Y'all there are just things in life that one doesn't know about, even as an adult. Rug pads are one of those things. I always felt like they were a money waster, and 'do I really NEED one of those'? Yes. Yes, I need one. I need four actually. I have discovered that rug pads are good for several things, not to mention keeping said rug in place. They're also great at preventing damage to your floor from all the dirt and debris that collects underneath. Also, if you have a fancy rug {read: expensive}, rug pads prolong the life, beauty and strength of your lovely rug. Now that I've educated you, I have two runners in my upstairs hallway that drive me absolutely bonkers. Why? Because, between the kids and the husband, it's always wonky. It never stays put. The same is for the rug in Eliza Jane's room. Well, was....the same for the rug in Eliza Jane's room. Until I got her a rug pad. Lucky for us I got an email from a Rep at RugPadUSA asking if we could work together so I jumped at the opportunity! I measured Eliza Jane's rug and sent him the measurements and within a week I received our new rug pad - we got the Superior Lock 1/4 pad. The kids rolled around on the rug for almost an hour. We all talked about how 'squishy' sister's rug now was. I may have hopped on it a few times. When Andrew stepped on it for the first time that night, he looked perplexed and said, "why does this rug feel so amazing now?" For several weeks he and I took turns commenting on how much nicer Eliza Jane's rug was now that she had this great pad under it. {It's still amazing, we just don't comment to each other about it anymore...} I will definitely be purchasing rug pads for the rest of the rugs in our house! And the great news is right now some of the pads are 20% off + Free Shipping! Woot! Check it out! **This post was sponsored by Rug Pad USA** … [Read more...]
My Closet Project
I really should put this as part one of probably 5...or maybe 10. Because if I'm honest, this is going to be a process. Nothing's as simple as just doing the one thing. Like, buying drawers to add to a tower that you've had for 4 years. No. No, you see, this started in my mind a few months ago. Then last week I slowly began chipping away at this ice berg. Last Wednesday I took the afternoon off, to pack up the mounds of clothes that had collected in our bedroom. Clothes too small for Eliza Jane, too small for Reynolds, but not yet fitting Emory. Clothes that Andrew didn't want any longer. A comforter {or two?}, an electric blanket that hadn't been put away {it's 90+ outside, but whatever}. A television {hello?} and other random things that either weren't put away in their proper home place or were waiting to be put in that invisible bag that was making its way to Goodwill. Within a matter of two hours or less I had purchased a few things on Lowes.com, I had bagged up the things that were going to be donated and I had packed up the things that needed to be moved into Emory's closet for days that I choose not to think about now {2&3 years of age...}. The tv was moved to our bed - where it would NOT stay. The comforters had been sorted by size, and one was posted online to sell {and thankfully did sell within a day!}, the others put away for much colder days. That was the start of this vision I had. By Friday after noon, my next 1/2 day of working, 1/2 day of play, I was ready for all the things related to the closet. I went to Lowe's to pick up my online order and I'll spare you all the details, but I waited for 40 minutes... Forty.Minutes. Forty. For them to find my order and bring it to me. Then. Then y'all, I went to Chic-Fil-A, the KING of fast food service. And I sat for another 20 minutes. Y'all. I got myself a cookies 'n cream milkshake for all that stress. I lost an hour of what was going to be the most … [Read more...]
Needing Jesus
(Reader’s note: this was written originally last Monday, 6/26…but this is how long it takes me to finish things these days… ☹) I always think it’s funny when something happens by “coincidence”. I just happened to forget I wasn’t supposed to take a lunch today, and ran an errand to Trader Joe’s. Then I happened to run home to drop off all my goods, etc. and strolled around my house to see what the cleaning lady did while she was there this morning (it’s always fun to see how she reorganizes things!!). Then I happened to get a notification that a sweet girl, that I’ve known from way-back-when, Jess Connolly, was doing a live video on Instagram. And I happened to turn on my car’s blue tooth so I could listen in on her little video. Jess’ husband worked in my office, what seems like, a million years ago. Back when he was this sweet guy dreaming of marrying this gorgeous gal named Jess. Dreams do come true. They have an amazing ministry…she’s killing it all over the place – praise be to Jesus alone, I know she would say. So here I was in my car listening to her pouring out her heart about being “Expectant” about all things Jesus…which includes us as fallen humans and how we can be expectant to still need him and she said this one thing that I repeated over and over in my head until I got to a stop light and could email it to myself so I didn’t forget! “What if..you still needed Jesus?” She was recalling a conversation she had with a dear friend of hers from the other day, about all these things we plan out and set out as goals etc. And she said something like, But what if, at the end of all the planning and goal-setting that we still needed Jesus. I sat there thinking, that’s mind-boggling to me. We DO need Jesus. But do we admit that in the every minute – every day? What if, in your every day, everything, you still needed Jesus. Instead of thinking, I’ve got this. I’ve got all these things to do in XXX time, or whatever, what if you still needed … [Read more...]
A Mom Moment…
Kids know just how to punch you in the gut, don't they? I'm not talking about the "I hate you, get out of my life" drama that I PRAY hard we never deal with... I'm talking about the bedtime, "No, MOMMA, I didn't want YOU to put me to bed. I want DADDY!" drama. It's often Reynolds who gives me the boot out of his bed {and seemingly out of his heart...}. And I'm sort of okay with it, some nights. Whatever, he wants his dad. It's a guy thing, sure. Okay. I can get on board with that. But Eliza Jane...seriously. The girls need to stick together here. We're outnumbered....she's supposed to be on MY team right?! Tonight was going along great, she got in her nightgown, hopped into the bed and {flip! the switch}, she lost it. She screamed that Mariah Carey scream {that makes my ears start to bleed}, shoved her face into the bed and burst into tears. I sat there completely unaware of anything that had just happened.... Bewildered beyond anything. "MY NOT WANT YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY WANT MY DALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Seriously. She punched me in the gut. The heart. I was shattered. She was so completely distraught that I was the one to sing her songs, pray her prayer and wipe those sweet curls out of her face to kiss her goodnight. HE didn't push you out of the smallest hole in his body and provide your sole nourishment the first four months of your life, but whatever. Fine. You can have him. I'll go sit on my favorite couch and drink a straw-berrita while eating a half-pint of icecream. I'm not hurt. I'll be fine. sniff. I walked out of the banshee's room and into Reynolds' where the boys where having a lovely story time and recounted to "Dally" what had just happened. "She wanted YOU, she just said it!" he stated, confused as I was. I'm pretty sure Reynolds laughed at the drama I had acted out for them. "Well. She no longer wants ME, she wants YOU." and I stood there with my pout-pout face on. And then I … [Read more...]
The Blue Apron Meal…
Finally! I am getting to this post! We are on week three of our Blue Apron meals (what?!?) and man, that time went by fast! I really wanted to share with y'all about Blue Apron because I know I was really curious so I figured if I was, someone else must be too...right? Here's some background info for you. We cook at least three, if not four nights a week and frankly, I have been getting bored with the same.ol.food and needed new options. Options that we like {read: flavor] and that my kids will eat {read: not be afraid to try}. We try not to eat out a lot because it really is so expensive and a lot less healthy... So when I finally bit the bullet to do Blue Apron, the cost was calculated out to be less than $9/portion {I purchase the 4-portion option}. For us a portion actually equals dinner for all of us plus at least one additional meal, be it lunch or supper for another day. With that in mind, the cost really comes out to be just under $7/portion, which isn't so terrible. Our first box arrived three Saturdays ago...and here's how it went down...mostly in pictures. You get this really great box That tells you that cooking is happy...and in the process you get really happy/excited. Then, you unload all the goods and get even more excited. The first meal I chose to make, out of the two that came in our box, was the Crispy Catfish and Sweet Potato Fries. Now, I'm a Georgia girl and my PawPaw had a catfish pond in South Georgia so I grew up eating catfish. I grew up FISHING for catfish on hot Saturday afternoons...where you had to sit perfectly still and quiet. Do you know how hard it is to sit still and quiet as a child...? I have sweet memories of sitting on the bank of that pond fishing for what seemed like an eternity...to catch just enough fish so that we could fry them for supper. So here I was taking my stroll down memory lane, and thinking that the only true, proper way to eat catfish is with honey... That's how I grew up … [Read more...]
May 2017…so far
Y'all...I have so much to write about. So many things I haven't had a half-second to put down on paper {or type in a blank box} and I truly fear that I never will!!! So much I want to say and tell y'all! But...tonight I'm just going to give some updates because it's been a couple of months. In my favorite kind of fashion...here's the latest with our Lucas clan. Reading: Magnolia. It's seriously the greatest magazine {in my little opinion} since Real Simple came out. It doesn't help that I, along with the rest of the ship-lap-loving-world, am completely infatuated with Chip and Jo. Playing: What all of my motherly dreams were made of...playing baseball in the front yard with my kids. Y'all! I remember so very fondly playing ball in the yard with my mom and my dad that I have just been waiting {patiently?!} for this day. And it happened just a week or so ago and has been a recurring thing since...and it's just bliss. Watching: Oh I could just watch these sweet babies for days and days, but apparently I'm not in reality! If I take my eyes of Emory for a millisecond, he's rolled himself under a chair! But seriously...I love watching all three of these sweet kids. They absolutely adore each other and it's the best seat to the most wonderful show... Trying: I'm really trying to run. I don't like running. I will walk for miles...and that's just how I want to do it. In running there's too much bouncing. My ponytail whacks me in the face. I get WAY too sweaty and I feel so gross afterwards. But I'm trying. I'm supposed to run a 5k on Saturday...we'll see how that goes. Cooking: OH! This is fun. And a future blog post to come...I have done a couple of Blue Apron meal orders! So I have a lot to say about that...and will leave you hanging here on this little cliff! Eating: {see above comment...and I will leave you waiting to hear all the yummy details!} Drinking: Straw-Ber-Ritas!!! The perfect little something at the end of a hot … [Read more...]
Reynolds’ Birthday Fun!
Oh my gracious! What a fun birthday Reynolds had!! It was nearly 3 weeks ago, but who's counting!? It's taken me quite some time to get all of this together with the kiddos, work and all the other whathaveyous, so I'm sorry for the delay, but I think this will bring some joy to your beautiful eyes tonight! I just want to say, if your birthday starts off with homemade chocolate chip waffles, made with immense love by your momma, it's going to be a really incredible day. The first sweet picture of my "Captain"...anybody else think he's huge? He's huge. 44 inches tall, confirmed last Friday by his pediatrician, who looked at us and said, "So...he's grown FIVE inches since his last check-up." Then smiled with this, "I really don't know what to say." look on his face. HA! The plan was for him to go to school for a half-day and then I would pick him up around 12:15 to go to the Zoo. "Surprises" were in store for him as we let him know in the morning. Mommy and Daddy had surprises for him, and we would let him know as they happened. As I picked him up from school and helped him change from his camos into shorts I told him we were going to the zoo. His sweet face lit up and then he said, "is sister going with us?" I replied, "No....did you want sister to go with us?" Secretly hoping his answer would be "no" so that he wouldn't be disappointed... "Yes!" he said, enthusiastically... "Well...she's not coming, baby. Mommy planned for just you and me to go to the zoo and that way you can do whatever you want to do!" Somehow that won him over and he was all smiles leaving school. Kids and adults alike love to gaze at the lion.. His best tiger face. I'm not kidding when I tell you that we stood here for 15 minutes watching those sweet sea lions swim in circles. He asked me questions like "why can't I go swim with them?" and "where do they sleep at night?" It was wonderful. The reptiles are my least … [Read more...]
Easter Weekend In Macon
Last week, in the post about Grammy's Cake, I told y'all how great our Easter weekend with my dad, brother and his family was...so here are the pictures to prove it! Our trip to Macon started off with playing with some new Dr. Seuss color and flash cards. Thanks Aunt Mimi for these - they were a great hit, and provided at least 2 hours of entertainment! :) Once in Macon, Dad and I took selfies and texted them to sister-in-law, Joey. Your welcome. My mom's Amaryllis...hoping my dad digs up a big chunk of these for me to bring back to Columbia...they are certainly stunning! Can you tell that my mom liked flowers? I remember her ordering Irises from California one year...and I think these were some. Saturday afternoon we had a few egg hunts...Bert's basket wasn't quite big enough for all his eggs! Trying to get a photo of this motley crew was fun... "Too loud!" - Eliza Jane Uncles and nieces <3 Ha! #1 babysitter right here!! Love you, PopPop! ....zzzzzzzz Then some good clean egg-dyeing fun! I just love Emory's smile in this one!!! It's not the end of the day until somebody burns a Grammy cake. Read more about that post here: Grammy's Cake and How She Played a Trick On Me. This picture makes me laugh so hard. I got up at 5 a.m. to feed Emory Easter morning and this is what I saw leaving our bedroom. Kids so exhausted asleep he has no idea that his foot is on her face, and she doesn't even care. When we showed Reynolds this photo later in the day, he belly-laughed out loud! Easter morning at church... The cross at Dad's church was really beautiful, but the sun was incredibly bright! We all needed some shades! Sweet PopPop in his new dapper blazer! {I love Eliza Jane's hand wrapped around is arm} Our precious neighbor from my child-hood home... Two of my Momma's dearest and closest friends <3 A proud PopPop with all his … [Read more...]
Grammy’s Cake – And How She Played a Trick On Me
This weekend we had the most wonderful time in Macon with my precious Daddy, my brother and his sweet family. Friday evening I shot my sister in law a text asking if she was making a Grammy cake, to which she replied that she wasn't. I had every intention of making one Friday night, except that my kids were insanely wild and wouldn't go to sleep, so I had to go to bed with them...and the cake didn't get made. So Saturday evening, after a day of great fun, Easter egg hunts, dyeing eggs and supper with family and friends, it was time to make Grammy's cake. Now let me first start off by saying that I had cooked a bit on Saturday, getting ready for Easter lunch, and had wrestled with my emotions and silently whispering to my mom that I wish so badly that she were here. Here to see her precious grandbabies running around in the backyard, laughing and playing. Her son and son-in-law racing those crazy babies, and having their own great fun throwing balls at each other and pegging PopPop many times too! So much, that in my heart and mind, she is missing out on, and that I so desperately wanted her to be a part of. But I have to trust that she is among us. And remind myself that where she is, is the most glorious of places. Back to the cake. My sister-in-law, Joey sat at the kitchen table as I was pulling things together and re-reading the recipe for this delicious cake my mom made a staple in her kitchen. We were chatting about the recipe, the butter and sugar were beating nicely in the mixer....and I reread the flour information. My mom was one of those ladies that had her sugar, tea and flour on the kitchen counter. Things she used every day because she cooked every day for as long as I can remember. Only my mom didn't just have one canister of flour, she had two. One for All Purpose, and one for Self-Rising. Well, if you are a cake-baker, you know that All Purpose flour is the "cake flour" one might use in a recipe. {I personally use Swan's Down Cake … [Read more...]
Emory’s Dedication Weekend!
Oh my gracious! Y'all! I blinked and another week has flown by and I'm standing here like, how did three weeks just breeze past me?! Anyone else feel the same way?! I've so been meaning to share some sweet pictures with you from the weekend Emory was dedicated. My best friend and roommate from college, Ann, along with her two oldest kiddos came over from GA {a 5 hr drive mind you!} and my sweet daddy was here. That Saturday we spent some time at the zoo...where I managed to snap a few pics. First of Ann with her kiddos checking out the penguins {WHY does it smell SO BAD in there?!} Then we hung out watching the grizzly bears wrestle... Eliza Jane was imitating a giraffe here I think ;) The feeding of the goats never gets old...for kids or adults! So here's a funny story I'm remembering from that Saturday. We thought we'd be so smart and go to Dave and Busters on OPENING weekend - at 5:30. Y'all. They had a THREE HOUR wait for a table. Hello? Nothankyou. We went to our favorite local Mexican restaurant for cheese dip and quesadillas instead. On Sunday I was so delighted that we got to have professional pictures taken by a fellow Sunday School friend - Robin Huber Photography. Our pastor, Dr. Wendell Estep, whom I adore and have thoroughly enjoyed sitting under. My Mom made this blanket for Eliza Jane when she was dedicated. So, so, so thankful for this husband of mine. And my precious Daddy who still hangs the moon. You can't really tell, but my bracelet {on the wrist sort of under Emory ↑} is a tribute to my Momma. Thanks to a good friend who sells KEEP I have several charms that remind me of her. Then there were these from the service...and please look at that precious {hilarious!} look on Emory's face! One of my favorite pictures from the day is this one that Andrew snapped of me and our little man as we waited for the service to begin. His face is just too sweet for words! My prayer for Emory, as well as Reynolds … [Read more...]
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