Fast and Furious

February 25, 2009

Today - on one of his explorations through my cabinets.

On this day a year ago I woke up to horrible, VERY strong contractions. At first I thought, is this for real and then very quickly I knew. To say that I was scared was an understatement. It was about 6:30 a.m. and after about four contractions I knew they were coming fast - too fast. Our next door neighbor came over quickly and we were out the door and driving to the hospital by 7:00 a.m.

That was the longest 40 minute drive in the car. I thought we would never make it. They didn't think my doctor was going to make it either as Douglass Charles English, Jr. made his debut at just after 8:00 a.m. - twenty minutes after I arrived at the hospital.

We have been going fast and furious ever since and ironically, these are two characteristics my son displays. He is fast and on the move and has a furious temper when he gets angry. :)

I truly was nervous about having a boy and nervous about whether I would love him as much as Charlotte. He is my precious boy and I can't imagine our lives without him - and I love him just as deeply. He is passionate, head strong, and has a determination that both intrigues and scares me. He is very independent and strives to do all and be all that his big sister is - and I best not instruct him otherwise.

He is all boy - already loving to wrestle, play ball, and loves to make a lot of noise. I expected a quiet, laid back second born - and that he is not. He, too, is a social child and gives Charlotte a run for her money when it comes to getting attention too. I can already see the competitive spirit he will have with her.

I love his big brown eyes, his dimpled grin, and his from the gut cackle. I love the way he sways back and forth when he dances, and his desire to experience and explore things. He already loves to climb and I keep telling Doug that Douglass Charles will most likely be our child that is jumping out of airplanes right along side him.

Douglass Charles, know that you are a special, and important part of this family and that your old momma - in an effort not to be too mushy - will always love you. I pray that you never loose your sense of adventure and passion. That you seek God with all of your heart, and that you will live a life that is worth sharing with others.

Know that I love you with all my heart. Thanks for giving me the chance to see childhood through a little boy's eyes.

Mark Your Calendars

What do rain boots, an umbrella, a buzzing bee, a tenderhearted lion, and some pretty little flowers have in common? They are all making their debut - with a few other things - over at The English Pea on Apirl 1st - no foolin'. So mark your calendars as there will be much celebration - a.k.a that means giveaways - the first full week of April.

And so as not to ignore all my other lovely creations March will have it's own share of goodness. Check back next week for my "Stock Up and Save" event. You won't want to miss it!

Let the Birthdays Begin!

Many of you may not be aware that in our house today starts a week long streak of birthdays. All the men in my life - immediate family - have their birthdays over the next five days. Yes, I said five days.

It is fitting that today is Doug's birthday - since he is the first man in my life. Douglass Charles and my Dad share their birthday on Thursday and my brother, Owen has his on Sunday, the 28th.

But today, it is about Doug, my sweet husband. He is 31 today and before bed last night we both laughed at the fact that we have known each other for ten years. Who would have thought ten years later and two kids that we would be together. We are and I am blessed because of it. :)

I am so thankful for many things about Doug - he makes me laugh (and often), the fact that he calls me every day on his way home from work (something I look forward to), that we just enjoy hanging out together, and he is such an involved father. We have always been the best of friends - even before we became romantically involved - and he always puts the family before himself.

I am also so proud of him. Doug is not one to toot his own horn so I will do it for him. In just a couple of months he will be finished with his Masters in Administration. To say the last two years have not come without personal sacrifice on his part is an understatement. Going to school while holding down a full time job, coaching multiple sports, taking leadership classes, and being a family man is no small task. His hard work has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

There are so many things I could write, but I just want to say, Happy Birthday, Honey. Thanks for all you do. You mean the world to me and I look forward to sharing many more birthdays in the future. I love you with all my heart! xoxo

Let the Birthdays Begin!!!

Farmers Market Baskets

I have been wanting to blog about this for a while and since I have promised info to so many of you, now is as good of time as any. Our church is a drop off point for Farmers Market Baskets - a business that collects local produce. We started taking advantage of it not long ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

This beautiful confetti of a salad was full of many of the goods we have gotten and the croutons were a special treat - Ina Gartin's recipe if you are interest and SO easy. We went to Brad and Amy's this weekend and since Brad is quite the cook, we offered to bring the salad. His food was wonderful and this salad a nice compliment.

Just to give you an idea of what you get in our last basket we got apples, pears, oranges, lettuce, limes, avacado, carrots, broccoli, onions and cilantro - all for $18.00. It is wonderful and it motivates us to eat more produce, get creative with our meals and shop local as well. So... if you are interested in learning more or joining up just go to http://www.farmersmarketbaskets.com. We promise, you won't be disappointed.

Miss Kate

Many of you know that I have a part time job working as a Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A. I only work ten hours a week now, but when I started I was working more like thirty. Seriously, with every child I have had I have cut back ten hours - now making my time only 10 hours (I guess that means if a third comes along I will no longer be working for CFA). Anyway, this job is great because I can pretty much do it from home. This can also be a curse and the reason Miss Kate was hired.

This summer, after I went back to work, Doug and I seriously prayed about my quitting. Our budget was telling us that it wasn't possible with Doug getting his masters, but my body and emotional state were telling me that a breakdown was in my near future if I didn't stop working.

Our compromise was hiring a sitter for four out of the ten hours that I work. So we gave ourselves a month and said if we couldn't find someone that met our needs then I would quit.

To say that I was hoping we wouldn't find someone was an understatment, but I did my part to find someone and it truly has been a blessing. All of us LOVE Miss Kate. She is a homeschool student and very responsible. She does a great job with the kids and an added bonus - she straightens up the house while she is here. This makes me love her even more.

And another bonus for me is that those four hours of work a week are something I look forward to - my break, my chance to have adult conversation. Who knew that something that was causing me such stress could wind up being an escape - and Miss Kate makes me feel good about leaving my kids for a few hours out of the week. So... thanks Miss Kate for ALL your hard work! You are a blessing to this little family.

Winter Wonderland

While this was not the first snow of the season, the kids would consider it their first. Our last snow was a little on the icy side and not as easy to play in. This snow was gorgeous, fluffy, perfect for making snowballs. We got around four inches and Doug, Charlotte and I enjoyed throwing snowballs at one another. Obviously we were not prepared with appropriate clothing for this big event, but we just piled it on and made it work.

Charlotte wouldn't keep her gloves on. It was difficult for her to form her snowballs and the gloves just frustrated her. Unfortunately, she found out all too quickly why the gloves were necessary - as her hands would begin to hurt.

We did have such fun and even bundled the baby up in it for a few moments. Charlotte is still talking about the snow. While fun, I have had my fill and after a gorgeous and warm weekend this weekend, I am ready for Spring - and all that beauty that comes with it.

waiting...

This picture was from last Friday afternoon right about the time the snow started falling. Charlotte wasn't quite sure what all that white stuff was, but when she discovered how wonderful it was she could hardly stand being indoors.

Thankfully, the pictures are downloaded and I am now doctoring them. So... stay tuned for more posts to come. :)