & Sweet - Lenka
Day 26-Picture of your family We just went to an indoor water park in the Smokies for Thanksgiving...it was crazy!
And just so you can see how big my immediate family on Dad's side is, this is the whole gang (uncles, aunts, cousins & grandma) at BL's and my wedding. Crazy huge.
Day 27-Pets Gus, A.K.A. Guster G. Brown Town, Guster, Squishy Face, Old Man (he has more nicknames than should be allowed!)
Day 28-Something that stresses you out Disorganization and being late
Day 29-3 Wishes
1. to be debt free (yes, i know how many times i have referred to this) 2. to have children (other than my furkid, of course) 3. go to Disney World (again, because I went several times as a child)
Day 30-a picture On our vacation we threw it back to senior pictures for the yearbook. that's how we roll....
this is a no brainer..... our HoNeYmOoN!!! I got to be on a beach, with an amazing pool, waited on hand & foot, meeting new people, and all with my favorite person in the whole wide world! Good thing my husband likes to travel like I do, because we both want to take many, many, many more fun trips together!
I have been out of town with the fam for Thanksgiving and have been blogless, but I am back :)))
I have seen this promo on several other blogs and wanted to make sure and share the awesome deal going on with Shutterfly for bloggers! Do you use Shutterfly? [you should if you don't] We used Shutterfly for our wedding guest book; I made a photobook of our engagement pictures and had guests sign around the photos (it was a huge hit!!):
Have you looked at their photo Christmas cards?! I love, love, love Christmas cards and boy do they have some very very cute ones this year! I can't decide which to pick. We'll be using a wedding photo for our cards, so I want to get one that looks good with my favorite wedding snapshot :)) Here are some of my favorites:
They have so many great items on their website that you can use as gifts...not just for Christmas, but for any other occasion! Calendars, birthday cards, custom coffee mugs, you name it! All of it is affordable & great quality! If you're getting married anytime soon and don't have a guest book, I recommend doing the photobook; what a fun memory!! Shutterfly saves you time and money :)
I have only been given a few over the years, and I think the main reason is that the name I go by is a nickname; my legal name is Christina. The one nickname I am not a fan of is Chris. There are some people in the world who call me this & can get away with it (b/c i love them) but if we're not close, please don't call me Chris. HA ;)
Others include: chrissi-poo tina chrikki boo boo
That is about it...like I said, I don't have many. Easy peasy post here folks ;)
Right now it's dreary here, so I miss warm sunny days......
photo from Google
I also miss laying by/being in the pool......
Most of the other things I miss are from my childhood. Certain pets, being young and dumb naive to the dangers and problems of the world. Things like naps, recess & summer vacation!!!
