Being a Mom

Our Sixth Anniversary

November 21, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Marriage 1 Comment

Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that Andrew and I have only been married six years now.

Other, rarer times, it seems like we just got married and then all these kids appeared out of nowhere.

Yesterday was our sixth anniversary, and while the time has been short but long, it’s been a wonderful six years. Of course we’ve had our growing pains, and learning about each others’ buttons, but there has been more joy and laughter in these six years than so many more before them.

So in preparing for our anniversary, knowing that the potential of our 3rd child being born at any moment around the date, I had to start working on Andrew’s gift early.

I don’t know about you, but we’re the type that like to know what the gift idea or traditional gift options are…Hallmark has a great anniversary gift resource in case you need one.

Year six is iron.

IRON?! You may say to yourself….yes, iron.

As I contemplated what to get Andrew, a friend had some suggestions: a golf club – an “iron” if you will. A new grill? Some kind of sign?

I was feeling a little clueless.

Then Andrew and I had lunch together one day {it must have been a blue moon…} and talked about our anniversary and potential gifts. He told me that Pinterest offered 1,000+ ideas for your sixth anniversary where iron is the traditional gift.

I found a really cute, funny card…Thanks for being my Iron Man it said…so I followed the link to Etsy and purchased it!

Then I found a cheeky little gift via ScoutMob andrew-ice-cream-spoon My husband loves his one scoop of ice cream at night, often just a little spoon full so this was perfect!

The last of the items on this little gift list is one that I think is amazing. The guy who makes these tools used to have a son at our daycare and as the world of social media goes, I found out about his website, Wildlife Workshop Fire Tools. So I inquired about a grill spatula… 6th-anniversary-arl

and yes, it’s monogrammed…

Aside from these gifts, I also gave him a new son…haha.

Emory was born Friday evening and we got to come home on our anniversary so it was a pretty perfect day.

Happiest of anniversaries to my favorite, my love, my bestest of friends…Andrew, I love you.

oh, and if you’re wondering what iron gift Andrew gave me…another Scoutmob find from Amy Waltz 6th-anniversary

And a post-baby massage from my favorite local spa, Urban Nirvana.

Where do you look for anniversary gift ideas? Are you a traditionalist or one who comes up with your own gift ideas?

Grammy’s Homemade Southern Biscuits

November 14, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Cooking Leave a Comment

This is for my co-worker friend Ashley who asked me one day how I make biscuits…

I can’t remember how old I was when my mom first taught me how to make biscuits, but I can remember how excited I was to be IN HER KITCHEN. My mom didn’t often let me in there as a kid, so the night she first introduced me to biscuit-making, it was something to be cherished. I remember standing there in the kitchen of my childhood home, with that old beat-up aluminum pan {they still have it…and one day I hope I get it!}, with all the ingredients set before me… She told me step-by-step what to do…and I was so excited to be making biscuits that night for my daddy!

You can make these without a cast-iron skillet…but you’ll be missing that crispy bottom if you do!

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Take a paper towel, cover your fingers with it and get you a nice glob of Crisco to cover the bottom and sides of your skillet.

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Next, with your sifter in a bowl, use a generous-sized spoon {mine belonged to my Nama and is larger than a soup spoon, but smaller than today’s serving spoons}. I usually spoon out 6-8 heaps of Self-Rising flour {pending on how many biscuits you want to make!}. 20161113_170114
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Sift up the flour {don’t spin the handle completely around!!!! Just use a back and forth motion…} 20161113_170153

Once your flour is sifted, grab a fork and that Crisco again and scoop out another generous size {who needs actual measurements anyway?!} 20161113_170237

With your fork, knead the Crisco into the flour so that you end up with some good crumbles 20161113_170246

Once you’ve mixed those two together, you’ll add your milk. This is where I would get into trouble as a kid…start off slowly so you don’t end up soupy! Ha!
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Mix as you go so you can anticipate how much more milk you’re going to need. 20161113_170416 20161113_170419

Adding more milk will get you the consistency almost like a scone batter. You want the dough just tacky enough to be able to work it into the balls to press into biscuits. 20161113_170507 20161113_170522

Next, grab a little flour to dust on your fingers and then scoop up some dough! Roll it within the palms of your hands to make the balls. 20161113_170535

Then I start in the middle of my pan and work my way out and around, almost in a circle {like you’re making a pretty flower} 20161113_170642

I press my biscuits down…to the point where my brother would always comment, “Michelle made the biscuits tonight because they’re all smushed…” He ate them anyway :-P 20161113_170715

There always has to be a baby one…My mom always made a little one just for me…so I have kept that tradition and make sure that there’s always a little baby one in there somewhere. 20161113_171707

Then you do a little happy dance…and fix the rest of your supper! 20161113_170722

Bake at 400 degrees for ~25 minutes, to when they are a light golden brown.

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My mom would only let me butter half of them because my daddy didn’t always want a buttered biscuit. I buttered all of these and they were delicious! Just ask Reynolds or Eliza Jane.

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And here’s the little baby biscuit with just the perfect amount of honey… 20161113_180739

I recommend eating biscuits with any kind of homemade jelly, apple butter, honey, syrup even {yes, the kind you put on waffles or pancakes!}…and my daddy eats his with Sorghum syrup.

If you use this recipe, good luck – I hope you love Grammy’s Homemade Southern Biscuits!!

A Piece of My Heart

October 19, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life 4 Comments

It has been a full month since the last time I posted or even sat down to write.

My whole world, and my family’s world turned upside down and sideways on September 21st.

That afternoon I got a call from my Dad, in Niagra Falls, stating Mom had had a heart attack while they were getting ready to board the boat to see the falls up close.

Most of you who will read this know what happened over the course of the next week and a half.

To say that I have felt like I’ve been living in some twilight zone/alternate world is somewhat of an understatement.

There are times when I can hardly believe that she’s gone. But the harshness of reality sets in. I go to pick up the phone and am sharply reminded that she’s not there on the other end to receive my call.

Her voicemail from my last birthday has been saved in three places so that I can listen to it whenever I want. And several times I’ve watched the hilarious video of her teaching Andrew how to change Reynolds’ diaper the day we left the hospital with him. It’s the most precious 4 minutes and 27 seconds of love and laughter between the two of them and it melts my heart.

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I have been extremely blessed by the most amazing family, group of friends, co-workers and people I barely know who have fervently prayed, sent the sweetest messages, cards, flowers and even gifts.

The kindness that has been extended to my family in so many ways is immeasurable and at times I wonder if we can ever thank, properly, all the wonderful people who have just given of themselves.

My Momma was a special lady. And there are a lot of people who know that. Someone said “to know Mary was to love her” and that is so completely true.

I hope I am even half the Mom, friend, wife and giver that she was…

My Dad took this picture of her when our family went to Amelia Island this July. She’s perfectly beautiful.

Take Me Away…From The Stress

September 20, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life 1 Comment

I think I wrote a similar post last year about how I deal with my stress so this Blogtember Challenge post-prompt from Friday wasn’t so unfamiliar: How do you de-stress/take care of yourself?

Regarding the de-stressing..in the moment:

There’s a lot of self-talk like: Just do it {as if I’m a Nike commercial}

I may literally remove myself from the situation {a short walk always does me some good}

I may turn up some music very loudly…

There’s often at least one prayer said aloud.

De-stressing/Taking care of myself in general:

Eh…I’m not so great at this. BUT, I start my day off most days with a 20 minute walk, while reading my She Reads Truth devotional, then perusing Pinterest, Facebook and/or Instagram to see what happened overnight. {side note, why are we so intrigued by all things social media?}

My walk gets me ready for the day. It is the catapult into energy for me. I am much more lethargic on the days I don’t get up at the 4:30 a.m. wake-up blast, than the days I do. Weird, I know. Seems like it would be the other way around, but whatevs.

The devotional helps me get my heart right, although a sassy ‘tude from a kid at 6:45 can blow all of that out of the water… Nonetheless, I at least try…

My de-stressor during the day may also be a stroll around the building, or around the block. The sunshine, the air, the change of scenery…it’s all very good for my mind and my soul.

There’s also something about a garden market that revives me, and I’ve been known to take a break to go to one close to downtown and just take a stroll through the pretties. hayhill-garden

I’ve shared with many of you before that my happy place is in the dirt – digging, planting…enjoying God’s amazing creations in my yard. That’s a huge stress reliever for me…everything just melts away when I’m in the dirt and planting flowers.

That’s really it. No secrets. No magic potions. Prayer, exercise and dirt. Good stuff.

How do you de-stress and take care of yourself when you’re overwhelmed?

My Crazy Adventure

September 19, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom 2 Comments

Well Friends…try as I may, I have fallen behind AGAIN on this Blogtember Challenge!

Last week I put forth a gallant effort {in my opinion} to get caught up to the daily challenges, but then fell behind the day my beloved came home from his 5 day haitus to Vegas…but that’s another blog post…

So I’m back to last Thursday: What’s the craziest adventure you’ve ever been on?

I did ponder this one all day on Thursday of last week…and I had a few ideas:

Our trip out west five years ago with Dana & DJ. We started off the weekend in Athens, GA for the USC v UGA football game, then hopped on a plane from ATL to Flagstaff, AZ to spend a few days at the Grand Canyon {hello?! amazing.}. Then we drove to the Hoover Dam {and passed an ambulance with it’s lights on, on the way?!}, then on to Vegas. After a few nights in Vegas, we finished the western drive to Los Angeles, CA. Nine days of non-stop fun and adventure. It was crazy and fantastic!
Being married to Andrew is always an adventure. And sometimes (a lot of times…) it’s crazy.
Last week itself was a crazy adventure. With Andrew gone and having to do everything every day from start to finish by myself. Save the hour/hour and a half each evening I had Hannah, our sitter, come help. I really don’t know how single moms do everything they do. I was utterly and completely exhausted by Friday evening and literally did nothing that night and most of Saturday.

I’ve decided to settle on my craziest adventure so far as being that of a mom. Just being a mom. You never know what your kids are going to say or do…to a stranger, themselves, each other, you. It’s kind of like waking up and saying, “I wonder what Reynolds and Eliza Jane will say/do today…?”

What call or text am I going to get from a teacher? What bruise is going to show up and what from?

Friday for example, I was out of town most of the day for a meeting and as my boss and I were coming back into Columbia I got a text from Andrew, “Eliza Jane busted her lip. How far out are you?”

Y’all. This is the 2nd time in just a couple of weeks that the girl has busted her lip. Both times my response was “Does she need to go to the doc?” Because with our kids, that wouldn’t be a surprise at all. Just par for the course.

Or how Reynolds gets these bursts of energy and starts running around our house like the Tasmania Devil, literally taking down any- everything in his path, including his little sister. This often ends up with him in time-out and her getting coddled…with an ice pack.

Yes, being a parent…a mom, has thus far been my craziest, wildest, most fun and thrilling adventure. There is no other adventure that has been so challenging physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, as being a mom. My decision-making is challenged almost on a daily basis. My heart can be broken in an instant of a sassy attitude or someone getting hurt. I can rage with the best of the Momma-Bears out there when I feel my child has been wronged in some way. And I can melt into a puddle of goo when I get that sweet hug or kiss or see them love on each other. r-ej-9-18-16 r-ej-9-11-16

Yep, there is no greater crazy adventure than being a parent.

How about you? What’s been your crazies adventure?

A Day In My Life…

September 12, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life, Work Leave a Comment

I feel like I should say, “Strap on your seatbelt!!” as a disclaimer/warning…

Saturday’s Blogtember Challenge post-prompt was: A day in your life! Take us through it with you by sharing a photo each hour of the day.

I feel like this is going to be a lot of pictures…so without additional delay, here we go!

Fast forward to when I got to work →there was a lot that happened between 5 a.m. and this first photo at 8:35 a.m. and much of it happened so quickly there was no time for snapping pics!

Today I made the big switch from my 2016 to 2017 Ban.do planner! I needed to update my calendar for the next couple of weeks, so no better time than this morning to get that done! I feel much more organized today!
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Video chat with the hubs who is in VEGAS….he looks happy doesn’t he? ;) 9-12-day-in-the-life-iv

A bonus picture for you…the view from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay…I can’t even. 9-12-day-in-the-life-v

We are updating our website at work, and today was mug-shot day…. 9-12-day-in-the-life-ii

Gotta get in 5k steps by noon! I didn’t make it :( I did not sleep well last night so I skipped my 4:30 a.m. wake-up, so I am way behind today and trying desperately to catch up on those steps! 9-12-day-in-the-life-iii

For lunch I’m at my desk with a little cucumber/tomato salad, working on this post for you all to read tonight!! :) {People wonder when/how I have time to blog… Well. It’s during lunch or right after the kids are put to bed at night!}
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After lunch it’s a quick trip to the bank to add to our $5 fund. If you don’t know what that is, check out this post. For those that read my “Take Me Away” post yesterday, you know what trip these $5 bills are going towards! 9-12-day-in-the-life-iii

I didn’t photograph anything from daycare pick-up mainly because it was pouring rain…so that was fun. Reynolds said, “Momma, why you not have our rain jackets and rain boots?” Me: “I have no idea…Why don’t I have my own??”

Supper is always a mad-dash, and tonight was the normal. I threw some chicken alfredo together along with some asparagus {why my kids love asparagus among all other vegetables, I have no idea! but they do.} and called it a gourmet meal.

Reynolds cleaned his plate so his dessert request was “Nutella and sticks.” Thanks Aunt Mimi for sending Nutella and sticks – you know the way to this kid’s heart.

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Our sweet babysitter Hannah came over to help put the kids to bed and while they ran around like banshees, I picked out some clothes for Fall pictures tomorrow…

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Now to a little work, a little reading {for tomorrow’s post!} and some much needed rest!

Good night, sleep tight!

Instagram : People Worth Following!

September 12, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life Leave a Comment

Another Blogtember Challenge post! {Saturday’s post will be later this evening!} Sunday’s post was: Round up of your favorite Instagrammers! Who should we follow?

I follow a lot of people/blogs/businesses but I have to say that these are some of my most favorites. Besides sweet friends and family, here are the greats!

Joy The Baker:because who doesn’t want to follow someone who does amazing things with food?!

Kristin Schmucker Shop: a gal who loves Jesus and has great studies, mugs, and other encouraging things; plus her feed is just lovely! kristin-schmucker-ig-to-follow

WomenIRL: Women in Real Life – brought to you by @RealSimple; “Life’s real, unfiltered moments…” womenirl-ig-to-follow

Little Lighthouse Designs: I’ve purchased a few pieces from Maxine and she is just the sweetest! little-lighthouse-designs-ig-to-follow

The Freckled Fox: You’ve probably seen her beautiful face and red hair in a Pinterest pin like this freckled-fox-ig-to-follow or maybe you follow her yourself! She recently lost her husband to cancer so please pray for Emily and their five kids.

Scout Ponder: The daughter of 49ers quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN College GameDay’s Samantha Ponder – this feed is full of the thoughts of a toddler :)

Ms. Craftberry Bush: I love everything that Lucy does – her artwork, her home design…I want her to come decorate.