Merry Christmas 2010!

I have inadvertently taken a bloggy break - the busyness of life (and 3 active kids) has kept me running. I am truly understanding first hand the meaning of the words "mom's taxi."

But this week, we have slowed down. We have stayed in our PJ's and watched movies. We have baked cookies and popped popcorn. We have spent time together as a family, just the 5 of us (the dog makes 6), and we have loved every single second of it.

So I'll be back in 2011 with more random and hopefully a bit of wisdom and humor thrown in. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Halloweeeeen!!!

Around here, Halloween is more of a reason to hang out with neighbors and walk around the neighborhood socializing than a time for scary and gore. We keep it low key and more of a "Fall Celebration" than anything else.

Except for the costumes. All 3 of my girls see Halloween very differently. Camille really doesn't care what she dresses as, and will change her mind 412 times before actually stepping outside to trick-or-treat. Tait decides the day after Halloween what she wants to be the next year and doesn't budge from that decision. Mary Emma, however, is in another league. She always has been. She decides what she wants to be, draws pictures complete with instructions, arrows, and map keys, and strategizes about how and when we need to start getting her dressed to maximize trick-or-treat time. She has pictures drawn on the back of her bedroom door planning her costumes till 2018. It's my "job" to fulfill a vision that is in her head. And we have a BALL doing it.

This year, Camille was a black cat, Tait was Dorothy, and Mary Emma was Elphaba (the green witch from Wicked). My sister-in-law is in the 2nd National Tour of Wicked, so we're a little obsessed with the Land of Oz around here right now.






I hope you had a successful Halloween full of Milk Duds and miniature 100 Grands. I actually read on the Twitter that someone was pilfering through her child's Halloween stash and found a REGULAR SIZED 100 Grand. I do believe the Lord smiled upon her household in that very moment.

And now, on to Thanksgiving. Which is my personal favorite. :)

I'm Not A Fan Of The Scary

Tonight after dance class, the kids and I went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants for dinner. And yes, I said "one of our favorite" - we have many. I'm pretty sure my little family would fare well in the heart of Texas with all its tacos and queso and salsa goodness. I just need to teach Mary Emma that "chicken fingers" does not equal Mexican food.

When we walked in, we saw three life-sized zombie mannequins sitting in chairs. The restaurant was full of spider webs and skeletons and all the Halloween paraphernalia, so the zombie guys didn't get much attention.



However, I didn't know one little detail about the zombie guys.

The one on the left was real. And he jumped at me. And I almost LAID. HIM. FLAT. The kids were surprisingly not scared (they didn't witness the jumping at me) and actually shook his hand (he was VERY gentle with the kids).

But I'm not sure when my heart rate will return to normal or the blood will reenter my face.

Stupid Halloween.

Well, Lookie Here.

Yesterday was my birthday. And apparently the folks at the BCS love me, because this is what I got for my birthday.



How 'bout THAT?!

Now I know it might not last. Especially since the top ranked team has LOST for the past 3 weekends, and since we have 3 SEC games left to play (including Alabama...boo hiss!). But right now, I'm gonna ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

WAR EAGLE!

Ramblings....

I thought that having all 3 kids in school would allow me to have a little more free time, but I WAS WRONG. Camille goes to school 3 days a week from 9-1 and I'm pretty sure time is sped up during those precious 4 hours so that they seem like a blur. And apparently laundry doesn't wash, fold, and put itself away, and my kids are TRUE GIRLS and love to change clothes once or eleven times a day. Not to mention the abundance of red dirt covered softball clothes that frequent my hampers... (cue banging head on wall)

So, due to sheer insanity and busyness, here are a few things (in list form. Booya.) that I think you should know about...

1. My church just released a CD of original music. It's GOOD. And in keeping with the Radical theme, ZERO church budget dollars were spent on the making of this CD. There are also chord charts, lead sheets, lyrics, etc. for each song that are available for anyone to download - they are SERIOUS about making these songs available for churches and groups to use to worship. It's all about Him - praising Him and worshipping HIM - not about making profits and keeping songs tied up in copyright restrictions that keep groups from being able to use them.



2. We have a new addition to our family - a precious little ShihTzu named Piper. She has been a JOY and the girls are absolutely in love with her. The other day, Mary Emma taught her a trick, which has cracked us all up. Here's the video.

Piper Saying Please from Robyn Davidson on Vimeo.

3. Weight loss update - I have now been working with my trainer, Beth, as well as working a LOT by myself and have lost 32 lbs. I'm pleased with those results even though the impatient me wants that number to be doubled. There are some things about losing weight (I mean losing a LOT of weight) that I wasn't either ready for or didn't realize would be such an issue. First, losing weight is EMOTIONAL. Because in order to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF, you have to face why you gained it in the first place. Hello, cry fest. But I'm working through some stuff, and I plan on reaching my goal and STAYING THERE. Second, I didn't realize how important a support system is. My husband is fantastic and is on this journey with me (stupid butt has lost 54 lbs. - and of course I'm kidding, but WHY can't girls lose weight like boys?? - he looks amazing and I'm so proud of him!). Your comments mean the WORLD to me. And even though a trainer is expensive, Beth has become a great friend and an even bigger encourager. She is helping save my life. Literally. While at the same time she is kicking my behind all over the gym twice a week. I'm in pain today from the workout yesterday. And I'm oddly loving that. :)

4. HOW BOUT THEM AUBURN TIGERS????? War Eagle! I was so glad they played La Monroe last weekend and won by 50 points. These last minute nail biters are killing me. I just really REALLY need someone to beat Alabama. South Carolina, it's your turn. Please take care of business this weekend.

5. This post by Vicki Courtney had me nodding my head and clapping my hands. PREACH, sister.

6. I got some new kicks this week. Apparently the old me could hang on to tennis shoes for ever. But the new, running, gym rat me can wreck a pair of tennis shoes. I got these.

And since the whole Facebook "I like" status has taken Breast Cancer awareness to a tasteless level, I'm glad a portion of the price of these shoes go to Breast Cancer research.

That's all. Have an awesome day. Enjoy the weather - it's GORGEOUS in Birmingham!

The Story of Tait - Part 3

First, if you haven't read Part 1 or Part 2, go here and here.

Now you're caught up.

I have been trying to write part 3 for a while now. But I have some pretty strong emotions tied to it that have caused me to be a blubbering mess while writing it. This part has been hard. Because not only did we learn some pretty scary stuff about Tait, but I also saw God move in a way that I have never seen Him move before. I literally watched as prayers were answered in front of my eyes. And THAT, girlfriend, left me slack-jawed.

So here we go.

Every mom knows every square inch of their baby's body. They know about the freckle between their toes or the birthmark behind their ear. They know how to make a cowlick lay down and can tell you birth dates, birth weights, and shoe size of every one of their children. Because of Tait's ultrasounds, I can now recognize her INSIDES. :) I can now watch as the ultrasound tech rubs the wand across her belly and back and know exactly what I'm looking at. I will also be able to know when something's wrong. Just like I did the first time they zeroed in on her right kidney.

Meanwhile, Spencer and I were at the HEIGHT of conflict about where to move when we came back to Alabama. There were a LOT of tears. There were a LOT of harsh words spoken. There were a LOT of prayers. I was questioning everything - my marriage, my faith, my ability to mother this child who was sick, my ability to mother my other child who wasn't sick... It was a rough time. If we were going to move back to Alabama, I wanted to move to Birmingham. It's a great city with amazing little suburbs that have fantastic schools, etc. It seemed like the place where our family could settle for a long time. Spencer, on the other hand, wanted to move NOWHERE but Montgomery, where our families lived (and still do). We both call Montgomery home - we were raised there. But I knew that going back to a place where you have previously been is hard - if not impossible. Plus, the opportunities for our family were better in Birmingham. But he would have NO PART of it. He had interviewed for jobs in Montgomery - doors kept closing. I was noticing that more and more signs pointed to Birmingham, but I couldn't make him see that. I knew that the only way we were moving here was for God to change his mind.

Tait was 9 months old when a cyst developed in her right kidney. It was scrutinized and measured and noted and observed and we were told not to worry. YEAH RIGHT. 2 months later, she had 2 cysts in her right kidney and 1 in her left. An appointment was made with a pediatric nephrologist at Children's Hospital immediately. We drove to Birmingham (we were living in Tallahassee, remember?) for our appointment. We met this man who told us that Tait had poly cystic kidney disease (PKD) and would be facing a kidney transplant by her 14th birthday. He told us that she wouldn't be able to have children because of the stress on her kidneys. He laid out a plan for her life that included blood pressure medicine, no contact or rough sports (and if you know my family, we are ATHLETES), and very structured weight control. My mind was spinning as I listened to this very smart doctor tell me what a challenge her life would be. I stood in this room, holding my 11 month old, with tears pouring down my face.

Then he picked up her chart and said, "Hold on. The cysts could actually be a by-product of her BWS, but I don't have any experience in that area." Then he said words that I will never forget as long as I live. He said, "There are 4 doctors IN THE WORLD who are leading specialists in pediatric kidney disorders AND genetic disorders and how the two are related." Then he pointed to a door and said, "We have one of them here on staff and her office is right there. Would you like me to make you an appointment with her?" You could've knocked Spencer and me over with a feather. Spencer turned to me and said, "We're moving to Birmingham." My prayer was answered in the basement of Children's Hospital, on a day that was proving to be one of the worst ones of my life. Turns out, it was one of the best.

We made an appointment to meet with Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford, a Harvard educated, multi-published, BRILLIANT doctor who is as sweet as she is smart. She loves on Tait and speaks waayy over our heads. Spencer and I get tickled every time we see her because when she walks out of the room, we try our best to translate into "normal people words" what she has just said to us. The first time she met us, she told us that she did NOT think Tait had PKD. She thinks that the cysts are part of BWS. She thinks that more kids than we realize probably have renal cysts, but most kids don't have abdominal ultrasounds to check. She thinks she will never have any trouble with them. She wants us to keep them monitored, which we do at her quarterly ultrasounds. She breathed life back into our daughter and told us that she was normal, healthy, and should be able to have 6 kids if she wanted. She eased our minds and calmed our hearts.

We now see Dr. Descartes every year. She is in charge of all of the other doctors. She schedules everything and any new doc is run through her first. It's nice to know that one, of our many docs, is the one in charge. There's no conflict with power. We see Dr. Guay-Woodford twice a year to check and monitor Tait's kidney function (which has been totally normal). We see an allergy/asthma specialist - Tait has seasonal allergies, as well as allergies to cats and dogs, just like every kid on the planet. But because of her large tongue, thus causing a smaller airway than most kids, when she gets any upper respiratory sickness, she is SICK - like hospital sick. It can and does cause airway/breathing issues. We never travel without a stash of allergy meds and a nebulizer for wheezing. But we have a doc monitoring that closely. Tait goes to kindergarten like all other 5 year olds. She is smart, developmentally ahead of her classmates, has a precious shy smile, and has a laugh that will melt your heart. She is expected to grow old, be a grandmother, and live a completely normal life. She is still monitored every 3 months via ultrasound for any developing tumors, but other than that is completely normal.

We moved 3 months later to Birmingham. Spencer looked at the job postings within his company the night we got home from the doctor and found a brand new opening in Birmingham. Very funny, God. :) He interviewed and got it. It was a little bit of a promotion and a little bit of a raise. We bought a house that had been on the market for 6 days. We have amazing friends, an AWESOME church, a wonderful community, and the best doctors in the world for our girl.

There are days when I get a little freaked out at the constant cancer monitoring that she goes through. It's not easy. It can take a toll on a mom's psyche. But God did not give me a spirit of fear. And I have to claim the promise that NO MATTER WHAT the tests show, My God Will Take Care Of Me. He has proven Himself faithful during the first 5 years of her life. And He will continue to be that way. He is the only one who loves her more than Spencer and I do. And My God Will Take Care Of Her.



Praise His Name. To HIM be the glory.

What I Made For Dinner Tonight

I was reading Clean Eating magazine the other day (you know, the whole change of lifestyle, getting fit, working with a trainer, taking Advocare products (by the way, if you're at all interested in that, let me know...I can help you out...see side bar to the RIGHT for an Advocare link if you're interested...), losing weight thing) and came across this recipe for Jambalaya. I showed it to Spencer who immediately said, "I think that should go on the menu soon...like tonight." So I made it tonight. It was FAB - quite possibly my favorite meal lately. Well, except for some Sea Bass that Spencer cooked on a cedar plank on The Big Green Egg - seriously, it would make you cry. But it's a close 2nd place. And since a blog is really just the 21st century version of writing letters and sharing recipe cards, I decided to share it here with you. Or, if you'd like, you can pick up the July/Aug 2010 issue of Clean Eating, which I highly recommend, because there were several more yummy looking things in there that I haven't tried yet. But will.

This jambalaya is made in a foil pouch, which makes clean-up a BREEZE. Just FYI.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp (26/30 size), peeled & deveined, tail on (I used a little more than 1/2 lb.)
- 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces (I used 1 regular sized chicken breast - didn't weigh it)
- 1 all natural low sodium turkey sausage, sliced
- 1/2 medium white onion (I used a Vidalia onion) diced.
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced.
- 1 rib celery, diced (I left this out altogether since Spencer is convinced that celery was invented by Satan, himself)
- 1 1/2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt free Cajun seasoning (I didn't have the salt-free kind, so I omitted the salt that comes later in the recipe)
- 1 C all natural instant brown rice (I used a little more)
- 1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth (I used a little more)
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (I omitted the salt....I already told you that)
- Olive Oil cooking spray (I forgot to spray the foil pouches and it worked fine - oops)

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400*F.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the cooking spray. Duh.
- Prepare 2 foil pouches, spray each with cooking spray (unless you forget like I did), put half of the ingredients in each, and seal.
- Cook 25 min. Check after 25 min to make sure chicken, shrimp, & rice are all done. If necessary, re-seal and cook for another 5 min.

Nutrients per 1 1/2 C serving: (for those of you who keep with this sort of stuff...like me)
- Calories: 339
- Total Fat: 5g
- Sat fat: 1g
- Carbs: 24g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 3g
- Protien: 46g
- Sodium: 354mg
- Cholesterol: 171mg

Finished product....

The Story of Tait (part 2)

If you missed Part 1, go here.

Welcome back. ;)

When we left off, my sweet baby girl had come home from the NICU and was having some symptoms of something else being wrong - though none of us, including our pediatrician, could put our fingers on it. The 1st symptom was her size. She was born 5 weeks early, but weighed 7lbs 5oz. She was a giant compared to the other babies in the NICU. But her size didn't really raise a red flag. The symptom that really puzzled us was the size of her tongue. It was so big that she couldn't keep it in her mouth. It stuck out 100% of the time. She had a very difficult time eating because of it and we tried every single bottle nipple on the market before we found one that she could use. Her large tongue also meant that her airway was smaller, so she got sick easier. A common cold would land her in the PICU because it would turn into croup and other breathing problems. My father-in-law did a little research and found out that a large tongue could be because of a thyroid problem, so we had her thyroid checked. It was normal. Our pediatrician, Dr. Jim Ed Martin - seriously, who COULDN'T love someone named Jim Ed? - who was the pediatrician on call the weekend Tait was born and was a total and complete answer to prayer, didn't give up. He knew something was "off" and vowed to research and test until he figured it out.

Then one night, as I was up during the middle of the night feeding a newborn, I decided to do a little "home doctor research" - ie, Google research - on the computer. I Googled "infant large tongue" and the link to the Beckwith-Wiedemann Children's Foundation popped up. I clicked over and it was like I was reading Tait's biography. I, of course, freaked because I didn't know what this was, what the prognosis was, or what our lives were about to look like, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Tait had it.

In the middle of all of this happening, Spencer and I were really feeling the urge to move back to Alabama. We were living in Tallahassee, and loving it, but knew it wasn't home. However, WHERE in Alabama we would move to was a huge bone of contention between the two of us. We wanted 2 different things, and neither of us would budge on the issue. It was the first, and to date the only time that we haven't been able to come to a compromise on an issue that we were facing. We talked with our pastor about our conflict and he gave us some great advice that I will never forget. He told Spencer to use spiritual discernment when making the decision as to where we would move, not just decide based on what he wanted. He told me to shut up and hit my knees (not in so many words, but that's what I heard). Spencer was, and is, the head of the household. He is the leader, backbone, and breadwinner in this family. I knew that ultimately the decision was his, and that my job was to pray that he made a decision based on where God was leading us. It was a rocky time. I spent a lot of time in prayer. I begged God to send us to a city where there were more opportunities to grow and raise a family than where Spencer wanted to go.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jim Ed wanted us to go see a genetecist in Gainesville. Because Alabama is home, we chose to go to Birmingham, Children's Hospital, to see a genetecist there, instead of Gainsville, which has an amazing Children's hospital, but is completely foreign to us - with both of us being from Montgomery, Birmingham was much more familiar than Gainesville. Children's Hospital has an unbelievable reputation and we knew we would get world class care there. So we scheduled a trip to Birmingham to meet Dr. Maria Descartes, a spunky, brilliant, Hispanic doctor, who has become one of our favorite people in the world. Tait was 12 weeks old at the time. We were still living in Florida and still undecided as to where we were going to move. Spencer applied and interviewed for a couple of jobs in Alabama, and doors kept closing. Frustration was setting in. We had a 4-year-old, and a 3 month old who had a syndrome that no one had ever heard of, and scared the pants off of all of us. We were living 5 hours away from our families, and now we had a doctor that we loved in Birmingham - 6 1/2 hours away. I wanted to move to Birmingham. Spencer, to put it mildly, did NOT. To say times were tense is an understatement of epic proportions.

The test for BWS is very primitive, so Tait was clinically diagnosed with it. BWS is characterized as an "overgrowth syndrome." The main "issue" associated with BWS is that children with it have an increased risk of developing certain abdominal cancers within the 1st 8-9 years of life. BWS kids are tested every 6 weeks (until age 4) for hepatoblastoma (a tumor in the liver), and every 3 months (until age 8) for Wilms Tumor (kidney) and Neuroblastoma (affects the nerves, but mostly begins as a tumor on or near the adrenal gland). So Dr. Maria set up a schedule of tests for Tait, beginning immediately. The liver test requires a vial of blood to be drawn and the Wilms/Neuroblastoma test requires an abdominal ultrasound. Tests began and we had our new normal. BWS isn't usually fatal (praise HIM!) and Tait seemed to have a very mild case (many kids with BWS suffer from major eating problems because of their tongue size, and have to be tube fed until a tongue reduction is performed. They also have hemihypertrophy, which means that one side of the body grows at a different rate than the other side. Tait had none of those issues). We were rolling along quite well until one ultrasound threw a kink into our plans and completely knocked our feet out from under us.

To be continued....

The story of Tait. (part 1)

Last week, my middle baby turned 5. Because her birthday is on July 2, it gets smooshed into the festivities of the 4th of July holiday. However, it also lends itself to a lot of playing outside, swimming, and fireworks. What kid doesn't like that? But as we celebrate Tait's birthday, I also reflect back on my pregnancy with her, her birth, and infancy. It was a beautiful time. It was a hard time. It was a scary time. And it was a time where I grew closer to my Savior than I ever thought possible.

This is the story of Tait.

When Mary Emma was 2, Spencer and I decided that it was time to try to get pregnant again. I am very fortunate in that I get pregnant EASILY. So when we decided that it was time, I was pregnant in no time flat. After a trip to NYC, a torn arch in my foot, a cast, a DVT (MAJOR blood clot), and a hospital stay, I lost that baby at about 9 weeks. I was heartbroken. But I was determined to have another baby. So about a year later, I got pregnant again. I lost that baby at about 11 weeks. The doctors started running tests on my blood and realized that I have a situation with my blood that causes it to thicken when my estrogen levels increase (ie. pregnancy), and I was most likely losing the babies because of mini blood clots that were trying to pass through the teeny umbilical cord. So the doctors had me begin taking Heparin shots to thin my blood and fix the problem. And I got pregnant again. And lost that baby, too.

DEVASTATED.

I was hesitant to get pregnant again. I was heartbroken. I was tired. I was having to give myself 2 shots a day in the stomach. I had a beautiful 3 year old daughter. I was trying to be content with 1 child. But I wanted another child. Desperately. So I turned it over to God and trusted that He would take care of me and the baby that I longed for.

And I got pregnant again. And this time, I didn't lose the baby. But I was disconnected. I was hesitant. I was terrified.

I refused to get close to this baby. Spencer and I wouldn't name her. We didn't decorate a nursery until the last possible minute. We went about life as usual. At 34 weeks I didn't feel her move for an entire day. I. Freaked. I called my doctor who sent me straight to the hospital. I was having contractions every 2 minutes. I spent a weekend in the hospital and went home 3 days later on bed rest. I needed to keep this baby in for at least 4 more weeks. But 6 days later, she was coming and there was no stopping her. Because I was 35 weeks, they wouldn't stop my labor anymore. 6 hours, 1 failed epidural (read: natural childbirth), an entire host of on-call doctors because of the holiday weekend, and 3 pushes later, a beautiful 7lb 5oz baby girl was born. We named her Virginia Tait. Virginia was after my mother and grandmother. Tait was a name I just liked. It's different. It's sweet. And it fits her to a T. I remember crying and begging her to breathe. I didn't get to hold her. She breathed ok for a minute, and then started struggling. She was whisked out of my room and to the nursery before I really knew what was happening. The hospital where she was born didn't have a NICU. It was at a hospital across town. She was taken by ambulance to that hospital. I stayed at the 1st hospital. It was a holiday weekend. I was in a new town and state. I had very few friends and all of them were out of town. I had a beautiful baby girl who I couldn't see or hold. It was a horrible day and one of the best days of my life all combined into one.

The next morning, I was released from the hospital and went directly to the other hospital to be with her. I sat and held her almost around the clock. I was so swollen from the massive amounts of IV fluids that I had received (my blood pressure kept crashing) that I didn't have any shoes that would fit on my feet. And as I sat in the NICU, I realized how disconnected I had kept myself from her. I didn't think she knew that I loved her. So I sat. And I held her or kept a hand on her (she was on a ventilator for 2 days). And I told her over and over and over again that I loved her. Because I did. I loved her more than I knew was possible. I loved her like I loved her big sister. But I sobbed because this beautiful baby, who was fighting for her life, didn't know that her mama loved her. And she deserved the world.

I felt like I had already failed her.

And I started praying. I have been a Christian since I was a small child. But I was going through one of those super stubborn times where I was too self sufficient to NEED anyone and was completely content to do it all on my own. I certainly didn't need a God to take over. Because there was a chance that He wouldn't do what I wanted. And I wasn't gonna have any of that. In other words, I was STUPID. But my desire for God to take care of this baby clearly was overriding my need to be in control and I hit my knees. And you know what? He was there. He is always there. He never left, even though I pushed and pushed Him away. He was faithful just as it says in Psalm 145:13 (NIV) "The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." Praise His Name.

So 6 days later, we were able to bring Tait home. Our sweet little family of 3 was now a busy, sleepless family of 4.

And then we started to realize that something else was wrong. Tait had some symptoms that were pointing to something being wrong, but no one knew what that was.

I started to think that we were going to lose yet another child. But this one had been born. She was alive. She had stolen our hearts. And again, we were scared to death.

To be continued.....

Ok, So I've Been Busy

Dear Bloggy Peeps,

I promise I haven't forgotten about you. I've just been busy. June is notorious for kicking my tail and it didn't disappoint this year, either.

We've been doing a WHOLE LOT of this:




And some of this:


And some of this:



And a lot of this:


And we got this precious ball of fluffiness - I'd like to introduce you to Piper, our 9 week old ShihTzu. She is EXACTLY like a toddler except she sleeps in the bathroom. She is into EVERYTHING!


Hope you're having a fantastic, restful, not-too-hot (HA!) summer. I'll be back soon. I promise.

Hugs,

Summertime in the South? I Got it Covered.

It's softball season. All-Star season to be exact. Which means I'm spending more time outside than inside. Unless you've never had the privilege of visiting the deep south, you understand that it's HOT outside. And humid. And did I mention hot?

Besides various forms of fans and cool clothing and tents to sit under and an insane amount of bottled water, I am always ALWAYS looking for a good sunscreen. Since my high school days of slathering myself in baby oil and laying out on aluminum foil have (thankfully) come to an end, I have turned into my grandmother and rarely leave the house without some sort of sunscreen on my face, at the very least. A couple of years ago, I accidentally discovered Neutrogena's line of sunscreen (and by accidentally, I mean that it was on sale, and since we go through sunscreen at a breakneck pace, I'm always looking for a sale) and fell in love with it. Mainly because it smells divine. And it WORKS. So when the lovely Neutrogena people asked me to review their new UltraSheer® Liquid Daily Sunblock, I happily agreed. It came in the mail last week, just in time for our 2nd tournament. So Saturday, as I was planning to spend a scorching day at the ballpark, I applied it under my makeup before I left the house. It's so light that you can't feel it at all. It has SPF 70 (SEVENTY! Take THAT, sun!). It, like their other products, smells great (unlike a certain me who sat in the 100 degree heat all day). It worked great. I re-applied it twice (I mean, hello, I sweated all my makeup off within the first 30 seconds of being outside) because I was constantly wiping my face. I wore another brand of sunscreen on my legs and arms - both of which got a little pink. But my face didn't get sunburned. It also didn't break out, which I was totally expecting to happen. Because every mid-30 aged woman loves to have the acne issues of a 14 year old boy, right? Um, no.

So, after one use, I'm a fan. We have another tournament this weekend AND next weekend (merciful heavens), and unless Alabama's climate suddenly turns to Montana's climate, it'll be hot and humid again. I'll be using Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid Daily Sunblock again. Because if it can survive an Alabama summer at the ballpark, I'll be a customer for a LOOOONNNG time.




Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Pray for Ella

This is Ella. She is 2 years old. She is the daughter of Sheli, who was in my sorority pledge class at Auburn, and Robert. She is Cole's little sister.

And she has cancer.

Ella was diagnosed yesterday with Stage 3 Adrenal Carcinoma after a orange-sized tumor was taken out of her abdomen. Along with the tumor, one of her adrenal glands was also taken. Sheli and Robert will meet with the docs Thursday, which is also their 10th wedding anniversary, to discuss the next steps. Chemo will begin immediately.

I have watched the blog community rally around parents of sick kids. I have been in on the rally so many times. I have watched the power of prayer change lives. And now I'm begging you to do the same for Sheli, Robert, & Cole - and especially sweet little Ella. I can't imagine their heartbreak and outright fear right now. I do know a God who is bigger than their heartbreak. He is bigger than their fear. And He is bigger than this cancer. Sheli and Robert are clinging to their Savior right now. Please join them in praying for complete healing for this precious child.

Please, please, lift up this family. I will keep you updated.

Baby Steps.

It has been exactly 11 weeks and 3 days since I first mentioned the weight loss journey that I have started.

Eleven weeks and three days. Wow. I had no idea how much time had passed. It's a little surreal to take note of the time that has passed since I made a decision to change everything I knew about living a healthy lifestyle. Everything.

So, quickly, here's an update. I have lost 22 lbs. I ran (for the most part) 2 miles a few days ago. I feel great. I can see noticeable changes in my body. I'm strong and love ab workouts (I'm sorry, who is this person?). I'm doing the Shred Level 3 and am kicking it. And I'm very pleased with the progress that I've made.

I'm having success in some areas. My trainer, Beth, who I adore. ADORE. - She is the real deal and has become such a dear friend and mentor - stepped up my workouts yesterday. There was NO WAY I could've done 1/4 of what she had me do the first day I worked out with her. I'm wearing clothes that I haven't worn in a while. I wore a sleeveless dress today. Whattheheck? (Still not quite sure I'm ready for the sleeveless, but it was HOT outside and I was at the ballpark and a pool party blah blah blah...). I'm sleeping well and have more energy now. I'm eating fish (I hated fish). I still refuse to eat cottage cheese (wink, Beth). I guess some things never change. :)

But.

I'm struggling in some areas. Mostly food related. As I said in my previous post, I prayed for a while for the Lord to take away some certain cravings that have hindered any sort of weight loss or living healthy for years. And He did. They are gone. I'm still amazed by the grace that He pours out on little ole me every single day. The craziest part of my struggles with food lately have been the fact that I'm not eating enough. I can't seem to get my calories up. And, according to Beth, my body will soon begin to think it's starving and I'll quit losing weight. HELLO, that's SO not what I want.

So here are my thoughts on this... (FYI, this is some personal stuff, people. This is HARD to write in a public arena. But I honestly feel that transparency is my best ally right now. I'm sick of hiding. I'm sick of pretending that I'm ok when I'm living in a not-quite-as-jacked-up 7Eleven. I'm straight up sick of it. I will never ever get better if I bury my head in the sand and pretend that none of this exists - like I have done for waaayyy too many years.) I believe with all my heart that I'm finally getting a grasp on this food "addiction" that I had/have. However, there's some MAJOR FEAR associated with conquering something that has been such a stronghold on my life for so long. I'm scared of eating too much, so I eat too little. My fear of going back to who I was (in reality, in some ways still am), is causing me to overcompensate and not eat enough. I want this lifestyle that I have adopted to last forever. And I know that if I don't figure it all out, I'll go back to old me. This is where the baby step aspect of this whole thing makes me want to pull my hair out. I want major results NOW. I want to lose an insane amount of weight just like The Biggest Loser. I want it all to move so much quicker! This is the area that makes Beth want to take one of those dumbbells that she constantly puts in my hands and hit me over the head with it. She can see the end result so much clearer than I can. She has more faith in me than I do.

The years of self doubt and self sabotage are staring me in the face and are challenging me to a duel. Who will win?

Good thing I'm competitive. Good thing I have a God who WILL NOT fail me. Good thing His word says that He will complete a work in me. Good thing that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Praise Him.

I will win this battle. Then I will win the war - 7 jillion baby steps from now (grrr.). I will go through struggles and frustrations (like now) but I will see this thing to the end. I. Will.

Thank you for journeying with me. You have NO IDEA what you mean to me.

Love you all -

Tap Shoes, Tutus, and Travis

Ok. So I have weird dreams. Frequently. I usually remember bits and pieces of them, but not the entire thing.

Last night, however, I had a bizarre dream that I remember from start to finish. Every detail.

And I'm still laughing.

It all started with my daughter, Tait's, dance recital. Fran and I were watching our daughters dance (Fran doesn't have a daughter IRL - she has sons, but my dreams don't discriminate because of details) when we realized that we were supposed to dance with them in a mother/daughter routine. But we had a problem. We didn't have our costumes.

So we ran outside, jumped in our waiting car (which was driven by none other than Travis) and headed to the house to pick up our costumes. We laughed and sang To the King while we were driving and pulled up in Travis's driveway so Fran and I could run inside and pick up our costumes. Travis's house was the exact same house as the one where I lived in Tallahassee, and he was having a HUGE party there, but was for some reason skipping the party so he could drive us around. We went inside, put on our tutus (Fran and me - not Travis, although that would've been an EXCELLENT detail), but couldn't find our tights or tap shoes. As we frantically searched Travis's house, we quickly discovered that he put a table in front of every single door in the house, so to get in or out, we had to crawl under a table. We were annoyed with Travis, who was laughing hysterically (while wearing a sweater vest, I might add), because our tutus made table crawling a little difficult.

We decided to hang around for a minute and enjoy Travis's party (while wearing tutus) when Travis stole my iPhone and changed the language on the phone to Arabic. We got back in the car to head back to the recital (we decided that tights and tap shoes were mere details that we could live without). Fran drove, I sat in the front seat trying to fix my iPhone, but every time I tried to check the weather app, it would tell me weather in Saudi Arabia, and Travis sat in the back and sang John Denver songs.

And then I woke up.

You're welcome.

9 Years Old

Dear Mary Emma,

9 years ago at 12:21 pm, my world flipped upside down when you made your dark-haired appearance into this world. You were 9 days late, so I was quite ready for you to make up your mind to come on, but the doc had to induce anyway. I guess you were content to do things at your leisure. You still are.

You had black, curly hair that was blond by the time you turned 1. You are smarter than your daddy and I put together. And we knew it from the moment you arrived. You slept well (slept through the night at 4 weeks old), ate well, and made us laugh every single day - still do.



You decided when you were 3 that you want to be a vet when you grow up. I think you'll make a mighty fine vet. But you have to get over your fear of bugs first. Because where there are animals, there are always bugs.

You play softball harder and with more passion than most kids I know. You love to get dirty on the field and throwing a strike thrills you (and your daddy) more than anything in the world. But you want your hair bow to match your uniform and you want to look cute. You look up to Jennie Finch and Taylor Swift. You have met both of these ladies and the look on your face was priceless.



You love fried catfish with a passion that cracks me the heck up. You hate green beans with an equal passion.

You have sweet, precious, friends. If I could choose your friends for you, I would've chosen the same kids. Your best friends are Raegan, Sadie, Sarah Grace, Jada, and Lindsey.



You don't like math, but are a human calculator. You are SO GOOD at it. You love science, which makes your science geek mommy very happy. You are excited that your 4th grade classroom next year will be upstairs. Apparently "upstairs" is a huge milestone for a kid at your school.

You love your little sisters so much. You are THE BEST big sister to them. People have commented to me about how motherly you are to them and you take time for them no matter what else is going on. They think you hung the moon. So do your daddy and I.



You have a heart for people that is unusual for someone your age. Your preschool teacher used to marvel at the fact that you genuinely hurt for people who were sad and were happy for people who were happy. You love Jesus with your whole heart and enjoy learning scripture. You get to go to your Route 66 party Friday night and you cannot wait!

Today, I will bring your little sisters and come eat lunch with you at school. I will bring you macaroni and cheese in a thermos and it will thrill you to no end. Your dance class and your softball team will sing happy birthday to you and you will feel like a rock star. Your daddy and I love you so much that there aren't even words to describe it.

Happy birthday, sweet girl. We are so proud to be your mommy and daddy.

Perspective

A couple of days ago, I received a letter from my Compassion child, Nevine, who lives in Eastern Nairobi, Kenya. He is 15 years old.

His letter was a thank you for sending him a Christmas Gift. I sent $25 through Compassion International so that he could buy Christmas items. Here is what he bought with my $25 (which translates to 857 Kenya Shillings).

Sandals
2 kilos of wheat flour
4 kilos of maize flour
biscuits
cooking oil
2 kilos of rice

In his letter he told me that he was praying for me. HE is praying for ME. The kid that uses his Christmas money to buy rice, flour, oil, and biscuits is praying for me.

That'll put things into perspective, huh? As I thought about the typical American 15 year old boy, I couldn't help but think of what on that list might've fallen onto their Christmas list.

Probably none of it.

It's because of Compassion International that Nevine receives an education. It's because of them that he receives medical services. It's because of them that he knows who Jesus is and that He loves him so much. It's because of them that his family is helped with basic life needs.

And it only costs me $38 a month.

So as I approach what we call "Birthday Season" in my family (8 birthdays + Mother's Day & Father's Day from May 10-July 15), I pray that I keep Nevine in my heart and perspective in my mind. Because a 15 year old blessing in Kenya taught me to do just that.

And Nevine, I am also praying for you, kiddo. I love you so much.

***If you would like to sponsor a Compassion child and release a child from poverty in Jesus' name, click here and choose one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.***

Just Reminiscing.

Today I was thinking about this post of mine that was written a year ago.

Please go read. And DO NOT skip reading the comments.

Especially sweet Kim's.

Laughing all over again.

I love April 1.

We Now Resume This Blog To Its Usual Randomness.

I have been overwhelmed at the response to my last post. OVERWHELMED. This great big ole internet with millions of strangers on it has blessed me beyond words. Thank you for following me on this weight journey - with all of the ups and downs associated with it (and let me tell you, 2 days ago, there were TEARS involved - it was a rough one). I appreciate your support more than I can say. And if this journey is motivating any of you, well then that's just icing on the cake (or lemon juice on the baked fish, in my case). :)

Now, back to the random that you're accustomed to.

You're welcome.

We are the proud owners of 3 new Hermit Crabs. We went to the beach over spring break and the kids decided to pool their souvenir money and buy crabs.



Mary Emma's crab (the shell in the back) is named Patrick - no, not from Sponge Bob, but because we got him/her (who really knows?) on St. Patrick's Day.

Tait's crab (the crab in the front) WAS named Megan, but she has since changed it to Claire.

Because Claire is obviously a much better name for a hermit crab than Megan is.

Duh.

Camille's crab (middle crab - and let me stop and tell you that I accidentally typed "crap" instead of "crab" which has me giggling right now, because obviously I'm 12) has had a number of monikers. First it was Madeline (In a house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived 12 little girls in 2 straight lines - THAT Madeline). Next it was Annie (Yes, The sun will come out tomorrow, Annie). Then it was Mr. Poofie Head (if you can figure out where that one came from, I would appreciate it - we have no idea). Now its name is Beverly Hills Chihuahua (or "Bebbily Hills Ta-wah-wah" as she pronounces it).

Seems completely appropriate for a crab to be named after a dog movie.

The crabs have taken over a part of my brain that I didn't know was unoccupied. I have always gotten attached to pets - my college roommate had an aquarium and would flush her fish when she went home for holidays - an act that would send me into sobs and her into hysterical laughter. I now realize there was probably something a little deeper there..... Anyway, I find myself researching tetracycline washes for stressed out crabs and Choya wood for the terrarium so they can climb. 2 weeks ago, I had never heard of Choya wood. Now I want to buy a piece of it. Or turning up the thermostat to 72 because our house is usually kept at 68 but crabs are happier with temps over 70.

THE INSANITY IS TAKING OVER.

So that's my life right now. Tell me what's going on with you. I can't wait to read the comments.

Albeit while sweating in my hot house.

But the crabs will be happy.

I'm In.

I have been praying for something for a long time. Like a LONG time. And I have seen no progress whatsoever toward working things out in this particular area. None. Frustrating? Yes.

But recently, I have seen progress. And not just subtle progress - major progress. And I'm at a point where I think I can share with you, albeit jumbled and with an erroneous comma thrown in all willy nilly (I stink at comma usage), what God has been doing. Because in the middle of all of this, He is showing up. Big time. And He deserves total credit.

Which is why I'm going here...aaannnddd breathe.

I am overweight. I'm not just a little fluffy. I'm FAT. Let's not sugar-coat things. My weight issues stem from lots of things - insecurities, past circumstances (vague much?), blah blah blah. And I have prayed and prayed and BEGGED God to take this issue, which happens to be my ISSUE (everyone has issues, and everyone has an ISSUE. This one is mine.) away from me. But I have just stopped there. It never occurred to me that God was answering my prayer by holding it in front of me and telling me to COME GET IT. It never occurred to me that God would have me deal with some stuff on the inside before He would make it clear that I can handle dealing with the stuff on the outside. Have I mentioned that I'm stubborn and hard-headed and can generally make people with lots of common sense bang their heads against a wall? Well I am.

I've always been known as the "Fun Friend." I'm allegedly pretty cool to hang out with. I make people laugh. I have heard "you could be so pretty if you just would lose weight" more times than I care to count. But I hate HATE myself because of my weight. And you know what I do when I start thinking about it? I eat (a Snickers). Which makes me gain weight. And then I hate myself. And then I eat (a Hershey Bar). Then I gain weight. See the spiral? It STINKS. And I have been riding the spiral for way too long now. I realized that I am good at taking care of my spiritual needs. I am great at taking care of the needs of others (ie. husband and kids). I am the worst-person-last-place-number-1-loser at taking care of myself physically. And that makes God sad. Our bodies are supposed to be a temple and mine is a jacked up 7-eleven. I realized that I am actually taking AWAY from the glory that belongs to God by treating this body - that He loves and made specifically for me in order to bring Him glory - so horribly. I am basically sinning by being so overweight. Sit on that one for a minute. It HURTS.

Looking back, I'm seeing some signs (that are as clear as crystal now) that God was moving. First, a brand new gym opened up in my neighborhood and coincidentally (HA!) a bridge was closed on the route that took us to our old gym (that I never went to - excuse after excuse....) making the trip there LONG. Second, the new gym cost less for a COUPLE'S MEMBERSHIP than a single membership at the old gym. Third, Spencer gave me 4 sessions with a personal trainer for Christmas - which was a leap of faith for him knowing that I could accept them happily or claw his eyes out for suggesting that I could use some help (ahhh, female hormones, how funny you are...). But he loves me. A lot. And he wants the best for me. So he did it. And I'm glad he did. Fourth, the trainer who I was assigned to, Beth - and had been praying for - was the.perfect.match. for me. And considering the fact that I'm all insecure and intimidated by gyms, trainers, and anyone wielding a dumbbell, I'd say that was a major God move there. She is awesome. (And she kicked my behind today - I'm pretty shocked that my arm muscles have quit shaking enough for me to type. A thought that makes her laugh and say, "Yesssss!!!" The little punk.)

So. How have I progressed? First, the JUNK that I used to crave is gone. GONE. I have been most amazed by that. Because food has been such a thorn in my side for SO LONG, I just knew that it would be the biggest obstacle that I would have to overcome. I think God knew that, too. Because He has released me from it. And I cannot begin to tell you how much I praise Him for it. Second, I have no idea what I weigh - Beth knows. But for now I don't want to know. I think I will want her to tell me how much I've lost (I weigh every other week) but I don't think the number is something I need to obsess over (have I told you that I tend to obsess over stuff like that, too? Ahem.). Third, I WANT TO EXERCISE. What the junk? Hello old Robyn, meet new Robyn. She is a strange bird according to what you used to know.

So here I am. Totally in. Ready to take this by the horns and wrestle it down. God has been SO FAITHFUL. I'm such a work in progress - aren't we all? - and I need all the help I can get (that means you, Beth :D) on this journey. I'm sure there will be tears (there already have been) and frustrations and good times. There will be successes and failures. I will want to quit, but (again, Beth) I won't. Phil 1:6 says "he who began a good work in you (me) will be faithful to carry it on to completion."

To Him be the glory.

Bring.

It.

On.

A Little Bit of the Random

It's been a while.

I've been busy. Like BUSY. Life has hit hard. Weekends aren't empty. Weekdays are full of homework and various sporting practices. And ye olde blog has taken the direct hit because of it. But here's a little smidge of what's been going on. In list form. Because that's how I roll.

1. We are officially a diaper-free house. Everyone is potty trained (and by everyone, I mean Camille). She potty trained totally - and I'm including nighttime, naps, etc - in 3 days. But that's Camille. She has to set her mind to something before she will see success in it. And once she does, it's done. So we have been telling the girls for over a year that we wouldn't get a puppy or go to Disney until everyone was potty trained. Guess we should be making some pretty significant plans, huh? As of right now, Disney plans are being discussed - but the dog is on hold - we think Tait has some pretty significant allergies. 1 for 2 ain't bad though. Right?

2. Spencer and I have become very budget conscious people - which is a good thing. We have never lived on a budget - we have always just lived sensibly (for the most part) and things have just kind of worked out. However, in January, our refrigerator's compressor went out, my license plate was up for renewal, and I had to have new brakes put on my car. That will take a budget, laugh at it, mock it, give it a wedgie and a swirly, and stuff it in a locker. Needless to say, February has been the month of "hmmm, let's see what I can make out of frozen chicken breasts AGAIN." Hello, March. Welcome. Please kick February in the backside on its way out.

3. My baby brother is getting married in 16 days. I am SO EXCITED. All of the girls are in the wedding and they couldn't be more thrilled. I have my dress and shoes - so I think I'm pretty much set. I get to go to a lingerie shower for Lindsay (Adam's fiancee - my future SIL) - sidenote: Lindsay is in Broadway's 2nd National Tour of WICKED. **AWESOME!!** But because she tours, she hasn't had any wedding showers! So her lingerie shower will be on Thursday before her wedding on Saturday. And considering she's marrying my brother, I'm pretty sure my gift will be flannel and have feet in it. Just being honest.

4. My girls absolutely crack me up every single day. Last night was a night I will remember for a LONG time. Mary Emma had been studying for several days for a huge science test and came home to tell us she had made a 100 on the it. (WOOO!!) Spencer and I were so proud and let her choose dinner. Of course, she chose Japanese Habachi (all of the JaPPan made me so happy! Shout out to Mary, Kim, & Fran). Dinner was great. The kids ate like champs. However, on the way home, Camille's stubborn, strong-willed side came out like a wild beast and she would not mind. WOULD NOT. So Spencer did the old school dad thing and told her that when we got home, she would get a spanking. Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth. We got home and got all of the kids out of the car and I told Camille to go sit on the stairs and wait for Daddy. She did. Reluctantly. But as Tait walked past her, she put her hand on Camille's shoulder and said, "Good luck, Mil" and then walked up stairs. Absolutely cracked us up. Needless to say, the spanking Camille was supposed to receive was a little less harsh considering the fact that Spencer was doubled over laughing.

5. I have starting working out with a personal trainer. And...get this...I LOVE IT. Her name is Beth, and I'm sure she will be the topic of many discussions on this blog in the future. I worked with her last Friday and she basically took dumbbells and beat me up with them. I sent her a text on Sunday that simply said "OUCH." She is sweet and mean (in a sweet way) and is a perfect match for me. I was REALLY nervous about working with a trainer - it was SO imperative that we were a good match - I'm easily intimidated and will give up easily when I am uncomfortable. I have prayed for a long time for she and I to match well and God placed his hands on every detail of the situation. Praise Him for His faithfulness. And pray for Beth as she gets to deal with me twice a week! Bless her heart.

Now headed to watch the Olympics. I'm a bit obsessed. I've even watched Curling and googled it to figure it out. Still haven't figured it out. Only 2 years till the Summer Olympics! (And I'm pretty sure my husband just rolled his eyes.)

Nite y'all!

Haiti.

I just can't imagine what they're going through.

I just can't wrap my mind around the devastation and the suffering and the sadness.

I just can't fathom the sheer panic that many of them feel as they look for their fathers, mothers, siblings, and children.

I just can't believe that I can't do anything.

But I can. And so can you.

Compassion International is helping. A lot. My family sponsors a child, Nevine, through Compassion. Nevine lives in Kenya, is 15 years old, and is safe today. The people of Haiti aren't safe. They aren't well. They need help.

Help Compassion help them. Will you consider a one time donation to Compassion to help the people there? Click this link to donate.

And let's be on our knees for these people. Jesus be near.

The Great Blizzard of 2010

2010 has arrived with a bang. Actually a very very cold bang. We are having record low temperatures down here in the South where we think that anything in the 50's is flat out Arctic.

So, of course, when we have temperatures in the SINGLE DIGITS, PEOPLE, and there's snow predicted, we tend to get all overdramatic and freak out and close schools and empty grocery stores and prepare our Last Will and Testaments and secure ourselves and our families in our warm houses and vow to not come out until the blizzard is over. You know, exactly like Ma Ingalls did it on the Prairie, minus the rogue Indians and the homemade dolls under the Christmas tree.

This week, we were told that we were expecting 2-3 inches of snow (which is equivalent to 6 feet of snow by Michigan standards) so school let out early yesterday and started late today. Most schools in the area closed completely for 2 days, but apparently our school is more concerned with academics (or the threat of having to make up said days on President's Day and MLK Day - don't MESS with a teacher and her holidays - and I can totally say that b/c I used to teach 3rd grade and would've given up my left leg in order to make sure that we got those holidays off).

So yesterday we hunkered down and prepared for the worst. Spencer is in Pasadena at the BCS Championship Game, so basically I'm a single mom who is braving the storm while protecting her little brood by making sure that hot chocolate, PB&J sandwiches, Dora the Explorer, and Polly Pockets are abundant.

And the snow came. And the wind howled. And I could barely keep the front door closed from the massive snow drifts that descended upon our home.

And now, I would like to show you the pictures I took as I braved the elements and ventured outside.

All for you, readers, all for you.

First, this is the top of the table that houses the Big Green Egg.

As you can see, the depth of the snow was frightening.

Next, this is how deep our accumulation was.

Never fear, I have put "snow shovel" on my list of things to get the next time I'm at Home Depot so that I won't ever put my family in such a dangerous position again.

The prediction for the weekend is that our wind chills will be in the negative numbers (a phenomenon that I can't even comprehend). After the CLEAR ACCURACY of the weather predictions over the last 24 hours, I'll be sure and let you know if we make it out alive.

One Proud Little Girl

Mary Emma has been studying for a while now to learn all 66 books of the Bible. Why? Because our church has a "club" called Route 66 for kids who can say them. And if you think my girl doesn't LOVE to be a part of a club, well then you are mistaken, my friend. So she has worked. And studied. And we have sung songs to help her learn. And she has pushed past her personal challenge called Hosea, Joel, and Amos. And she did it. Here is the video of her "induction ceremony." Enjoy!

Mary Emma in Route 66 from Robyn Davidson on Vimeo.