(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...]
A Night With The Princesses + Cinderella
Last night was a night I hope not to forget for a long time. Andrew got us tickets to the musical Cinderella, along with the additional ticket for the pre-party with Ariel, Elsa and Belle. We were all so incredibly excited! We had no idea ahead of time which princesses we were going to meet, but when Eliza Jane came around that little corner and saw that beautiful yellow gown..."My see BELLE! Momma! My see Belle!!" Her eyes and face were lit up with glee. First we got to meet Ariel, and Eliza Jane was a little shy with her. Then Elsa was next. And then moment she'd been waiting for...a chance to hug Belle. I have to say, I was really, REALLY proud of her for sitting and taking a picture with her! After we met the princesses, they did a little etiquette class teaching us how to properly clap and say, "bravo". And then this is when Eliza Jane started crying because Cinderella wasn't there and we'd built this up to be all about Cinderella and "other" princesses. It was nearly a #momfail but we pulled it together and got excited again about the anticipation of seeing the most beautiful of all princesses. I told it over and over again to my girlfriends today how great Eliza Jane did thru the play last night. She sat on my lap, completely fixated on what was happening on the stage. Turning her head just so, so that she could get the perfect view of "My Cin-rella". In those brief moments where Cinderella wasn't on stage I heard, "My Cin-rella? Where my Cin-rella? Where my Cin-rella go?" And I would have to reassure her that the princess would return. During intermission we took a break to watch Curious George with a sweet little girl sitting next to us. She told me she was four, and loved M&Ms. She even shared a few with Eliza Jane. I tried to get her to laugh or even smile...but this was the best she would do. In my heart I knew she could make it through the second act, but I have to admit that I was a little nervous that a … [Read more...]
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