If you're reading this blog, I'm going to assume you think I'm the funniest, most interesting person in the world.
Or that you want to keep up with what's going on in Harper's life.
Or that you are bored.
But in any case, if you're reading and don't know me well, there are some things you should know about me... here are the first 5.
5. I love potatoes. French fried, mashed, baked, raw, sweet. Give me a potato and I am satisfied. Super food? Perhaps not, but oh so delicious!
4. I am absolutely 1000% not a morning person. Like prior to 8am, you probably don't want to talk to me. Jake learned this extremely fast in our marriage. Harper has not learned this. Sleeping in is not her strongest suit and by the time she does, I'll probably be unable to sleep in myself. So when the time comes, I'll just wake her up as payback...
3. I really like Dr Pepper and I don't like water. But because I am an adult (lame), I drink water. Which means you can't judge me.
2. I am a nurse. This comes in handy as a mother. It also makes motherhood, and living, the scariest thing ever. I know a lot the bad stuff that could be happening in our bodies even though it's probably not. Thankfully, I am not a slave to fear! And we are pretty healthy. Its a mostly win/win situation.
1. I'm a procrastinating perfectionist. I would really really like for everything I do to be perfect. Experience and laser levels have shown me that, most likely, this will not always be the case. So, how do I manage this? I procrastinate. This way, at least, I have an excuse as to why something isn't perfect. I'm aware this is slightly misguided. But I'm working on it. Or I will be working on it later...
Stay tuned for a series beginning next week. It's going to be called, "The 12 days of Harper"... yeah, I know what you people really want.
Abigail
Friday, April 12, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Harper's new skill
That would be putting weird things in her mouth. I know kids like to put everything in their mouths, so this could be one of those "look at my first child doing totally normal things that I think are so weird!" But here are some the extraordinary things she has "tested."
5. Rubber balls. No matter the size, she tries to stuff it in her mouth. She obviously found one that fits.
4. Paper. Not that weird, but she doesn't swallow it. She chews on it like gum. And gets mad when I take it out of her mouth.
3. Other people's fingers. Anyone and everyone. Even if she has never seen you before, she wants to put your fingers in her mouth. It sort of makes sense to me, but I'm sure other people find it a little unnerving.
2. My coffee cup. She will sometimes want other cups, but she always wants my coffee cup. This might be one of the early warning signs of a coffee addict (and the fact that caffeine doesn't really affect her...), but I think it's pretty cute. So what if I'm an enabler.
1. Strings from Ruby's toys. Ruby (our dog, in case I'm moving too fast for you) destroys any toy we give her. She got a rope toy and likes to rip it up and leave the strings everywhere. Harper then finds said strings and chews on them (kind of like the paper...). So we've gotten rid of Ruby's toys. Hopefully she sees it as a sacrifice of love.
Normal? Probably. Will I make fun of her for it anyway? Definitely.
Abigail
5. Rubber balls. No matter the size, she tries to stuff it in her mouth. She obviously found one that fits.
4. Paper. Not that weird, but she doesn't swallow it. She chews on it like gum. And gets mad when I take it out of her mouth.
3. Other people's fingers. Anyone and everyone. Even if she has never seen you before, she wants to put your fingers in her mouth. It sort of makes sense to me, but I'm sure other people find it a little unnerving.
2. My coffee cup. She will sometimes want other cups, but she always wants my coffee cup. This might be one of the early warning signs of a coffee addict (and the fact that caffeine doesn't really affect her...), but I think it's pretty cute. So what if I'm an enabler.
1. Strings from Ruby's toys. Ruby (our dog, in case I'm moving too fast for you) destroys any toy we give her. She got a rope toy and likes to rip it up and leave the strings everywhere. Harper then finds said strings and chews on them (kind of like the paper...). So we've gotten rid of Ruby's toys. Hopefully she sees it as a sacrifice of love.
Normal? Probably. Will I make fun of her for it anyway? Definitely.
Abigail
Monday, March 25, 2013
We are the change.
This weekend our family had the privilege of supporting Tigers Against Trafficking, and the end of human trafficking, by running in their annual 5k.
Or if you accidentally took a shortcut, it was about a 4k. And when I say running, I mean Jake ran and I walked and Harper just strolled...
But my point is that we loved being a part of this incredible cause. If you don't know, here are some quick facts on human trafficking:
-$ 32 billion dollars: estimated gross profit of the world’s fastest growing criminal industry (UN)
-27 million: number of people the UN estimates are enslaved right now.
-2 million: number of children enslaved (UNICEF)
-Over 17,500 victims are trafficked in the U.S. annually and approximately 33% are American citizens. The full scope of the problem has yet to be determined, as the crime of human trafficking is often intertwined with drug trafficking and prostitution.
-Trafficking in the U.S. often occurs in street prostitution, massage parlors, and brothels, and for labor in domestic service, agriculture, manufacturing, janitorial services, hospitality industries, construction, health and elder care, and strip club dancing. U.S. citizen victims, both adults and children, are predominantly found in sex trafficking; U.S. citizen child victims are often runaways, troubled, and homeless youth. Foreign victims are more often found in labor trafficking than sex trafficking.
(sources: www.unboundnow.org and www.thea21campaign.org)
This is a real problem and it is time for us to be a voice for those who are enslaved. We can be the change. If you are stirred by this, then check out the organizations I've cited and do whatever you can, wherever you are. That's what we did on Saturday. Here are some snapshots of an abolitionist family:
There are quite a few of our college students who are in leadership and volunteer with this student organization. It was so fun watching them not only raise awareness for this issue but also $12,000 for the A21 Campaign. Bridget, Genn, Amanda, Mary, Roz, Katie, Lauren, Cydni, Gabe, TJ, Jonathan, Michael, Guey, Sam, Bear, Connor, and Eva we are so proud of you!
Abigail
Or if you accidentally took a shortcut, it was about a 4k. And when I say running, I mean Jake ran and I walked and Harper just strolled...
But my point is that we loved being a part of this incredible cause. If you don't know, here are some quick facts on human trafficking:
-$ 32 billion dollars: estimated gross profit of the world’s fastest growing criminal industry (UN)
-27 million: number of people the UN estimates are enslaved right now.
-2 million: number of children enslaved (UNICEF)
-Over 17,500 victims are trafficked in the U.S. annually and approximately 33% are American citizens. The full scope of the problem has yet to be determined, as the crime of human trafficking is often intertwined with drug trafficking and prostitution.
-Trafficking in the U.S. often occurs in street prostitution, massage parlors, and brothels, and for labor in domestic service, agriculture, manufacturing, janitorial services, hospitality industries, construction, health and elder care, and strip club dancing. U.S. citizen victims, both adults and children, are predominantly found in sex trafficking; U.S. citizen child victims are often runaways, troubled, and homeless youth. Foreign victims are more often found in labor trafficking than sex trafficking.
(sources: www.unboundnow.org and www.thea21campaign.org)
This is a real problem and it is time for us to be a voice for those who are enslaved. We can be the change. If you are stirred by this, then check out the organizations I've cited and do whatever you can, wherever you are. That's what we did on Saturday. Here are some snapshots of an abolitionist family:
There are quite a few of our college students who are in leadership and volunteer with this student organization. It was so fun watching them not only raise awareness for this issue but also $12,000 for the A21 Campaign. Bridget, Genn, Amanda, Mary, Roz, Katie, Lauren, Cydni, Gabe, TJ, Jonathan, Michael, Guey, Sam, Bear, Connor, and Eva we are so proud of you!
Abigail
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
You looking for me?
I was that flash you saw running to get leaves and strings and paper out of my child's mouth. Why doesn't anyone tell you that 10 month olds are actually the fastest people on the planet? They should have an event at the Olympics.
But since you were looking, here's what we've been up to lately:
-We've been watching The Biggest Loser with our roomie Katie. We do a circuit workout during the commercials and it kicks my tail. Basically, we do some sort of calisthenics for 30 seconds in cycles of 3. We laugh a lot, but I feel the burn... And people who know, cheer for Danni! She's our favorite!
-Harper is a crawling machine. She was slow to start this season, and for that I am thankful. She lovesgetting trying to get into the fireplace and finding every piece of dirt my broom missed.
-Our Antioch tank made the LSU edition of the Harlem Shake phenomenon. Watch the dancer on the right very closely...
But since you were looking, here's what we've been up to lately:
-We've been watching The Biggest Loser with our roomie Katie. We do a circuit workout during the commercials and it kicks my tail. Basically, we do some sort of calisthenics for 30 seconds in cycles of 3. We laugh a lot, but I feel the burn... And people who know, cheer for Danni! She's our favorite!
-Harper is a crawling machine. She was slow to start this season, and for that I am thankful. She loves
-Our Antioch tank made the LSU edition of the Harlem Shake phenomenon. Watch the dancer on the right very closely...
-Our church is growing! We now have (almost) 6 lifegroups. Well, technically 5, but there are three world-changing high schoolers discussing their lifegroup launch in my living room as we speak. Mobile church is the way we roll (literally), meeting mostly in hotels and setting up and tearing down each week. So far we haven't lost anyone along the way, so that's something!
By the way, we send out monthly e-mail updates. Some of you already get them, but if you do not and you want to hear more about our blossoming church, go here and sign up. Or whatever you want to do...
Until next time,
Friday, March 1, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Pin-sanity!
Pinterest is ingenius. You can bookmark all your favorite things on the internet onto one organized site. Pinterest is inspiring. I never knew it was so easy to make your own cleaners and chalkboard paint. Pinterest is helpful. My cleaning schedule is organized and my fitted sheets folded perfectly.
Pinterest is addicting. You can spend hours finding new ways to help you clean your refrigerator. But at some point you actually have to do or buy these things you pin or it just becomes a giant black hole. (I'm pretty sure that's in the user agreement...) So here are the top five things I've found on Pinterest and how they've worked for me.
5. Anything on this blog. Ok, to be honest, I didn't find this blog on Pinterest. Jillian is my friend and brilliant cook. BUT I do pin almost all of her recipes. You will not be sorry for checking it out. She brought us this cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole when Harper was born and Jake still raves about it almost a year (...what!?!) later.
4. My cleaning list. I love this tool. For the most part, this helps me stay on top of my whole house. Sometimes I tweak it (read: skip tasks and do them later...). I found it here. I use the reminder app on my sweet iphone and my calendar looks something like this:
2. Folding fitted sheets. I'm pretty much on my way to becoming Martha. And having really toned arms, because I'm short and it still takes me a few tries to get it right, so I end up holding the sheets for a while. It's a win-win, really.
1. By far, the most praise and non-stop raving I've gotten from Jake for a Pinterest recipe was this granola. I use whatever I have on hand for the dry ingredients and it always comes out delicious. Throw this on some greek yogurt, which is otherwise impossible to eat, and you have a tasty and somewhat healthy breakfast. And a happy husband.
And uhhh... follow me... if you want to. :)
Pinterest is addicting. You can spend hours finding new ways to help you clean your refrigerator. But at some point you actually have to do or buy these things you pin or it just becomes a giant black hole. (I'm pretty sure that's in the user agreement...) So here are the top five things I've found on Pinterest and how they've worked for me.
5. Anything on this blog. Ok, to be honest, I didn't find this blog on Pinterest. Jillian is my friend and brilliant cook. BUT I do pin almost all of her recipes. You will not be sorry for checking it out. She brought us this cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole when Harper was born and Jake still raves about it almost a year (...what!?!) later.
4. My cleaning list. I love this tool. For the most part, this helps me stay on top of my whole house. Sometimes I tweak it (read: skip tasks and do them later...). I found it here. I use the reminder app on my sweet iphone and my calendar looks something like this:
Daily
Make beds
Empty dishwasher (morning)
A load of laundry (most days)
Wipe down kitchen
Load dishwasher (night)
Pick up
Chore of the day
Chores of the Day
Monday: Dust
Tuesday: Swing Day
Wednesday: Vacuum
Thursday: Sweep/mop the whole house (sweeping usually happens more frequently)
Friday: Clean bathrooms
Saturday: Makeup day (anything I might have neglected on the other days)
Sunday: Sabbath
Swing Day
1: Clean baseboards/walls/doors
2: Change sheets
3: Clean showers/microwave/refrigerator
4: Deep clean/organize one area
3. French bread pizza. I make this about once a month. It takes about 10 minutes, we all love it and it has leftovers. Perfection.
2. Folding fitted sheets. I'm pretty much on my way to becoming Martha. And having really toned arms, because I'm short and it still takes me a few tries to get it right, so I end up holding the sheets for a while. It's a win-win, really.
1. By far, the most praise and non-stop raving I've gotten from Jake for a Pinterest recipe was this granola. I use whatever I have on hand for the dry ingredients and it always comes out delicious. Throw this on some greek yogurt, which is otherwise impossible to eat, and you have a tasty and somewhat healthy breakfast. And a happy husband.
And uhhh... follow me... if you want to. :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Can I get a witness?
Awesome things are happening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. God is building the church, strengthening our family, and they are building a Pei Wei (hallelujah!). We are constantly blown away at the faithfulness of God. So here is the story in pictures of our journey thus far as a church. Enjoy!
It started simply in our living room in August, with people gathering on Sunday nights at 5:30. We worshipped, learned what church should be and had dinner together.
Living in Baton Rouge means tailgating on game days.
We learned a lot about what church is and is not. It is not four walls or a preacher, it is community and sharing Jesus wherever you are.
We continued to fill our living room, growing a little wider and deeper each week.
In November, we had our first baptism service in the bed of a truck! People were stirred as these girls shared how Jesus had changed their lives!
Our lifegroups grew (and had lots of fun!)
Young adult on top, college on bottom.
And then this happened. 120 people in every imaginable space in our living room. We were blown away! This also happened to be the last week in our house.
Our first week in the Radisson hotel, with room to grow!
Even the littles are getting in on the action. The children's ministry is a girl party right now, but we love our time with them!
As of today we have four lifegroups, 130-150 people coming on Sundays, countless volunteers, and 9 very thank-full hearts (our staff, of course)! We almost cannot believe how incredible God is. We are expectant and excited about the next few months. I wonder what the next chapter will look like? To be continued...
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