FBFF Bonus Round!

Just a heads up -

I wanted to give you a little bonus FBFF action today - there's a great giveaway going on over at Fashion Momma! She's giving away gift cards, jewelry, and tights... so get yourself over there and comment to win! :) Enjoy your weekend, lovelies!

Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF)

Today's FBFF is actually doing some nominating for some blog awards. Since I haven't been into this fashion blog stuff very long, I'm going to share a link to a new blog I've found instead.

Fab Finds Under $50 is a blog I have recently discovered. What I love about this blog is that Kimberly creates "outfit inspiration calendars" for each month. The link above will take you to the calendar page. Each day of the month, she has a picture of an outfit that her readers submit and she draws inspiration from the picture while getting dressed. It's like a color-by-number for your own closet. Genius! How many times have I stood in my closet, thinking, I have a lot of clothes but don't know how to mix & match them all together"? I'll tell ya: a lot of times. These pictures just give you a way to start thinking of creative ways to wear what you already have in your closet - as well as wardrobe staples you might purchase in the future. What a fun way to play with your clothes and gain confidence in your fashion capabilities!

She also shares where she purchased every piece of her wardrobe and usually, she's gotten some STEALS! I guess I need to increase the time I spend shopping to be able to find those kind of deals.

I hope everyone is having a fun Friday! My babylove has been sort of sickly for the past few days, and I think he's cutting his molars, which = no fun for anyone at my house.

laying it down

Why is it so hard for us to give the Lord control? Why can't we simply trust His sovereign plan?

There's a certain issue that I have really been struggling to hand over to the Lord. About 3 weeks ago, I felt strongly the Lord saying, "Stop trying to take control of this issue. You trust Me in all other areas of your life; trust Me in this." Well, I was so excited that I felt I had heard from the Lord regarding this issue, and went on my merry way for a couple weeks. Ho hum ho hum.

An opportunity presented itself for me and my husband to serve in an out-of-the-comfort-zone capacity, and I started getting excited about it. I started making plans and just automatically assumed that the Lord's plan was for us to BOTH do this mission trip. I started trying to conform God's will to my purposes and plans again, and was running up against some brick walls. On the way to work this week, I spent a little time with the Lord and heard Him whispering softly to me, "Loved one, we just learned this lesson a few weeks ago. Have you already forgotten?" I had picked up my burden again, and had started trying to shove it into my little bitty box labeled, "Kami's view of God."

Our God is a big God. He is omnipotent, sovereign, and loving. And He wants what is best for His children. He knows the choices we will make before we make them, but gives us the free will to choose.

I, once again, choose to lay the control at His feet.

Friend Friday: Loving My Body

I'm linking up with Kimberly over at Fashion Momma for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. Today's topic is loving your body and this is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. Kimberly always has interesting posts and I love seeing how she puts outfits together - sometimes thinking, girl, that would look awful on my body type, but you're rockin' it! (but that's not how it should be... I should have a little more self-confidence in what what look "good" on my body type-

always enjoying checking them out.

Until a few weeks ago, I didn't really read other blogs unless I knew the person in real life. Lately, I've been branching out and finding all kinds of new, sweet friends who have all sorts of interests and talents. Fashion blogs were something I thought I probably wasn't interested in as a mommy of a one year old, and all that means for my body, wardrobe, and budget. I was wrong.

This is a topic you'll probably be seeing a little more of on my blog. But first, let me get to the questions.

1. Since you started blogging,

has your image of yourself changed?

I'd have to say yes and no. No, because I have known who I am in my heart and have felt loved and secure in my marriage, family, and with friends for a long time. And yes, because I have changed my ideas about what I want to wear, what image I want to portray, and what I want my overall demeanor to be. By reading other blogs, especially those on fashion, I have realized that folks of all body shapes and sizes are out there looking fabulous and loving themselves (and...*cough* not spending a fortune). I have also realized that a lot of "fashion" is simply self-confidence, and if you love what you're wearing and feel confident in it, others will think that you look "fashionable." I simply want to present a generally stylish, put together appearance that reflects the fact that I thought about and took time with what I was wearing.

2. Are you self-conscious about any aspect of yourself?

If so, do you go out of your way to avoid it, or do you post/talk about it anyway?

I am just now getting into this fashion/beauty blogging world, and I must admit that I am self conscious about lots of parts of myself. Since I haven't been really blogging about my fashion choices, I guess this is a hard one to answer. Let me just say, that yes, I downplay some "problem areas" while I am getting dressed or buying clothes. I am an open book and as you probably know already, I'll share most details of my life if you want to know.

3. Based on how you're feeling now,

what do you think the future holds in the evolution

of your body image?

Well, I love my body. Even though it's not perfect, even though my belly will never be flat again thanks to my babylove, and even though my thighs are jiggly with cellulite. My body is exactly the way that God created it to be, and He loves me just the way I am. My husband, also, loves me just the way I am. After those two, I don't really care what anyone else thinks about my body. Now, fashion is another thing altogether. I have been timid in the past in the world of fashion. I am a Southern belle through and through, and feel that sometimes classic is more classy. My wardrobe currently consists of mostly greys, blacks, and browns with just a handful of colors thrown in. But I am hoping to expand my fashion comfort zone. You only get one life. You should wear things you love (and I believe, surround yourself with things you love in your home, but that's another topic altogether.)

4. Do you photograph yourself for your blog?

If so, how do you feel about the experience when

you're having your picture taken?

If you choose not to post pictures of yourself,

what prompted that decision?

I haven't really put a lot of photos as far as fashion goes onto this blog. There's always a few of me just because I love to post pictures of my family. I'll probably start doing more of that coming up, too, because I'd like to chronicle how my style changes.

5. What would you want everyone who struggles

with body image to take to heart?

Girl, we're all different! God created us to each be unique, down to the fat cells in our thighs and how they metabolize energy. Seriously. During my gross anatomy class in OT school, I realized that each person's muscles, fat distribution, tendons, ligaments, bones, everything - they're all in slightly different places on each person. You can't change the DNA that makes up your body. You can choose to dress to flatter your figure and improve your self-confidence, but don't stress about your body. Now, that brings up my second point here.

Don't dress to impress other people. I hope you realize that this is not what I am talking about. I am simply talking about feeling confident in yourself. I have found that when I take the extra time to fix my hair, iron my clothes, and put makeup on (even if I am only wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes), my self-confidence goes through the roof and I am much more productive. On the flip side, when I don't shower, stay in my pj's all day, and lounge around, I can't ever seem to put my tail in gear and get chores accomplished at the house. So that is something to think about, mommies. I know it's hard some days to want to get out of your jammies. Since I have been a (mostly) stay-at-home mommy I have challenged myself to get dressed, put my contacts in, put makeup on, and feel good about the way I look most days. That outfit may or may not have applesauce and cereal bar smeared on it by 10 a.m., but at least I feel that I have made an effort in my self-image. I want to quote someone here. The girl who wrote this is an 8th grader, homeschooled, and obviously has maturity beyond her years. A few days ago, over on Pioneer Woman's homeschooling blog, she wrote,

Let’s face it, unlike Barbie I won’t ever have a toned stomach and permanently shaven legs. I’ll have to shave my whole life. But who wants to walk on their tip-toes all day anyway?

Well, folks, that's all I have for today. Just some food for thought as we head into our weekend. I am looking forward to a lovely shower for my sweet friend Shanna tomorrow and then church & home group on Sunday. Last week I worked in the nursery with my sweet babylove and his friends, and the past two weeks before that we were not able to go to church, so it's coming up on 4 weeks since I have attended church. Heathen, I am. In all seriousness, I am ready to participate in worship and hear the Word. Enjoy your weekend everyone! :)

Fun Things Friday!

It's STILL snowy here. I haven't left the house since Tuesday. Babylove and I are almost going stir crazy! So, in honor of the cabin fever that seems to be overtaking most people I know, I thought I'd post a couple of fun things this morning.

First, there's a Lisa Leonard giveaway going on over at The Pilot's Wife. She is super sweet and her posts are always encouraging. You should check it out, because Lisa Leonard is a fabulous artist and I love all her jewelry! There's a $50 gift certificate up for grabs!

Second, here's a pic of something that Babylove got for his birthday:

Okay. This thing looks weird and we call it the "hot dog" because of its resemblance to the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. But has become his favorite thing to play with! He usually doesn't ride it, but walks behind pushing it. The casters make it turn very easily and he can zoom all over the house with it! Just a suggestion for a very fun toy for the 1-2 year old crowd.

...and, third. Just a photo from happier, snow-free times.

That, my friends, is Key West, Fl. And I would looooove to be sitting there, soaking up the sun with a drink with an umbrella in my hand.

Update

So a couple days ago, I posted regarding my battle with hormones. God is so very faithful to give me just what I need, when I need it. On Monday night, I went to dinner with a couple of lovely ladies in my family - my third cousin who is my age (and growing up, we looked a lot alike) and her aunt, who was visiting from Texas. In the conversation, something came up and we got to talking, and my cousin is experiencing the exact same issues with her hormones as I have been. What a way for God to let me know I am not alone! She has been through many of the same medications and attempts to control this situation, and is just as frustrated as I am. Interesting, right?

Last night as I was reading our chronological one-year-Bible out loud to Hubs (our nightly routine), I came across this verse in Exodus 14:14 -

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

I feel like that was just what I needed to hear regarding this situation. It stood out to me as though it was written on a neon flashing sign. So, friends, that is what I am going to do. I am no longer stressing out about it. I am no longer seeking an answer. I am going to be still and let the Lord fight this battle for me. How precious it is to know He cares for us in such minute detail.

Snowmaggedon! Remix

Well, praise the Lord for neighbors who love us. J&C, who live 2 doors down, drove 30 minutes in this mess to pick up my husband from work and bring him home. I can't tell you how excited I was! I made a big pot of chili, an apple pie, and then we made snow ice cream to top it off. What a fun end to our crazy snow day! :)

Not the best mommy fashion - but it's Snowmaggedon for crying out loud.
Me & my baby boy!
He loved laughing at Daisy, who was bouncing all over the place.
My heart!
Love love LOVE these boys! :)
Measuring the snow - we ended up with a little over 7 inches.

Snowmaggedon!

Well, folks, I don't know what it's doing in your part of the country, but here in Arkansas, theentire state is shut down for what the news stations have dubbed Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, or Snowplosion - depending on which station you are watching.

It certainly is snowing, don't get me wrong. And it's now deep enough that I can't distinguish driveway from grass or road. I haven't seen a single car go down my road since it started at 8 a.m. But isn't Snowmaggedon a little dramatic?

My husband is considered "essential personnel" at his job, and must be there, so he packed a bag this morning and headed off into the white unknown. I'm thinking he'll probably be there until tomorrow, sleeping in his office. Poor guy. I miss him, but at least I know he is safe and warm, with a generator at the hospital should something snowpocalyptic happen.

I am sure that the school age kids and the parents who got to stay home with them are greatly enjoying this. My Facebook is full of pictures of kids making sleds out of random items, and it certainly makes for beautiful and hilarious photos. But I don't know, to me, the snow seems so... not exciting. It's gorgeous. It's quiet, and peaceful, and soothes my soul. But I don't get excited about it like I did when I was a kid. There's nothing in me that wants to run outside and play in it. Maybe once my babylove is a little older, it will be fun to take him outside and play. And we just might have to bundle up this afternoon and go out anyway, just to see what he thinks about it.

So, from the middle of the snowplosion, I'll let you enjoy the rest of your day. I'll put more pics up soon, and I'm working on blogging about Jacks' birthday!

Day 30

Day 30: Something you're going to miss and something you're looking forward to.

Well, folks, we've come to the end of our 30 day blog challenge. I am actually very proud of myself for sticking with it for the most part. I have definitely blogged more in the past 30 days than ever before, and I find myself re-thinking my blog purpose and what I want to start sharing on my blog. You can look forward to a variety of things coming up. I have discovered some new blogs and have gleaned inspiration from them. I want my blog to be a place of encouragement and peace. I want you to not only stop and think but feel uplifted after reading my blogs. There may be some times that I have to vent, but overall I want this to be a positive blog. I hope you have enjoyed this 30 day journey with me.

Something you're going to miss: I am going to miss the daily challenge of my blog. I think it's going to be even MORE challenging not to have guidelines with which to work.

Something you're looking forward to: I am looking forward to summer time. Is anyone else sick of this snowy stuff? Yuck. Bring on the flip flops and tans.

*******************************

We had Babylove's 1st birthday party yesterday. You can definitely look forward to another post sometime soon (maybe not until Tues night or Wed) catching you up on that! :)

Things on my heart

Lately, I have been struggling with a few issues in my life. I am about to get real here on this blog, because I think I only have like 3 people who actually read it anyway, and I want to encourage anyone who might be struggling with some of the same issues.

I have had some problems with my hormones and female system since I was a teenager. I was put on birth control at a young age to regulate my cycles. I stayed on birth control until April of 2009, when I figured out that it was making my blood pressure skyrocket. I also hated the other side effects, like the moodiness, weight gain, and energy zap. As you can probably figure out, I got pregnant almost immediately off birth control with my sweet babylove. Fast forward a year or so. I had a great delivery and everything was going smoothly. However, as time went on, I suddenly had a six-month-old but had not a cycle since he was born. I wasn't breast feeding. Your body is designed to clean itself out every month or so, and when you go so long without doing so, it can cause problems with fertility at the least, and can lead to tumor growth at the worst. I visited with my gynecologist and he put me on birth control for a 2-month trial. I hated every moment of it. Following the 2 month trial of birth control, I went 3 months without a cycle again. In January, my doctor decided to put me on Prometrium for 10 days. Craziness in a pill, that's what it is. So, I did the 10 day trial of Prometrium, had a cycle, and now here we are, February.

This whole hormone thing has been such a struggle for me for most of my life. I want (I hope, I pray) for my body to work as it was created to work. I want for my husband to have a stable wife whose hormones do not dictate her mood. I want to know that when God is ready for us to have another child, that it will happen easily. I want to have more babies. I want to have a whole brood of babies. Will I be able to get pregnant? When should we start trying to get pregnant again? How long can this go on without me losing my mind? If we did get pregnant, how would we pay for things because I don't think I could do my current job and be bigtime pregnant? Getting pregnant would only be a short-term solution, as I don't see this changing even after another child (or two or three). What's the long term solution? At what point do I consider more drastic options?

I am a control freak standing in the face of the unknown. For the past several weeks, I have stayed up at night thinking/tossing/turning/crying/praying about it.

A couple of nights ago, in the middle of the night, I was lying awake and just pleading with God to make His will known to me. And I felt Him whisper to me, "Stop." Stop worrying. Stop trying to control this situation. Stop thinking about it. He began speaking to my heart words of peace and security in my situation. He reminded me of His faithfulness in little ways, and big ways. The next morning, as I was driving at 5 a.m. in the dark to work with my babylove in the backseat, I heard Him in my car with me, saying, "trust Me."

Trust Him. Trust Him. It is SO hard for me to lay my situations down at His feet and trust Him.

I don't know why. He has been so faithful to us in the past year. He has been so faithful to me over my entire life. So why is it difficult to trust the One Who holds my future?

So that's who I am right now. A mommy who is struggling to trust God with the future of her family. A woman standing on His promises of health, healing, and hope for her life. A child of God sitting at the foot of the cross with a burden much bigger than I can bear alone.

But I will lay that burden right there at the cross, and I will trust the Lord with all my heart. I will lean not on my own understanding, but will acknowledge His sovereign wisdom and plan.

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do all things;

no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

- Job 42:1-2

Day 29

I messed up! Day 28 was supposed to be "your nicknames." I'll just switch it around.

Day 29: Your nicknames.

My name, Kami, is actually a nickname. My full name is Kamala, pronounced like Pamela. Otherwise, I don't really have any. My brother B calls me Sister. And when I was pregnant, he called me Prego. Hubs and I don't really use pet names for each other. When he's joking around with me, he'll sometimes call me Ward (my maiden name).

I'm boring. I know.

Day 28

Day 28: Your goals for the month ahead.

February has gotten off to a crazy start, with the weather Tuesday and now expecting more weather on Friday. My main goal is to throw this little man a birthday party!

Oh, he melts my heart. He knows he's not supposed to have that pen. He has a monkey hanging from his pacie. He has made a total wreck of my living room. He has on his monster pajamas with the feet. If my child could be summed up in a picture, this is certainly it. I'm in love.

After that is accomplished, I am also helping host a shower for the lovely Shanna . I am super excited about this because we are doing some super-girlie, super shabby chic things that I think are going to be amazing!

February is also bringing something new - the first time I have been away from my husband AND my baby overnight. My parents are going to Hawaii next week, and I'll still have to drive to work & spend the night there, alone, while Hubs takes a couple days off work to hang out with little man. So, my goal there is to simply survive being away from my boys (and hope this silly weather decides to behave before then!)

Day 27

Day 27: Your top five favorite restaurants and your favorite things to eat there.

These are in no particular order.
Soup, salad, and breadsticks baby, with pasta e fagoli soup and a sweet tea.
Mmmm... Cantina Laredo is heavenly.

I get the enchiladas, and sometimes splurge for the spinach burrito.

As much as I love Cantina Laredo, I have a thing for super cheap, super quick Mexican as well. The folks at La Huerta pretty much know us by name. A while back, I was meeting Hubs there and I walked in and the guy at the front said, "Your husband's around the corner." Yep, we love it. I always get the Speedy Gonzales, which is apparently the same combo of items at every Mexican restaurant - an enchilada, a taco, and rice or beans (rice, please). Sometimes, only SOMETIMES, I get the chicken chimichanga. It's a whole lotta grease, but so good.

Panera! Can you get much more satisfying food? I usually do the you-pick-two and get a turkey on country bread sandwich and either baked potato soup or the macaroni and cheese.

Mike's Place - date night for me & Hubs. I love their Pasta Brantley or their create your own combo platters. Yum.

I think I have to go find some breakfast now. But I'm going to be craving Cantina Laredo all day.

Days 23-26

Whew! I am four days behind. Sorry about that folks! In the past 72 hours I have had a very sick boy, a sick husband, driven 2 hours one way to work, worked all day yesterday, got up at 3:30 am with sick baby this morning, decided to brave the winter weather where my parents live and come on home. So, now I'm safe & warm at home, my baby feels somewhat better, I have a pot of soup in the crockpot, and my parents are iced in. SO glad I decided to come on home! :)

Day 23: Your fundamental beliefs.

I could go deep with this one, but since I'm short on brain cells today, I'll keep it simple. I believe

• Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven
• Everything the Bible says is true
• God is trinity - Father, Son, Spirit
• While not everything that happens to us is good, everything that happens is according to God's purpose.
• Family comes second only to God

Those are hard. Sorry - my brain hurts too much to add any more.

Day 24: Photos of places you've traveled.

Boston is an awesome city! So many interesting things to do there.That's me in front of the skyline ^

We visited the Bahamas - gorgeous beaches! (and my skinny self was pregnant and didn't know it - I would have taken more pictures where you could see that I used to have a waist if I had known.)
The Atlantis resort in the Bahamas on Paradise Island. Most amazing hotel I've been to. We totally didn't spend the night because we were on a cruise, but we want to go back soooo badly. Key West, FL was also a fun little stop on our cruise. The beaches were rocky, not sandy, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless.

St. Louis, MO in April 2007 for the AOTA conference. Fun times!
Gore, OK - debated even putting this picture on "travels" as it is almost more like home. That's the lower Illinois River coming off the bottom of Lake Tenkiller, and as an adolescent/teen, we went almost every weekend. I have some of the best memories of my life there. Awesome things like this:

and this:

took place there. It's in my soul.
Inlet Beach, FL - we've been several times, but this photo was taken in August 2008, right after I graduated with my masters'. Fun times!

Branson, MO - Every good Arkansan vacations in Branson at least once a year.
Petit Jean Mountain, AR - we love to camp on Petit Jean. So much fun.

Day 25: Five random things you love and five random things you hate.

Love:

1. Lists
2. Blue Bell Coffee ice cream with Chocolate Fudge magic shell
3. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lemon Verbena cleaner
4. the beach
5. clean sheets

Hate:

1. Typos on professional advertising
2. Doing laundry
3. Shrimp
4. Laziness
5. Clothes left on the floor

Day 26: If you won the lottery, you'd:

Pay off all our debt, buy some reliable cars, stay at home with my babies (we could afford to have another!), build a realistic house with plenty of land & room for my babies as they grew up, and put the rest in savings with interest accumulating. I'm realistic here. I could do the same for about $200,000, (besides building the new house) so if you're wanting to get rid of that kind of money, let me know.

I'm going to try to get back on track tomorrow. Sorry!

On a side note - tomorrow is my baby's one year birthday! I cannot BELIEVE it has been a year. This time last year, I was so extremely uncomfortable. Glad it's this year.