Ramblings of a Reagan

Heavy Heart

2012-01-11T23:36:00.001-05:00

I'm laying here in bed, my puppy snoring beside me. This is the second night I've left Marc alone at the hospital, and the second night I cannot sleep.

Too many things on my mind.
Many people on my heart.

As rough as the past 2 1/2 weeks have been, I'm reminded that everyone has things going on in their life: trials they are facing, big events to prepare for, decisions to make.

So I ask you guys to continue to pray for Marc, but also for these sweet people:

* my friends Lauren and Chris, who will be welcoming their second son, Carter, into this world, their family, hearts, and lives tomorrow. Also pray for big brother, Gage, as his little world is about to change.
*my (former) Aunt Stephanie lost her daddy this week. He was the only granddaddy my cousins (Jeremy, Brooks, and Brent) ever knew.

*continued healing for Drew's leg

* we ran into one of my Mama's coworkers at the hospital, and she has several family members sick and hospitalized, on top of having surgery to remove cancerous tissue herself on Friday. I can only imagine how overwhelmed she is, because I've barely managed with just caring for Marc!
*Ashley Duke...y'all put him on every prayer list you know of! Ash is a fellow CF-er, and is the twin brother of one of Marc's closest friends, Zach. He underwent a double lung transplant some time ago, but had to have one lung removed last week. The remaining lung is doing great, but Ashley's kidneys have struggled to recover from the surgery. Please pray for divine healing of his body. Oh, y'all...I hate CF!

Not What I Had Planned (Marc's Surgery, Part 1)

2012-01-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Y'all know I'm a planner.

So naturally, I had our Christmas plans all set.

We'd leave Milledgeville on the 23rd,
have our Reagan Christmas on the 24th,
spend the night with Katie and the kids on Christmas Eve,
go to church on Christmas Morning,
drive to Pelham Christmas Night,
have Christmas with Mama and Jeff, Christy and Nathan on the 26th,
see Daddy later that day,
hang low on the 27th, Brian's birthday...his first in Heaven,
come home on the 28th.

I even knew what I'd do with the rest of my Christmas break...
take down my decorations,
work on a few paintings,
maybe read a new book.

Well, God had other plans...
and we barely got through opening gifts with Mama and Jeff
before our Christmas took an ugly turn.

Actually, it started Christmas night.
As we left Granny and Papa's house,
Marc mentioned he'd unbuttoned his pants.
I thought he'd eated too much.
We had steak, salad, bread, baked potatoes.
Turns out that was his last meal.

I awoke about 5:00 the morning after Christmas.
I was hot
(that's a South Georgia Christmas for ya!)
and Marc was not in bed.
I found him in the living room
(we were staying at his parents' house...well, I still am!)
and he said his stomach was bothering him and he couldn't sleep.

By 6:30, we were at my Mama's house,
waking them all up to open gifts.
Somehow, it never feels like Christmas until I celebrate with Mama.
We opened gifts then had breakfast.
Marc isn't much of a fan of breakfast casseroles,
but he hardly even touched his cheese grits.

We ended up falling asleep all over the house,
and I woke up on the couch...cold.
(that's a South Georgia Christmas for ya!)
I crawled in bed with my sister
and woke up later to find out
Marc's stomach was still bothering him.

He assured me every time I asked
that he was able to go to the bathroom.
Ever since we rushed him to the ER in Thomasville
when my Uncle Stacy died,
I'm paranoid about a blockage.
But when I heard his burps...my intuition told me something was up.
It just sounded...different.
Just like it did when we ended up in the ER.

Again, Marc assured me he was fine.
We were headed to my Daddy's house to celebrate with him,
but I really felt like Marc would be more comfortable
going back to his parents' house,
so he could lay down.
I was still in pjs and slippers, but I drove across town.
As we passed the hospital, I half-jokingly said,
"Should I just pull on in?"
Marc...dead serious...said, "Maybe."

I knew this wasn't good, but now I was seriously concerned.
I flew to his parents' house...
(Marc says it took forever...I don't know which of us is right!)
my sister following me so I could ride with them to Daddy's house.
I threw the car in park,
left Marc crawling out the passenger seat,
ran to the house,
yelled "MAMA!!!"
threw on jeans and shoes.
In the 30 seconds it took me to rejoin them outside,
Marc was on his knees in the grass, dry-heaving.
Mrs. Debbie, Mr. Terry and Christy surrounding him.
Christy made Nathan stay in the car.
I don't even remember getting in Mrs. Debbie's car...
but several minutes later...
we were in the ER.

Christmas became a blur.

Another Pinterest Project

2011-12-18T10:50:00.001-05:00

I finished my exhaustive to-do list yesterday,

so I thought I'd share a project I completed a few weeks ago.

I saw this tomato cage tree on Pinterest...

Seemed simple enough.

I picked up a few supplies...

tomato cages at Lowes

and a box of Christmas lights at a yard sale.

(I got 8 or 9 strands for $5)

Our Lowes had already put these

on the top top shelf for the winter

and only had one height available.

I would've loved to had varying heights.

I began to wrap...

and wrap...

and wrap.

At first, I wrapped really tight to the cage.

It took about 7 strands.

Too many.

And I really didn't like the look.

So I tried again...

I ended up using 4 to 5 strands on each tree.

And I used colored lights.

Marc loves colored lights.

The garland and the wreath

on the front porch have

only white lights,

so this was my compromise!

I still need to get a picture of the whole porch at night.

But these 3 little trees set off a beautiful glow!

Not According to Plan

2011-12-17T09:36:00.003-05:00

I am a planner by nature:

I love my calendar.
I love schedules.

I thrive on routine.

I keep a running to-do list,

and I get a

HUGE

sense of accomplishment and satisfaction

from crossing something off the list.

Honestly, I've been known to add tasks I've completed

that weren't originally on the list...

just so I can check them off!

So as you can imagine,

I had grand plans for yesterday.

It was Marc's last day of school,

and only a 1/2 day of finals...

so I had a lot to do in little time.

(I love spending time with my man,

but I am waaaayyy more productive

when he's not here!)

I had a plan.

I had a list.

But Thursday evening,

Zelda began crying out

whenever she pushed up from lying down.

She'd been shivering for days, despite mild temps.

In the middle of the night,

she woke up crying and

wanting to get in our bed.

Marc and I both think our pillowtop mattress

just adds to her injury,

so she no longer sleeps with us.

{Praise the Lord...

now I fall asleep with Marc holding me...

until he snores in my ear

and I kick him until he rolls over!}

So I (hardly) slept with my precious puppy

in the guest room

so Marc could get his sleep.

Ugh...I know how this story plays out...

long hours spent waiting at the vet

to spend lots of money

of medicine for my girl.

So that became my new plan...

and after two hours

I came home with $100 worth of medicine.

Zelda has to take 1 pill a day for a week,

and 1 pill a day for a month!

But she was feeling better

almost immediately after the shot the vet gave her.

And the shot helped bring her temperature down.

She has a fever every time we go.

Probably why she's been shivering.

It was so weird...I actually felt her sweat the fever out!

We came home and napped on the couch

until Marc got home from school.

I then proceeded to do

nothing

on my list.

We played outside with Zelda.

We played inside with Zelda.

We watched a movie.

("The Help"...finally!)

We went to Kroger.

We cooked dinner.

We turned off all the lights in the house,

just to sit in the glow of the Christmas tree.

We drank sparkling grape juice.

I let Marc open a present...

and surprised him with the present he bought me!

{Which really means...

I felt guilty for splurging on something

for myself at Christmas time,

so I wrapped it...but couldn't wait to have it!}

I went to bed with nothing marked off my list for the day.

But I went to bed with a

sense of love and peace in my heart.

Gratefulness for my little family of 3,

and my quite larger extended family.

And I'm up early today
to get that to-do list taken care of!

Happy Saturday!

Still Here...

2011-12-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine posted on Facebook

"why doesn't anyone blog anymore?"

And that's when I realized I've seriously neglected my blog.

You know, sometimes I get so busy living life,

I forget to take time to document life.

I've journaled, scrapbooked, or blogged

most of my life now.

It seems weird not to document the special events

and the every day routines in between.

I'll try to do a better job

(I've got to upload pics of my Christmas decorations),

but this time of year is especially busy.

So where have I been?

What have I been doing?

Am I still painting canvases?

After two years of working from home,

I had the opportunity to return to teaching.

At first, it was a part-time position as a

teacher's assistant for 2nd grade.

As of November, I am now a full-time assistant,

working with 2,3,4 year olds and Kindergarten.

I love love love my job,

and the increase in hours in a financial blessing.

But that leaves little time for crafting, blogging,

and to be honest...laundry, cooking, and cleaning!

I'm doing my best to balance

home and work,

teacher and wife.

I consider myself to be a good multi-tasker,

but I've learned I don't have to do it all.

I don't have to make the bed every morning.

I don't have to empty the dishwasher immediately.

We sometimes wear clothes straight out of the dryer

because I'm too tired to fold them.

Yes, I am still painting

(sealed 2 today, have three on my table now).

Working full-time outside the home

leaves me little time to paint.

So orders may take a little longer to complete,

I'm taking only a few orders at a time.

So I'll be around.

Maybe on Facebook, maybe on Pinterest...

maybe hanging out at home with Marc...

and occassionally I'll post here!

Promise!

Not Just Pinning Anymore!

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Like so many others, I am addicted to Pinterest.

I love looking at what other's have pinned,

including recipes.

When I saw the recipe for

Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken...

I immediately thought 3 things:
1. crock pot...easy
2. 3 ingredients...easy
3. pineapple...extra bonus points

I followed the link to the original recipe

on the blog Six Sister's Stuff.

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)

1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)

1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup!

Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.

Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top.

Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.

Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot

so the chicken will be well coated with sauce.

Serve over rice.

I followed the directions exactly.

(except I use the crock pot bags for even easier cleanup!)

I even bought the exact same BBQ sauce

at Target on a recent trip to Macon.

It's been cooking all day...filling the house with a wonderful smell.

And I've been anticipating that pineapple all afternoon!

First bite...spicy.

Second bite...hot!

Third bite...really, really spicy.

Fourth bite...good golly,

my MOUTH IS ON FIRE!!!!

I have no idea what's in that BBQ sauce.

I threw the bottle away earlier in the day.

But it is SPI--CY!!!!

I will cook this again,

but I'll make my own tweaks.

Next time, I will use regular BBQ sauce.

And I won't use an entire bottle a sauce.

It was a little too "wet" for me.

And I probably won't add the pineapple

til the last hour or so...

or maybe not til I serve dinner.

I'd rather my pineapple

not taste like hot, spicy BBQ sauce!

Overall...it was a winner.

Marc liked it, but agreed it was a bit too spicy.

I'm just excited I finally used a link from Pinterest!

We Have Twins!

2011-11-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago,

I showed y'all my new dresser nightstand...

My original plan was to buy two,

but when I found this one

(oh, those curves!)

I knew I had to get it.

Ever since,

I've been on the lookout for another one

to use as Marc's nightstand.

Yesterday, we stopped by "Just Peachy"

(for you locals, it's beside BoJo's)

just to look.

I found a few ornaments

that I'll be showing in the next couple of days.

And there, just behind the Christmas tree display...

there he was...

Not an exact match.

More like fraternal twins.

My curvy girl.

His straight boy.

Perfect pair!

The problem?

Marc liked it in the store

("I like it alot better than the one you've got now.")

but once we got it home,

he wasn't willing to give up the mismatched one he had.

Ugh.

Plan twarted.

Over the past few days,

Marc's been talking about moving the TV

from the office into our bedroom.

I hate TVs in bedrooms.

I don't know why...I just have a thing.

Today, he started moving things off the armoire.

(it's not inside the armoire

because of the angle from our bed...

frustrates me even more!)

So, we compromised.

He won the TV battle.

I won the nightstand battle.

As my sister said,

compromise is what marriage is all about!

His...

and hers...

Latest Paintings...G&C

2011-10-31T21:35:00.002-04:00

My friend Lauren asked me to do two paintings

for her little boy's (soon to be boys') bathroom.

This is the shower curtain...

G is for Gage...

and grasshopper!

C is for Carter...

and caterpillar!

These are some of my favorite paintings in quite a while!

I was so excited to see Lauren post pictures

of the finished bathroom makeover!

All the accessories come from

Target...the Circo ABC Bath collection.

I love to see my paintings in their new home!

Family Fall Fun at the Corn Maze!

2011-10-29T19:36:00.004-04:00

Marc and I have been wanting to do something fall-ish

for quite a while...

even before he went into the hospital.

Between our schedules and the weather,

we kept putting it off...

until today!

We went to Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley.

They have hayrides, a cute store (open year round), and a pumpkin patch.

We were a little late in the season for the pumpkins...

most of them were picked over.

Marc seems to think he's the pick of the patch, anyway!

But we were really there for the corn maze!

The weather was PERFECT!

Bright, blue skies with a cool, crispness in the air.

Marc loved the roots of the corn stalks.

They had these neat signs posted throughout the maze...

CORNundrums.

And you could text for clues...but we didn't try it.

Where, oh where, oh where is Roxy?

I am NOT the person you want guiding you through a corn maze!

I am great with directions,

but horrible with a map!

It didn't help that we weren't sure

where the starting point was on the map,

so we had no idea where we were from the very beginning!

Mmm...corn!

Much better navigator...

...and he found our way to the bridge!

I LOVE CORN MAZES!

YAY! We found our way out!

We really did have so much fun!

After we left the corn maze, we drove to Warner Robins.

We had lunch at Logan's Steakhouse,

did some shopping,

(I went to HobLob, Marc went to Best Buy!)

and came home to watch football.

Baldwin won Thursday night, Lowndes won Friday night,

FSU, UNC, and UGA all won today!

This has been one of my favorite weekends in a long time!

Long Weekend

2011-10-10T21:52:00.001-04:00

Oh, how I love long weekends.

Friday night, Marcus took me to Macon for a date night.

We both wanted Cracker Barrel...yum!

We stopped in Target where I found these...

oh, yeah...Pretzel Goldfish.

Micah and Maddi have these at lunch at school

and I've been dying to try them.

They'd be perfect dipped in chocolate!

Marc fixed our bathroom faucet.

Over the past week, it started dripping.

I am so proud of him for fixing it,

because we really didn't have the money

to pay someone to do it.

It took us two trips to Lowes

and a call to our handyman friend, Frank

(he's our go-to guy for everything)

and even a youtube video...

but he did it!

Way to go, babe!

I got some painting done...

I almost forgot how much I love it!

It's so therapeutic for me.

I need to be better about finding

more time for my paintings!

Today I took Marc lunch at school.

I got to see his new classroom.

It is huge!

SCA would love to have space like this!

Hey, Coach Reagan!

I've been raking pinestraw for a few days.

I called the same guy who put out straw for me

back in the Spring,

(when we found the termites,

then Marc was hospitalized,

and then Brian's hospitalization and death)

but his price went up...way up.

I wasn't willing to pay $5.25 a bale....

so I started raking in our woods.

Now all 3 of our flower beds have

fluffy, fresh pinestraw!

Over the past week,

I put out some of my Halloween decorations.

I'm not big on Halloween (just the candy!),

so I don't have much.

I mostly just decorate for fall/harvest.

Silly story about this little terra cotta jack o'lantern...

I found him for only $2 or $3

in an antique shop downtown.

But he's one of my treasured possessions

because my mama has one, too.

It reminds me of my childhood.

I looked for a picture of me when I was young

with Mama's pumpkin,

but couldn't find one.

Mama always sat him on our front porch

and put a candle in him during Trick-or-Treat!

Tonight, we went to dinner

(we've gotta stop eating out!)

with Daniel, Jamie, and Brayden.

Pickle Barrel's yummy potato soup

was so good on a chilly, rainy night.

I stopped by my friend Lauren's house

to do a color match for a painting...

and came home with a free

mirror and side table!
Thanks, Lauren!

And today is my Daddy's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Love you!

Now on to a 4-day week!

Hope it's a good one!

Fabric Wreaths

2011-09-28T20:26:00.002-04:00

UPDATE:
Columbus Day SALE!

From Saturday, Oct. 8--Monday, Oct. 10

the Collegiate Wreaths are only $10

and Fall/Halloween Wreaths are $5!

This applies only to the wreaths listed below,

not any special requests.

For those of you who saw these on Facebook,

sorry for the double dose,

but I need to get these SOLD!

UGA wreath, $15
SOLD!

Gator wreath, $15

And just so you know...

already sold out of my FSU wreaths!

GO NOLES!

Fall wreath, $10

Fall wreath, $10
SOLD!

Halloween wreath, $10

Fall wreath, $10

For those of you who are local,

these wreaths are on display

in the SCA school store,

Eagle's Nest.

For those of you who aren't local,

shipping is around $7

(they aren't heavy but require a larger box).

Thanks for looking!

Hope to have another finished painting to show you soon!

Good things come to those who wait...

2011-09-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

By now, y'all know all about my OCD

and generally addictive personality.

{Although I totally broke the routine this morning

to have cheese toast for breakfast

instead of the traditional waffles.}

Like so many others,

I have become addicted to Pinterest...

as if I had any more time to devote online

after blogs, Facebook, and Craigslist.

I had an image in my mind of using old dressers

as our nightstands,

so I began pinning all these ideas:

So you get the general idea of what I've been looking for.

Marc kept telling me I wasn't going to find it...

in my price range, that is.

Since I need 2 dressers,

I absolutely didn't want to spend

more than $50 on each one.

Ideally, less $$ was my goal,

but $50 was my max.

But then...there she was on Craigslist...

$40 at an antique shop in Jones Co.

And now...she's mine!

Yes, it's a girl...with all those curves it had to be a girl! haha!

Now...the search is on for another one

similar in size

for Marc's nightstand!

And I need to sell my two bookshelves to pay for it!

Latest Painting...Joeby

2011-09-26T20:50:00.000-04:00

My friend Rena is about to become an aunt!

Her sister is due with Joeby in the next few weeks.

The bedding is absolutely beautiful!

Sorry for the glare, but this picture was taken through the packaging.

This bedding is made of silk...

no way was I going to open it even for a picture!

(haha...just noticed you can see my reflection!)

I loved using the iridescents to make this painting shiny like the silks!

Rena just made my heart swell

when she said my paintings are her favorite gift to give!

What an honor...especially for her first nephew!

We'll Change Her Name to Poo-Poo!

2011-09-24T19:10:00.004-04:00

Marc and I started our Saturday off EARLY...

we were up at 7:45 to take Zelda to the vet.

That was after Marc slept with her on the floor for 4 hours.

Thankfully, it was a short wait at the vet's office...

we were out of there in 30 minutes.

Zelda has been on her medicine since last Friday,

but was still crying out in pain

whenever she'd push herself up

or if I pressed too hard

on the top of her head while petting her.

When the Doctor examined her,

he could tell she had tenderness in her shoulders and neck.

Turned out both shoulders were popped out of joint.

Then the most torturous thing happened...

the Doctor had to pop them back into place.

Y'all...that was one of the worst sounds

I've ever heard in my entire life.

{Marc later said he wondered what the other patients

in the waiting room thought was happening...

yeah, it was that bad!}

I had to turn my back to ZZ and clutch Marc's arm.

It was terrible...and she had to endure it twice!

Poor girl was in so much pain...she pooped on the exam table!

I would've been embarrassed

if I wasn't so concerned about my baby!

Poor little Z also had to get a shot of pain medicine

and got a pedicure!

Dr. C gave her more pain pills for the next week

and talked to us about the possibility of laser treatments.

When we got in the car,

Marc noticed that Zelda still had a little poopy on her

and had to wipe her clean with a napkin.

{I was driving.}

He said we ought to call her

poo-poo instead of boo-boo!

I told him "Congratulations, you just changed your first 'diaper'!!"

Here's hoping my little poo-poo can start the healing process

and be my spirited little doggy again!

How Many Beds Does a Dog Need?

2011-09-20T22:02:00.000-04:00

Ever since Zelda hurt her back the first time,

we forbid her from jumping on & off the couch.

We put a pillow on the floor and she loved it!

Somehow, she now has 4 beds...

not including the new rug on the back porch:

Her favorite bed...the "office bed"

because it's the warmest room in the house!

Her "outside bed"

where she usually doesn't sleep,

just likes to chill out.

Her actual nightime bed, the "bedroom bed"

(yeah, really creative!)

She loves her new blanket..

.but loves her bed even better since I put my quilt on top.

And I'm a proud Mama...

because my girl has slept in her bed

ALL NIGHT

4 nights in a row!

We are afraid part of her injuries

might be coming from sleeping with us.

But it's a hard habit to break,

especially because she gets very cold

and wants to snuggle with us.

She's cried in her bed a few nights,

she's gotten up and coming crying

to get in our bed a few nights...

but we're hanging in there...trying to be consistent.

Seriously...it's like having a real baby.

Ridiculous!

Her "den bed"...

yes, she loves likes to be under the table!

Mostly, because she can stare right at her Daddy!

See?

Told ya she is spoiled!

Why Her Middle Name Really is Rotten

2011-09-18T21:21:00.001-04:00

I know 2 things are well-documented on my blog:

1. Zelda is spoiled beyond comprehension.

2. We have the best neighbors ever!

Mrs. Wanda heard that Zelda had hurt her back again

and brought her a little gift...

Two bags of treats!

Our girl was in heaven!

And she doesn't even know yet

about the toy Aunt Christy has for her.

I'm so grateful for other people who love Zelda

simply because we love her!

She is a precious treasure to us!

28 Hours

2011-09-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

Thursday afternoon, my cell phone rang.

It was my sister-in-law.

Actually, it was my niece.

"I want Rossy to come to my house."

I'm not sure how to turn down a 2 year old.

So I didn't!

We drove down Friday right after school

in order to make it to the football game.

We didn't realize it was Homecoming!

I think Ansley was excited to have

her Uncle Marc and Rossy

at the Vikings game with her!

We woke up early this morning to meet my Daddy for breakfast.

Then we headed to McLean's first football game this year.

It was actually just a scrimmage,

but this is his first year playing tackle ball.

No surprise, McLean is the tallest player on his team.

About 3 plays in, one of the boys on McLean's team

was carrying the ball, got tackled,

and broke his arm.

It was a scary moment,

but there was some medical person there

who took care of him.

They splinted his arm

and his parents took him to the hospital.

The kid was such a trooper...no tears, no complaints.

Grandma and Ansley cheering on brother!

Go #44!

My accidental shot of my feet...

(and the Gatorade cooler Ansley was obsessed with!)

These are the blue shoes I get so many
comments/compliments on!

Seriously, every time I wear these shoes,

people say something about them!

Good game, Vikes!

Uncle Marc and McLean

After the game, me and Mama went shopping at Hobby Lobby.

I got to ride in Mama's new car.

(hey, Christy...she did name it! "Red!")

She deserved a new car more than anyone I know.

She drove her Camry for 14 years!

Mama dropped me off at lunch with Marc and his parents.

Tomorrow is Mr. Terry's birthday,

so that was his birthday lunch.

(Marc now, and Marc in 25 years! haha!

He is so much like his Daddy!)

And 28 hours later...

we were right back home!

It was a fast and furious trip,

but daBoo was happy to have us home!

Zelda hurt her back...AGAIN. :(

This makes like 6 times in 3 months.

It was hard for me to leave her knowing she didn't feel well.

We gave her the first dose

of medicine before we left,

and she already seemed a little better tonight.

Thank you, Lord!

She felt up to wallowing all over the floor with her Mommy!

And now we're watching FSU lose to Oklahoma,

but praising God that Kenny Shaw is ok

after a terrible hit to the helmet early in the game.

I Promise I'm Working...

2011-09-12T21:37:00.000-04:00

I promise you I have been painting...

the proof is on the table.

I typically

(ok, almost never)

do not show paintings in the process.

The finished product looks so different.

My time to paint is so limited

now that I'm teaching again.

If you have put in an order with me,

I assure you I am working on my list.

I currently have 7 orders

and several of those are multiple canvases.

If you're wondering where you are on the list,

here's a quick run-down.

1. Rena (2) in process

2. Amber (1) in process

3. Christy (1)

4. Leslie (3)

5. Ann (1)

6. Lauren (2)

7. Kim (1)

Due to this, I will be taking VERY LIMITED

orders between now and Christmas.

I'm not setting an exact limit

because some orders require more detail

(therefore, more time).

My advice...

get in your orders EARLY!

If you know you want to order a canvas for a gift,

place your order ASAP.

Thanks for the continued support!

I love being able to create special art for every home!

Surprise of Emotions

2011-09-04T22:48:00.000-04:00

It's been a tough week.

On Friday night, I noticed that no amount of liquids would soothe my burning throat.

By Saturday, both Marc and I were sick with sore throats and sinus infections. Marc had been on Prednisone and Zithromax for a few days...he seemed able to fight it off faster than I could.

Monday morning rolled around...a shower took all my energy. I ended up in the bed or on the couch all day. I managed to return to work on Tuesday, although I sounded like a teenage boy going through puberty all week!

Marc fought through the week, but ended up home on Friday...just worn out.

We had plans for family to come this weekend, but we had no choice except to cancel. I'm so grateful for the long weekend to fully recooperate!

I don't know if it's being so weary from fighting through this cold all week, or completing the first month of school, or just some difficult choices we've had to make lately, but my emotions have been all over the place. The latest wave of emotion just took me by surprise and honestly...knocked me off my feet.

One thing I've learned through this 10 year battle with infertility is that I never know when it's going to hit me.
It's been a year since we've had any treatment. At times, I am completely at peace with not pursuing any more treatment. In the next minute, I can be in tears over the loss of possibility.

Sometimes, like today, everyone's good news is just too much for me. I know how horrible that sounds. It doesn't sound any better in my head than it does out loud or on paper.

I want to celebrate when friends announce their pregnancies. I want to be excited over their baby showers and nursery decorations.

But there are times, I just cannot do it. I can't bear to see anymore cute baby clothes. I can't bear to paint another canvas for a baby shower gift. I can't leave sweet comments on their facebook statuses. I can't bear it when someone chooses a name for their little one that was on "our list." I just can't do it.

It's just a weird place to be. Such a hard position.

We signed up for a life group at church a couple of weeks ago.
"Young couple"
"Couple with young children"
"Families with teens"
"Empty Nesters"

Been married 10 years. In our early 30's. Neither "young" couple nor couple with kids.

So where do we fit?

Some days, like today...the emotion of being "in between" is just too hard. Knowing God has a plan, but having no clue what that plan is...too hard.

Praying for peace in this valley or deliverance to the mountain top.

Because days like today are just too hard.

Super Saturday

2011-08-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days...

...a good day, but where nothing specific stands out.

Nothing was spectacular...but everything was just good.

Ahhh...contentment.

My body has settled into school hours, I guess...

because I was awake at 7:00.

Not ideal for the one day I can sleep in.

I decided to make the most of it and got busy first thing.

Marc and Zelda got up around 8:30,

in the middle of me cleaning the house.

Marc helped me finish cleaning...

he emptied the dishwasher

and swept, mopped, and vacuumed the floors.

By 10:30, the whole house was clean and most of the laundry was done!

Then, we did two things I swore I wouldn't...

ate at Taco Bell and shopped at TJMaxx!

(with Daniel, Jamie, and Brayden)

Our Taco Bell just re-opened after a complete renovation

(they tore the whole thing down and rebuilt at the same location)

and it's been NUTS kind of busy.

The drive thru lane has been hanging out in the road.

I guess everyone missed their cheap-o tacos, burritos, and quesadillas!

TJ Maxx just opened Sunday

(in the old Goody's location)

and I told Marc I had no plans

of going in there for the first month.

But it really wasn't that busy for a Saturday afternoon.

And they did have good deals

(but the home section isn't as big

as the store in Valdosta... :( :sad!)

Fluffy, cable knit slippers for $10...

Yes, I know it's still 90+ temps outside,

but my feet have been craving comfort at the end of each day.

My slippers from last year are pretty pathetic.

Since I was home all day, all year...they got a lot of wear.

Screen protectors for iPad for $6...

We've seen these from $12-20...so Marc got two!

(and he makes fun of me when I do the same thing at Belk)

I crashed when we got home...

took a 2 hour nap.

Marc said he couldn't sleep because

me and Zelda were both snoring!

I woke to the smell of the grill.

Marc grilled chicken for dinner tonight

and a tenderloin for lunch tomorrow.

And our wonderful neighbors

(can't brag on them enough,

they are seriously THE best!)

shared some hot boiled peanuts with us!

YUM, YUM!

Hope your weekend is a great one, too!

Latest Painting--B is for Becky

2011-08-19T19:01:00.000-04:00

Despite the most hectic two weeks,

I actually have painted two different days.

I am working hard to finish the two orders I've got half-done.

This painting is my latest delivery...

it's been completed for a while.

I still have several orders from my summer special.

I'll only be taking limited orders for Christmas.

I'll be announcing those details soon,

so start thinking about Christmas gifts!

Finding Balance

2011-08-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

I've always considered myself a multi-tasker.
I can't just sit and watch TV because I feel like I'm wasting time.
I go go go all day (if it wasn't for chocolate I'd be skinny, I'm just sure of it!)

But I've gotta admit...I am struggling now that I'm back at work.

Struggling with getting laundry done.
Struggling with cleaning the house.
Struggling with completing paintings.
Struggling with buying groceries.
Struggling with running errands.
Struggling with family time.
Struggling with conflicting schedules.
Struggling with time management.

After being at home for 2 years, silly me thought the hard part would be getting up early (it's only 45 minutes earlier than when the babies came) or leaving Zelda (ok, so that part is still hard, but mostly because of her injury). But I am finding the hardest thing is re-learning balance between home and work.

I love my job, I love my coworkers.
I love my husband, I love my dog.
I thrive on routine and schedule, so I know I'll settle in...just hoping I find my groove soon!

Latest Painting--"Tru-Dawg"

2011-08-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

Our friends Zach and Christina

will be welcoming Truett in just a few weeks!

They chose PBK Madras bedding for his nursery...

This painting is a big one...15x30!

I did my version of the bigger plaid

on the reverse side of the sham and quilt.

This one was definitely finished at the last minute...

I had to seal it and wrap it in the car

when we met Zach and Christina for lunch.

But seeing Christina's reaction was worth it!

We can't wait to meet Tru-Dawg!

Just another "nephew" to add to our extended family!

Dos Tres...Marc's Birthday Weekend

2011-07-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Marc's 33rd

(or dos tres, as he kept calling it)

pretty much the whole weekend.

Friday night, we met for dinner

at Logan's steakhouse in Macon.

The Drummonds, the Stewarts,

and Marc's parents and McLean joined us.

On Saturday, we stopped by Lowes

to get a new weedeater...

Marc looks a lot happier posing with the new one

than he ever did using the old one!

Sunday was Marc's actual birthday.

We went out for Chinese food before his parents left,

then Marc and I did a little birthday shopping.

(Here's his new shoes!)

I took Marc to his favorite place for supper...Pickle Barrel!

The birthday boy with his gifts...

blue shirt from his parents,

FSU flag from Christy,

iPhone magnets from me,

shoes and khaki pants

bought with birthday money from my mama.

Sunday night, Daniel and Jamie stopped by

with dessert...pound cake!

Marc had said he didn't want any birthday cake,

but the pound cake and ice cream

sure were good!

Thanks to everyone who helped us

celebrate Marc's dos tres birthday!

IKEA Office/Craft Room

2011-07-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

The office has taken on a whole new look...

Galant table

After looking at tons of desks, table tops, legs, etc...

I finally settled on this one.

Only to learn it was out of stock.

Seriously.

This is about the same point
Marc's blood sugar bottomed out.

(I think his patience wore out, too...

but my darling man never let on to such!)

Praise the Lord for the employee

who looked up the inventory to discover

they indeed still had a few left in the warehouse!

{At IKEA, you "shop" the showroom floor,

then go downstairs to the warehouse

(picture SAM'S on STEROIDS! haha!)

to load the items you've chosen.}

Of course, Zelda has to make an appearance.

She's sniffed everything 100 times!

Vika Amon table (red)

This will be used for my drying table,

when I'm working on multiple canvases

at a time.

Lack table (white)

I originally bought it to hold my printer,

but I think I'm probably going to

put my paint spinner on it.

Expedit 4x4

This baby was the whole reason

behind the shopping trip!

I almost got the 5x5...

and I'm glad I didn't.

It would've been too big!

Expedit 2x4

Originally planned to stand it up,

but I had gotten so used to the black dresser

being on this wall,
I kinda like it long-ways.

I may change my mind...

Snille chair

I love my funky chair!

One of my POPS of red!

Some paint samples taped on the wall!

I'm leaning toward "Frosted Grass"

(third one on right).

I decided to go with a red and

robin's egg blue color scheme.

I figure I have red and blue

all through the house anyway.

I can't wait to paint and get curtains!

I'll show final pictures when the room is

accessorized and all put together.

Christmas in July

2011-07-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

Between inspiration on Pinterest and blogs,

I began stalking the IKEA website.

I made my (not-so) little shopping list,

started adding things to my cart...

until I noticed the shipping charges.

YIKES!

Of course, I wanted to order

large, heavy wall units

so naturally, the shipping was more than average.

Then I realized Marc's hotel for his conference

was only 10 miles away from

IKEA in Atlanta!

I had it all planned out, all mapped out...

I was going shopping!!!!

And then...

Zelda got sick (again),

and I stayed home to take her to the vet

(3rd time in 5 weeks!)

I was not happy...

not happy she wasn't feeling better yet,

not happy I had to go back to vet's office,

not happy to know Zelda had been in pain,

not happy to miss my shopping trip!

Marc knew how disappointed I was,

and promised me he would take me to IKEA

before our summer vacation was over!

(Not sure if I brag on him enough...but he spoils me rotten!

We will call little Z Princess Zelda

and I remind Marc that makes me the QUEEN!

And 95% of the time...

he treats me just like that!)

So Tuesday was the BIG DAY!

(After he helped move furniture

into the PS classrooms on Monday!)

We got to IKEA shortly after they opened...

and nothing could have prepared me for how big it is!
(336,000 sq ft according to an employee!)

The "Markus" chair...

Swedish meatballs at lunch

(smart people to put a restaurant inside...

strategically placed at the end of the "Showroom" upstairs.

Everyone is starving after

covering that whole floor of shopping!)

No pictures of us shopping...

it's serious business, people!

Here we are in line...Marc with his cart...

and me with mine.

(You can't tell from here

just how much is shoved in that cart!)

It's a miracle it all fit in the car!

But we still made room for a pit-stop at Target!

We couldn't resist a 2 story Target...

but it turns out the store is all one floor.

The bottom floor is a parking deck.

But we did pick up

a birthday gift,

a baby shower gift,

and got Marc a few back-to-school essentials!

Thankfully, they were all small!

And then...

(exhausted yet? We sure were!)

...it was time for Harry!

Marc wanted to see the final

Harry Potter in 3D at the IMAX.

We were both grateful to sit down for a while.

(we were in IKEA for 4 hours!)

Harry was great...I cried several times!

On the way home,

we stopped at Stonecrest

to return an item to Best Buy.

We decided to eat dinner at Smokey Bones.

They had funny sayings throughout the restaurant,

even in the bathrooms!

Like Marc's graduation cap?

That's a lot of sweet potato fries!

We took some home in a doggy bag for Zelda! hahaha

On Wednesday, Marc spent about 5 hours

putting together all my IKEA purchases!

I didn't plan for him to do it all in one day,

but he said once he'd gotten started,

he wanted to finish!

The room's not quite ready for it's big reveal,

but I definitely got a room full of furniture!

I'm excited about decorating,

since I finally picked my color theme.

I still need to paint,

(see the paint chips taped the wall behind me?)

buy and hang curtains,

and I am finally going to paint a canvas for myself!

Here's a sneak peek of me at my new desk...

Thank you, Marcus for my Christmas in July!

Thank you, VISA for paying for my purchases...

you are now retired!

God's Grace

2011-07-11T07:24:00.000-04:00

I have read 5 books so far this summer,

and I'm a few chapters into book #6.

The book I've enjoyed the most of all was

Speechless

by Steven Curtis Chapman

and his pastor Scotty Smith.

I happened about this book in the oddest way:

we were staying at our friends' house in Florida,

and the outlet in the guest room

was right beside the bookshelf.

I plugged in my hairdryer,

threw my hair over my head,

(I dry my hair from underneath...

I think it's gotten thicker as I've gotten older!),

and read the titles of the books upside-down.

I've always been a fan of

Steven Curtis Chapman's music,

and wondered if this was the book

written following the death of his daughter.

(It's not, but I'd love to read that book soon!)

Speechless is, in fact, all about God's grace.

God's sense of humor is not lost on me...

He had just bestowed a huge gift

of grace to me days earlier.

***

Two years ago, I got fired from a job I loved

at a school I loved.

Coupled with our unsuccessful fertility treatments,

I sank into a fierce depression.

As I described it to a friend,

I was so deep

it took several months for me to even realize it,

then a few months more

to have any energy to do anything about it.

I have a strong desire to "people please"...

I avoid conflict at all costs,

I don't want others to see me at less than my best,

I strive for perfection.

I've been this way my whole life,

and I've always had control issues.

I suffer from OCD

(ask my sister about my crayons,

or Marc about the towels!).

These two very PERSONAL issues

were handled very PUBLICALLY.

I was left with a sense of utter failure.

I felt so...unworthy.

Unworthy...of God's love.

Unworthy...of Marc's love.

Unworthy...of friends.

Unworthy...of a second chance.

But God has taught me a lot in the past two years.

Humility. Dependence. Forgiveness.

I am unworthy.

My righteousness is like a filthy rag.

But God loved me enough to send His Son

because I'm not worthless.

God has a plan for me, for my life,

for my family, for my career.

And God has given me another gift of grace...

He has restored my job.

As of August,

I will again be teaching at SCA.

I'll be back in the Preschool,

teaching the 2 year old class.

I know there are people

who doubt the decision to allow me to return.

I am grateful for God's leading

in the hearts of the leadership

who've given me the opportunity.

Don't think the full impact

of what this means is lost on me.

I will forever be grateful

for God's grace!

***

There were a few quotes from the book

I wanted to remember.

I posted a few of these on Facebook

while I was reading the book.

Maybe some of these will impact you

as they did me.

Scotty Smith:

God loves His children exactly as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.

Good activities are the enemy of the best. There are always far more opportunities to minister than God's will demands of us.

To be a good friend is to know our own weakness, failure, and foolishness well enough to share it with others, with humility and longing to grow.

God's grace enables us to serve one another because of the way Jesus serves us in the Gospel. We learn to love each other as we are loved by Him. Unfortunately, our culture tends to only value those relationships that are personally gratifying. The trend often defines our relationship with God "what's in it for me? I will be as committed to this friendship as I am personally fulfilled and satisfied." Friends, spouses, and churches are chosen and discarded for purely functional reasons.

Faithful and dutiful practice of spiritual disciplines, without strong emphasis on the Gospel, tends to create proud legalists.

To understand the heart of God is never to be surprised at the painful lengths He will go to free us from our enslavement to self-centeredness.

The Gospel does not merely bring forgiveness--it brings healing. God, as Redeemer, is in the process of making new realities out of old broken ones...The Gospel brings dignity to our sorrow and suffering. God's grace does not free us from looking at our past, but it gives us the courage we need to heal, repent, and grow.

Steven Curtis Chapman:

Our lives are being shaped, by design or default, by those whom we have given access and power over our minds and hearts. (Proverbs 13:20)

An understanding heart in a listening friend is a rare gift.

The pearl of God's love is a really huge boulder hurled into the tranquil pool of our self-centered living. The ripples both upset and liberate us.

How are we to make sense of these moments when everything we've been taught to be trustworthy appears otherwise? What do we do when God's promises seem to apply to everyone but us?

His grace is most visible when our need is most obvious.

"Grace runs downhill." (Jack Miller) We are the best candidates for the love of God when we feel the most unworthy and inadequate.

Sometimes God must first dismantle old structures in our hearts so that His new creation can emerge. The tearing down process isn't nearly as fun as seeing the new construction rise up, but both are part of what it means to grow in grace.

"There is no limit to what God can do through the man or woman doesn't care who gets the credit."
Jack Miller

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
Jim Elliot

"Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."
Jerry Bridges

4th of July

2011-07-10T09:00:00.005-04:00

If you've never celebrated July 4th at the beach...

put it on your to-do list!

We always go to Pelham every year,

because it's also my Granny's birthday.

But I have never experienced fireworks

like we saw on vacation!

There was actually a family that set off small fireworks

on the beach almost every night we were there.

Tons of fireworks went off on the night of July 3rd.

On the fourth, Marc wanted to head down

to the beach to watch the sunset.

(We were told the fireworks were going to be

set off at the end of this pier...

this is the view from our balcony!)

We played a little football on the beach...

At dusk, families piled onto the beach with coolers and fireworks.

We headed back up to the room,

for what ended up being a front-row seat to the fireworks!

Before the "real" show began,

we could see fireworks down miles and miles of beach.

Either way we looked,

we got a spectacular show!

Then about 9:00 the fireworks began.

Mr. Terry watched from his room,

McLean went in and out of the condo,

Ansley was terrified, so Katie stayed in with her

(but Ansley fell asleep just in time

for Katie to catch the finale!)

But me and Marc and Mrs. Debbie

sat on the balcony to watch...

If you enlarge this photo,

you can see just how close we were to the fireworks.

It was unlike anything I've ever experienced!

The girls in the room above us

began to sing patriotic songs

between the booms and squeals of the show!

I told Marc I could never describe it in words.

It's just something you have to see for yourself.

It far surpassed any fireworks display

I've ever seen in Valdosta, Milledgeville,

Pelham, or even St. Simon's.

The next morning, we packed up and headed home!

It was a long trip in the car...

but so worth it to finally have

our little family of 3 together again.

(Marc had been gone since

June 17th for his hospitalization.)

Now...a few days at home,

then we'll be headed to Atlanta!

Family Tradition...Putt Putt!

2011-07-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

Showing Ansley how to putt...

I probably shouldn't have

been the one to teach her.

I'm not exactly the best

golfer or putter in the family!

Stick that booty out!

And, yes...the goofy faces are mandatory!

Wonder Works across the street...

I would've loved to go but we didn't make it!

The rest of family had already been

to the one in Gatlinburg

(don't remember why we didn't go with them then???)

Just had to pose by the giraffes,

since they're my favorite animal!

McLean really liked climbing on the rocks...

Marc with his animal of choice...

Katie and Ans...

Told you...he liked the rocks!

Poke that belly out!

Marc was our scorekeeper.

McLean made it easy for him...he got par on every hole! ;)

Uh, oh...well Papa was wearing his UGA shirt...

I don't even know what this picture is all about.

All I know is I had to take it twice.

No clue what the inside joke is...

Last group of vacation pics tomorrow...

our 4th of July celebration!

On the Beach...

2011-07-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Before we left for vacation,

I was stalking the weather channel.

It was forecasted to be mostly cloudy,

with thunderstorms

and 30-60% chance of rain,

high's only up to 92

(we've been having temps 97-101 at home)

EVERY DAY of vacation.

But the weather turned out to be
PERFECT!

We did have a little rain one afternoon...

lasted long enough for us to come inside...

then it was done! ha!

And it rained the morning we left...

which was the only day

it was forecasted to be sunny!

Boy, does God have a sense of humor!

Marc got a little toasty one day,

but he turned brown brown brown, of course!

I was a good girl,

used 30 SPF the whole time...

reapplied when I got out of the water!

This was the first beach vacation

I can recall that I didn't get sunburned!

(Okay, my face got red one day, but I was wearing a hat!)

McLean and Grandma buried Papa...

Then we buried McLean...

I think he liked it!

Our view from our room...

You can see the green at the beach...

that's the seaweed.

It was horrible the first 2 days

(as in, we could pull it from our swimsuits..

.it had the consistency of playdough

and the color of wasabi!)

But it cleared up and we had 2 1/2 days

of clear water and clear skies!

The only worry in the world

was the tide gonna reach my chair!

Ansley liked the beach...loved the waves,

but she preferred the pool.

It took 5 adults to pull off vacation with 2 kids!

Tomorrow...family tradition at the beach!

Reagan Family Vacation 2011

2011-07-07T10:08:00.002-04:00

Marc's parents generously took us on vacation

to Panama City Beach.

We stayed at the Aqua Resort...

on the 19th floor.

As always, I fell in love with the beachy,

nautical art work in the condo!

Me and my Ans...

McLean is at that age where he'd rather

make a funny face than give a smile!

We were literally minutes from Pier Park.

From our front door,

we could see Pier Park and Gulf World.

Waiting for dinner at Margaritaville...

Pretty sure Marc found his shaker of salt

at the bottom of a huge plate of jumbalaya.

He definitely found a t-shirt he just had to have!

See how happy we look just before dinner at Reggae J's?

Well, it was short lived

because, literally, just minutes later...

we were STUCK in the elevator.

Remember I said our condo was on the 19th floor?

Yep, we got stuck just below the 18th floor.

There were about 12-15 of us on the elevator,

and it just stopped...

then started jerking like it was going to fall.

After pushing every alert and emergency button

in the elevator...

Katie finally called 911

(none of us had the condo lobby number)

and the Fire Dept rescued us

after being trapped for about 20 minutes

(that felt much, much longer).

Let's just say the experience

made this vacation memorable!

Afterward,

Marc, McLean, and I choose to go down the stairs

while Katie, Ansley, Mrs Debbie and

Mr. Terry rode down with the fire fighters.

McLean said,

"It was okay with me if I died.

I was with my entire family,

and I would get to see my dad again."

Uh, kid...rip my heart out.

Thankfully, the vacation picked up from there!

Beach pics tomorrow!

Disconnect

2011-07-06T16:54:00.000-04:00

After 5 days of unreliable wifi

and in-out phone signals,

I feel completely disconnected from

facebook, email, and blogging.

And I love it!

I will be blogging our vacation

to preserve those memories for us,

but I am going to be taking

some time off from the internet.

Enjoy my summer.

Enjoy my husband.

Work on my to-do list.

Paint some canvases.

Latest Painting--P is for Peter

2011-06-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

My first western design...

P is for Peter!

I've got 3 more on the table...

1 almost done, 1 underway, 1 background...

getting there!

You Are...

2011-06-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm totally hooked on Pinterest

and saw this saying on the site.

I am missing my Marcus today...

it's been a week since I've seen him.

Stuff like this just makes me sappy.

Ready to be reunited with my man

and head off on vacation!

Love you, Marco Polo!

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2011-06-25T22:52:00.001-04:00

When we considered buying a house,

it took me 3 years to find the right first home.

I wanted lots of storage, a bonus room,

a garage, a laundry room

(not a closet like we'd had in our apartments).

But never...not even once...

did I think about what kind of neighbor I wanted.

I mean, it's not like you have much choice.

Our neighborhood does have covenants,

so I wasn't too concerned about it.

The house just before us has had several owners/renters

and we've never gotten to know those neighbors.

Our driveways are on opposite sides of our properties,

so we don't even see them often.

(Although the newest owner likes to sit on her back deck

to talk on her phone...for hours!)

But we struck gold with the neighbors on the other side,

Mr. Larry and Mrs. Wanda.

We actually found out they are the grandparents

to friends from church.

It's because of information Mrs. Wanda gave us

that we got our precious Zelda Zoo.

They are the kind of neighbors who

watch out for our house,

pull our trash bin up to the house if we're not home,

let us use their phone when we've locked ourselves out,

let us borrow their huge extension ladder.

Love on our doggy.

Let us sit and chat on their back porch.

Warned us when there was a robbery

in our neighborhood.

Those kind of neighbors.

When I discovered the termites in our front flower bed,

I was talking to Mrs. Wanda

about getting pinestraw delivered.

I mentioned I was going to ask the landscape company

how much they would charge to clear

the underbrush in the woods between our houses.

She was interested too, and even offered to pay half.

Told you...that kind of neighbor!

Well...the price was way more

than either of us was willing to spend.

Mr. Larry assured us it was something

he and Marc could take care of together.

We came home one day

(back during the school year)

and he'd gotten started...

He cleared from our fence a little more than half-way,

probably to our sidewalk.

I couldn't believe how different it looked!

So clean and neat.

When I promised that Marc would help finish,

Mr. Larry said Marc needed to rest
and take care of his health.

Oh, yes...that kind of neighbor!

During breakfast this morning,

I heard a weed-eater.

I heard a weed-eater getting closer and closer.

I peeked out the window...

Mr. Larry had finished the whole project!

I was stunned and so appreciative!

I am surprised at how much space

there really is between our homes.

And I'm excited about walking next door

without being scared of poison ivy

or burrowed snakes and critters!

Yes, we are blessed with the best kind of neighbors!

Productivity

2011-06-21T22:13:00.000-04:00

Today was a huge success as far as the to-do list goes! The only thing I didn't do was buy groceries, which is a real shame...I'm seriously pulling out the food at the back of the pantry!

My day consisted of:

hair cut and highlights
read a chapter in my fourth book of the summer
medicine for me and my Zelda Zoo
painted 3 backgrounds
did a color match for another painting
checked mail for a friend who's out of town
picked up my 31 order...new bag is PRECIOUS!
got a new pair of earrings
called the bank to find out why they paid BOTH car payments TWICE!
filled the Aqua Globes in my potted flowers (hate that chore!)
a nice, long bath for me
a nice, short bath for Zelda
too much time on Pinterest, obsessing over my office makeover
trip to Lowe's for paint chips for, what else? the office
several Sudoku puzzles
couple of phone calls, lots of texts to my man...miss him already
drank lots of water, especially due to this crummy summer cold

Tomorrow...I'm sleeping in (hopefully!) and hanging out in my pool and squeezing in some painting time.

Oh...and maybe the grocery store. Maybe.

Latest Painting--Logan

2011-06-17T12:00:00.002-04:00

I have already completed 11 paintings!

And I have 11 more to go!!

Can you believe I had 9 paintings in a row

WITHOUT polka dots???

And...I have a few canvases left over from the $20 sale.

I'm offering these

select sizes

for $20

ONE MORE TIME...

then it's back to full price!

1 16x20

~~1 18x24~~ taken!

6 11x14

That's it...when they're gone, they're gone!

Claim 'em while you can!

Alright...here's the latest!

Little Logan's nursery is done in

Carter's Laguna bedding...precious!

The frog and turtle were requested...

And I loved these dots!

Hope Logan and his mommy love it!

Summer Reading

2011-06-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

I love to read.

Always have, as long as I can remember.

I have to admit...

I don't make time to read nearly often enough.

You know, there's work and laundry and errands and

cooking and cleaning and painting.

A husband that requires

some of my time and attention!

And television sucks up more of my time

than I should allow.

But there's something about summer.

Looser schedules, later bedtimes,

lounging by the pool...

begs a good read!

The books are stacked up on my nightstand right now:

4 fiction, 4 Christian

I've already read the bottom two on the stack,

Mrs. Perfect and Speechless.

And I've started the the top one,

The Friday Night Knitting Club.

So I'd love to know...

what are YOU reading?

Latest Paintings--Mitchell and Ciera

2011-06-14T21:13:00.000-04:00

These paintings are for the brother and sister of Laya,

and they went to their new home today!

I've got one nearly finished and one well underway...

and I'm working on a Facebook page

now that I have a new logo!!!

I'll be showing that off very soon!

You Never Know...

2011-06-13T18:19:00.000-04:00

You never know what you might find

on the 75% off rack at...

BLOCKBUSTER!

What? You can't see those pink tags?

Let me show you...

Would you believe I even picked up

4 Christmas gifts from the clearance table?

The prices were too good to resist!

Marc got a month-long membership

to Blockbuster

and we have watched movie after movie...

after movie...

after movie!

Marc had definitely gotten his money's worth.

Some of my favorites we've watched:

Gnomeo and Juliet

Megamind

I am Number 4

Gulliver's Travels

Tangled

Just Go With It

We saw it at the theater,

but Marc's a sucker for

any Adam Sandler movie.

I typically don't like animated movies that much...

but those have been the ones I liked the most!

And we've been watching

ALL the Harry Potter movies

in anticipation of the final one coming out next month.

I've had to move my card table

into the living room to paint

in order to keep up with this

strict movie schedule Marc's got me on!

And that painting on the table...

finishing touches today,

then done tomorrow!

Already started the next one...

got a pretty good rhythm going!

Our Life through Marc's Eye--Part 3

2011-06-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

Alright, here's the last group of pics

from Marc's iPhone...

enjoy!

Delirious in the hospital

March 2011

Ansley @ McLean's soccer game

(last day Marc spent with Brian...lunch at McDonald's)

March 2011

"Rossy" and Ansley playing with playdough

Self-portraits of a mohawk

May 2011

Mister Jarvis with his helmet

(Marc's co-worker,

going to lunch during post planning)

May 2011

Our new pool

Summer 2011

Corky Bell's in Palatka

May 2011

"Red Hat" gator

FSU gator..oxymoron! haha!

Zach and Christina (+ baby Truett in belly)

Something for baby Truett, I guess?

Grown men playing dress-up!

Ansley Marie in her favorite hat of Grandma's

and new birthday outfit from Marc and Roxy

May 2011

Brayden found a new "seat"

WalMart, June 2011

...and a new lawn mower

Lowes, June 2011

What have I learned from Marc's perspective?

He takes a lot of pictures of Ansley and Brayden.

And Zelda, of course.

He takes a lot more pictures than I thought!

Our Life through Marc's Eye--Part 2

2011-06-10T13:00:00.001-04:00

Another view of our life from Marc's perspective:

Brayden

Spring 2010

Coworkers at BHS

May 2010

Papa built McLean's new swingset

Chloe the Cat (my sister's cat)

May 2010

Vacation

June 2010

Brayden and Daniel

VBS@SBC July 2010

Brayden

Fall 2010

Our Life through Marc's Eye--Part 1

2011-06-09T13:30:00.002-04:00

I got a big kick out of looking

through the pictures on Marc's phone.

It's funny to see

what he chooses to take pictures of.

Some of these are over 2 years old!

Dogsitting another dachshund...Zelda was a little unsure!

May 2009

Brayden...brand new, still in the hospital!

July 2009

Benji...in the NICU, poor thing!

October 2009

Benji and Brayden's first meeting

November 2009

First time holding Benji

December 2009

Brayden at church

Benji's funny hat

McLean playing soccer with Zelda

Lake Days

2011-06-08T17:02:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a day on the lake

with Dennis, Rena, and Benji.

Because you know, I can't get enough of that sweet smile!

Chillin with Uncle Marc...

Rena tubing...

Strut your stuff, babe!

Marc tubing...

Dennis is a brave man...let Marc drive his boat!

Dennis tubing...

We had so much fun!

Thanks, Dennis and Rena!

Poor Zelda!

2011-06-07T16:13:00.001-04:00

Yes...I know Zelda is just a dog.

But she is MY dog.

She is a living creature,

and I'm the one responsible for her care.

So I was one worried doggy-mama

when I realized by Sunday morning
she wasn't feeling well.

I started thinking back over the past few days:

Thursday, she felt fine...normal behavior and activity.

On Friday, she pretty much hung out
on the couch all day,

and snuggled with her mama a lot.

Silly me, I was flattered...

she usually chooses her daddy.

She's got him wrapped around her finger.

There's a reason her middle name is Rotten.

Literally.

Zelda Rotten Reagan.

By Saturday, I realized she hadn't really eaten

any of her food from her dish.

Sure, she'd eat treats and snacks and cheese.

She loves cheese.

It's her favorite snack...

she even recognizes the sound of the drawer

(in the fridge, where we keep the cheese)

and, of course, the sound of the plastic wrap.

On Sunday, we realized she still wasn't eating...

hadn't really played much...

wouldn't jump onto the couch, where she loves to sleep.

She kept her tail tucked between her legs.

She was still drinking fine...but not eating.

She wasn't even interested

in coming into the kitchen while I cooked.

Normally, she stays underfoot...

hoping something drops to the floor!

We had concerns she'd gotten over-heated,

since it's been in the high 90's

and even into the low 100's.

I thought maybe she'd gotten bit by a bug

or stung by a bee or wasp.

Since she wouldn't jump,

we got scared she'd hurt her back.

Dachshunds are prone to back trouble,

but you can't keep this girl from jumping.

Well, usually!

I checked her whole body, Marc looked for ticks.

I analyzed every movement when she walked.

We couldn't figure anything out.

Our neighbor has 4 dogs,

3 dalmatians and a dachshund.

They're the ones who told us

about the litter we got Zelda from.

Mrs. Wanda just had knee surgery,

so I'd cooked them dinner,

and Marc walked it next door.

He asked Mr. Larry about Zelda's symptoms,

and he warned Marc about a few things,

including her anal glands.

Sure enough...

her little bottom was swollen!

Monday morning, we were at the vet's office at 8:20.

According to their hours, they open at 8:30,

but the door was already open

and four people were ahead of us.

Ugh!

I was frustrated because I'd been awake since 7:00,

worried sick about my doggy.

Frustrated because we have a really good vet,

with the lowest prices in town...

but the wait is always forever.

Frustrated because a huge Marmaduke dog

had severe diarrhea in the waiting room.

(Seriously, I've changed hundreds of diapers,

but had to walk outside.

I felt so badly for the guy who cleaned it up...

what a way to start your Monday!)

Yuck!)

Frustrated because the doctor

didn't get there until after 9:00!

Oh, but we were entertained during our 2 hour wait!

Saw big,

BIGGER,

and then the

BIGGEST

dogs come in.

Seriously...there was a yellow lab,

who left his hairs swirling in the air.

He looked like a polar bear.

It took two grown men to pull him in,

then some skinny girl
is the one who took him in the back!

(While Will Parker, who works at our vet,

grabbed the other mini doxie with them!)

Then in comes a thick, burly, brown looking dog...

who very well could've been a bear.

When the HUGE dog came in,

several people in the waiting room laughed,

and Marc asked,

"What's going to be next, a horse?"

He kept commenting that kids

could ride the dog, it was so big.

Clifford the Big Red Dog kind of big.

"Grandma, get the saddle...the kids wanna ride!"

2 hours in, we were delirious!

Finally, we saw the doctor at 10:30.

Waited 2 hours.

Took all of 10 minutes.

Zelda got her annual vaccinations,

her claws clipped,

and her anal glands "expressed."

(Yuck, I know...

could've gone my whole life

without that experience!)

Poor, baby!

Apparently, the anal glands

can get infected or blocked

when there's a lack of fiber in a dog's diet.

And it happens in smaller dogs

more often than larger breeds.

I was just so grateful for a diagnosis...

and a quick, cheap solution!

By the time we got home...

Zelda was running and playing.

Already back to her regular self.

Except jumping.

Seems we spoiled her

by picking her up for 2 days straight.

By today, she's chasing her ball...

eating...

jumping...

and napping on the couch.

Like I said, Rotten!

(And if you read this far,

you deserve some kind of medal.

Thank you for caring about our doggy-baby.

She isn't just man's best friend...

she's my best buddy ever.

We're big Zelda fans around here!)

Latest Painting--Laya

2011-06-04T12:30:00.002-04:00

I am a southern girl.

Born and raised in South Georgia.

Picked pecans and blueberries.

Shelled peas.

Went to our high school football game

every Friday night.

(GO, VIKES, GO!)

I was raised on fried chicken and sweet tea.

(Possibly why I love Chick-fil-A so much!)

I say "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir."

I eat homemade pancakes on Saturday mornings

and homemade ice cream on July 4th.

And I love monograms.

LOVE THEM.

Cannot get enough of them.

If we ever have a child,

I'll be one of those mamas

who monogram all my kids' clothes...

even the sweet little bloomers on their bottom!

But...I rarely get asked to paint monograms!?!

Please, people, order more monograms...

I have ideas I want to play with.

Indulge me, please!

Marc won't let me buy monogrammed clothes for Zelda!

So I was so excited to paint a monogram for Laya!

She recently got a room makeover

with bright, funky colors!

I hope Laya loves monograms as much as I do!

Happy Birthday, Ansley Marie!

2011-06-03T09:30:00.001-04:00

My favorite niece turns 2 years old today!

We celebrated her birthday last weekend

with a family cookout and pool party.

Opening presents:

It's a pillow...it's a pet...

it's a PILLOW PET!

Cake Time:

The birthday girl was waiting for her crown...

Ansley really loved her crown...

...didn't want to take it off...

...even to swim!

And she loves Grandma's pink hat...

which she was willing to share with Don...

...as long as he would dance with her!

Ansley had a fun birthday!

It was so nice to enjoy a day of family,

not rushed, just relaxed.

We had grilled hotdogs for lunch...

hung out by the pool...

and a yummy fish fry for dinner!

We love our Reagan side of the family!

Latest Painting...Byrd Est. 2011

2011-06-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Shelby and Brooks got married a few weeks ago.

We've known Shelby and her family for many years.

Shelby even dog-sat Zelda for us once.

She was a beautiful bride!

My friend Cathryn ordered this established canvas for Shelby and Brooks.

I wish them years of happiness in their marriage!

Introducing Kellan

2011-06-01T13:30:00.001-04:00

Look at that precious, tiny boy!

After holding Benji and Carson all the time,

Kellan's 5 pounds felt like air!

Kellan and his proud Mommy!

(see my painting over his bed?)

This was the very first time they laid him in his crib...he looks so tiny!

My mama (Aunt Debbie) holding her great-nephew.

I'm so glad I got a chance to visit with my family.

I could've held Mr. Kellan all day.

I am so happy for Casey and Jeremy and their little family of 3!

Latest Painting...Emery

2011-05-31T23:41:00.000-04:00

The very last order I took had the earliest deadline!

I think this color combination is one of my most favorite ever to paint!

It really shows up so much bolder in person.

I hate that the colors just don't express themselves on the computer. :(

Little Emery's room will be done in this

Jungle Friends collection by Tiddliwinks at Target.

The animals are just precious!

We just got home from a long weekend away.

I can't wait to get back to painting.

I still have more to share...keep coming back!

Go Braves...latest painting!

2011-05-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big baseball fan...

but some little boy is!

And he'll be so happy

his grandma ordered him this Braves painting!

Another one to cross off my list!

Yay!

A Painting A Day

2011-05-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

I received another painting order this week, so that put my overall total at 20!

The great news is...I have finished 8!

And 3 are in the works...I've been painting every day.

The first order I got for the $20 special was a baby gift.

My mama ordered this painting for

a student teacher at her elementary school.

Baby Preston should be born anyday now!

And my cousin, Casey, had Kellan on Friday, May 20.

I will get to see him on Friday,

and I cannot wait to hold him and sniff him!
Love that new baby smell!

My mama holding her great-nephew!

Kelly (Aunt Kiki) with her nephew!

More paintings (and pictures of Kellan) coming soon!