Welcoming Committee in Heaven?

Sorry, it has been a while since I last blogged. Life has been crazy lately. Last Friday, my sweet friend Melissa went to live with Jesus. I am not going to say much, but I do want people to remember her the way I do. If you knew her, you know she is dancing at the feet of our Lord right now. I don't know what Heaven is like, but I've sure been thinking about it lately. If they have a welcoming committee in Heaven, I know she is the chairman. Honestly, she is the reason, Matthew and I are members at TaylorS First Baptist Church. She and Thomas were the only couple that reached out to us when we visited. We instantly became friends. Melissa was the most outgoing person, I have ever met. She also has the most amazing parents in the world. I have posted in the past how much her sweet parents mean to us, and it remains true today. They will always be our dear friends. I know I said that I wasn't going to say much, and a page later, I still write. I hope and pray that people remember Melissa as the loud, passionate, loving, caring, Mexican food eating, dancing queen that I will remember her as. We loved her very much!

Crazy Cowgirl!

Random Post

I don't even know where to start! I'm so embarrased that I haven't blogged in 20 days. Things have been so crazy at work, which is great! When I get home, I am so exhausted, yada yada yada. So, I am blogging now, and that's all that matters. We all have been doing well. Matthew is busy with work, so am I, and Marli Claire is growing like a weed. It is hard to believe that she is 17 months old. She is running (literally) everywhere, and her vocabulary grows by the minute. Her sassiness has increased tremendously, landing her in a lot of trouble. I really don't know where she gets it from, ok, I do, but I'm almost 30 so I can be sassy. She has been pointing her finger at me, and saying, "no, mam!" How did my sweet innocent child change drastically overnight? Well, I will be posting pictures soon of our latest adventures. So, stay tuned!


This picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with this blog post, but I couldn't wait any longer!



I saw this hanging on the wall in Staples one day. I had to snap a shot. Dr. Epting? Is that you? I thought to myself, "Dr. Epting is pulling out all of the stops to help NGU!" Modeling for Staples though? Whoever this man is, I hope you know you have an incredible twin! What do you think?

Happy Clergy Appreciation Month

Today is a sad day for the three of us (well, two of us, MC doesn't understand). Our pastor resigned from the church to begin a new journey with the North American Mission Board. Dr. Page is not only a pastor to us, he is our friend. He is such a wise man, and NAMB will be blessed to have him become part of their staff.

I will never forget the first Sunday that Matthew and I visited TFBC together, we were trying to sneak out of the side door so we didn't have to talk or shake hands with pastor. (sad, but true). He sought us out as we were sneaking, to introduce himself to us, then called us that week to get to know us better. What a pastor! If you think he is awesome, you should meet his incredible wife. (talk about "better half").

Anyway, on to explain the post title, Happy Clergy Appreciation Month. I just found out that October is the National Clergy Appreciation Month. I know this isn't a holiday that we bring out cake and party hats, but it is the time set aside to let your pastor know how much you appreciate him. Dr. Page, you mean so much to us! Thank you for leading our church with passion. We will miss your teaching, your personality, and oddly enough, we will miss you throwing tortilla chips at us at the mexican restaurant. You will be greatly missed by all, and you will always be Marli Claire's "Papa Page." We love you and Mrs. Dayle very much!

Class of 2026

When I look at Marli Claire, it is crazy to think that she wont love the Lord, or that she will one day walk away from the church. Our church has begun a new ministry called Growing Graduates. This is a partnership between parents and the church to bring up our children to be passionately devoted followers of Christ. It is scary to know that 70% of 18-22 year olds leave the church and their faith. Through Growing Graduates, we will be able to prepare our children for the generation to come. Matthew and I promise to do our part as MC's parents to teach her how to have a heart of a warrior, mind of a scholar, hands of a hero, and feet of an ambassador. For more information on how you can do the same, visit http://www.growinggraduates.com/.

This pic is MC showing off her print that she received at church today. This is what it says:

CLASS OF 2026

AND WE PRAY THIS IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE LORD AND MAY PLEASE HIM IN EVERY WAY: BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK, GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. COLOSSIANS 1:10

Marli Claire & Eli

We FINALLY got together with our friends Wesley, Candy, and Eli. We had a great time, and Marli LOVED Candy. It is so great to have awesome friends!

MARLI CLAIRE AND ELI MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME

CUTE LITTLE COUPLE

MARLI AND "AUNT CANDY"

SWEET MARLI CLAIRE

Random Ramblings 1

I have random thoughts everyday, some I think about more frequently than others. Honestly, I keep them to myself because they are outrageous! Surely others have these thoughts too. It can't just be me. Right?

I said all of that to say this, I think I will start sharing some of them. (Right now, my sister Sherri is saying, "NO NO, please NO!") But, I'm gonna! I am going to entitle each of them Random Ramblings. I will post them when they come to me.

For instance, last week, one of my guests (Aveda word for client) and I were talking about cleaning our ears out. No, this is not usual conversation in the salon, but that isn't the point here. I have thought about it everyday since. I LOVE CLEANING MY EARS!!! Now, for those of you who are thinking at this very moment of posting a comment about the harm in cleaning your ears out with Q-tips, DON'T! I already know. SIDE NOTE: I actually had to have my right ear cleaned out by a doctor my senior year of high school because of using Q-tips. I had temporarily lost the hearing in my right ear. I will spare you the details, but I must say that It was well worth it. There is just something about walking in to the bathroom, taking the top off of the jar, pulling out that beautiful white cotton tip, and cleaning my ear. I'm embarrassed to admit, that it happens to be one of the highlights of my day. Sad I know! I know that I have a simple life when the highlights of my day are:

1. Spending time with my husband AT HOME!
2. Loving on my beautiful little girl.
3. Listening to online sermons on my lunch break!
4. Chatting with my mom on the way home from work. (and cracking up with my bro-in-law Andy over Blackberry Messenger)
5. Reaching in the fridge for a ice cold can of Coca-Cola Classic.
6. Cleaning my ears with Q-tips!

What in the world has happenned to me? I don't know, but I love it! Back to the Q-tips! Why does it feel so good? Why am I addicted? I want to know, are you addicted too?

An Unexpected Gift

TRUE STORY! Matthew’s birthday was September 9th. You know, when you want to buy your spouse something for his birthday, it feels weird using the debit card to buy it, right? If your husband is like mine, he would know what he got anyway, because he checks the online banking about 50 times a day. SIDE NOTE: money is not going to magically appear in the account just because you check it online! Anyway, that is all beside the point. I always hide my cash tips in the back of my wallet in a zipper pocket (probably not anymore, because Matthew will now know). I use the cash tips to buy something fun, most of the time for Marli. So, I had been saving for Matthew’s birthday so that I didn’t have to use the debit card. I was able to get MC’s pictures made and still have money left over to buy the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses that he has been wanting (thanks to my mom). I was excited because I led him to believe that I didn’t get him anything due to lack of funds. I decided to just get a gift card for him from The Sunglass Hut so that he could choose the pair he wanted. They of course all look the exact same to me. Again, beside the point. Yesterday, we went to the mall for Matthew’s annual birthday trip with his grandmother, and he finally got his sunglasses. I definitely told him that he looks better than Brad Pitt in his, and he does. When he took his grandmother home, she went to the back of the house and returned holding a case in her hand. She told him that she remembered her husband (Matthew’s grandfather) owning a pair of Ray-Ban glasses too. The glasses look IDENTICAL to the ones he just bought, and the case hasn’t changed either. His grandfather had taken such good care of them, that it looked like they had never been worn. Matthew lost his grandfather not too long before he and I started dating. They had an incredible relationship, and he misses him very much. The two of them must have been more alike than I even knew. What a special pair of aviators! Needless to say, we are headed back to Sunglass Hut to return the overpriced glasses that we bought yesterday.

Final Farewell

KISSING MY LAST STARBUCKS COFFEE GOODBYE



Dear Starbucks Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte (extra hot),

The time has come for me to say, "goodbye.". We've been through a lot together. You've been a crutch for me to lean on in times of need. You've been the one to keep me awake when driving on long road trips, when everyone else fell asleep. You've helped me through the countless yo-yo dieting days. I could give you hundreds of meaningless quotes, such as, "It's not you, it me." Please know that there is one and only one reason for this sudden break-up, THE BUDGET. If you are looking for someone to blame, don't blame yourself, blame my friend and co-worker, Sara Moore for pointing out how much $ I have spent at your fine establishment over the last month. Since your recent breakup with Sara, she and her husband were able to become first time homeowners. I'm just saying! If needed, I can break it down, mathematically, for you:

1 cup = apprx $5
x 7 days = $35/wk
x 4 wks = $ 140/month (may I point out that this is more that our monthly Duke Energy Bill)
x 12 months = $1,820/yr

I will stop there knowing that it is too painful for you to bear more. I will always have a very special place in my heart for you. Thank you for being there for me. Although we can no longer see each other, I hope we can still be friends. It is best this way. I simply want MC to be able to go to college one day. You understand, don't you? If you love me, you will let me go. So, this is it, our final goodbye. It's more difficult than I ever imagined. Farewell my Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte Extra Hot. You will be greatly missed!

Sincerely,

Delecta

Feliz cumpleaños, papá!

Today is Matthew's birthday, so we surprised him with a book of pics of Marli Claire. I had them printed in wallet size and made a cover for him to keep in his wallet that says, "You know you're a dad when pictures of your daughter take the place of your money." Is this not true? While my mom was visiting this weekend, we snuck away and had these made. Matthew was so surprised! I know it won't be long before it is highly inappropriate for Marli to be shirtless, so we decided to have one more shot at the pettiskirt pics. Happy Birthday Matthew!

P.S. - If you know MC, then you know that we have at least one "meltdown" per photo shoot. I had to add those too.

UPSIDE DOWN MONKEY

SHOULD I GO AHEAD WITH THE MELTDOWN?

YES, I THINK I WILL START!

IT'S GETTING GOOD!

ALL OUT MELTDOWN

OK, I THINK THAT I'M OVER IT NOW!

Please Pray!

My sister went to the doctor this morning, and was diagnosed with the H1 N1 aka Swine Flu. She is extremely sick. Please pray for her.

MC aka "gangsta"

Marli Claire LOVES music, almost as much as I do. She has more rhythm than any 16 month old I have ever seen. We listen to LECRAE, a christian rapper, who is truly talented. His lyrics are awesome! I promise that I didn't teach her this head bob!

It's a jungle out there!

Matthew and I took MC to the Greenville Zoo on Monday. I didn't know if she would even notice the animals or not. She said, "whoa," and "oooo," everytime she saw an animal move. She especially loved the orangutan and the loud birds.

I haven't made a video in a while, so I decided to arrange the pics from the zoo in video form. Hope you enjoy!

***Matthew did mention that one of the pics that I labeled as a gorilla is not a gorilla, it is an orangutan. What in the world is the difference? I don't know!***

The Crayola Surprise

Marli Claire loves to color, but has a hard time keeping her grip on crayons. I found easy-to-hold baby crayons at Target, and decided to surprise MC with them today.

SUPER EXCITED!

THANKFULLY, THEY ARE NON-TOXIC

DROPPING THE CRAYONS UNDER THE TABLE ON "ACCIDENT."

THIS IS MORE FUN THAN COLORING! "UH-OH!"

THE MASTERPIECE

The Gratitude Card

I have blogged about how awesome our salon is in the past, but they continue to amaze me every day. Two weeks ago, each employee received a "gratitude card" to give to someone who goes above and beyond in service. The "gratitude card" is a $50 giftcard to Wisteria that can be used for any salon service, spa service, or for retail. When I received the card, I started praying that God would lay someone on my heart that needed that card. I didn't want to give it out just to give it out. Last week, I took Marli to the doctor for a check, and it hit me, I knew at that moment who needed the card. Marli's pediatrician is awesome, and her nurse, is just as great. She has been so good to us, and just loves Marli. She goes above and beyond what is expected of a nurse. Recently, her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She has been working full-time, and taking care of her husband and family. When I saw her, I knew that she was in need of relaxation. I hope that she will leave Wisteria feeling relaxed and refreshed. Please pray for Diane, her husband, and thier family as they continue to fight against his cancer.

EMEALZ - This is unbelievable!

This is one of those things, you read about and want to kick yourself for not thinking of it first. These people are probably millionaires, and here we are scraping by. I'm still thinking of something awesome that I can invent.

So, what is it?

Thanks Jonny and Allison Scott for this incredible idea! EMEALZ is a weekly menu guide for busy moms and/or frugal families. You choose your plan (regular menu, low-fat, low-carb, menu for 2, etc.), log on, and print off your weekly menu. You choose your favorite grocery store, and it will print off your aisle by aisle grocery list for you. It also chooses the menus for the week according to your grocery store coupons and specials. You average an $86/week grocery bill. THIS IS CRAZY! Sometimes, I feel like I get stuck in a rut with what to cook. You know you have Spaghetti at least once a week too!

So, to sign up, it cost $15/3 months ($1.25 week). Go to http://www.emealz.com. Type in this coupon code for $2.50 off the $15/3 month price. (Coupon code: DAVE)

***FYI: Dave Ramsey endorses this!***

Our Vacation in Photos

Sorry, it has taken me a while to weed out the thousands of pictures that I took on vacation. We had so much fun in Florida with my family. Just a few :) pics from Daytona:

MARLI'S FIRST PLANE RIDE

AMANDA'S SKIMBOARD ACCIDENT

MARLI'S SUNSCREEN MOHAWK

THE LIGHTHOUSE

FIRST BITE OF KRISPY KREME

MARLI DOESN'T LIKE GRASS!

AUSTIN AND JOHN MAKE ME LAUGH

HONEY, I ENLARGED OUR CHILD!

SURFER, ARE YOU CRAZY?

TIM CAPTURED MARLI'S FOOTPRINT

THANK YOU SHERRI!