I heart Consignment Sales

For those of you who don't know, the BEST invention for moms was the consignment sale... a way to sell your childrens clothes that you don't need anymore, and buy other gently used clothing that you DO want! For those of us on a strict budget, these things are amazing... I have gotten SO much of Campbell's clothes at these - and go to almost 8 sales every season! Dressy clothes, casual clothes, furniture, toys, you name it! So the last big sale of the season just ended here in Birmingham -and it was great... I went the night that I got the stomach bug, which was a terrible time to be there - but I had the much-coveted early admission pre-sale pass, and I wasn't going to miss it! I got Campbell pajamas, some cute clothes, and a big girl bed and slide for the back yard! (for an AMAZING deal) She loves the slide - and although we love her bed, we are going to wait a little longer to make the switch. If you are interested in these sales and want more info, let me know! I will have my spring/summer sales maped out before you know it! :)

My Birthday... a little late

I turned 27 September 30th, and had a great week or so of celebration... minus the stomach bug! My family and friends were so good to me - thanks everybody! Sweet Ben helped me celebrate my birthday week with several fun gifts: BEAUTIFUL flowers from Dorothy McDaniels in Homewood, an I heart Jim coffee mug (from the office), a really cool bracelet with campbells name and birthday on it, and a makeup makeover at bare minerals. He even (tried) to surprise me with dinner with friends and a "the office" party at our house. That weekend we went to Atlanta for a family reunion, and I stayed with Brian and Savannah for a few days to shop and hang out with them. Savannah (my brothers girlfriend) took me to a really cool western themed fundraiser for several local charitys - and we got to ride a mechanical bull! sort of... She and Brian took me to Noche - one of my favorite dinner spots... it was so fun! Then sweet Jessica, Joy and Kimmie got tickets to the Brad Paisley concert - and I got the stomach bug and couldn't go! Last weekend all of our college friends got together for dinner for mine and Hannah's birthdays - it was full of laughter as usual... I love birthdays!

Ring A Bell?

I thought this was so funny, and so true. Not of me, or any of you who have blogs of course! Just those other people. . . :)

-Ben (not Katie this time)

Birthdays, Stomach bugs and school - oh boy!

Well, as of Sept.30 I am now 27 years old - and quickly approaching 30! It has gone by fast - I remember wanting to have had all my children by 30 - oh well! I had a pretty good birthday - thanks to a very sweet husband, wonderful family and the best of friends! More to come on that with pictures soon...

Soon after I hit the big 27, I started to get a stomach ache. My mom had just had a bug this past weekend, and I was with her. I had an "early viewing" ticket for a big consignment sale that night, so I went hoping I wouldn't get sick there - but it was too good to pass up! I felt terrible the whole time I was there and prayed not to pass out... after 2 hours of shopping in an old Bruno's full of other moms, I had had enough. I checked out quickly, and got in the car. (glad I went - campbell got some new clothes, a hamper, a big girl bed and mattress, AND a slide for the backyard!) But, on the way home I almost had to pull over and let Ben come get me... I got home, ran to the bed and collapsed. Soon after, the fun began and didn't end until the next morning. Ben almost took me to the hospital because my blood sugar kept getting low, and I couldn't keep anything down to raise it. When I tried to get in the car to go, I had to run back in to the bathroom... I couldn't even make it to the hospital. Poor, sweet Jess came over to stay with Campbell in case we had to go the hospital, and I'm sure she saw me in a whole new light that night! I know you all know I can exaggerate, but this was no joke - the worst thing I have EVER had. And I am quite experienced in the stomach bug arena - I was hospitalized for it 4 times when we lived in Mobile! It even rivaled childbirth... I thought I was going to die. (and at some point probably wanted to...) All that to say, Ben is now not feeling good this morning - lets just hope we can spare poor Campbell!

On to the good news... after much praying and with some birthday money from mom and dad (thank you!) I found a temporary spot at the Mothers Day Out at Briarwood. Campbell is SUPER busy these days, and doesn't love running errands anymore - I don't blame her! To give her (and me) a break and let her do something fun instead of run to the bank, pharmacy, etc. - she gets to go to school! Her buddy Winston is even in her class! We are so thankful for this! They get to play with friends, have snack, play outside, do crafts, and learn from God's Word. Her first day was Friday, and I was so excited about it - until I got sick. So Daddy got to take her, and she did really well. She made a pom-pom (which she said perfectly when telling me about it) and anytime I asked her anything about school she would just say "Oh,boy!" and smile really big. She loved it! This spot is only hers until the end of December, so I am praying something else will open up.

Hope you all have a STOMACH-BUG FREE weekend - WAR EAGLE!

She has stolen my heart...

I love being Campbell's mom... not that we don't have our bad days - very bad days - but there are also many moments that make all those days worth it. For example:

-This morning when I went in to get her up, I picked her up and she touched my face and hair and said "pretty..." ONLY my child could think that I was pretty at 8am with no make up, bedhead, morning breath and in pjs. She made my day...

-She always says Bens name 1,000 times a day wondering where he is, and I respond "Daddys at work baby - he will be home soon." She then repeats "soon....". So now she will just save time and tell herself "Dada...soon." :( I hate that he has to work so much... She picked up a framed picture of the 2 of them this morning, brought it to me and said "kiss,hug!" She then took it, kissed Bens face and hugged the frame for like 10 minutes. I was in tears!

-She loves our dog Bailey, and now Bailey is finally warming up to her too. She will let Campbell hug and kiss her - which are 2 of Campbells favorite things. They also love to play chase. She always looks forward to coming home to see "Baweeeey" and to personally let her out of the kennel. Today we pulled in the garage from a trip to the grocery store and she yelled "Baweeeeey!" I said, "Yeah baby - we get to go see Bailey! What do you think she has been doing?" and Campbell matter-of-factly answered "Barking." :) I didn't even know she knew that word...

Enjoy your day - and this GREAT fall weather!

Test Results

PRAISE THE LORD! Ben got his test results back, and he is HIV negative! We are so very thankful for this... and for all your prayers.

O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.
Isaiah 25:1

Thankful

I am thankful for many things - one of which is my parents. They have loved me and bent over backwards for me my whole life - and still do. They are so generous to help with Campbell, and most importantly - love her like I do. They took her for a few days so she could spend time with them, and so I could clean our filthy house! :) THANK YOU honey and papa for loving us with a selfless love...

I am also thankful for the prayers of friends and family, and the peace and protection of Christ. Bens second HIV test is tomorrow, and God has been so gracious to give Ben and I peace throughout this process. I usually don't get updset/worried until a few days before each test, which I am so thankful for! Thank you for all of your prayers, and please be praying for this test tomorrow afternoon.

He is supposed to be "in the clear" after this 12 week test, but there is a slim chance things could change. Ben being the wise husband he is, reminded me that the Lord is using this situation (especially in those he works with that ask about this) and that we shouldn't rely on the facts and statistics for our comfort - but that our trust should be completely in the Lord. A husband who loves the Lord... another thing I am thankful for.

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name...

PS - sorry for another post without pictures - pictures of our beach trip coming soon!

A Simple Reminder...

I love how the Lord using so many different things in our lives to teach us - especially our children. I am just now beginning to experience this since Campbell is so young, but it is such a blessing.

We have tried to teach her to stay still and quiet when we pray before meals, but that doesn't always happen. She recently started folding her hands with us, and has always been good about yelling amen (usually to hurry daddy up so we can eat!) ... Then the other night we were hurridly sitting down to eat and as I was about to take a bite I heard her yell "PAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!" It took me a mintue, but when I realized her hands were folded and she was reminding me to PRAY (pronounced paaaaaay), I almost cried. I was in such a hurry, and even at 19 months Campbell knew I was forgetting something important.

I often think I am the one teaching Campbell, but so often SHE is the one teaching ME... thank you Lord.

The Sisterhood

Tomorrow is one of my very best friends birthday - Happy Birthday Joy! To celebrate, our group of high school friends, aka "The Sisterhood" :) (me, jess, kimmie, and joy)
went to kidnap the birthday girl and took her to Cheesecake Factory for cheesecake, then to the movies to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Why you ask? It was actually pretty good (for a cheesy girl movie) and there are 4 friends in the movie, like there are 4 of us. We loved the first one, and have been waiting to see this one together. The fun part was picking which character we each resembled, which was funny - because we all wanted to be the "pretty and skinny" one. I also enjoyed have Kimmie immitate Costas' greek accent in my ear through most of the movie - I almost wet my pants! These girls are one of the BEST blessings in my life - we have been together through many ups and downs - high school relationships, arguments, many many trips, living far apart, weddings, and a baby! And FINALLY, we are all in the same city! I can't wait for whats to come - I love you girls.

In sickness and in health...

Campbell and I have managed to get a really bad cold this week... and as much as it bothers me to be blowing my nose all day, sound like a man, and not be able to taste anything - its much worse to watch my little one go through it! Thankfully, Ben hasn't gotten it yet - and hopefully won't. So, he has had to deal with a sick wife and a sick baby... not a fun week. Campbell coughed ALL through the night last night, keeping both Ben and I awake - then I would start coughing, and have to go sit in the closet to try to let him sleep. I felt so bad for him! (he already has to function on like 5 or 6 hours of sleep) But being the WONDERFUL husband and father he is, he has jumped right in and done whatever he can to help me with Campbell, do dishes, pick up her toys, etc. What would we do without him?!?

Uncle Brian (my brother) and Aunt Savannah (his girlfriend) are coming this weekend - I just hope we don't pass it on them!

Have a great weekend!

Summertime, Livin's Easy

Sorry it's been a while since we posted some pictures - Campbell is growing so fast! Here are a few of her enjoying her redneck pool and the sprinkler - what else can you do when your poor and its hot? :) There are also a few from when we took Campbell to feed the baby ducks, and her and her boyfriend Winston in the pool! I can't believe the summer is almost over, although it will still FEEL like summer here for a while... Hope you all have enjoyed yours as much as we have. Get excited about football season! I just took Campbell for her 18 month check up last week, and she is still 25% for weight, 25% for height, and like 75% for her head measurement! No major changes there... I think she weighed around 24 pounds. She is talking a ton - Ben calls her a parrot... she literally will repeat ANYTHING you say - watch out mom and dad! :) Enjoy the pics...

Praise the Lord!

Ben got his test back last night (finally!) and it is negative for now at least! Yea!
Sorry for not returning the phone calls of those of you who so sweetly checked on us yesterday, but I had a rough day with a migraine... yuck. We are so thankful for all your prayers and support for us. He will have another test in 6 weeks, and the result could have changed by then. (it usually shows up between 6 and 12 weeks - and we just passed the 6 week mark) Keep praying!

After a month of night float and these test results in the back of our minds, Ben and I decided we needed a little break! Our sweet parents kept Campbell so we could have a weekend alone. We went to dinner with Joy, Kimmie and their husbands Friday night and saw the new Batman movie - it was so good! I night with adults is a rare occasion for us - and we had a blast! Then Saturday morning we went to Atlanta for the night, and stayed at the new Mansion Hotel on Peachtree... wow... it is amazing. The cheapest room there is $495 a night - but thankfully since we had a connection (my brother works in the building next door and got us a business rate - thanks brian!) we got to stay for much, much less. We even had our own butler, and art work that turned into a flat screen tv, not to mention a flat screen in the bathroom... heaven! I even got to get a massage Sunday morning while Ben helped my brother move -hmmmm, how did I get the sweeter end of the deal? :) Brian and Savannah took us to a really good restaurant Saturday night, and we even went out afterwards. Brian had us laughing so hard we were crying... its always so fun to spend time with them.

But while we were having so much fun in Atlanta, poor little Campbell started breaking out with a rash in Auburn, which we later found out was hand, foot and mouth disease. (not as bad as it sounds - but still very sad) My mom had to take her to the doctor in Auburn, and I was so glad to see her on Sunday. I hate being away from her when she doesn't feel good! Thanks Honey, Papa, Doll and Pop Pop for taking care of our sick little girl! She is much better now, and back to normal. She even ate the Red Pepper and Sausage Baked Ziti I made for dinner last night... and when Ben told her it was spicy, she took a huge bite and yelled "mmmmmmm... spiiiiicy!"
Ben took some pictures at the hotel with his phone - I'll try to get them up soon.

Waiting

So, Ben had his test done this afternoon - but he was told they wouldn't have the results until tomorrow afternoon, or possibly Monday. It kills me to have to wait even that long, but then there will be more after that! There are 6 more weeks of waiting for the next test after this - could the Lord be teaching me some much needed patience?!? :) Thanks for all your prayers - I will update as soon as possible.

The big test...

Well, Ben's first HIV test is tomorrow afternoon - and when he told me today, I didn't believe him. I really thought it was still a few weeks away... This will be the test for the 6 week mark, but he will continue having them for over 6 more weeks, and even if it is negative tommorrow - it could still change at the next test. BUT, we are trusting in our wonderful, loving, living, healing God to get us through what the next 6 weeks holds. Please pray for our family - and I will keep you posted with our news.

Ben's Birthday

Well, Ben turned 27 since my last post (June 25) - happy birthday dada! He is well on his way to 30, and not too happy about it. :) He started a pretty rough work month before his birthday, so we celebrated a little early and just stopped celebrating last weekend! The week before his birthday we had "birthday week" - a great concept stolen from our friends Nathan and Taylor, where you do something special (gift, etc) each day of the week of your birthday. I made him his favorite foods and desserts each night that week, and we went to the Farmers Market at Pepper Place on Saturday. For those of you in Birmingham that haven't been there - you must go! Or, if you come visit us - we'll take you! They have great fresh fruits and veggies, music, food, and other vendors. Campbell even got some home-made ice cream! We also went to Auburn the weekend after his birthday to see Ben's sister Lauren and her family, and we celebrated there too! (pictures from the Auburn trip to come soon...)

He is doing well on the medication they have given him for the HIV stick other than some stomach problems... but not too bad. He will have more blood drawn in 3-4 weeks and we might know something then, but nothing definite for several weeks after that. We are just trusting in our Maker and praying for His hand of protection to be over us during the waiting period. Keep praying!

Campbell is walking SO well - we are really proud of her. We thought it may never happen! She is going through this independant period right not - wanting to do EVERYTHING herself, most of which she can't. So it has been interesting... but really fun to watch her grow. I wish she would slow down! Here are some pictures from the the Farmers Market - we wore Campbell out!