Three and One

Since 2013 is winding down, I thought it would be a good time to post an update about my girls. My, how they're growing, as little ones tend to do! We've been busy at our house with birthday season this Fall. Lily turned three in September, my hubby's birthday is in October, and Anna turned one in November - on Thanksgiving Day this year. It has been a crazy, fun, and special time!

It's hard to believe that Lily is three. She's truly a joy, this special girl. She's just the right mixture of silly and sweet, girlie and dainty but not at all a diva, clever and smart. She absolutely loves Peter Pan (the old Disney cartoon), so that's what we did for her party theme. In fact, it also provided the theme for our whole family's Halloween costumes this year (more on that later).

Here are a few pictures from her Neverland-themed party in September:

Next came October, and we continued the Peter Pan theme with our costumes. Lily wanted to be Captain Hook (love her imagination!), so we dressed Anna up as Smee. Their daddy was Peter Pan, and I was Wendy. We had a blast!

November was a special month, as it was Anna's first Thanksgiving and her first birthday, all on the same day. Anna is a little Mommy's girl (quite a change from her big sis). She loves music, loves to dance, and loves to eat. She adds so much joy to our family!

We chose a theme of butterflies and pinwheels for her big day. Here are a few photos from her party:

It has been a fun year of firsts for Anna. She is quite a bundle of energy! Having two little ones close together is fun, but it's also more challenging than I ever imagined. Of course, we're still joyful every day for the opportunity to be parents to these two precious gifts.

To wrap up, here's a collage of all of Anna's month-by-month pictures to show how much she has grown and changed:

What a year it has been! I hope this time of year finds you counting your blessings as well, as you celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.

Last Year's Good Reads

One of the things I've enjoyed doing on this blog is posting my reading list at the beginning of the year. There are few things in life more satisfying to me than crossing things off of a list! I love searching for new (and old) great books to read and compiling a list of wonderful titles to keep me entertained throughout the year. I don't always get to every book on the list, but it keeps me motivated to just keep reading.

Last year I never got around to making that list. I still managed to read lots of books (during Lily's naps and after her bedtime), so I made a list of books after I finished them and now I'm sharing that list with you. I like to share it because I really enjoy talking about books with other readers and I love to know what you're reading too. So feel free to comment on any of these titles, and please let me know your favorite must-reads for the list I'm compiling for 2012!

As always, happy reading!

Books I Read in 2011:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling (re-read)
2. Spoken From the Heart – Laura Bush
3. Possession – A.S. Byatt
4. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
5. What the Night Knows – Dean Koontz
6. The Distant Hours – Kate Morton
7. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
8. Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
9. Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
10. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
11. When You Reach Me – Rebecca Stead
12. Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way – Shauna Niequist
13. The Heretic’s Daughter – Kathleen Kent
14. The Traitor’s Wife – Kathleen Kent
15. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott – Kelly O'Connor McNees
16. Havah – Tosca Lee
17. Loving the Little Years – Rachel Jankovic and Nancy Wilson
18. On Agate Hill – Lee Smith
19. The Road – Cormac McCarthy
20. The History of Love – Nicole Krauss
21. Inheritance - Christopher Paolini
    

And More Awards!

(Note: This is the second of two award posts I've done this week. If I told you I gave you an award and you don't see it here, it may be on the first post HERE.) :)

I have two more awards in my possession that I need to pass along! I'll get right to it. First, last month I was give the Making Lemonade out of Lemons award by A from Remember All the Way. Thank you, A! This is a sweet award because it recognizes bloggers who display a positive attitude. Now, to me this doesn't mean being all happy and joy all the time, but it means remaining hopeful and positive even through hard times! When I think of a blogger with a positive outlook, I definitely think of A. But since I can't give it back to her, I'm passing it along to 10 other sweet friends who have also earned it!

Here is the award followed by the rules:


- Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
- Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Now here are the 10 gracious bloggers I'd like to pass this award to. I am constantly encouraged by each of them and their amazing attitudes and outlooks.

Sunny at Progress Not Perfection
Melody at Life is a Bowl of Wedgies
Jennifer at Thoughts From a Blonde
Michele at BTW... We Did Not "Just Relax"
Erica at Parenthood for Me
Abby at LIFE as I Know it
Stacy at In Its Time
Asha at And So it Goes...
Alicia at Consider it All Joy
Idgie at A Long and Winding Road

Congratulations, ladies! Thanks for encouraging me to keep making lemonade out of lemons!

********

Next, I was given the very cute Sugar Doll award from a very cute blog friend, Jennifer at Thoughts from a Blonde. Thanks, Jennifer! Getting to know you has been really fun so far and I'm so fortunate to have such sweet people like you walking beside me on this road.

Here is the award:


The rules are simply to copy the award to your own blog, tell your readers 10 things about yourself, and pass it along!

Whew! Okay, here are 10 things about yours truly. I've tried to keep it brief this time!

1. My favorite colors are green, brown, and red. All three colors appear on the walls in different rooms of my house.

2. I don’t like the taste of coffee or tea.

3. I have absolutely no musical talent. The only musical instrument I play is guitar on Rock Band Wii. :) My husband, on the other hand, plays the actual guitar and is currently doing a great job learning how to play the drums! He alternates playing drums and guitar on the praise team at our church.

4. My husband and I have three adorable nephews, ages 9 years and 7 years (my sister’s boys), and 10 months (his brother’s son). I actually have 4 more nieces and 1 more nephew, if you also count the children of my half-siblings. Two of my nieces are married and have children of their own, which makes me a great-aunt.

5. I love to eat seafood. I’m sure living my whole life near the Gulf coast has contributed to this, but I can’t get enough of it. I especially love fish, shrimp, and crawfish.

6. I had my vision corrected with LASIK eye surgery 2 years ago. I was pretty scared, but it didn’t hurt a bit and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made!

7. We take lots of pictures and I love to scrapbook them. Scrapbooking is definitely one of my favorite hobbies, but unfortunately I neglect it sometimes. Other times I’m holed up in my scrapbook room and people don’t see or hear from me for days. :)

8. I would absolutely love to visit all 50 states. So far I have been to 21 of them, which I guess isn’t a bad start. I still have lots of traveling to do! I have mostly been all over the south and to parts of the east coast. The only places west of Texas that I’ve been to are Colorado and California. How many U.S. states have you visited? If it’s more than 21 I will probably be jealous!

9. I have visited 21 states but have only lived in 2 of them. I lived in Louisiana for the first 24 years of my life and have lived in Texas for the last 9 years.

10. I love all kinds of movies, but some of my absolute favorites are movies based on Jane Austen novels, Victorian literature, and just BBC miniseries in general. I’m a sucker for those! I love getting lost in that world for a little while.

I'd like to give this award to some special blog friends who write about all kinds of interesting things, from life to homemaking, from renovating to decorating, from singlehood to motherhood, from faith to family -- all are special to me and I love their blogs!

Lauren at Thread by Thread
TRS at Single Solitary Things
Amy at Inside the Parsonage
Faith at Millerhomestead's Blog
Renovation Girl
Anna at Anna's Joy

Click on any one of these blogs (or all of them) and you're bound to find something you like or can relate to! And ladies, thanks for being such beautiful and talented women that I'm happy to know.

Awards!

I am long overdue for thanking some lovely ladies for giving me some sweet blog awards! I apologize for letting them pile up like this, but I am finally getting around to coming up with some random things about myself and passing these awards on to some dear bloggy pals. I know this may be cheating, but I have come up with 7 things you will either find interesting or incredibly boring, and I'm using these 7 for both of these awards. There's no way I could come up with an additional 10 random things! I'm sure there is only so much randomness about Stacey that the blogosphere can handle in one day.

So, here goes. First of all, I was given the Honest Scrap award by Katie way back in November. Katie is a sweet and funny gal whose blog always makes me smile (that is, when it's not making me cry). She has been through a lot and has shown such strength and determination. Thanks, Katie!

Rules:
This is how this award thing works- some awesome person passes the award to you, and you in turn write 10 HONEST things about yourself and pass on to another awesome person!

I've decided I want to know 10 honest things about Erin at Loss of Great Expectations. Erin has a fairly new blog, so it would be great if you would go over and show her some love and support as she shares her story!

*********

Next, I have received the Beautiful Blogger award from four sweet friends over the past few months. Thank you Michelle from To Baby and Beyond, A from Remember All the Way, Tammy from Tammy's Journey, and Michelle from All in God's Time. I consider each of these ladies to be such dear friends. They have encouraged me so much along the way and remained faithful and hopeful through their own struggles. I am in the company of some truly remarkable women!



Here are the rules for the award:

~Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.

~Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

~Tell us 7 interesting facts about yourself.

~Nominate 7 bloggers that you love and link to their blog.

Here are my 7 "interesting" things:

1. I grew up in a very small town in Southern Louisiana. I adore my home state and I enjoy every moment that we spend visiting there. The food, the people, the atmosphere – you just can't beat it. Let me tell you, right now the entire state is on Cloud 9 after the Saints have won the Super Bowl! This is the first year in my entire life that I’ve ever been interested in the big game, but I was absolutely thrilled with the outcome. Yay Saints!!

2. I would love to be able to speak fluent French. Having grown up in Louisiana, I took many years of French in grade school and high school, but I haven’t retained very much. All of my grandparents spoke/speak French, and my parents understand it but don’t speak very much of it. My great-grandparents all spoke it as their primary language. It’s a part of my heritage that I would be sad to lose.

3. This may disappoint my dear pet-loving friends, but I am totally grossed out by pet hair! I don’t like the thought of it in general, but especially not on my clothes or in my house or anyplace close to where I’m eating. I know it’s extreme, but I’m serious! Although we had a sweet little beagle as a outdoor pet when we were first married, we do not currently have any pets (hairless or otherwise).

4. At last count, there were about 100 different blogs in my feedreader. I probably add one or two new ones every month. The vast majority of them are infertility-related blogs, but there are a few other blogs about decorating, etc. that I like to stalk. I find it very satisfying to get my unread news all the way down to zero, although it doesn’t stay that way for very long! It is definitely a challenge to actively follow that many blogs but I enjoy it very much and have “met” some great people.

5. I am married to a wonderful man who is incredibly resourceful. My husband has a mind that never quits. He is very smart and can figure out how to do just about anything. He loves to know how things work and has become quite the do-it-yourself-er. He will absolutely find a way to carry out any idea or plan that he has, and I really admire him for that. If he can’t find what he’s looking for in a store, then he’ll just make his own version of whatever it is. This is a quality he inherited from his precious grandfather and I’m so thankful for that. It has made for a very interesting marriage!

6. I am an Elvis fan. I grew up listening to his music (my mom has always been a fan) and have always loved it. I have been to Graceland twice, once when I was little and again about 7 years ago, but I have never been inside the house. It’s something I’d really love to do someday.

7. My mom and family are getting ready to move this weekend from the house they’ve lived in since I was 11 years old. We will be heading over there to lend a hand (don’t worry, by “we” I mostly mean “my husband”), and I’m already thinking of a sentimental post or two to write about the whole thing. I’m very excited for them, and I have to say, I wasn’t expecting this mixed bag of emotions I’m feeling about it. There will be more to come on this later, I'm sure.


I'm very happy to pass this award on to the following beautiful bloggers:

Rebekah at Life After Levi

Kathryn at This 'n That From on the Mountain

Deni at Making our Troxclair Family

Jessica at Marking Adoption Journeys with Joy

Andrea at Life, Love, & Pursuit of our Fairytale

Rebecca at Something I'm Not

Becky at Day by Day

I hope you'll stop by and visit their blogs. You'll find some amazing women with different stories and from different walks of life, but each has earned the title of Beautiful Blogger in my book!

*I know that I have two other awards to get to, but I'll get to those in a later post, hopefully soon! Thanks, friends!

My New Love

This post will be a small break from my usual topic, especially since we are in the middle of what feels like a very long wait for our next ultrasound and there is no new information to report. So far, the first few days of the week have gone fairly quickly. My husband has been at home sick for the past 2 days, which makes me lose track of my weekdays. I keep thinking it's the weekend already, and then I remember it's only Wednesday! Next Thursday can't get here fast enough.

I wanted to write a quick recap of my birthday on Monday. After our doctor's appointment that morning, I came home and Chuck returned to work for the afternoon. I spent my time updating the blog and checking e-mail and stuff while I waited for him to come home. We had plans for dinner and a movie that evening.

It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to eat and what movie I wanted to see, but I finally decided I was in the mood for shrimp pasta and a romantic comedy (nice combination, right?). We had considered seeing Avatar, but decided instead on seeing It's Complicated, which we thought was really funny. I do love films from writer/director Nancy Meyers.


It was so nice to get out and enjoy some time together, rather than sitting around feeling nervous! There was an elderly couple sitting in the row in front of us at the movie, and we couldn't take our eyes off of them. I think older couples are so precious! Chuck and I were imagining ourselves going on a similar dinner-and-movie date in about 40 more years. :)

After the movie we went to Chili's and shared one of my favorite desserts, the molten chocolate cake. I don't let myself get it all that often, so it was a nice birthday treat!


MMMMMMM!

As soon as we got home I remembered that I still had a birthday present to open. My dear husband made me hide my eyes while he went out to the garage to get it. (The garage? I was going to be mad if he had gotten me a power tool!) When I opened my eyes, it was quite a shock! It wasn't a power tool. It was something I've wanted since we've been married. For almost 12 years I've had my eye on it and I couldn't believe it was sitting right in front of me! He had gotten me THIS:



I was (and still am) ecstatic! I cannot wait to break in this new mixer, and at the same time I'm afraid to use it because it's just so pretty! I have wanted a KitchenAid mixer for a very long time, but especially since this Anniversary Edition model was introduced. Also, I knew the color would look great in our kitchen! My sweet husband saved his Christmas bonus (which he kept entirely a secret from me) and some other cash here and there to buy this gift for my birthday. It was a wonderful surprise!

Just for fun, here is my look of genuine surprise:



And here is my look of genuine joy and complete adoration for the man that I married:



It was definitely a great day from start to finish, and certainly one of the most memorable birthdays I've ever had!

Now, what can I bake?

January Happenings

It feels like there are several things to update about on the blog this week. I'll try to keep my thoughts straight and do it in an orderly fashion!

Extreme Makeover Update:
(If you missed the first post about this, you can find it HERE.)
Thanks for all of your great comments about this sweet family's home makeover! Chuck and I got up early on Thursday to go out to the spectator area and get a good spot for reveal day. Fortunately we don't live far away, and we were able to park at our church nearby and walk rather than taking the shuttles that were provided. We were the first ones out there at 7:45 AM. We had a great viewing place right at the front of the barricade. It was really fun to be out there all day and watch the final touches going on the house!



We even got several glimpses of the design team throughout the day.


(Michael)


(Paul, who actually came over to say hi to the crowd!)

Chuck and I literally stood in the same spot all day long, until about 5:00 PM. I'm telling you, we didn't even take a bathroom break! Fortunately we had thought to pack a lunch. It got a little rough, I have to say, because it was chilly outside that day AND it was raining off and on all day. But we were so glad to be able to be there. By the time the family came home, our view was obstructed by a few rows of volunteers and VIPs that were lined up in front of the barricade, but we could still see a little of what was going on. The family looked so excited, and of course that was the best part! The show is expected to air in March. I'll let you know when to watch! We have heard that it will be a 2-hour episode. We can't wait to see how it will all come together.


(This is the only shot I got of Ty. It was just before we yelled "Move that bus!")

Birthday Month:
Although my birthday is almost a week away, several members of my family came to stay with us this past weekend to celebrate with us a little early. Doesn't that make it more fun when you can stretch it out like that? We had a great time and were grateful for the long holiday weekend. Friday night we celebrated my birthday and my oldest nephew's birthday together. I love sharing a birthday month with my sweet little guy! He turned 9 last week, which is so hard for me to believe.


Saturday evening we went to Benihana for a wonderful dinner. We met Chuck's sister and her roommate there as well, and it was great fun. I love that place! (By the way, if you like Benihana, go to their website and register and you can get a coupon to use during your birthday month. It covers your meal up to $30! They will also sing you a little birthday song and take a photo of your group as a keepsake.) :o)
There are still a few fun birthday things planned for the month. This Friday I'm looking forward to spending the day with my best friend since kindergarten. She moved to Texas (about 30 minutes away from me) last year. We have plans to work on scrapbooks during the day and then go out to dinner. I can't wait!

Cycle News:
Today is CD 30, which means that I'll be testing in the next day or two and most likely starting a new cycle before the end of the week. I'm still holding onto a small sliver of hope that we may have a positive test this time, but I'm definitely ready to move ahead if not.

It has been a busy month for us so far, but definitely fun and memorable overall! Hope you're all doing well. I'm working on getting caught up with reading your blogs!

Extreme

This past weekend, after nearly 12 years of marriage, my husband stayed out all night for the first time ever. I was surprised when I woke up early Sunday morning to find that the sun was up and his side of the bed was still undisturbed. Okay, now if you're curious, I'll tell you that he was participating in something very, very cool.

But first let me back up a bit. There is a family in a neighboring town that we know has been in need. Although we don't personally know the young parents very well, two of the teenage kids go to our church. They are a very sweet family with four biological children and nine adopted children! The problem came when Hurricane Ike flooded and seriously damaged their home more than a year ago. The entire family (with the exception of one of the older sons who is serving in Afghanistan) has been living in temporary housing, most recently in a small travel trailer.

Last week we found out that this wonderful family had been chosen to receive a new home from Extreme Makeover Home Edition! We are thrilled for them! Our entire community has been buzzing with this news all week long. The family has been sent away on vacation to Disney World in Florida while construction began last week.

I'm sure you've figured out by now that my husband served as a volunteer at the construction site. It was such a neat experience for him. He took a late nap on Saturday and left home around midnight. After signing in and picking up his blue shirt and hard hat, he got there to discover that they were slightly behind schedule. He and some other guys that we know went to our church (which is only a block away from the construction site) to keep warm and get some sleep for a few hours before going out to work. I thought he might come home sometime during the night before I got up for church, but when I called at 7 AM, he was still busy working. It was a very cold night, especially for where we live, with temperatures in the low 20s. Chuck said it was much better after the sun came up! He worked straight through until noon and then rested for most of the afternoon and evening on Sunday. Oh yes, and he did get to see Ty Pennington just before leaving that day!

Here are a few pics of Chuck in his work gear. He looks a little lumpy because of the multiple layers of clothing. :)



I took these pics from our church parking lot. You can see the large cranes in the background at the work site.

Tomorrow will be an incredibly exciting day. It's reveal day! We're planning to go out there early and get a spot in the crowd to wait for the family to come home. We are both absolutely giddy about seeing the family come home to their wonderful new house!

Yesterday Chuck and I went by the site and hung out for a few minutes at the spectator area across the street. The house is looking pretty amazing. I can't believe how quickly the work gets done. Here's a sneak peek at the new home, as it looked yesterday. Everything will be completed by tomorrow!


(The house is more than 6,000 square feet!)

The episode is supposed to air on ABC sometime in March. I will be sure and post a reminder with the date so you can tune in to see this sweet family get their dream home! I know it will be a great episode, and those of you with a special interest in adoption and/or foster care may especially be interested in watching this one.

Until then, here's a link to the builder's website if anyone wants to see more pics and read about the family:

http://blushieldsextreme.com/

So exciting!

New Book List

Last year I very much enjoyed having a book list to follow. It really kept me on task for the most part. I love the feeling of crossing things off of a list! (HERE is the link to last year's list.)

Below is my reading list for this year. This is just a list I've compiled of books, some old and some new, that I'm hoping to get to in the next 12 months. I'll put a button over in the sidebar if you're a reader too and want to look back at the list for any reason.

I would love to know what you're reading or planning to read, and whether you've read and liked any of the books on this list. Last year I read 25 of the 27 books on my list, so I'm carrying over the 2 that didn't get read. Also, these are in no particular order. I like to choose the next book based on what I feel like reading at the time. I won't be removing any books from the list, but I may add a few if there's time or if something interesting comes up.
Okay, here's the list:

2010 Book List:

1. Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffenegger (January)
2. Eats, Shoots & Leaves – Lynne Truss
3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
4. Lord of the Flies – William Golding (April)
5. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Katherine Paterson (August)
6. Sarah’s Key – Tatiana De Rosnay (June)
7. Frenchman’s Creek – Daphne Du Maurier (April)
8. The House at Riverton – Kate Morton (February/March)
9. Frankenstein (Book 3): Dead and Alive – Dean Koontz
10. Breathless – Dean Koontz (January)
11. A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis
12. The Last Battle – C.S. Lewis
13. The White Queen – Philippa Gregory
14. The Constant Princess – Philippa Gregory
15. Watership Down – Richard Adams
16. Dracula – Bram Stoker
17. Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman (July/August)
18. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman (February)
19. This is Where I Leave You – Jonathan Tropper
20. When You Reach Me – Rebecca Stead
21. The Forgotten Garden – Kate Morton (May/June)
22. The Book Thief – Markus Zusak (September)
23. A Sweet & Bitter Providence - John Piper

From Last Year’s List:

24. The Mill on the Floss – George Eliot
25. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

And as a bonus if I have time:

26. The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan

Giveaway Winner!

I am so excited to announce the winner of this great cookbook that I could hardly get to sleep last night! Oh, I wish I had 20 of these to give away to all of you. Thanks to everyone who entered. Your memories of your favorite '80s songs sure did make me smile and brought back lots of memories of my own.

Just before midnight last night, I typed up all of the possible winners' names and cut them into strips.



There were a total of 21, not counting my husband, sister, or myself, and excluding those who said they didn't want to enter because they had already ordered the cookbook.

I placed all of the names in a cute little jar and drew out the name... (drum roll please)

AMY C!

Amy has been a dear blog friend of mine for a little over a year. In her blog, Inside the Parsonage, she writes about life as a mom, pastor's wife, and child of God. Amy is currently expecting her second baby after living through the pain of miscarriage.

I love that in Amy's comment she wrote that she never wins stuff like this! Here is her comment:

Love that you are having a giveaway! Even though I never win, I still like to play. :) I don't want to seem like I am copying your answer, but if Livin' on a Prayer comes on the radio, you will see me rock it out like no other. It may just be my favorite. That, or Whitney Houston singing "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Totally different types of music, but still awesome. :)

Amy, I'm so happy to send you your prize! I know your sweet little family will enjoy lots of great meals from this cookbook. Congratulations!

Thanks again, everybody, for playing along. It was really fun. Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving filled with wonderful, delicious food!

'80s Rock, Thankfulness, and a Giveaway

It's a strange title, I know, but I promise it's all going to come together by the end of this post. Keep reading!

Earlier this week I was so excited because my favorite band in the whole wide world released a new album. I've been waiting for the November 10th release date for months and months and it was finally here! That evening my dear husband picked up the new CD on his way home and delivered it into my eager hands.

I'm a child of the '80s. I was born in 1977, so most of my school years were spent in that glorious decade of big hair and rock-and-roll. Honestly, I've been a fan of Bon Jovi for almost as long as I can remember. I was about 9 years old when my sister and I bought our first Bon Jovi tape. We listened to it all the time, but it was with their next album, New Jersey (1988), that I became a true fan for life. I played that tape in my sister's Walkman until I knew every single word to every single song. It was four more years until they released another album, so I had plenty of time to memorize every line. One of the things I love most about this band is that they didn't die with the '80s. They released two more albums (not counting the greatest hits one) during my high school years in the early '90s, and the brand new CD is their sixth one in our current decade. I absolutely love these guys and the way that their sound has grown and evolved with the times. The music is different enough from their early days of synthesizer-heavy anthem rock to be current, yet it's still true to their original style.

Can you tell that I'm a fan? I am, people! If you haven't listened to Bon Jovi in a few years or twenty, give them another try. Their lyrics are positive and hopeful and the music still rocks. The new CD is called The Circle. I personally enjoy all of the songs on this particular album that deal with overcoming obstacles, like We Weren't Born to Follow, Thorn in my Side, and Happy Now. Check it out HERE or HERE.

We're changing topics now, but I'll come back to this later, I promise.

Sometime around the third or fourth week of October of every year, my house begins to look like an amazon-dot-com warehouse. It means that my Christmas shopping has begun! My husband and I save money here and there all year long so we can do our end-of-the-year gift giving. I got my first couple of brown boxes in the mail today and they were full of all kinds of surprises for our family and friends.

There was one little thing that I had ordered for myself because I just couldn't wait for Christmas. I don't know how many of you are familiar with The Pioneer Woman, but she has a fabulous blog that is chock full of the most delicious recipes you've ever tasted. I have tried three of the recipes from her blog in the past few months and I haven't been disappointed. In fact, I've been amazed! Here is a photo of my sister cooking the Pioneer Woman's pot roast at my house earlier this year:


The Pioneer Woman just published a beautiful new cookbook, which is the gift I gave to myself. I didn't just order one copy, though. I also bought one for my sis, on the grounds that she may even get it early if she's really, really good. Oh, and I bought a third copy to give as a Christmas gift to some lucky family member or friend.

Oh yes, and I bought a fourth copy... for YOU!

Because it's November and because I am so thankful for each and every one of my special bloggy pals (I really mean that), I'm doing my first-ever giveaway! And let me tell you that you don't want to miss this prize. The cookbook is amazing. I know you will love the beautiful photographs and the step-by-step instructions that this cookbook offers.

Now, I know you may be wondering what this has to do with '80s rock? Well, in order to enter for the random drawing, I want you to leave a comment telling me YOUR favorite song from the 1980s. I won't pick a winner based on your answers -- that's just for fun. The winner's name will be chosen completely at random. Leave one comment from today, November 13th, until midnight on November 17th. I'll announce the winner here on the blog AND in your email if you display an address on your blog profile. If you don't have an address displayed, I will also try to let you know via a comment on your blog. Don't forget to check back to see if you've won the cookbook! You'll be asked to email your name and address to me (staceysthoughts@gmail.com) so I can send it as soon as possible. I want you to have this lovely book in your hands before Thanksgiving arrives!

Just to clarify: I'm not giving away a Bon Jovi CD! I'm giving away a cookbook! :)

Okay, so let's hear your favorite '80s song. I think I might have to go with Bon Jovi's own Livin' on a Prayer. And it cracks me up that now, thanks to Rock Band on the Wii, my sweet little nephews love that song, too. They can sing every word! They know all about Tommy and Gina. :)

Now it's your turn. Ready, set, go!

Fall Fun

We've had a full but fun October! I wanted to share some pics from the month with you in a quick post.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we were going to our college homecoming in Louisiana. We had a blast that weekend, and our team won, which is always a bonus!


Go Tech!


Chuck & me


At the game with my birthday boy

Last weekend was the annual hot air balloon festival at NASA. Although we didn't attend, we can always see the balloons from our house. Chuck got up early that Saturday to go down the road and take a few photos.


A sky full of balloons



Later that day we went to the open house at Johnson Space Center. The coolest part is walking through Mission Control -- this is the first time since 9/11/2001 that they have opened it up to visitors. Here are a few pics inside:





Lastly, in the spirit of Halloween and college football, we carved a pumpkin with our school's logo on it.


I think it turned out so cute!


Happy Halloween from our house to yours!

Hubby Love

We are so excited to be attending our college homecoming this weekend in North Louisiana! Saturday is my dear husband's (34th) birthday, so we decided to spend the weekend visiting his parents and enjoying the homecoming festivities. (Our college town is also his hometown.) Although we do occasionally visit the campus when we are in town, we haven't been to a football game in probably 8 years. This year is also the 10th anniversary year of my college graduation, which is another reason we thought it would be fun to go. To top it all off, the weather is supposed to be great! After another week of 90 degree temperatures in Texas, we are thrilled about the "cool front" and the idea of cooler weather for the game.

I've seen this little questionnaire on other blogs before and I thought I'd fill it out in honor of Chuck's birthday.
Here are some Q&As all about my husband:

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine is Rae, after my dad. His is Louis, which was his grandfather's middle name.

♥How long have you been together?
13 years total. Married for 11.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 4 months.

♥ Who asked who out?
He asked me.

♥ Who made the first move?
He did. I consider the "first move" the night he played with my hair while we were watching a movie. :)

♥ How old are each of you?
I'm 32. He is 34 today!

♥ Did you go to the same school?
High school, no. College, yes.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
No.

♥ Who is the smartest?
Oh, he is. I truly believe that he can do or figure out just about anything.

♥ Who majored in what?
I majored in Family, Infancy, and Early Childhood Education (with a minor in journalism). He majored in Electrical Engineering.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
I am, but he can be very sensitive when necessary.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Our favorite restaurant is Lupe Tortilla.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Prince Edward Island, Canada, for a wonderful vacation in 2006.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Neither of us has a very short fuse, but I'd have to say mine is probably worse.

♥ How many children do you want?
I think you know the answer to this. We'd love to have ANY.

♥ Who does the cooking?
We both do.

♥ Who is more social?
Definitely me. He's pretty quiet in a group.

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Oh, I am! Thankfully, he's not very messy.

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
I would probably say he is and he would probably say I am. :)

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
He does!

♥ Where was your first date?
We went to dinner and a movie (Toy Story). It was January, 1996.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
When it comes to extended family, I do. He has a total of only 5 first cousins. I have 13.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
Usually about 3 times a year or more. The "just because" ones are my favorite.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
We always divide it evenly between families, and we are usually never at home. I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house before, but this year will be my first to host Christmas with his family at our house!

♥ Who is more jealous?
I honestly don't know how to answer this one. I guess I am. I like to tease him about former girlfriends, but it's all in good fun. :)

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
I'd say about 6 months. We had "the talk" after about 3 months, and then we spent the summer vacation from school apart. After that we were much more serious.

♥ Who eats more?
He does, but I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a girl with an appetite.

♥ What do you do for a living?
He is a software engineer at NASA. I'm a homemaker.

♥ Who does the laundry?
I do.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
He is. Definitely.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
I HATE to drive. He likes to drive. This arrangement works out nicely!

♥ What is "your" song?
Okay, don't laugh. We really don't have a mushy, sentimental love song. But one of the very first times we ever spoke to each other was on a fall retreat with the campus organization where we met. I heard him playing the song "Shine" by Collective Soul on the guitar and struck up a conversation. It was love at first sight. (It wasn't really, but we both still grin when we hear the song!)

Happy, happy birthday to the love of my life. I wouldn't rather experience all these ups and downs with anyone else!

6/6/09

Yesterday, June 6, Chuck and I celebrated 11 years of marriage! We had a great Saturday together just hanging around the house until it was time to get ready for our evening out. We had reservations at The Melting Pot (a fondue restaurant) downtown in Houston. It was a totally new experience for us! We had a great time. Before we arrived, Chuck had arranged for a private table with roses and a card, and the hostess snapped a photo of us which she framed and brought out to us before we left (it will be the last photo you see below).

It was a special day for us, and all day we reminisced about our wedding day and all the happy times we've had since. I put together a brief slideshow of photos to share with you, continuing with the theme of my last post. I hope you enjoy seeing some of our adventures! We're hoping to add a whole lot more in the years to come!

Vacation '09 Recap

It is always so hard to come home from a good vacation! A couple of weeks ago we went away to the Smoky Mountains for a week with my family and had a fantastic time.

I wanted to share a few photos with you, but it seems I could only limit it to about 10! We always come home from a trip with hundreds of digital pics to sort through. Here are some highlights.

The cabin we called home for the week in Pigeon Forge, TN: "Cloud Nine"



Beautiful sunset view from our cabin

Chuck and me: entering Great Smoky Mountain National Park in TN

My sis and me: in front of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

Neat shot that Chuck took of the gardens at Biltmore

My whole family posing in Cade's Cove (In this pic are Chuck, me, my brother, my sister, nephews A&N, my brother-in-law, my mom, and my step dad)

One of 5 black bears we spotted in Cade's Cove that day

And finally, some beautiful scenery

I was able to travel to Tennessee (the Chattanooga area) when I was in high school, and I had been through the state a few other times, including two visits to Graceland - once when I was a little girl, and once in 2002. This was my first time in North Carolina, although we only visited a small part of it. What a pretty part of the country!

It was truly a trip to remember. The best part was that we were all together under the same roof. During the day we would venture out and sometimes we would split up into different groups to go do various activities, but we loved coming back together at the cabin every evening to play board games, have dinner, lounge in the hot tub, enjoy the scenery, and yes, even to play Rock Band 2 on the Wii! Now, that's my kind of "roughing it"!

Honest Scrap (Tagged)

Once again I've gotten very far behind on some tags and awards. I love reading things about my fellow blog friends, and I always appreciate getting tagged by you!

In the last month or so, I've received the "Honest Scrap Award" from three of you. Thanks Teresa, Tammy, and Sharon! I adore all 3 of your blogs and can always count on them for complete honesty, friendship, support, and laughter.

Here are the rules:

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Scrap.” Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

Here are 10 honest things about me:

1. I thought about starting a blog for a couple of months before I actually did it. My husband and I went back and forth about all the possible pros and cons. I was very afraid of putting myself out there and I had no idea whether anyone would ever read it. I share so much here that I don't often say in real life, and it's very humbling to me that anybody would read and comment. So, thank you!

2. It bothers me that I'm not very independent. I rely on my husband way more than I probably should. For me it's usually a struggle to get out there and try something new.

3. I've already confessed this on the blog once, but I hate to drive. I'm fine with running my errands around here where I live, but driving to someplace new totally freaks me out. If I'm not sure how to get somewhere, many times I'll have Chuck drive by the place with me so I can scope it out before I have to go there alone (see #2). I know, it's sad. Thank God that I have a patient husband!

4. My middle name is Rae. My dad chose both my first and middle names, and the "Rae" part is the feminine spelling of his own name. I have always liked it and I think it has helped me feel a little more connected to a father who has been mostly absent in my life. If I ever have a daughter, I'd like to give her the middle name Rae.

5. Before I told you my middle name, I googled "Stacey Rae" to make sure that it wouldn't be an obvious thing to put on a public blog where I try to keep some anonymity. I scrolled through the first 10 pages and none of the references were about me. Who knew there were so many Stacey Raes in the world? Turns out I'm really not that unique! :)

6. I've never considered myself a very emotional person, but I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve these days. It usually makes me cry when I see other people crying.

7. I spend an awful lot of time proofreading stuff that I write. Most of the time I even proofread e-mails before I send them. Misspelled words get under my skin. Just yesterday I "suggested" that my husband change a misspelled word in his status update on Facebook! (Have I mentioned how patient he is?)

8. I made the decision to follow Christ when I was a young girl, but I got much more serious about it when I was an early teenager. He is my Lord, my Savior, my comfort, and my strength. I want my life to bring Him glory!

9. I very rarely wear shorts. I'm most comfortable in jeans, and around the house I usually relax in pajama pants. I have never liked the way my legs look in shorts and I'm usually cold, so I love wearing jeans.

10. I am a very loyal friend. Most of my closest friends are people I have known since grade school. Old friends are special, but I love making new friends as well!

Okay, that took me much longer than I expected! Now for the tags. I honestly love and appreciate every single blog I read. This time I'll try to tag friends that I'd like to get to know better or haven't tagged before:

1. Stacy@ In Its Time

2. Becky@ Redeemed Child of God

3. Erin @ Raindrops on Roses (or Ranunculus)

4. Kirke @ Maybe I Will Have a Glass

5. prayerfuljourney @ Accepting God's Will 2009

6. Amy @ An Infertility Odyssey

7. Abby @ LIFE As I Know It

Each of you ladies inspires me by sharing your thoughts and experiences through blogging. I hope you'll participate!

More Books

Today I spent a couple of hours at a bookstore with a friend. I have been buying so many books lately and I'm so excited about reading them! I was pretty good today - I went in with a list of 4 books and only bought what was on my list. (I was impressed.) I want to share the updated list here on the blog and keep up with the progress. I've put a line through the ones I've finished and noted the month next to the ones I've read. (Can you tell I like organization?) After finally finishing the Paolini book, which took several weeks (it is long but I also had a lot going on last month), I've been making much faster progress. I'm not following the list in any particular order. Right now I'm reading Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson.

On the updated list I'm leaving off the recommended books this time. I'll add them back if I get to them this year. Nothing else has been removed from the original but you'll find my new purchases added. Also I'm combining the list into one, rather than having the young adult books shown separately. There's a new link on the right hand side of my blog where you can access this list anytime. (Click the button over on the right or click HERE to see the updated list.) Let me know if you've enjoyed any of these books! I hope you'll make time for some good reads this year. I realize that if you don't like to read, this post is probably pretty boring to you!

One more thing: Today at the bookstore I came across the most precious children's book. Let me give you the synopsis. There's a duck who is sad because all of his friends have eggs of their own. (Sound familiar so far?) He finds his own egg - a big, speckled one that his friends laugh at, but the duck loves his unique egg. Eventually all of the friends' eggs hatch but the duck waits and waits and waits. (Again, familiar?) Finally the duck's egg hatches and it contains a baby alligator that proceeds to snap at the rude friends. I LOVE IT!! ☺ The illustrations are beautiful in this book too. It's called The Odd Egg. Check it out HERE. I didn't buy it today but now I wish I had! I think I'll be adding it to my wish list.

Birthday Recap

Here's a quick birthday update for those of you who wanted to know how the day went. First I should tell you that my original plan was to spend all day Saturday at the movie theater. Yes, that's my idea of fun! It's been a crazy few weeks (months, really) and I wanted to get lost for a few hours. Well, Saturday wound up being a day that we were stuck at home with work being done on the kitchen. I am grateful for progress, and the good news is that I think this is finally the week! Thursday is hopefully the final scheduled day of construction and we hope to spend the weekend getting settled into the new kitchen. I can't wait to show it to you when it's done. I bet you're sick of hearing me talk about it!

Saturday was a bust, but Sunday turned out to be a very good day. The weather was cloudy and cold but we made the best of it. We went to church that morning and then Chuck and I had lunch at a deli before catching a movie. We saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which we both enjoyed. I love going to the movies and I love movie snacks! I was all set with my popcorn, Junior Mints, and Pibb (Dr Pepper's first cousin). We also did a little bit of shopping at an electronics store (I bought a cd) and Barnes and Noble (of course I bought a couple of books). Before going home we stopped at Chili's for my favorite restaurant dessert - the Molten Chocolate Cake. Yum! Not a nutritious day by any means, but boy was it good!

Last weekend we celebrated with my family while we were home in Louisiana, so that softened the blow of not seeing them yesterday. Chuck and I had a great day together. Oh, and he bought me a lovely bottle of perfume as a gift. I'm not big on perfume in general but this one smells great!

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that birthdays are hard for me. The last two before this one were extremely difficult, one immediately following a miscarriage and one just after a surgery. Yesterday it was sobering when I changed the info here on my blogger profile. Now I'm 32 and this is year 8 of trying to have a baby. It's hard watching that number creep up while your circumstances aren't changing any. It's like a knife in my heart when I hear people say they want to have their children before they turn 30. I understand, because I thought I wanted that too. It didn't happen that way, and you know what? I'll be grateful to have children whenever it happens. Beggars can't be choosers! I don't want to obsess about how old I am. This is the life I've been given and I'm going to live it.

Thanks everybody for the birthday wishes! I say it all the time, but I mean it - you guys are awesome. If I'd had my children before I was 30, I wouldn't have this incredible group of friends and team of supporters in my life right now. To my real-life friends, thanks for the calls, messages, and cards! It truly was a great day.

Favorite Things

Tomorrow is my birthday. While I'm not thrilled about turning 32 (it's not so much the getting older part as much as the getting older while still childless part - age is so much more than a number when you're in this situation) I decided to do a post today in honor of the occasion. I want to tell you about a few things that I really wouldn't want to live without. Of course my family and friends would top the list, but I'm talking specifically about products here. No, I'm not being paid to promote any of these things, but if you have connections I would consider it. (Ha ha)

And now, a few of my favorite things:

1. Swiffer Products

I love any and all things Swiffer. The dusters, the sweeper, the Sweeper Vac, and the Wet Jet - I own all of them. Honestly, these things make cleaning up so easy. The main living space in my house has laminate wood floors, and we are working on phasing out the carpet in the rest of the house. Only the master bedroom has carpet now and it won't be long before we remove it. I go through the house two or three times a week with the Swiffer sweeper for a quick clean up. I love the Wet Jet for mopping because you don't have to wring out a nasty mop! It's seriously my favorite system for cleaning house. Have I convinced you to use it? I always say I should be on their commercials!

2. The Chi Flat Iron

I can't believe I made it through high school and college without this thing. It's not just a flat iron; it's a flat iron from heaven. My hair is relatively thick and wavy (really more like frizzy) but I always want it to be straight. Every time I wash it I use the blow dryer and then the flat iron to smooth it out. I wish I knew how to work with the wave and let it be natural some days but when I try it I just feel ridiculous! Anyway, this flat iron is pricey but it's worth every penny if you want straight hair. I love it.

3. Amazon dot com

Maybe I told you this around Christmas, but I love this website. The only negative thing is that I'm sure it has played a pretty big part in further enabling me to be a hermit. I do most of my Christmas shopping there and other various shopping throughout the year. I have my own wish list and I have created gift idea lists for my family members. I love it when I can look on the idea list or their own personal wish list (which you can search for by email address) and it makes shopping very easy. I think they have the best prices on books, and you only have to spend $25 to qualify for free shipping on an order. Love it!

4. Picasa

What if I told you that there was a fantastic and incredibly user-friendly method for organizing and editing your digital pictures on your computer? (Do you feel like you're watching an infomercial? I swear if this thing could be used as a juicer we'd really have something magical.) Seriously, my husband introduced me to the software application Picasa several years ago after we first got a digital camera. I thought I could never learn how to work with such a thing, but I am in love with it. Better yet, brace yourselves people, it's FREE. When it first came out we actually purchased it, but now it's owned by the nice people at Google and you can download it for free. No joke. It has the best features - you can correct red-eye, do all of your cropping, change to black and white or sepia, and so many other things. It's simple to email photos or add them to your Facebook or blog. In my opinion, the best things about it are first that it's easy to use and it is a great tool for organization. I never have to search long for a photo. When you empty your memory card you simply give the album a title and date and everything is right where you need it. Second, I absolutely love the Web Album feature. You can upload groups of photos into a web album and share the entire album with friends by email. The album is saved so that if I'm away from home and want to show an album I've uploaded to friends, I just sign in to my account from their computer and there is my album. Ok, one more thing that is awesome about it. Let's say I'm at my sister's house for a birthday party and we forgot our camera at home. She takes a whole bunch of great pics and uploads them to a Picasa Web Album to email to me. I can get home, open her email, and download that same album straight into my Picasa. There are the photos all stored neatly into my own computer, just as if I'd taken them myself. Picasa, will you marry me? Ok, even though Picasa is my fiance, he has lots of brothers who are still available. You can get your own here.

5. DVR
I won't spend a lot of time on this one except to tell you how happy I am that we finally got on board with digitally recording our favorite TV shows. We don't have the actual Ti.vo brand, but we have the DVR that comes through our cable company and we are thrilled with it. Maybe this sounds goofy but I think it has saved me so much time. Watching my shows when it's convenient for me (often late at night when I can't sleep) and being able to skip through the commercials is great, not to mention that I don't have to worry about looking for a blank tape or recording over something I want to keep. Anything that makes my life more organized and clutter-free is likely to be on my list of favorite things! This is not a photo of a DVR, but if Simon Baker doesn't motivate you to start recording or watching The Mentalist I don't know what will!


I'm sure I could go on but I think 5 is plenty for today. Market research shows that if you start using these 5 things, your happiness will increase by 30%. Ok, that's not true but it's worth a shot. These are definitely at the top of my list. Now it's your turn. What things have you discovered that make your life so much easier? Tell me all about it and I'll add it to my Amazon wish list.