Archives for September 2011

Disney on Ice in Charlotte – Reminder!

September 30, 2011 by Amy Leave a Comment

Just wanted to remind you guys that NEXT WEEK is the Disney on Ice show. I simply am stunned how fast September went by and by show time next week, we’ll be a week into October. Whew!

I already picked the winner of the 4 pack of tickets to the Dare to Dream show. Congrats again, Lana, can’t wait to see you! But don’t forget to use the code ICE to get tickets on your own.

DOI_Mom Blog Offer_2011

While you’re waiting on the show, here are some great Tangled trivia questions. There are some tough ones in there!

Why is Flynn Rider running from palace guards?

Answer: He stole a tiara from the castle.

What is the name of the tavern where Flynn and Rapunzel meet a bunch of Viking thugs?

Answer: The Snuggly Duckling

On her birthday, Rapunzel’s dream is to do what?

Answer: See the floating lanterns.

What is Flynn Rider’s real name?

Answer: Eugene Fitzherbert

What power does Rapunzel’s hair have?

Answer: The power to keep people young.

What is the name of the horse that chases Flynn?

Answer: Maximus

What type of animal is Rapunzel’s friend Pascal?

Answer: A chameleon

What weapon does Rapunzel use against Flynn when he climbs into the tower?

Answer: A frying pan.

The Nightstands of my Pinterest Dreams

September 28, 2011 by Amy 7 Comments

In case you missed it, a few months ago we finished our master suite addition we completed in preparation for our adoption. Here’s the picture of our bedroom just after we got the carpet. Basically, it was our bed and nightstands. It’s still just our bed and nightstands. But today? We got NEW nightstands.

We’ve had our nightstands for all of our 13 years of marriage. Actually, we’ve had that ONE nightstand for 13 years. Scott has either not had one or used that $10 metal one we got at a discount furniture store. Since putting on the addition I have been dying for mirrored nightstands but I thought they were all out of my price range. Please check my Pinterest Bedroom Idea board and you’ll see mirrored nightstands galore (and a good idea of what I want this room to look like). My mom lucked up on a set at a local place and while they were pricey, they were EXACTLY what I wanted and since we keep furniture around for a long time, I just knew I had to have them. I was expecting them to take up to 6 weeks to be delivered so I was pleasantly surprised when it’s not even been 2 weeks and they called today to say they were in.

Look what a difference! Go ahead, scroll up, down, up, down, up down.

They

are

gorgeous.

Week 4 James Read-along

September 28, 2011 by Amy 7 Comments

Today’s post is simple. The verses speak for themselves considering this.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13-14

Read more at MarlaTaviano.com

The Wreck

September 27, 2011 by Amy 9 Comments

Well, if a wreck isn’t bloggable I don’t know what is.

This evening we were out shopping. I took the girls to Justice at Blakeney to use up a coupon that was expiring today. We then decided last minute to pick up some cupcakes for dessert. We came out of the shopping area and onto a side road to an intersection where our light was red. We stopped at the light where it soon turned green. There was a van across the intersection from us planning to cross the intersection and we stayed put, waiting to turn left. Just as the van got halfway through, an SUV came barreling about 40-45 mph from our left, ran the red light and t-boned the van. It pushed the van over onto the driver’s side and the two of them came barreling towards us. With a front row seat, I saw it happen and as they came towards us, it really was like slow motion and I remember grabbing Scott’s arm and yelling something like “Oh my gosh, they’re coming.” The hood of the gray van was like a huge gray wall coming towards us. In the split second, I prepared myself that they were going to hit and possibly come through the front. Part of me braced to get really hurt in the face. They did hit but the right front of the van mostly took the brunt and thank goodness they had already impacted once and it wasn’t enough to even move our van much.

As soon as it hit, Lexi was crying. Scott, with instincts from his job, jumped out and ran to the lady whose van was on its side. It took me a minute to even move and I jumped out and got the girls out and to the side of the road. It was like an ants’ nest got kicked as people started jumping out of the cars and from parking lots close by to help. Scott and another man helped the driver crawl through the top of her car and she was amazingly unharmed. The driver of the SUV was a mother and she had her teenaged kids with her. They all were ok except the one girl was crying and seemed to have some pain behind her knee. The driver didn’t even know what happened and asked if the van lady had run the red light. I guess she wasn’t paying attention since it had been red long enough for the other car to get halfway through the intersection.

Several people stayed around until fire, medic and police arrived.

One funny sidebar:

As we were waiting, the people that were parked behind us that were witnesses had their dogs waiting in their car. Suddenly, their car horn starts beeping and we all look to see their Beagle standing on the horn on the steering wheel in the car. Everyone in the area laughed, lightening the somber mood. It got really funny though when the couple went over to stop them and realized the dogs had locked themselves in the car. The firemen there for the wreck had to use a jimmy to get them in their car.

Lexi calmed down pretty quickly. I was pretty shaken and got teary when I realized just how much we were all spared. Emma had a little breakdown while we were waiting. She needed a hug from Daddy and she was ok. Thank goodness he was there. Really, I would have been frozen. Mom came to get us to take us home. Scott was going to get a ride home with our wrecker but the girls insisted they wouldn’t leave Daddy so we all stayed until our van, which was the last piece of the wreck to leave, was towed away. None of us are sure if our van will be totaled. It looks pretty bad but you never know. To be honest, I’d like to see ours fixed up.

I am just praising God no one was hurt. As we were waiting we were talking with the witnesses and we all marveled at how “good” it went considering. God is good whether anyone got hurt or not but I sure am thankful to Him that we aren’t.

TV Confession, not Obsession

September 27, 2011 by Amy 19 Comments

It’s taken a long time but I honestly think I can say that TV is not an obsession these days. I know, I know. I ran TV blogs for years, blogged about The Bachelor more times than I count and still do my fair share of GetGlue check-ins. And I do love a great TV show. Not much else can move me like a poignant CODA or a great father-daughter moment with my favorite characters. But something has changed in the last year or so. As this fall season is taking off, I find myself apathetic.

During the summer I took a complete TV break. I could have canceled DirecTV, thrown out the 52” and never have known the difference. I’ve really enjoyed the time in the evenings, particularly since I’ve started working out of the house more and I need that time to be productive.

I only have a handful of shows that are on my radar and even then, there are none that can not wait for DVR. A few years back, I had 2-3 shows every night and was sure not to miss it live. It kind of makes me sad all the time I spent parked in the recliner.

So here’s where I stand. This season, on the short list is Parenthood, Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries and Chuck and One Tree Hill when they come back. I look at that and the TV guru in me wants to shout what a weak line-up that is.

I’ve left so many shows on the chopping block (Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives), some have left me (LOST, Friday Night Lights), there are so many more I would like to get into (The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Parks and Recreation, Community, Sons of Anarchy, The Good Wife, Hart of Dixie) and I’ve even checked out some new ones (XFactor, PanAm, Revenge). Those are some FANASTIC, Emmy-winning shows in my wish list. The bottom line though is I’m one person with one life and I can’t do it all. And honestly, I’m not sure I want to anymore (I didn’t even get into the spiritual aspect of this!).

But I have to ask, are there any shows you feel like I just HAVE to give some recliner time? A post like this a few years ago is how I found Friday Night Lights and I would be super sad not to have some Coach T in my life.

Weekend Recap

September 26, 2011 by Amy 3 Comments

(we got new lights above the sink. love.)

Well, this was the weekend I was supposed to spend at Women of Faith but didn’t. I’d like to say there was a light bulb moment to why that was but there wasn’t. But that’s not to say there weren’t many small moments that made me glad to be home. Friday, when no one showed up at the office, I got to spend the afternoon working from home and be there when the girls got home. And I was home through Friday evening so I could drop the kids off at Scott’s mom’s and go out to eat with a great couple. Saturday morning I got to put in some volunteer time and then was available when the girls wanted to come home at 10am, much earlier than they normally do. I did a lot of laundry and I really did clean out my pantry too. There may have been a bigger reason for me not to go but I loved all the little ones. I was home, my favorite place, with my favorite people who wanted to be there too.

I got so caught up Saturday that I even had time to start priming the girls’ bathroom. I finished that up last night and now I’m having anxiety about what to repaint it. I had planned purple this whole time but we had repainted the cabinet black when we had it red. Now, a light purple just isn’t going to look right. *sigh* I think I’m going to have to repaint the cabinet as much as I don’t want to.

Sunday we watched a friend’s son. A boy, just a few years older then my girls. A boy, who my girls think hung the moon. It’s a good thing I got some quality time with them on Saturday because they barely knew I existed yesterday. After church and lunch, they had him busy playing house and school and even wrote a script for them to perform. They jumped on the trampoline and played games and watched TV. The barely visible bedroom floor proved all the fun.

And with that, we are on to a new week. I hope you had a great weekend and started your week well!

My {Current} Take on the Topic

September 22, 2011 by Amy 17 Comments

Latest Update:

OK, after the disclaimer I wrote below on the original, original post way below, I decided to take down the post, even with the disclaimer. I felt like I was putting confusion out there and while I completely believe in asking questions and not knowing answers, it just didn’t feel right. Mostly because the more I thought about it, the more I could not agree with Justin’s interpretation of Scriptures. Specifically, it came down to the meaning of verses in Romans and Corinthians and more importantly, marriage and how that should look. I went back and finally read the other side of the argument from Ron and I have to say that it was spot-on to the way I am feeling. Yes, homosexuality is a reality but acting out is a sin and that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church and meant for a woman and man. I beg you to read both sides. I can not handle when people blindly accept a truth just because they don’t care to learn about the other side. Given that, I simply could not find peace about Justin’s side and felt like it took a lot of flimsy arguments to let homosexual relationships be acceptable. On the other hand, Ron looks at Biblical history and Christianity as a whole and honestly, a whole lot of common sense. So, with lots of struggling, I am still back to my original stance that I can not support gay marriages (and of course any sort of sexual activity outside of marriage).

To those that are not Christians, feel free to do whatever you want. I don’t expect you to live by God’s law when you have no interest in following Christ. I still love you and God does too, though. For the record though, I think you’re missing out. God rocks pretty hard. For those that are Christians and struggle with this, I come to this conclusion with love and a hurting heart. I rest my hope in the fact that God knows best and that He will not give us any temptations from which we can not find a way out.

Everything below is the post I took down which also had a disclaimer about the ORIGINAL post I wrote:

I feel the need to preface this and say I did not mean to publish this. Well I did and then I didn’t. I thought I had moved it to a draft stage but then it ignored that and published at it’s scheduled time. I still am not settled on this issue. The more I wrestle with it the more I can not feel peaceful that practicing is not a sin, particularly after rereading the Corinthians passage. Still, there are other valid points in here that are worth the read.

Here is the original post:

If you aren’t around the Christian and/or gay circles you probably haven’t seen this interview with a gay Christian. I’ve written about my viewpoint on same sex marriages before and I just have to say my viewpoint is changing. It’s been 7 years since I posted that. I’ve met people, mentored people and done a lot more reading.

And here’s the thing. I’m more convinced than ever that homosexual tendencies are not simply a choice. Justin and others who are Christians willed themselves to not have these tendencies and could not. Some of these I think could be caused by emotional and relational trauma but reality is reality. They are attracted to the same sex and even when willed they can not stop.

So the question is what to do with that?

Justin called this decision Side A and Side B. He believes in a monogamous, Christ-centered same-sex relationship. The other side believes the person should be celibate.

I have no idea what I believe anymore.

I err on the side of celibacy. I’ll be honest and say I have a super hard time believing that Christ-centered same-sex relationships exist but you know, that doesn’t mean much. Up until as recently as a week ago I would have said acting out on those desires was sinful. After reading the interview and further on his site, I can follow his logic. I’m just not sure if I follow that logic and can make the same conclusions from Scripture. The point of the matter is it’s all interpretation.

But I do know what I’m pretty sure my mind is turning about…whether government should restrict same-sex marriages. IF there are (and there are) people out there like Justin that have whole-heartedly searched God’s word and still do believe that homosexuality is ok then who am I to stop them from marrying? What if their interpretation is right and I’m wrong? I don’t know that I’ll ever push for it and be able to say that practicing homosexuality is ok but that is between them and God.

Sarah Mae published her thoughts on Justin’s interview and I love that she is wrestling with this too. And my comment to her was this: Christians need to figure out what we believe and in a much more loving way than we have to date. The face of homosexuality has changed a great deal in the last decade or two and it’s not something that is just behind doors now. I figure my views will change, maybe even as soon as I publish this, but one thing isn’t changing. These people need LOVED. Period. The hate has to stop. Even if homosexuality IS a sin, we don’t turn people away that are alcoholics or drug addicts or obese or cruel or whatever their struggling sin might be.

Hating them is only turning them away from the one thing you’re wanting them to follow.