We're Here!!!

Praise the Lord, we made it!! For those of you who don't keep up with Phillip's blog, which you should cause he will keep you way more informed than I ever could, Savannah Grace was diagnosed with bronchitis and Rylee had a major ear infection in her left ear the day before we left Atlanta to head to Charlotte. So I traveled with 2 sick kids by myself last Thursday just to arrive in Charlotte and take care of my third sick "kid" (Phillip). Luckily his parents were here to help with the kids, the sickness and the house. We got the whole kitchen unpacked and Phillip and his dad hung blinds and flipped the girls rooms. Thank God for grandparents!!! Our first Sunday was great. We were very warmly welcomed by so many people. Tomorrow we will be going to our first play date. Strangely enough we'll be going to the park seeing as how we are having some unseasonably warm weather. It was 82 degrees today!!! Are you joking?!?! It is December 10th isn't it? Thank you to everyone who has been keeping us in your prayers, we need it and keep it up. The girls are obviously still adjusting and SG is definitely having some behavior problems. Pray for their adjustment and extra patience for me and Phillip. God is doing great things here in Charlotte and we are honored and excited to be a small part of it. Thank you Elevators for making us feel so welcome!!

Random Thoughts

So as you can imagine things are crazy in our world right now. We are just about 2 weeks away from moving to Charlotte and there is so much to be done, so many people to say bye to and so many doctor's appointment to catch up on. Please, if you have any free time just drop by and pack a box or pick up a kid so I can pack a box! So many emotions are swirling around and truly it just depends on the day as to whether I'm fine or whether I cry off and on all day long. There is part of me that is so excited to partner with Elevation and see what God is doing in Charlotte and then there is another part of me that is already missing my family and friends here in Atlanta. Well I don't really have much to say other than, "I have never squeezed in so many appointments with every kind of "ologist" there is before now." (gotta sqeeze it all in before the insurance ends on the 30th) Please continue to pray for us as we adjust to a new house, a new rooming assignment (SG and Rylee will be roommates), a new church and a new city. We will be sending out an email shortly with all our new contact info. (didn't think that would be a wise move to splash it all over my blog)

Charlotte Bound

It is with mixed emotions that Phillip accepted the position as Family Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC yesterday. We are so excited to be a part of what God is doing in Charlotte, but we're sad about leaving family, friends and our wonderful church, North Point. Please continue to pray for us as we "put feeet" to this move. As I sit here in the mountains relaxing on family vacation I am overwhelmed at the thought of everything that awaits me when we get home. Phillip's official start date has not yet been determined, however we know we will definitely be there by the first of the year, maybe earlier. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us during this time. Not only do we value your prayers but we appreciate them more than words can say. If you want to check out the new church here is their website: www.elevationchurch.org

Airplane to Raleigh

So sorry for such a long stint away from blogging. All I can say is, "I'm a slacker." Anywho, I just wanted to request everyone's prayers as the girls and I board a plane tomorrow and fly to Raleigh, NC to visit Phillip's parents. (for 12 days) Now, the flight is only an hour but I still have my concerns about the airport, the plane ride, and no one being there to help me if something crazy happens. (and I can almost guarentee that something crazy will happen) So if you are here in the ATL over the next 12 days, check on Phillip to see if he's making it ok without his girls around and we will be back on Monday, October 8.

THIS IS LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY

My wonderful sister sent this story to me in an e-mail and I just had to share it because it is hysterical!!!! Thanks Christina!


When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women,
so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check
for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman
leaving the stall.
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has
been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern
"seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty You
would hang your purse on the door hook, if th ere was one, but there isn't -
so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn
over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and
assume " The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd
love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or
lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance."

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover
to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your
mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would
have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one
that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now,
you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That
would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still
smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits
your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and
you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet.
"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious,
tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing
altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of
course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare
bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the
uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was
any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be
utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never
touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW
what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused
that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the
inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt
and runs down your legs and int o your shoes. The flush somehow sucks
everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper
dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet
toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found
in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors,
so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the
line of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very
end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe.
(Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe,
plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need
this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left
the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is
your purs e hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with public restrooms
(rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what
really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked
questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal
can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

This HAD to be written by a woman! No one else could describe it so
accurately!

Send this to all women that need a good laugh AND, don't forget to have a
mammogram!!!!!! It could save your life!

A Friend Is Like A Good Bra...
Hard to Find
Supportive
Comfortable
Always Lifts You Up
Never Lets You Down or Leaves You Hanging
And Is Always Close To Your Heart!!!

Rylee's 1st Birthday Pictures

Ok guys here are the most adorable pictures of the most adorable baby in the world. Hope you enjoy!!


www.sundrapaul.com/rylee.htm

Teachable Moments

I have been trying to write this blog for almost a week now and things have been so crazy that I haven’t got to finish it, so here goes. (pray for no interruptions)

In the lives of toddlers and preschoolers there is almost an endless opportunity for “teachable moments.” However, most of these “moments” are teaching them right from wrong, or to share, or their shapes, colors, letters, etc… I got the opportunity the other day to have a spiritual, teachable moment with Savannah Grace.

Last Wednesday SG had an ENT appt. to have her ear tubes checked. While we were in the office we noticed out the window that 3 police cars had blocked off the traffic going towards GA 400 and 2 Alpharetta fire trucks were parked in the parking lot of the pediatric center. Obviously this made me a little nervous and I couldn’t help but wonder if the office was on fire and we didn’t know about it!! Anyway, we never heard any fire alarms so we went on with our visit and then went to the audiologists to get some earplugs for swimming. Everything went very smoothly and her ears look great. On our way out of the building I noticed that everything was the same as when we saw it in the office and I began to dread trying to get out of there and driving home. As we were going out a lady and her kids were on the way in so I politely asked her if there had been an accident or something. She promptly responded with a “no” and went on to explain that there was a child in the pediatric center that needed to be life-flighted to Scottish Rite. So the 3 police cars blocking the traffic allowed the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta helicopter to land on the road and shortly after that 3 EMTs wheeled out a small child on a stretcher and secured him into the helicopter. All the while I was trying to explain to SG what was going on because she had 101 questions. As they were packing up to fly off I thought that it would be a great moment to share with her and teach her how to pray for others, even when we don’t know there name or exactly what their need is. So right then and there we stopped and I said a pray for this child and when I was done SG said a sweet prayer too. When we got done praying we watched as the helicopter took off and felt the “big windy,” as SG called it, in our hair. Once the helicopter was out of sight we headed to the car but on our way she stopped to tell the fire fighter “thank you” for helping the baby. (Because we saw the fire trucks she was convinced that the baby had touched fire so she kept asking me why the baby had touched the fire. It’s so funny how little kids link and/or relate things together)

Obey the First Time

Ok, in the past I haven’t ever really posted anything inspiring or philosophical so I thought I would give it a shot and see how it goes.

One of our most used phrases with Savannah Grace these days is, “Obey the first time.” I am so tired of telling her EVERYTHING 5 or 6 times. Sometimes I want her to obey the first time just because and other times I need her to obey the first time for her safety, but she doesn’t seem to understand that.

The more I say this phrase and the more I think about ways to make it “click” with her the more the Lord has revealed to me how this phrase relates to my relationship with Him. He has showed me some areas in my life where He is saying, “Obey the first time.”

As frustrated as I get, daily, with Savannah Grace and as much as I think, “If she would just obey the first time her life would be so much easier.” As much as I want her to know that I say all of these things because I love her and right now I know what is best for her, God has showed me it’s the same way with us. He loves me so much and knows what’s best for me and He knows that if I would just obey Him my life would be so much better. I am sure the Lord gets frustrated with me and wonders why I don’t trust Him enough to just obey, even though he has been so faithful to my family and me.

Well I have never professed to being perfect and this is just the latest installment to this “work in progress.” And now that the Lord has shed His light on this place in my life it has given me a fresh cupful of patience for Savannah Grace. If you think about it, lift both of us up in your prayers as we work through this life lesson together.

In what areas of your life is God calling you to obey (the first time He asks)?

Birthday Party Success!!!

First of all let me say, “I can’t believe Rylee is already one!” It goes by SOOOO fast. Needless to say we had a successful first birthday. We had her party today even though her actual birthday isn’t until July 3rd. I think we’ll always have to celebrate her birthday either a little early or a little late due to the July 4th holiday. Many family and friends surrounded us today to watch as Rylee opened her first presents and ate her first cake. Thank you to all who came, you truly made it a special day.

Let me say, on one hand I think birthdays should happen more often and on another I don’t. Knowing that all of our family and friends were going to be coming to the house really made Phillip and I get our act together to get some much needed work done around the house. (it about killed us too) The past 4 days have been exhausting to say the least. Phillip spent two hot days in the yard cleaning the flower beds, edging, hedging, weed whacking, mowing, blowing, and I don’t know what all else. Thank you Phillip for all your hard work. The yard looks superb!!! While he was outside I was inside redoing our kitchen cabinets, steam cleaning the carpets, hanging curtains, and doing the normal house cleaning items. For all of the above-mentioned items I think we should have parties here more often, our house looks pretty darn good.

On the other hand, I’m completely and totally exhausted!!! Not only am I tired from all the work, but I’m tired from the stress. When we have these kinds of shindigs at the house the perfectionist comes out in me. I want everything to be perfect! Can anyone feel my pain? And when everything is not perfect, which it’s not going to be because I have 2 children, I have a total meltdown. For these above-mentioned reasons I think once a year is enough.

So Rylee, my precious little one, Happy 1st Birthday!! We are so blessed to have you in our lives and very thankful that the Lord has entrusted you to our care. I pray that over the next few years you will continue to grow in grace, beauty, knowledge and love of our Lord. I also pray that you know how much your mommy and daddy love you.

Baby Boops

Ok, first let me say that we made it through the week without Phillip! He is now home and getting ready for his own camp this weekend. We're glad to have him back! I have another funny story to share with you all about Savannah Grace. Someone referenced it in a comment so I thought I'd share the story with you guys.

The other day I was trying to put SG in her car seat and she kept pushing on my boobs so I finally said, "Quit mashing my boobs!" And she looked at me in bewilderment and said, "Boops? Do I have boops?" So now that I opened this can of worms I found it hard to shut. I told her that yes, she did have boobs. "Oh, your boops are big and squishy and I have baby boops." was her response. So we've embarked on the whole "boby awareness" thing. I try to keep our conversations steared away from this subject but everytime we take a bath there they are again, so we have to have a conversation about them. Anyways, on with the story. We were at church a couple of Sunday's ago and a guy that Phillip works with asked SG for a hug. He bent down with his arms opened wide for a big hug and she leaned in to give him a hug. As they embraced he picked her up and squeezed her tight. (he was missing his own children who were away at camp with their mom) As soon as he thanked her and told her what a great hug that was she lifted up her entire dress and said, "Look at my baby boops!" I thought he was going to come unglued he was laughing so hard. I promptly pulled her dress down and we had a quick chat about how we don't touch other people's boops and we don't show other people our boops. Then I looked at this guy and told him that he had gotten her first (and last hopefully) "flash." I'm very thankful that we know this guy pretty well and that he has 3 kids of his own so he thought the situation was funny and wasn't mortified. I, on the other hand, was a little embarassed.

Kelly Hubatka

To all the moms out there: you've got to start reading this blog.

www.kellyhubatka.com

She is an awesome mom of four beautiful girls and an awesome christian. Her blog is very encouraging and funny. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Week alone with the girls

After a grueling day at work (church) Phillip hopped in the car and drove two and a half hours to walk on stage and speak to a group of middle-schoolers in his first, of five, talks at this week long camp he is doing for another church. I know he is exhausted!! As he is away this week speaking he is also preparing for his own 6th grade camp that is now, less than 2 weeks away. He is so faithful in doing whatever it takes to provide for our family while also doing an excellent job where God has placed him in the huge staff of NPCC. I love that man!!!

On the other hand that means I am home alone with both of the girls all week!! EEK!! Hopefully it won't be too bad. Savannah Grace has started gymnastics on Monday evenings and soccer/t-ball on Wednesday mornings so we have a few different activities to keep us from getting cabin fever at the house. I also have two aunts with young children that live within a 20-mile radius that we will probably go and visit some. Truly though I don't need to schedule to much because I should be at the house preparing for the upcoming neighborhood garage sale AND getting everything straighten and cleaned before Rylee's 1st birthday party. On that note, can you believe Rylee is almost 1? I can't. That means we have made it one year with two kids!!! Praise the Lord!! It also means only a few more weeks of buying that super-expensive formula!!! (be grateful all you mothers who were able to nurse for the first year) I will be able to buy enough whole milk for a month with what it usually costs me to buy her formula for a week!!!

Well, I’m off to bed. As I end tonight let me just say sorry for being such a terrible blogger lately. Sometimes I think, “I sit at home with two kids all day what do I have to blog about?” or sometimes I’ll get into a rut of wanting to use my blog as my own personal “vent” which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I don’t want people to get the impression that all I ever blog about is the negative things, so during those time I choose not to blog.

To end on a light note here is a conversation I had with Savannah Grace, my 3 year old, the other day:

Scene: We were in the car on our way to her first gymnastics class. She had on her leotard with a little sundress over it and a pair of crocs.

SG: “Mommy, where are my special shoes for gymnastics.”

Me: “You don’t wear special shoes for gymnastics like you do for dance, you go barefoot.”

SG (with an exasperated voice): “Mom I don’t have BEAR feet, I have GIRL feet!”

Africa

Dear Friends and Family,

This past February Anita and I began a marriage building Bible study called Intimate Encounters. Our marriage has grown so much since going through this material. Recently we were asked to pray about taking some of the very same study material that has strengthened our marriage to encourage and train Pastors and their wives in Kenya.

Anita and I had been praying for direction as we both felt a passion to serve on a Missions Trip. When Dave Lewis told me about a team he was taking to Kenya to present some of the very same principles that had revolutionized my marriage I immediately wanted to be a part. When I told Anita about this opportunity she began to cry. Being an at-home-mom with a three year old and a less than one year old, she felt a call to serve on a Missions team, but hadn’t found an opportunity, until now.

As we begin the journey to Kenya we need your support. First and foremost we need you to pray for our team. There will be approximately fifty to sixty men and women attending the conference. These faithful Pastors and wives have never had any opportunity to attend a marriage conference of any kind. Please pray for theses couples. Secondly we ask that you pray about supporting this trip financially. We are estimating cost to be around $4,000 per team member. We are trusting God to bring those with time and opportunity in partnership with those with resources to accomplish His will in Kenya. As both Anita and I will be serving we will need to raise around $8,000. This trip is costing a lot because it is a faith venture. This team is simply made of people with a heart to serve God in Kenya. These funds will go to help provide airfare, housing, in-country transportation, food, passports/visas, and immunizations.

God has already begun to provide financially with the translation of the material into the native language Swahili at no cost to our team. We leave for Kakamega, Kenya on August 24th and return September 2nd. This is a considerable amount of time to be gone from our little girls so please pray for Savannah Grace and Rylee as well. We are hopeful to have full financial support by August 16th. Please pray about how God would lead you to support us in this opportunity. God Bless.


Please return to Phillip & Anita McCart 337 Ayelsbury Court, Sugar Hill, GA 30518
_____ I would like to support you with my prayers.
_____ I would like to support you with a gift of $___________.

Name:______________________________ Email: ______________________________

Vacation

Ok, I typed this blog in a word document on Tuesday the 21st and forgot to post it!!! I was a little flighty that day trying to get everything ready to go, so here you go…

Well Phillip and I and the girls leave in the morning for our annual Memorial Day trip to Charleston, SC (via Mullins this year). We are going to make a brief stop in Mullins to attend the Mullins High School graduation where one of Phillip’s former youth members is the valedictorian. I must say it is going to be weird going back there after everything that happened, but I’m glad that Phillip is able to put it behind him and do this for a wonderful young lady. Then on Thursday we will head down to Charleston. Phillip’s parents are arriving on Friday and we plan to spend our time visiting with family, hanging out on the beach, and eating some fabulous barbeque and seafood. If you have never had the opportunity to go to Charleston boy are you missing out! Plan a trip, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

My heart belongs to Thee

Wonderful Savior
My heart belongs to Thee
I will remember always the blood You shed for me
Wonderful Savior
My heart will know Your worth
So I will embrace You always as I walk this earth

Be blessed, be loved, be lifted high
Be treasured here
Be glorified
I owe my life to You my Lord
Here I am....

Beautiful Jesus
How may I bless Your heart?
Knees to the earth I bow down to everything You are
Beautiful Jesus
You are my only worth
So let me embrace You always as I walk this earth

For My Husband

Ok, I know this is going to seem cheesy to some of you, but I'm not good with words so I have decided to use the lyrics from a song and dedicate them to my wonderful husband. (maybe I should have just made him a tape of a mixture of love songs) The song just sums up one aspect of our marriage, our friendship. Hope you guys enjoy the words.

Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways
you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's ok to cry with you
Something about just being with you that
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
and that's the way it ought to be, yeah

Chorus:
Cause you've been more than a friend to me
you fight off my enemies
cause you have spoken the truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
more than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, more than you'll ever know
Yeah, yeah, yeah

You had faith
when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
and all the while I've been hoping that I'll
do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
and that's the way it outght to be, yeah


You have carried me
You have taken on a burden
that wasn't your own, yeah
may that blessing return to you
A hundredfold
oh oh yeah, a hundredfold

I love you babe, thanks for being an awesome friend!

Correction

I have a correction to make to my post entitled "Perspective". The link is supposed to be: www.globalrichlist.com. I misspelled it in the original post and I know some of you guys were wondering what you did wrong. Nothing! It was my fault. So try this new link and tell me what you think.

Friend

What is a friend? Do you have any friends or could they be labeled more of an acquaintance? I think people who can count, on one hand, the number of true friends they have had in their lifetime are truly blessed.

A friend, in my book, is someone you can “do life with.” This person knows you deeply and still loves you and in return they share themselves with you knowing they will still be loved, they call to check on you when they know your husband is out of town and you’re home alone with the kids, they challenge you spiritually and keep you accountable in your weak areas, they take time to have “girl time”, your families hang out together and bond while you watch your children grow up together, they are completely honest, in a loving way, with you, there are no hidden agendas, no faking it, you can each just be yourself.

Below I have listed a few examples of this kind of friendship:

www.larryhubatka.com - Everybody Needs An E to the P (great definition of a true friend)

www.kellyhubatka.com - I need a friend like her: willing to be honest with her struggles, loves the Lord, loves her family, needs her friends, etc…

www.charlestonyaya.blogspot.com - Ordinary Life (another wonderful definition of true friendship)

All of the above mentioned stuff is to say that I need a friend like this and I want to be a friend like this! We have lived in the ATL for almost three years now and there are times when I wonder if anyone would miss me if I were gone (besides my family) because nobody really knows ME. One of the downsides of living in a big city is that everyone lives so far apart that it is really hard to stay connected and do things with people in your small group when they live on the other side of the city. (that’s a whole different blog) Believe me, I haven't just sat around waiting for a great friend to fall out of the sky. I tried out our local MOPS group but didn't really connect, I tried getting into a "moms" small group that meets during the day, but they're all "taking off" for the summer, I have even tried to volunteer at the church but apparently they don't have enough room in childcare for my kids. Ok, back to the part about no one knowing me.

On Sundays I am either “Phillip’s wife” or “Savannah Grace and Rylee’s mom”. Now don’t get me wrong I love being those two things but sometimes I just want to be Anita. I want people to know me as Anita because they know who I am and not just know me because Phillip mentioned me in his talk on Sunday morning. During the week I stay at home with two little girls because we have sacrificed financially knowing this was the Lord’s will but not having any money to go do anything with them so I feel like a “shut-in” half the time. I don’t want this blog to turn into a pity party I just needed to throw some thoughts out on paper/cyberspace. Sorry to sound all sappy and whiny, but does anyone feel what I’m talking about here? I just want the Lord to send me one good, true friend here in the area.

P.S. Grey'a Anatomy was AWESOME tonight!!

Perspective

My wonderful husband, Phillip, came across a website that will put it all in perspective for you. I know at some point and time, or like most of us, multiple times in our lives we feel like we don't have enough. There is always someone out there who is younger, richer, cooler, prettier, has a better car, has better behaved kids and the list goes on and on. We all get caught in the nasty cycle of "keeping up with the Jonse's." Well, when you're in the middle of that cycle go to this website and it'll bring you back to the real world and make you very thankful for what you have.

www.gobalrichlist.com

Let me know where you rank on the list.

I am a Loser!!!!

Alright, I know that sounds harsh, but wait until you hear what I did; actually it's what I DIDN"T do. I was being a good little wife and trying to do some spring-cleaning around the house when guess what I stumbled across?!?!? Savannah Grace's thank you notes from her birthday!!!!! I never sent them!!!! Now that might not sound too bad until you learn that her birthday was February 18th!!! So to everyone out there that came to her birthday and have been bitter for not receiving a thank you note, I am SOOOO sorry. I am going to get them in the mail this week. I promise!!! My motto since having 2 kids is, "Better late then never" right? Again I do send my most sincere apologies for being such a loser.

Great Post

Alright, ladies if you want some good reading check out this blog: http://allison291.vox.com/. It is the writings of a fellow mother and friend. Her post entitled, "The mother of all pet peeves" is wonderful! Every mom, and to-be-mom should read this. Let me know what your thoughts are about the post. Have a great day!

Random Mixture of Thoughts

Ok, I know that it's been awhile since I have posted but things have been crazy around here and I haven't sat down long enough to gather my thoughts and put them into a post. So here are the random thoughts and happenings in my life right now...

1. Phillip and I have started our Mid-Quarter Resolution to get into better shape. We have exercised together 3 days this week. We talked about doing this at the beginning of the year like we usually do when it is time to make New Year's resolution but like most of the people I know it didn't last long. However, as we began to look at our schedules for the upcoming summer we realized that something had to be done before our family trip to the beach at the end of May. More importantly, something has to be done before Phillip and I go to the beach for a week in July to celebrate our 8th anniversary! I definitely have some baby pounds to shed! Exercising is a lot more enjoyable when you have someone to exercise with! Not only are we doing something that benefits our bodies but it also benefits our marriage because we're spending time together and sharing a common interest.

2. Phillip and I just finished up our current small group. We went through "Intimate Encounters" at the church. (North Point Community Church) We loved it! It helped strengthen and grow our marriage more than anything else has. I would encourage every married couple to go through this study, whether you're engaged or have been married for 50 years, everyone has something to gain from this.

3. On that same topic, Phillip and I are praying about the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Kenya or Pakistan as facilitators of the "Intimate Encounters" material. This is huge for us on many different levels, so if you think about it please lift us up in your prayers.

4. Last Friday Phillip and I took on the daunting task of having the girl’s pictures done. Usually their pictures are done individually because it's easier to only try to get one to smile and look at the camera at a time, however it was time for Rylee's 9 month pics and SG's 3 year pics so instead of having to pay 2 sitting fees I scheduled it all together. Needless to say, it was a long day. We started out having some pics of them done together in their matching Easter dresses, then we moved into having Rylee's pics done in her Baby Dedication dress and finished up with SG's pics, half in her raincoat, goulashes and umbrella, and the other half in her ballet outfit. When we got finished I was sweating and I was a little discouraged because we had such a hard time getting Rylee to smile and an even harder time getting SG to have a "natural" smile instead of the cheesy smile she did every time we asked her to smile. Much to my amazement, and all of the credit to our photographer, when we started looking through them they turned out AWESOME!!! As soon as they get posted on the web I will share the link with you guys so you can check them out if you want to.

Ok, I will try to post on a more regular basis so my posts aren't so long. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Naive, Uninformed, Ignorant

Alright, this seems to be a touchy subject for a lot of people, however it's not something I have given much thought to. Is it because I don't care, or maybe I'm naive, uniformaed or ignorant, I'm not quite sure. I was at a jewelry show lastnight with a lot of first-time-moms and some moms who have be so for awhile now. I'm not sure how they got on the subject, but they started having a debate on whether to get your children vaccinated or not. Like I said earlier, I have never thought about it, I've just always had it done. This is where, I admit, I can be to trusting I guess. This is not an area of my expertice so I trust the doctors to tell me what is in the best interest of my child. When I was a child my parents had me vaccinated and I ate all of the regular old food from the grocery store, none of this organic stuff. I'm fine, so I do the same thing for my children. I'm not saying that organic food and not having your child vaccinated is bad or wrong, but what I am saying/asking is where did you get this information from? It is nothing I've heard about in my everyday life yet over the past 6 months all of a suddened so many people are talking about not having their children vaccinated and organic food has less hormones etc. Am I just naive? Am I not watching the same news as everybody else? Am I a bad mother for not knowing about all of these things? Will my children all of a sudden be autistic one day? The more I hear about these things the worse it makes me feel and the more paranoid I am. Right now my course of action is to continue on my steady course and leave all these paranoid feelings and questions in the Lord's hands. They are His children ultimately and I am doing what I know, think and believe is the best for them and leaving the rest of it up to God. However, I do think I may surf around on the internet to try and find some more information so that I am more informed on these issues. Do you have an opinion? I would love to hear it.

Tag, you're it!! (as soon as you get home)

PHILLIP COMES HOME TOMORROW!!!! Ok, I had to get that out of my system. This has been a long week and thankfully nothing has gone terribly wrong like it usually does when Phillip's gone, but I have to be honest with you guys, I'm worn out and my patience is about to snap!! Here's a rundown of our crazy week:

Monday: We went to my aunt's house for a visit after the girls naps and stayed there through dinner.
Tuesday: We stayed home all day and did nothing. (long day)
Wednesday: My friend Jen and her little girl Ella came over after naps and SG and Ella played outside for awhile and then we took them to Chick-Fil-A for dinner.
Thursday: I spent the day cleaning/straightening the house for the new babysitter. I had a jewelry show so I got to get out for the evening!! YIPPEE!!!
Today: Whirlwind shopping day getting last minute Easter stuff and trying to find winter parkas to go over the girls dresses since it's suppossed to be colder here for Easter than it was at Christmas! I had already bought them matching sleeveless Easter dresses with cute white matching sandals. Now I had to go back out and get pantyhose and white sweaters to wear over the dresses due tot he weather.
Tomorrow: Clean house and get everything beautified for my husband's return!

3 is worse than 2...

Ok, let me preface this blog by saying a few things:

1. Holly, I read your most recent blog and I'm sorry this is so long, but I think you'll find it amusing.

2. The following information is what I have found to be true in my own personal situation. If you have not reached this point in your parenting don't let it scare you, it may not be the same for you as it has been for me.

3. What am I referring to you ask? If you don't know me let me say that I am not referring to the number of children in your household because I have no idea what it is like to have 3 kids (one day I will hopefully). I am referring to the age of one particular little girl in my house.

4. Finally, a huge part of this problem comes from her genetic make-up. I mean, she comes by it honestly. You know what I mean if you know Phillip or me at all, so again, as mentioned in number 1 your child's personality could make this a totally different experience for you.

Ok, with all that said, 3 is so much worse than 2!!!! When Savannah Grace was 2 I thought, "If I can just make it through the 2's we'll be golden." Then when I took her to the doctor for a check-up he told me that it wasn't the Terrible Two's but it was the Terrible Three's!!! I thought, "You have got to be kidding me! I'm barely making it now and you're saying it's going to get worse? I'm going to blow my brains out!!" (fyi - that last statement about blowing my brains out was for dramatic effect, I don't have suicidal tendencies) So I prayed, "Lord please just get us through the 2's, it can't get worse than this." Yes it can! Now, like I said earlier, part of this has to do with her personality. SG (short for Savannah Grace) is independent, strong-willed and Irish, which can all be good things, however in this 3 year old whose is learning her boundaries, these qualities rear their ugly little heads. A friend of my husbands, Pastor Steven Furtick, put this beautifully in a blog about his little boy, Elijah. (http://www.stevenfurtick.com/?p=217) We are right there with you Steven and Holly!! So, in light of all this new found information about which age is worse than which, Phillip and I have adopted a new philosophy. We are stating that the Terrible Two's doesn't refer to the age, 2 years old, but in fact it refers to the two years between the ages of 1.5 and 3.5. With that said SG is now 3 years and 2 months old, I'm giving it 4 more months and if things don't improve drastically I might have a major meltdown and rejoin the working force!

So all you moms out there send in some comments. What has been true for you? Any advice or encouraging words? Any new discipline tactics that I might not know of? Am I the only one in this boat?

I'm Back...

Ok, so I know that it has been awhile since my last post, but our internet has been down for nearly a week now!! However, I'm back with a vengance. Phillip left today to go and spend his Spring Break on the white, sandy beaches of FL while I'm at home, alone with both of our girls for 8 DAYS!!! AHHHH!!! Ok, I have to be honest, yes Phillip is in FL for 8 days, but he's not on vacation by any means. He is giving of his time and talent to work with families that have had to face chilhood cancer with one (or more) of their children. The organization is called The Lighthouse Family Reatreat and they are doing wonderful things to bring families together and give them hope. If you are interested in knowing more about what he is doing, here is their website: http://www.lighthousefamilyretreat.org/ Even though I know in my head that he is sacrificing his time away from his family to earn some extra money, and work with an organization that he loves, my flesh creeps in to remind me that he is still in FL, staying in a great beach house right on the Gulf Coast, playing in the sand and water and soaking up some rays!!! I am definitely jealous!!! So what I ask from you now is a lot of prayer support!!! I have never been with both of the girls this long without Phillip, and all of the family I have here in Atlanta are tied up with out-of-town visitors, work, and kids of their own, so they won't be any help to me. I definitely have to give it up to all the single moms out there that do this day in and day out, but I for sure couldn't do this by myself on any long term basis. OK, the pity party is over, both girls are in bed and I'm going to snuggle up on the couch and watch The Pursuit of Happyness all by myself!!! (sounds relaxing)

Easter Song

Ok, to all of you out there that have any decision making abilities when it comes to the music your church does on a Sunday morning, I have any Easter song for you. Now, I realize that it's a little close to Easter to just know be picking out a new song to learn, but it's THAT good, trust me. It is from Steve Fee's newest album, "Burn for You". Here are the words:

Beautiful the Blood

I never knew death could be so sweet
I never knew surrender could feel so free
I've never seen such meekness and Majesty
That the blood of Jesus was bled for me

I never knew these nails would love unfold
I never knew these wounds would heal my soul
I’ve never seen such beauty and sorrow meet
That the blood of Jesus was bled for me

Now I'll sing freedom for all of my days
Its only by the power of the cross I’m raised
The king of glory rescued me

How beautiful the blood flow
How merciful the love shown
The king of glory poured out
Victorious are we now

How beautiful you are
How merciful you are
How glorious you are
Christ our Savior

Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. Begin now preparing your heart as Easter draws near.

To all the moms out there...

Alright moms, I just saw a preview on ABC for a new show they're starting in a few weeks. It looks hilarious and we can all totally relate to it. Here is the link where you can watch a preview:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/notesfromtheunderbelly/

Let me know what you think!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

So if you know my family and me at all you know that my husband's favorite holiday is today! He LOVES to celebrate his heritage, so today is our national holiday. My day started off at 7:30 this morning. I woke up to make my husband and little girls some green pancakes before they left for my husband's soccer game. He coaches a U8 team of young boys in our local rec league. I took our younger daughter to a baby shower with me. Congrats Candy, I hope these last 8 weeks are wonderful for you. Then I came home and started making homemade shamrock cookies and a nice steak dinner. We had steak, baked potatoes, salad and some bread. Yum, Yum!! Hopefully I will have a picture to post soon of the whole fam in our green and orange. Hope you didn't get pinched today!

The 411

Ok, so after I made my first post I thought that maybe I should have started with a little background information about who I am and what I do. The obvious... my name is Anita and I live in a small suburb of Atlanta. Other information: I am 28 years old. I have been married for 7 and a half years to my best friend Phillip. I have two little girls, Savannah Grace is 3 and Rylee Cait is 8 months. I am a stay-at-home mom, but I am also an Independent Consultant for Premier Designs Jewelry to help with the family finances and to give me a couple evenings out of the house, which I need for my sanity. If you’re interested in having a party and earning FREE jewelry let me know. I graduated from Charleston Southern University in 2001 with a BA in Youth Ministry and Church Music. We attend a wonderful church, North Point Community Church, with a wonderful Pastor, Andy Stanley and a hot Associate Middle School Director, Phillip McCart. Well I guess that's enough about me, but hopefully you are more enlightened about my family and me.

Time Alone...

My husband gave me the best gift today: time away from the girls!!! Now don't take this the wrong way, I love my girls, however after a week of staying at home with them all day, a few hours out to run some errands was like a breath of fresh air. I didn't do anything spectacular, but being able to go to Target and look at anything I wanted to without wondering which aisle Savannah Grace ran down is spectacular in and of itself. Getting away for a little while definitely makes me a better mom when I do come home. So, "thanks" Phillip for giving me some uninterrupted "me" time.