The Hodge Podge

Pinterest.

2012-01-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

Oh, Pinterest. I joined while I was still on maternity leave with M, back in May I think it was, not sure. But I knew I could get addicted quick, so I kept my distance and honestly forgot about it until it BLEW UP! Then I wanted to spend hours vegging out, but never had enough downtime to make it worth my while.

Cut to yesterday, OH. MY. GOODNESS. While M was on a napping marathon I decided to hop on and see what I could find. I have lots of things I want to accomplish, like changing M's room, coming up with cute ideas for office decor, cute DIY projects (that I will probably reel hubby into! shhhh....).

So this is what I found out after only 15 min on there...I want to go to Lowes and buy lots of wood and get really cute fabric and ~~hand off the project to someone else~~ try my hand at some cute ideas!

Here are just a few I REALLY like:
Inspiration Board

via

I like this one because it's very rustic and versatile!

GENIUS!


How many times do I unplug the wrong cord because there are 23847238947 plugged in! :)

Fabric Book Display

I love this idea because the space shown here is similar to how M's room is. His crib is centered on a wall, and there's a little corner nook, but the bookshelf currently in place is not functional. It's just far too big. These slender displays would be perfect for when he starts walking and able to choose his favorites to read! I could even see setting up a seating area for him to sit in for when he's able to hang out by himself.

These are just a few, but man so much inspiration!!

Hey There!

2012-01-27T10:49:00.002-05:00

Nothing like a little blog neglect, huh?

I decided to try to redeem my hiatus via a new design and update!

So let's catch up some....

We had such a great first Christmas with our little man! He is a present un-wrapping fool now! It was so adorable to watch him. Of course he was more content stuffing paper into his mouth than playing with his toys, but that's the way it goes with the little ones! I'll post pics from our 3 day world tour soon, but for now they are sitting at my mom and dad's house.

We have been busy bees lately! I feel like the entire month after Thanksgiving has been NON-stop! I didn't even have a lot of planning or events, I was just exhausted all the time. Oh well. I guess that's how life goes with an EIGHT month old!

BTW where did this 8 month old come from living in my house? Where did my precious, ~~tiny~~ 10lb newborn go? He's on his way to crawling and the fact that he doesn't officially crawl hasn't kept him immobile folks. He is great at backwards crawling laying flat and pulling himself toward whatever he has his eye on, you get the point. This mommy can't take his eyes off the little man!

Here's what hes up to lately:
As of 11/28/11:
• Length: 27.5 in
• Weight: 19lbs (sure he's at 20+ now...)
Milestones:
Posted 12.27.11:
• On the verge of crawling. Rocking on all fours. Standing on his fingertips and tippy toes, scooting backwards. UPDATE(1.27.11): CRAWLING! And he's taken a few steps here and there. (Someone please find the slow down button!)
• Says: Dadadadada, Ni-Ni (Night Night, but only when he's EXTREMELY tired), HAYEEE (hey). We've yet to get him to successfully say these on command though, because you know there's no fun unless you can get them to speak on command!
• We have upgraded to the convertible seat as of this weekend. Sad times! Though he still fits the weight limit for his infant seat, it was getting a bit snug, so now he is riding in style!
• He now puts himself to sleep. It was hard for me not to want to continue to nurse/rock him to sleep, but I know it's best for him to learn how to fall asleep on his own. Now, occasionally his last nursing session of the day and bedtime fall right about the same time and mommy is ok with that too! :)
• We had tubes put in at the end of November. At first I was bummed bc I didn't notice much change like people said I would, but now it's a 180 compared to where we were in November! He sleeps 10-11 hours at night, hasn't had an ear infection since they were put in (he was on the verge of #4 when they were put in), and just overall more talkative now! YAY for tubes!
• He has a great appetite! He nurses 3 times a day with 3 complete meals in between AND snacks and juice throughout the day! He is definitely NOT a famished little boy. ;)
• We found out the hard way that bananas are NOT for him yet...YIKES!
• I'm making about 80% of his meals with the occasional jar of organic puree in between when the week gets hectic and I get behind on makin' the baby food! When he went in for his last check-up the doctor even said by making most of his food and bypassing all the fillers and preservatives in store bought food it is helping his sensitive skin! YAY for soft & smooth baby skin!
• He's in 6-9 month clothes and some 12 month if they run small.

I have to admit it's a fun age. I know I'll say that at every new stage. But its true. Just watching him play on the floor with his toys fills my heart with such joy! To think this time last year I was just over halfway through my pregnancy and now...here is my amazing little boy!

Here is an assortment of iPhone pics and also some pics from a session Whitney Meade from The Meade Feed took for us. LOVE her eye for photography!

Dec 2011


Dec 2011


Dec 2011


Jan 2011

Jan 2011

My Baby Cow and Sophie the Giraffe.

2011-10-07T17:07:00.002-04:00

A new reason I love fall: I can dress M up in cute jackets, at least in the morning!

I don't know what it's been about this week, but he has been SO fun to play with. He is at such an inquisitive age, it's the best! Last night he finally just collapsed while playing on the floor last night. I'm talking busy busy busy one minute, head instantly down and he was sound asleep the next. SO stinkin' cute! BTW our sleeping patters are getting better, and I'll just leave it at that.

Our newest addition to the toy collection:

Sophie the Giraffe

Thankfully, this was FaaaaRRRRReeeeee. Thank you, store credit! Because let me tell you I don't know how long this toy will last in the Hodges' household. I failed to realize it was a SQUEAKY toy. Lucy goes BA-NANAS for squeaky toys. It's the main reason we don't have squeaky toys in the house. She will drive us insane with the inI've already found her sniffing out a plan on how she can steal this from Mason. Way to go, Heather, way. to. go. I will add that M LOVES chewing on this because lets face it life right now is about TEETHING and making sure baby has plenty to gnaw on so I don't find him chewing furniture one day! :)

I knew this would happen....

2011-10-03T17:30:00.001-04:00

Why, oh WHY did I think it was a smart idea to post about your once AWESOME sleeping habits Mason? Has mommy not learned, when things are going well DON'T announce it, just be thankful and keep quiet!

Well we are going on day...4...maybe...I've lost count - of M not sleeping through the night. I am having flashback of his newborn days. I thought it was because he had an ear infection and it threw him off. Well ear infection seems to be gone, but he still doesn't sleep.

Here's the routine lately:
Anywhere between 8-9PM: Goes down for the night
10:30PM: Dream Feed
12:30AM: Wake up SCREAMING
None of the usual tricks work (turning him on his side...M is a serious side sleeper....patting his back, rubbing his head.) He ends up arching his back and stiffening his arms and legs. I eventually pick him up and rock him back to sleep. My inner dialogue goes something like this: WHY DID YOU PICK HIM UP!! Don't you know he's going to expect that from you every time he wakes up now!!
2AM: Wake up SCREAMING, again
4AM: Wake up SCREAMING, YET AGAIN

6AM: Up and ready to start the day....

I try letting him cry it out when he wakes up before 6, but there's only so much of the pitiful ~~cry~~ WAIL I can take...

Could my son really already know how to get his way? Is he crying because he's in pain...i.e. gas, ears, or something else? Is this a growth spurt? AHHHH!! Help!!!

Everything was going great with our night time routine until this last double ear infection. I'm completely lost as to how to get him back on schedule.

4 & 5 Months {You're Growing Up!}

2011-09-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

I feel like are newborn/infant days are a blur in the rear view mirror. You are definitely our BABY boy now!

I feel like 4 & 5 months have been smashed together. We have been so busy these days, just trying to keep up with you!

Some of the things you're up to:
• You've started a great routine of sleeping through the night, mostly.
• You are rolling from your back to your tummy and tummy to your back. The other day I turned away for two seconds and you were trying to roll under the couch! YIKES!
• You have the best hand/eye coordination. Your favorite thing to grab: my glasses, of course! Daddy's face, toys, paci, etc.
• You are an inch worm on your back, and could care less about trying to scoot on your tummy. You've figured out inching on your back is much more efficient, and great entertainment for mommy & daddy.
• This month you've had your first ear infection, which happened to be a double AND now you've added Pink Eye to that list. ...and now you are just getting over your SECOND one in 5 weeks! Again, YIKES!
• You love playing with all of your toys, especially the rubbery ones you can chew on.
• You are definitely teething, you just haven't actually cut any teeth yet.
• You are such a talker. I. LOVE. IT. I have no idea what you're trying to say, but you make sure you say it LOUD and CLEAR! And you are ALL boy...growls and all!
• Your naps the past few days have been AWESOME. At least two 1.5-2 hour naps. Though I don't mind that you've been a cat napper, I'm sure you feel more rested by taking longer naps.
• Speaking of naps, waking up is NOT for you. Occasionally you'll crack a smile in your crib before I pick you up, but usually you fuss until you've really had time to wake up, then you're ready to play! You get that from your momma, waking up is NOT her favorite thing either.

Baby boy, you continue to be such a joy in our lives. We have so much fun playing with you and loving on you. Hard to believe we are just 2 WEEKS away from your HALF BIRTHDAY! Wow!

2011-08-04T18:00:00.005-04:00

I just ordered Bringing Up Boys from Amazon. I've heard several moms talk about this book and I feel it's a must read. I figure if I start now I might actually finish it before M's second birthday...and even that may be rushing things! :)

NERD ALERT! I always love to read through the snip-it Amazon gives.

When I read this:

I. DIED. LAUGHING. Partly because it's just that entertaining, partly because I know deep down my son could be capable of something like this one day. Oh boy....

3 Months {What You're Up to These Days}

2011-07-30T16:10:00.001-04:00

Mama is SO behind M! You are now on your way to 3 1/2 months, but it's better late than never to document what you are up to. Which is A LOT these days!!

You are getting SO strong. You love your jumparoo and bumbo. But when you call time, you have no hesitation in letting out a bone chilling scream!

At the beginning of the month you weighed in at 14lb 9oz, now I'm sure you're well on your way to 16lbs...we'll see when we go for those terrible 4 month shots! Booo needles! You are still in 3-6 month clothes, but I'm not sure how much longer. You are a big boy! :)

You are eating every three hours during the day, but we still don't have a steady night schedule. It'll come, I know. It keeps me on my toes right now! You had an amazing night last week where you slept 9 hours straight!! I didn't know what to do with myself after all that sleep! You haven't done that since, but you will sleep 5-6 hours, the on your "sleepless nights" its a few here and a couple there...I'm not a big fan of those! ;)

Just a few nights ago I had an "OH NO" moment. We were getting you ready for bed, I was rocking you and daddy was getting ready for bed. He came in to kiss you goodnight and as soon as you made eye contact your eyes lit up and you had a smile from ear to ear. You are your daddy's boy! The two of you are going to me T-R-O-U-B-L-E together! The look you give him is unlike one you give anyone else. It makes my heart melt. I will never get tired of seeing the two of you laugh and play together.

I look at pictures from when you were first born and can't believe how small you seemed then! My heart is constantly at war with the idea of you growing up. Your dad and I had a conversation just the other night about how we were having a hard time remembering just how small you were. We are amazed at how fast time has gone by! (Though it's hard to remember that during the sleepless nights!) I love seeing you strive, growing and learning, but the selfish mama in me always wants to keep you little! It will be a battle I will fight you whole life. But trust me, I will always let you grow up, I am constantly reminded of the rewards it brings. Seeing your first smile, hearing your first coos, seeing you roll over for the first time, there will always be milestones to celebrate, and sweet memories to cherish.

Baby boy, I love you beyond words!
Mama

I AM...

2011-07-21T08:30:00.004-04:00

My friend, Whitney, had a wonderful idea that she shared with me. Why don't we ever celebrate who we are and what we are? As women, it is easy for us to feel defeated, at least it is for me. Juggling taking care of our household, my job, being a wife, and a mom life has felt pretty overwhelming lately. Whitney had a great idea that we celebrate the attributes God has BLESSED us with, not in an arrogant way, but a way to praise him for everything he gives us. We should focus on those things that are great in our life, instead of being bogged down by all the "wrongs" and ways we feel inadequate. It is so easy to focus on what I AM NOT, here is what I AM...

I am a child of the KING!
I am saved by His grace!
I am a wife to the love of my life.
I am a mama to the most precious baby boy.
I am a great cook.
I am a great couponer.(I even get excited about it!)
I am creative.
I am passionate.
I am silly.
I am a sucker for corny jokes.
I am a music lover.
I am a sister.
I am a daughter.
I am tenderhearted.
I am a COLLEGE football fan. Roll Tide!
I am a sweet tea fanatic.
I am a lover of fonts.
I am a graphic designer.
I am a sucker for romantic comedy.
I am a mean peanut butter and jelly maker. (According to my sweet hubby!) :)
I am a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl.
I am LOVED.

Mason Rolls Over!

2011-07-13T21:33:00.001-04:00

I am too excited, I had to post this! Mason has been trying for a few days now to roll over. He would get his legs in the air, but his upper body wouldn't cooperate! I had the video on because I wanted to video him holding his head up and I got an even better surprise! It's more of a flop, but I'll call it a roll! :) (P.S. Ignore my annoying voice, it caught me by surprise and all I had was....We rolled over. Riveting. I know.)

Mason, mommy is SO proud of you!!

Wordless Wednesday. Sort of.

2011-07-13T17:30:00.007-04:00

I'll be back soon, I promise. Just super busy, you know, working & taking care of a 3 month old, oh and making sure I don't neglect my sweet hubby! Life is good!

mess up clothes at GiGi's + gotta dress like a farmer

trying to watch tv. the struggle begins.

2 Months {What You're Up to These Days}

2011-06-18T11:04:00.001-04:00

Mason you're 2 months old! I know I will say this as each month passes, but HOW are you 2 months old? You are no longer a newborn, though you never really looked like a newborn! :)

• These days you LOVE seeing how much of your hand you can put in your mouth. You've made some very interesting faces doing so!
• You are quite the talker, especially in the mornings. Sometimes you try to see just how loud you can get, mommy laughs every time!
• You could care LESS about tummy time! You would much rather be on your back so you can stare at the ceiling fan and lights! ...eventually I know you will like it, just not right now, huh?
• You are sleeping in your bed now...Mommy stuck to her guns (with some coaxing from GiGi and a GREAT monitor!) and you started sleeping in your room at 7 weeks. You never skipped a beat, Mommy may have stared at the monitor for an hour before falling asleep, just to see what you were doing....
• You LOVE the water. Bath time or the pool, you splash and kick and have even been known to fall asleep while in the pool. Mommy has had fun dressing you in your swimsuit too!
• You're starting to form your own little personality. It is THE. CUTEST. Overall you are a sweet, happy baby. You wake up in a great mood every morning...after you eat of course! You melt Mommy's heart when you coo in the mornings, it makes it difficult to drop you off at GiGi's and head off to work! You still have your fussy time in the evenings, but even those have become easier to manage!

Baby boy, you steal mommy & daddy's heart a little more each day...if it's even possible! We love you SO much!! Even Lucy loves to come and sniff you and give you forehead kisses, and she always has to look in your car seat when we come home, just to make sure you're in there!

This month you have GROWN!
At your 2 month check up you were 13 1/2 lbs and 24 inches long!

You do have that Red Head temper from time to time! :)

LIGHTS & FANS!!!

Since becoming a mom...

2011-06-02T17:31:00.001-04:00

I have:
• Eaten my words on certain things I said I'd NEVER do.
My mom laughed out loud when I told her I was going to wait AT LEAST two weeks to introduce Mason to a paci. Now I know why, I would have laughed too...had I only known. We made it to...drum roll, please...DAY TWO!
• Googled the words to MANY songs and nursery rhymes.
I had either forgotten how they went all together or forgotten parts of them. The latest one I have googled? This Little Piggy! I knew what the first two and the last did, but number 3 and 4 I had NO CLUE. In case you were wondering, # 3 had roast beef and #4 had none! and #5 went WEE WEE WEE all the way home! (Mason starts smiling everytime we get to WEE WEE WEE...it couldn't be any cuter.)
• Taken a TON of pictures of M on my iPhone and just in general!
It's obvious based on my camera roll when M was born. Pictures of Lucy stop and pictures of M start! Poor Lucy...
Here are just a few:


I found my thumb and it is goooood!

• Become very good friends with 2am and 3am!
Amazingly it's not so bad! It's typically a quick feeding and diaper change and we are back to bed! Now, let's talk about this again once I return to work...might be a different story! ;)
• Gotten excited over wet and dirty diapers and burping!
Oh my word, I never thought I would appreciate diaper changes or hearing good burps! Funny how things change with context!

1 Month {A Letter to Mason}

2011-05-13T15:57:00.001-04:00

Baby boy how are you already 4 weeks old? Your momma won't be able to keep up at this rate!

One thing is for sure, you have stolen your daddy and my heart. You are more precious than we could ever even imagine and we are so thankful God placed you in our family. I love watching you and your daddy together. Just yesterday you two laid in bed and talked and talked to each other. You even had a contest to see who could stick out their tongue the most...I think it was a tie! ;) Seeing you two together brings me more joy than I ever knew a person could experience. He is so good at taking care of you and walking around with you when you're fighting sleep in the evenings. I have fallen deeper in love with your daddy since you've been born and experienced more love than I ever have before.

You are already starting to get your own little personality. You love to coo and "talk" already! You will sit in your swing and you will talk to the bears on your mobile and when you're in your pack 'n play you will talk to your big elephant...we'll call him Big Al.

Mason, I am constantly amazed at how much you grow and change from day to day. You are barely able to wear newborn clothes, but still too small to wear 3 month clothes. Just today I put a little long sleeve/pants romper on you and while it fit you, the legs were just a bit too short and ended up looking like capri pants. But it was about the only thing in your closet that will fit you at this time... so, you're just a fashion forward kind of baby!

One thing is for sure your momma is having a hard time thinking about how life will be once it's time to return to work. I know you will have so much fun with GiGi, but mommy will miss you dearly while she is away from you! You are such a joy, even when you get fussy and fight your sleep, you are still the joy of my life! I have to constantly pray and surrender to the truth that you are placed in our family for a reason, but you belong to the Lord. Baby boy it is so hard sometimes to remember you will be with us for a season where we can teach you and nurture you and then in the blink of an eye you'll be spreading your own wings to fly! I am constantly praying that I don't take a moment with you for granted and that I am always soaking in every bit of this stage. As I see little boys that are just a bit older than you, walking and talking and playing, it reminds me that you will soon be doing these same things and I'll be sure to take them all in. The one thing I hope you know more than anything is I will always love you, baby bear!

Mother's Day 2011

Baby Bear!

Couldn't resist showing that you do, in fact, cry!

DATE NIGHT!

2011-05-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

So last night Stephen & I ventured out on our first date night since M was born. Oh glorious date night! GiGi (my mom) agreed to keep M while we went to see Thor (AH-MAZING).

We also made a quick trip to Lowe's- Stephen is on the hunt for a new weed eater. Apparently he has a hate/hate relationship with the one he has now. I'll just trust him on that one, I think I would cut off a limb if I picked up the weed eater! Let's just say the yard work is ALL hubby- I'll stick to the inside chores.

I am so thankful I have a hubby who is committed to still making it a point to have "us" time. We LOVE Mason, but never want to forget about each other while caring for him. One thing I focused on while pregnant was learning what it looks like to honor your marriage in front of your kids. Meaning- what do they need to see in Stephen & I to feel secure and loved. The one thing the Lord kept teaching me was to be affectionate towards each other in front of our kids, respect each other, make time for just the two of use to be together, and if/when we have our arguments- don't have them in front of them.

So last night was a step in the right direction to make sure we are always being proactive about cultivating and sustaining a healthy marriage. And even if it is just walking around Lowe's holding hands and looking at power tools then going to see a GREAT movie...it's a perfect date for me because I am spending time with my love!

Still Here!

2011-05-05T15:20:00.001-04:00

I promise we are all still here..alive and well! Tomorrow Baby M will be THREE weeks old! How can this be? It is so true that time FLIES by with a little one.

We have a GREAT routine down, for now. And though M fights his sleep in the evening, he sleeps hard when he finally falls asleep..so like his momma...doesn't want to miss anything, but loves the sleep too.

I am so excited to celebrate my first Mother's Day as a mom with my two favorite boys! I still am overcome with so much emotion when I look at my son. It is still a surreal feeling that he is FINALLY here- yet at the same time I feel like I was only pregnant for a split second. (Though I wouldn't have dared to utter those words to myself three weeks ago when I felt HUGE!)

So that's what's going on in the Hodges' household these days...just loving on M and enjoying all this time I have with him!

And now I leave you with the sweetest face in the entire world...

Thanks Kim for taking some awesome shots of M!

A week ago today...

2011-04-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

We were heading home from the hospital, FINALLY!

We ended up being in the hospital the whole 96 hours my insurance would allow! Can we say CABIN FEVER? While my husband was able to run home and take a shower, grab some food, and enjoy some fresh air, I was stuck looking out the window at all the construction going on and wishing for just a quick walk outside.

Don't get me wrong we LOVED our experience at McLeod, other than the mysterious skin rash the dr. decided to test AFTER we got out discharge papers...let's just say this hormonal momma LOST it at the idea of having to be discharged without her baby...and it wasn't going to happen, I wasn't leaving the hospital without Mason in my arms. Thankfully, after a blood test, cultures, etc. it was determined that he had the common "newborn rash" and nothing more serious. WHAT A RELIEF...Thank you Jesus for being in control and calming this new mom's nerves. I don't think Stephen and I have ever breathed a collective sigh of relief at the news that we were finally going home!

I will say that the nurses and lactation consultants at McLeod are TOP NOTCH. They are priceless in my eyes!

I still look at Baby M and wonder how he is 11 days old already and strong as an Ox! Baby boy was able to lift his head straight out the womb, but I guess that's to be expected when you birth a 9lb 14oz baby! SO thankful for that scheduled C-Section now, pretty sure he wouldn't have been delivered any other way.

Tomorrow we reach another milestone. Stephen goes back to work and it's Baby M and I hanging out by ourselves for the first time, ever. I want to cry at the thought of him going back to work, I've been spoiled by my AWESOME, sweet husband. He is an amazing father, but I never had a doubt about that. My heart melts when I watch the two of them bond and how he takes care of our family- like late night runs to Target because I ran out of breast pads, that's LOVE! :) Mason could stare at his daddy for hours- it makes this mommy's heart so happy!

Here is our whirlwind of a week in pictures (unedited folks...)

Mason Gunnar Hodges

April 15, 2011

12:48PM • 9lbs 14oz • 21.25in

Stephen taking Mason out to the Nursery just minutes after his birth!

First family picture...(this is a blur to me...such a busy day!)

We're going home...FOR REAL this time!

Sweet initials.

Life couldn't get much better than having these two in my life.

Makes my heart melt.

GOING HOME!

All strapped in & ready to go! :)

HOME. I'm telling you there's no better feeling.

Getting lots of snuggles from Aunt Megan & Uncle Chris.

First bath. The paci makes all things gooooood.

Mason LOVES having his hair washed. Everything else...not a fan.

Nap time with dad. Favorite.

Looks like he's a stubborn one!

2011-04-08T20:59:00.001-04:00

It's been a running joke this entire pregnancy that the child growing inside of me has a mind of his own, a stubborn one at that! I try to show Stephen his movements or hiccups and as soon as the words "Look babe, look what he's doing..." come out of my mouth Mason freezes. At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but when he quit hiccuping one time when he heard my voice, and then started back whenever Stephen turned away, the joke started. I've even gone so far as to poke Stephen and point to my belly so I don't have to talk. I have yet to look into the eyes of my son, and I am already familiar with his personality! Little stinker...

Well, now it seems he will take his sweet time entering the world and continue his stubborn streak! I have made absolutely no progression, and he is still nice and snug in there. Last week I got a "You MIGHT be a centimenter" ...this week- turns out that was a stretch to say MIGHT.

Of course I am uncomfortable and ready to see my sweet son's face. That would be an understatement actually! In the Lord's perfect timing...what I keep repeating to myself!

So to pass the time I've washed everything I can of his. Packed our bags. Gotten a pedicure and manicure...SWEET, SWEET pedicure, you are priceless!!

Now, it's just a game of keeping myself busy until little M decides he is ready to come out and meet his mommy and daddy!! Hard to believe the countdown is down to DAYS now!

{Maternity Session}

2011-03-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

Two posts in consecutive days?! What!

So, earlier this week Stephen and I had some Maternity shots taken, at my mother's request. Trust me, I would have just passed this by, but I'm glad she insisted. Other than having to refrain from being picky about my pregnant self, I love them! So here's a few favs...

MAJOR UPDATE...

2011-03-11T08:51:00.001-05:00

I feel like I need to cover 4 weeks worth of life in this blog post...why? BECAUSE I HAVE FAILED IN THE BLOGGING DEPT. LATELY!! I've had so much I want to come and write about, BUT couch time with the hubby and Seasons 1-3 of CSI have trumped the blog. (Yes, our pre-baby obsession is watching CSI from the beginning...) Right now, we have completed seasons 1&2 since Valentine's Day, and currently in Season 3. BUT, our guess is once baby M makes his arrival (in 5 weeks or less!!) we will be lucky to get through the whole series before he turns 2! hahaha, at least we are being real...right?!

SO...UPDATE.
Now at 35 weeks and so ready for little M to make his grand appearance! No, seriously. Last weekend I did have a pretty scary false labor scare, but it was just MASSIVE muscle spasms in my back that radiated around my stomach....as in I couldn't even breathe through the pain. But, they never had an established pattern to them and at my drs appt on Monday...no progression. Which, as much as I AM ready to meet him...35 weeks is too soon, I know. So, for now I am BFFs with my heating pad and taking it as easy as I can. Which can I just say is REALLY difficult when there are 239472384 things I want to do, myself. Hubby is a WONDERFUL blessing to me, and taking care of a lot of things around the house, but I have this little independence thing- where I want to do some stuff too, so I get frustrated, a lot.

total weight gain: 25 pounds! HOLLA!
maternity clothes? seriously...nothing is flattering at this point. can i have a paper bag, please?
sleep: HA! What is that?!
best moment this week: Starting our WEEKLY doctor visits...HOMESTRETCH!!
movement: I now understand the "rolling" movement. OH, and we have a night owl people!
belly button in or out? STILL IN!
food cravings: I can hardly eat, let alone try to think about cravings!
what i am looking forward to: Seeing M's Face.
milestones: he is now over 18 inches and just over 5 lbs!

Now, let me tell you about my new "hobby". Well not new, just rediscovered. COUPONING!
Yes, I am a total nerdlinger when it comes to coupons, but it's surprisingly relaxing for me!
The recent purchase I am most proud of, that required the LEAST amount of effort, actually: paying $6.79 for a 92 count box of Pampers Swaddlers Size 1 diapers! Retail value is $23.99. Savings: $17.20!!

This is how I did it:
• Sign up for Amazon Mom (15% discount)
• Choose diapers you wish to purchase through Subscribe and Save (15% discount)
• $10 tear out coupon from one of my parenting magazines
• Free Two-Day Shipping through Amazon Prime
• And after all is said and done what are usually .26 cents per diaper are only .07 cents!

Visit Baby Cheapskate to find out more about how Amazon Mom works. She also offers lowest baby product prices of the week.

{31 Weeks}

2011-02-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

9 weeks to go!

We are so ready to meet our little man, and it is becoming difficult to be patient!

So I wish I had a picture to post, but I've been REALLY bad at documenting this pregnancy. So not what I had envisioned when I became pregnant, but whatevs, we'll live...and take LOTS of pics of Mason when he's here!! :)

Let me just say for the record CHOCOLATE is the best thing E. V. E. R. I have definitely changed gears in the food department. Now, I have to make it a point to eat the healthy stuff, which I still do, but sweets do not survive in this house anymore, Dove chocolate hearts in particular...and peanut butter M&Ms...and Coke, though I mostly drink the caffeine free Coke (which is starting to have a Diet Coke taste to me...weird and gross.) Oh and anything smothered in a tomato sauce...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Last night I made Chicken and Pepperoni Subs it was very a la Chicken Pizziola, a sub Stephen always gets at Subway. I loaded the sub up with LOTS of sauce and LOTS of cheese though- no skimping here. I am already craving the leftovers for lunch, and it's only 9:15am!!

OHH.. and how about this for an amazing blessing last night: I SLEPT THE ENTIRE NIGHT! WhAt?!
No tossing or turning, no bathroom breaks, just restful...dream filled sleep. I couldn't believe it. Mason woke me up at 7 with his usual "stretching his foot into my bellybutton" but I'm not complaining because it wasn't a 3am wake up call! :)

So there you have it folks, I feel like we are hitting the home stretch! The single digit countdown is on and April will be here before we know it!

Baby Monkey

2011-01-31T22:59:00.000-05:00

HILARIOUS! I have watched this AT least ten times. Just today. It's been a busy day, and all it took was for my loving husband to play this for me while riding in the car this evening and I was laughing until I couldn't breathe. Best stress relief! Enjoy Friends!!

Cheese and Crackers Faith

2011-01-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

The other day my quiet time brought me to John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

It focused on the second part of the verse: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

There was a story of a man who had saved up for a cruise and didn't think he had enough money for the lavish food on the ship, so he packed cheese and crackers for the trip. After a few days everything started to become stale. He watched as the stewards walked by with carts full of lobster, prime rib, fresh fruits and vegetables. As he became desperate for food, the man reached out to one of the stewards and begged him for some of the food. He promised to work on the ship, scrubbing the decks- or whatever needed to be done.

To the man's surprise the steward replied- "But sir, don't you know? Your food comes with your ticket."

I was so convicted by this short story- allowing myself to live off the bare necessities of my faith instead of feasting on everything Christ desires to give us- the abundant life he promises. I allow my schedule to dictate the time I spend with the Lord. Instead it should be the other way around. The sad reality is I know this, but I fail to take action.

By allowing the Holy Spirit to take hold of my life I allow him to produce those wonderful fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. Instead, when I neglect that time in the word, I allow all the things opposite to a life surrendered to Christ to creep in and steal the joy in my life. I become short tempered, frustrated, and forget about the forgiveness I've been given. How horrible. And yes, it is VERY easy at this stage in my life to blame it on those pregnancy hormones. When in reality it's just a cop-out most of the time.

So, instead of allowing myself to continue to live off of cheese and crackers I choose the abundant life.

CABIN FEEEEEVER!

2011-01-11T16:16:00.000-05:00

Oh. my. goodness. I need some fresh air! Our sidewalks are a slushy mess and our entire yard is a solid sheet of ice, and lets not talk about my car. It is currently buried under a thick layer of snow and ice. I did go out briefly this afternoon though, Lucy needed to get out. You know.

So I took our ice picker scraper thingy and started jabbing at the ice on my car. I got about 1/4 of the ice off my windshield when I looked down to realize I was surrounded by ice at my feet. All I could hear was my husband fussing at me for being out trying to mess with ice on my car. (his voice in my head that is, he's at work, and I'm a basket case about that. 18 wheeler and all this ice?!)

Funny side note: Last night I convinced him to take me around the neighborhood- just so I could say I went outside in it all. So we bundled up, hopped in the Camry, and then my wonderful husband had the epiphany that his wife had tricked him into letting her go out into the ice. I died laughing because he NEVER listens to my crazy plans. So he wouldn't let me get out of the car until he came around to get me. I don't know it was a funny moment, because he really is the voice of reason in our family and I'm all like let's drive around in this crazy ice storm and look at all the prettiness.

Back to my cabin fever. Why is it that I crave what is impossible to get to? Yesterday? Chili...absolutely nothing in the house to make chili out of, other than ground beef. Today? Pizza. But I'm too much of a scardey cat to drive in it- though I've heard most of the main roads are in good condition. All I can imagine is my family fussing at me. (I may or may not have fallen on the ice the day after Christmas and now everyone around me is SUPER protective of me...and if, in fact, it did happen...I'm fine and Mason wasn't even phased by it.)

Being off these past two days, I have noticed Mason's movements MUCH more than I usually can. During the day he is typically asleep because I'm always walking around or just too busy to pay attention. It feels like he has been turning 180's these past few days! ...btw can I just say are we really 3 months and 1 week out from his due date!?

Speaking of Mason, I had my glucose test, which I passed and it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. Thank you, Jesus!! And also my monthly check up. I am starting to connect more with the other two doctors who aren't my primary. This time it was Dr. Clary. We had a hilarious moment with her this time! Apparently, someone had dropped the Doppler the day before and she couldn't hear his heartbeat as much as she wanted to. Well, little Mason did not like her invading his space and so he proceeded to kick the dopplar off, several times! I started laughing so hard that it was impossible to concentrate. After getting a new Doppler, we heard a strong heartbeat of 149. It was the first time he has interacted with the doctor during our appointments and it gave us all the giggles.

So what's changed since last month?
how far along? 26.5 weeks
total weight gain: 15 pounds...told you I wasn't holding back at Christmas!
maternity clothes? Thank goodness for comfy sweaters!
sleep: still uncomfortable at times, but between the body pillow, humidifier and few extra bed pillows I have it under control most nights.
best moment this week: Mason kicking the Doppler.
movement: yes! becoming more active each week
belly button in or out? IN! ...for now, still
food cravings: Still CHOCOLATE MILK holding steady!

And now for a couple of snow pics I took early...this was at 9am, about 3 hours after the snow started:

All of this is now ice!

Lucy sporting her hoodie. Yes, I had to cut the sleeves off.

Goodbye 2010, HELLO & Welcome 2011!

2011-01-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

This year we had a pretty uneventful New Year (by choice). Stephen had to work, so we had dinner at home, watched a movie, and as much of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl as I could stay awake for. We were in bed and asleep by 10:30!! I have to get my "good" sleep in early. After about 1am there really is no more continuous sleep. Between my hips hurting, the bathroom breaks, and string of bad/intense dreams it's just a lost cause. But let me just say I am not let down one bit by how we rang in the new year. Priorities have changed and I. NEED. SLEEP. people.

It's exciting to think of all that will happen in 2011! We will welcome our son into this world in a short 102 days! (HAHAHAHA...yes, I know I'm crazy to think he will enter this world on time. If he's anything like his mother he will be fashionably late!) We were driving home from church this morning and I made the comment to Stephen about how different this year will be for us. I am EXCITED!!

Also, can we please have the cold weather back? I know I live in SC where it's mostly warm 10 months out of the year, but I have really cute sweaters to wear and time is of the essence here! Also, it seems that my hands love to swell in 60 degree weather and it's getting impossible to wear my rings! YIKES! I had to stick my hand in the freezer Friday to even get them off!

24 Weeks & SNOW!

And the weather today? Rainy and 65. I still wore a sweater though. Thankyouverymuch.

Post-Christmas Cheer

2010-12-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

...because a dancing Santa is always funny, especially when that dancing Santa is Dave Barnes.

My Newest Weakness: FOOD

2010-12-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

With all of our family gatherings approaching this weekend, I feel my self-discipline to eat healthy will be sabotaged. But rightly so, this is the one time of the year where the food is AH-MAZING! Plus, I couldn't dare deny Mason of the scrumdidlyumsciousness!

Buffet style dessert trays line my aunt's kitchen while we wait for the food to finish cooking. Bar-B-Que, Turkeys, Ham, to-die-for homemade mac and cheese, GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE!! (yes, it's old school, but is one of my favs. I even made my mother make it for Thanksgiving-thankyouverymuch. There's just something about your mom making your favorite dish. it's the best.) I obsess about food at Christmas. Though I know it will look like a bird could eat more than I can right now, heartburn people. it. is. real., I'll be sure to get my fill of the wonderful goodies this year!

So my newest weakness: Reindeer Poop! Oh. my. word. I devoured a bag of it yesterday, and finished it off for breakfast. It's all I've though about today. And I plan on making some to take to the office this week!

Let's just say we could skip presents all together and just eat food and I would be a happy camper!

{23 Weeks}

2010-12-16T18:00:00.002-05:00

It's safe to say that I have become TOTALLY lazy when it comes to my poor blog, but here is a 23 week update for you!

23 Weeks & Our Christmas Tree

So, my husband is all into the Hipstamatic iPhone app now. (He used the app to take this photo.) Which is cool, because I LOVE this type of photography. One of my favorite things is to look through old photo albums. There's nothing like the film you had to load!

Now that I have a legitimate baby bump now, it's really fun to take pictures and watch the weekly changes!

So here's and update on Mason!
how far along? 23 weeks
total weight gain: 8 pounds (let's hear it for those fruit and salad cravings!)
maternity clothes? yes. yes. yes.
sleep: mostly uncomfortable these days. isn't it a little early for me to be saying that? Mason is laying on a nerve or something because my hips go numb whenever I lay on one side or the other, so I mostly toss and turn.
best moment this week: Stephen being able to feel Mason's kicks! They are strong and frequent now! Oh, and hiccups make me laugh.
movement: yes! Little man LOVES to kick!
belly button in or out? IN! ...for now
food cravings: Still CHOCOLATE MILK & Subway Salads
what i miss: Comfy sleep. (I am a girl who loves her sleep...which will change come April, I know.)
what i am looking forward to: Decorating, Painting, and watching Mason's development
milestones: his movement over the past two weeks

Thanksgiving Baby Bump. [20 WEEKS]

2010-11-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving 2010

20 Weeks

Are we really halfway to Mason's due date?

THANKFUL

2010-11-24T16:01:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's the hormones making me overly emotional, or maybe it is becoming increasingly clear to me that there is MUCH to be thankful for this year.

1. My sweet, loving husband. He is my best friend and constant source of joy in my life. This man does whatever it takes to make me laugh- sometimes when I'm grumpy, but other times for no reason at all. I am thankful that he has helped us build a home, that is just that..a home, a haven and shelter from a crazy world. On our wedding day we vowed to each other to value our home. "The nearest place to heaven is a God-centered home. The opposite is also true. The nearest place to hell on earth is a house where hatred, bitterness, and strife are prominent." (Part of our wedding vows March 21, 2009) I am thankful our home has never been characterized by the latter. He is a very selfless man, and I'm thankful for the wonderful way he supports me (even if it's as simple as rubbing my terribly aching back!), how we've grown and matured as a married couple, and now we are entering into the world of parenthood together. I can not wait to see him hold Mason for the first time. To teach Mason, and just watch him be a father. Oh. my. goodness. It's an overwhelmingly joyful thought!

2. My sweet baby boy. Mason, you are loved [beyond words] already. I can not wait to meet you, in due time! You are changing my heart, already, and I find myself daydreaming about what you will look like, what kind of personality you will have, and the blessings of being your mommy. I pray that you will see Jesus in your dad and me, that you will come to know Him as your personal Savior at the earliest possible age, and that you will live as little boy who grows into a man of strong character.

3. For our loving family. I could not ask for more loving and supportive parents and in-laws. It is always a joy for me to be able to brag on what a great relationship both Stephen and I have with all of our parents. It was something I prayed for before ever meeting Stephen and God answered my prayer in a big way!

4. My relationship with Christ. I would be in shambles without him. This year has brought about plenty of challenges and I have learned first hand what it means to walk in the strength of the Lord, because I had none of my own. I have learned what forgiveness, grace, and mercy look like when lived out in a person's life. I am well aware of my depravity and NEED for Christ daily and so thankful for Salvation and what he did so that I could have this relationship with him. The Lord has deepened a longing inside of me to be near to him. I still have the capacity to stumble around and fall for sure. But I am thankful for a patient God and his unconditional love.

There are more that I could write about: my work place and the constant blessing it is in my life. I am well aware that the environment I work in is rare, and so wonderful. And for the friendships I have and the sense of community I have with a great group of ladies I am able to study the Word with, I count it all as blessing in my life!

{18 Weeks}

2010-11-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe I'm just 2 weeks from being HALFWAY through my pregnancy!

My plan was to post a baby bump shot- but alas, just not feeling it today. I'm way too picky. (Something that I seem to have always been, but pregnancy has magnified it. Especially in the area of clothing! Are you kidding me, I can't find anything I like these days.)

Now, the search is on for a nursery decor. Definitely settled on doing charcoal gray walls, just need to find bedding and curtains that will compliment. Stephen and I talked about not making it too "baby" so the transition from baby to toddler will be easy. I have decided that the nursery will go in the DARKEST room in the house- our current office- can I hear it for SLEEP!? :) I realized a few weeks ago our guest bedroom looks like you're a mile from the sun in the mornings! (Can you tell we really don't have many guests come and stay? Because I never noticed this before.)

how far along? 18 weeks
total weight gain: 4 pounds as of the 8th
maternity clothes? pants- yes, tops- last season's fall wardrobe fits!, for now...
sleep: body pillow makes it easier, but the dreams make it impossible to feel like I really sleep...plus the trips to the bathroom are becoming more frequent...
best moment this week: chocolate milk. oh, I could drink chocolate milk forever. but more than that finding out we are having a boy!
movement: yes
gender: baby boy!
belly button in or out? IN!
food cravings: CHOCOLATE MILK, chili and baked potato from Wendy's
what i miss: sleeping on my stomach, drinking dr. pepper multiple times a day, always sushi
what i am looking forward to: Stephen feeling Mason's kicks
milestones: finally have a bump that doesn't just look like fat! :)

The Love of My Life {You Know, The Furry Kind}

2010-11-12T10:32:00.002-05:00

So I feel it necessary to let you in on the furry love of my life before my blog is consumed by baby talk and mommy issues, oh wait we are already almost halfway there and it's already happening! :)

Even more reason for the necessity of this post. So here she is, Lucy Hodges, the one and only.

Little Baby Lucy

She was about 7 or 8 weeks old in this picture.

Sometimes we (ahem...I) liked to play a little game of dress up with Lucy.)

And sometimes, she really didn't like it...

What poor mother would do this to her child? :)

Sometimes, Lucy likes to pretend she is Mother Mary...

And sometimes she really isn't enthused by bathtime,

but trust me it is VERY necessary.

And Stephen is her best buddy in the whole world.

(But don't tell this to her toys or they might revolt.)

Oh little Lucy, how life will change come April. Hope you're ready!!

MASON GUNNAR HODGES

2010-11-10T20:19:00.001-05:00

IT'S A BOY!

Mason Gunnar Hodges is growing right on schedule and a very healthy little boy!

We couldn't be more excited to finally be able to call him by his name! :)

I've noticed it makes bonding with him much easier when he has a name and an identity- instead of baby, bean, or junebug as this has become Stephen's most recent "pet name" for our little boy!

P.S. This will probably be the only all blue post on my blog. I am all about neutral colors! I don't intend for our house to look like it spit up blue decor! :)

Baby Hodges

2010-10-30T15:38:00.001-04:00

We...it seems as though revealing the gender of Baby Hodges will have to wait another week. Sad.

Seems there was a mix up in communication between the Ultrasound Tech and the Doctor during out last visit, therefore we will not find out if baby is a boy or girl until November 8th.

The suspense continues!

We have an acrobat fo' sure...

2010-10-25T21:41:00.000-04:00

After "resting" this weekend...baby Hodges is back to doing acrobatics! At only 15 weeks baby is like a Mexican jumping bean! I'm thankful for these moments, but can I be honest and tell you there are some serious "What in the world do the next months have in store" moments!

I already have this feeling that baby will be in my ribcage next month! (Because of a previous surgery, scar tissue, yada yada yada...I already measure 2 weeks ahead of where I really am. Baby measures right on schedule though. Confused? I was too...) So I definitely have some interesting moments ahead! I can't wait until Stephen can feel what I feel. It is an incredible, unexplainable feeling!

Off to bed with my little gymnast doing their thing! :)

Lazy Friday

2010-10-22T23:06:00.007-04:00

Not a whole lot going on in the Hodges' household these days. Just nestling into the goodness that is the second trimester!

Thankfully, I have overcome the nausea and my energy has started to show back up to! Hello ten-thirty, how I have missed you these last few months! It was hard to imagine feeling better during the first trimester, but almost as soon as 12 weeks hit I instantly started feeling better!

Next Friday we are hoping to find out if we have a little boy or little girl on the way! I keep praying that baby will cooperate when we go in for the ultrasound, because we have a move and a shaker on our hands it seems!

I started feeling baby move on Stephen's birthday, what a cool present...even though he can't feel anything yet. It caught me off guard at first, mainly because I wasn't expecting to feel anything so soon (I was 14 weeks at the time). Now, I can feel him/her move at various times during the day and the latest feeling is a rolling feeling! Can't wait to see the ultrasound to see what kind of acrobats baby is doing!

As far as cravings, LEMON WATER. Not lemonade, it has a strange bitter taste to me. But 4 or 5 lemon wedges in a glass of water...WHAT?! So good! Other than that, I have slowed down on the food cravings it seems. I have started cooking again, too. My husband is very thankful I am! I can finally stand the sight of raw chicken and meat, which completely grossed me out during the first trimester!

Well, if baby cooperates I'll be able to announce if we are having a boy or girl this time next week!!! YAY! :)

Life {The Miracle and the Sanctity}

2010-10-02T14:00:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago I got sucked into reading a Pro-Life/Pro-Choice debate of sorts on twitter.

It started when I watched a video that has been posted all over Facebook. Maybe you've seen it, if not- here it is.

So, I looked her up on Wikipedia, then found her website, which led me to her Twitter account.

She had a conversation with another woman who was debating the value of people and more specifically, "religious people vs. non-religious people" and abortion. I was heartbroken by the words of this other woman when she described a fetus (which I found out in Latin means "little one"). Words like "parasite" and that the "fetus is trespassing on the mother's body" are gut wrenching when I think about the sanctity of life and how this type of thinking takes life for granted.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

People are obviously entitled to their opinions, that isn't the point I'm making here. It just saddens me that the miracles of life that are so obvious to me now more so than ever, having a little life growing inside of me, are ignored or discounted by others.

I like Gianna's quote "We can not make our heart beat..." because God sustains life. I can take care of my body during this time, eat healthy, take my vitamins, etc. But there is a plan for our child's life beyond me and what I do. That is both exhilarating and very sobering. I am one who often clenches my fist around things I want to hold on to and control. I have to constantly pray that I am open to God's plan during this pregnancy and throughout our child's life. I pray constantly that the Lord grants me the wisdom to always remember that this child is placed in our family for a reason. Stephen and I have to be this child's parents because of the PLAN God has for this little one. What an awesome burden to carry!

So that's just a bit of my opinion for a Saturday afternoon.

My new best friend...or hopefully so...

2010-09-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

A fun trip to Target with Mom resulted in her purchasing what I hope to be my new best friend!

I introduce...New Best Friend= Boppy Body Pillow!

For someone who has had back problems since High School, pregnancy doesn't do anything to help the situation! I see MANY, MANY massages in my future! :)

First Trimester

2010-09-21T20:38:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe just hours after posting that last entry I found out baby HODGES is on the way! Now I'm on the brink of 11 weeks!

I also didn't know how much I was going to miss feeling that good! The exhaustion has settled in for sure. I wake up wanting to go back to bed, come home for lunch wanting a nap, and come home at the end of the day and take at least an hour nap! Sleep...Sleep...Sleep! I asked the hubby if he felt neglected yet...he sweetly responded "Without sounding selfish, it does stink that by 7:30 you're asleep." Well here we are 8:30 and I'm still awake! MILESTONE!

Thankfully I have only had waves of nausea and nothing more! I'm such a baby when it comes to being sick!

Things I found out I am very thankful for:
• A hubby who is so wonderful at taking care of the household responsibilities that must be done (i.e. dishes, cleaning the bathroom- including toilet and shower WHAT! WHAT!)
• Takeout food! We would not survive without Chick-fil-A or Subway right now!
• Having Friday & Saturday off. They have been my catch up days where I sleep as long as I want without feeling guilty!
• Conversations with hubby about naming our baby, if we think it's a boy or girl, talking about what attributes we think he/she will have, all the fun conversations about the what-ifs, but at the end of the day we pray for a healthy and happy baby- as any parent does! AHHH!! PARENTS...we will be PARENTS come April...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny Cravings:
These are the things I could care less about pre-pregnancy that I can't seem to live without now!
• Fruit Punch
• Tomato Sandwiches (hilarious, because I hated tomato sandwiches before but they are SOOO good now! But take some lettuce, mayo, sourdough bread, and sliced tomato...mmm...might go make one now....)
• Fruit by the Foot, Gushers, Sour Gummy Worms
• Ice Water (I use to have to force myself to drink just water....now, the more ice, the better!)

Things I miss:
• Sushi- like the real deal tuna roll, California roll, you know the good stuff. Avacado roll, cucumber roll you just aren't doing it for me.
• Drinking lots of Dr. Pepper, it was like my coffee! Now, it's milk, water, juice, the healthy stuff. All for love and health of baby though, so I'll give up the Pepper any day of the week!!
• Buttoning pants. I know, seems silly, but I really do miss zipping and buttoning pants! :) It's all spandex and stretchy pants for me!

So, hopefully in the next few weeks I'll gain my energy back and stop neglecting the Hodge Podge!

I just made a new category...BABY HODGES! So exciting!!

Neglecting the Blog

2010-08-08T15:43:00.002-04:00

I wish I had more motivation to blog regularly. I find myself enjoying others blogs more than investing in my own!

With so much going on now that the "fall" season (better read: school starting back but still blazing hot. fall, we will not enjoy you until when, November?) is about to kick off, I just want to come home and be lazy on the couch!

So, maybe I will find motivation soon, but until then I will enjoy reading what others have to say! :)

The Worry List

2010-07-01T15:24:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure WHY I haven't learned this lesson yet, but I'm thankful for God's patience and loving guidance with me.

See, I'm a ~~bit of a worrier~~ serious stressball. Even that seems like an understatement. I worry and stress about situations so that I feel in control of it and life, mostly. I have a hard time trusting that God is who he says he is. I'm just being honest here. I love God, I KNOW that he is who he says he is. He's proven it over and over and over...and over. When He didn't need to prove anything to me, he did. God is who He says He is. HE IS THE I AM.

Take today as the prime example. Some things went haywire for me this morning. I could feel the stress starting to mount up inside of me. My forehead starts to crinkly, my heart starts racing, my mind goes crazy thinking "is there anything I can do to fix this, what can I do to change the situation." I go through what action I can take until I feel sick. This is the type of control I'm talking about, when I should have stopped, dropped everything, and surrendered control over. I can't change circumstances, anyway. And my stress only proves that I don't trust God to be who He is.

I read in a book last week a wonderful excerpt on worry and stress. It was a gut wrenching type of conviction, because I knew my life was/is characterized this way.

"When I am consumed by my problems – stressed out by my life, my family, my job – I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a “right” to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives.

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s ok to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.

Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?"
Crazy Love, Chapter 2

Wow, my toes were CRUSHED after reading that. All while sitting on the beach with God's beautiful creation surrounding me. The waves crashing against the shore, never worrying about circumstances, just doing what they were created to do, crashing.

It was hard to breathe after reading those words, even harder after being reminded of them again this afternoon.

Had I forgotten so soon?

Oh Lord, please forgive me for my selfishness and my disobedience.

Why am I so quick to forget God?

Then, as though being reminded of this passage wasn't enough, I go home for lunch. The cable was out last night so I don't even try to pick up the remote, though it's probably on and that's good too, but sorry, Sandra Lee, you aren't my favorite to watch. I digress. So, I go home, grab some chips and salsa, because oh yeah, my stress makes it impossible for me to have an appetite. So I'm sitting on the couch eating my chips and salsa, and I grab the Daily Bread Devotional sitting on our table. In my naiive head, I'm thinkink ok God, give me something good to chew on right now, 'cause I'm trying to let go of this control stuff.

You are NEVER going to guess what today, July 1st's, devotional focuses on.

THE WORRY LIST. Matthew 6:25-34 "So do not worry about tomorrow." v34

I kid you not. I got chills, and just about choked on my multi-grain tostito at the same time.

My inner dialogue then went something like this.

Are you kidding God? Really? You provided THAT for me? You love me and pursue me so much so that I happen to open a small devotional and you speak the perfect words in to my life? You spoke right into my situation because you are that patient with me?

I obviously was awestruck!

The point of the devotional was to make a list of everything you worry about. Then, turn it into a prayer list. Pray for the things you can not control, but if there is action that can be taken, do it, but don't sit around worrying about things that you can't change.

I just had to share this with you, because maybe you have been in a similar situation, or are in a similar situation where you feel the need to stress and worry because it keeps you in control. I hope God lovingly teaches you, as he has with me, that there is no gain and no reward in our stress, only in our obedient surrender to his control and his plan for our lives.

We all have the shattered image of God within us...

2010-05-02T14:29:00.000-04:00

I have desperately wanted to hop on here and tell you everything that is happening here at Orange 10, but I felt the need to digest some of it first. Mainly, because I hadn't quite come to terms with what God was doing in me yet. But, last night, the mercy & grace of God permeated every part of me in a way that words can't quite describe.

I have to be open with you about something. I need to put out an apology & say I am sorry. I have let this blog become somewhat of a shallow place for me to tell you about the much-of-nothings going on in my life. Along with telling you I am sorry for this, I have to tell you that I have felt that conviction for quite some time, but ignored it. Why? Because I thought "Who wants to read deep thoughts of a twenty-something trying to figure out life?"

God stirred something so deep last night, I can't even begin to express that feeling of "shaking the dust off". To finally come to terms with the fact that I'm tired of being stagnant was such a freeing moment. I am so incredibly guilty of blaming circumstances on the reason for not changing. Also, it could be that I can be pretty lazy & stubborn.

The straw that finally "broke the camels back" came when the speaker began talking about our love for people. Do we love people to try to guide them into a relationship with Christ? Would we still love them and be their friend if they never accepted Christ? We I need to love people because that's what God did/does.

Oh Lord, forgive me for not loving people just for the sake of showing them your love!

What about our view of people? I can be quick to judge on first impression, even if I mean well! Are you going to be someone I need to help or can you help me? Will you teach me or do I need to teach you a thing or two? It's always one or the other. We either think highly of or pity the people we come in contact with. It's ~~our~~ my fallen nature. I can't tell you how much I do this, DAILY!

What if we were to step back from all our judgments and just walked side by side? We all have the shattered image of God within us...and what if we all valued THAT. We became bonded not because of something we needed to give away or glean from each other but simply because I KNOW YOUR MAKER! I know your creator, our creator, and that is what is worthy!

It totally rocked my way of thinking. I had never EVER thought of it that way. I am always anxious to find common ground with someone I meet. Never once in 26 years did it cross my mind that I have something in common with any and everyone that I cross paths with, because I know the one that created us!!

It changes everything!

FEE & THE ATL

2010-04-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

A last minuted decision to go to a concert.

Red Bull.

Snacks.

All these things remind me of college. All these things happened Sunday night!

I love going to concerts with my hubby when we are able. This time it was The Rock and Worship Roadshow and we had a blast!

We were blown away by Sidewalk Prophets & will definitely be purchasing their album.

Of course, Fee was great, just too short! (BTW I get to spend the next 4 days with them, nevermind that 4,000 others will too!)

In other news, I am sitting in a hotel room in Atlanta about to kick off the Orange Conference in a few hours! I'm super excited to see what is in store & to learn lots about social networking in the church, ministering to those who don't have it all together (HELLO, isn't that all of us?) and who are messy.

For the record, this will be the longest Stephen and I have been apart since we've been married. (Insert sympathy here).

Well, I look forward to sharing more of my experiences with you this week & tell you all the great things going on here in ATL!

All the ways to write about a stinkin' toe

2010-04-23T09:38:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how when you try not to blog about something it becomes ALL you can think to blog about.

Such as:
Senario #1:
I found a metaphor for the toe. It's like the body of Christ: One little part not working (or absent in this case) as it should causes so much D R A M A! Think about it. We all have jobs to do, sometimes I get wrapped up in thinking the little things don't matter, but oh, how they do. Now, I don't think I would ever WANT to label myself the toenail of the body, (sidenote: HUGE foot complex going on over here, since childhood, really, but that's a whole other story for another day!) but since the metaphor fits, I'll wear it.
So, by not doing my part, or just not showing up, totally creating drama, and mishap in the body. Just that small, just that simple. We all have a role....and it all matters!!

Senario #2:
A little less thinking involved and a little more shallow: I am totally upset that my foot is going to look gross in cute summer shoes. AND, a little upset with myself that I have obsessed this much about it.

Senario #3:
Who wants to see a toe without a nail? NOT ME! Buying stock in band aids for the summer.

That's enough of my ongoing obsession for now.

In other news at the Hodges' house, Lucy continues to fart in her sleep. Stephen finally smelled it last night and now believes it to be true.

Avatar, still trying to find my opinion on the movie, very cool colors and graphics though!

movies, the toe, and the rantings of my husband

2010-04-16T23:13:00.001-04:00

I know I've missed the boat on this one, but Stephen and I watched The Blind Side tonight, and I LOVED IT! I'm a sucker for sweet selfless stories like this.

Currently, my husband is reading all about Nickleback, why? I have no idea. He IS NOT A FAN. And even that may be an understatement. I now know that there is a FB group about some pickle trying to get more fans than Nickleback, and apparently they succeeded. Wonderful.

Well, friends, this will hopefully be my last update on the toe...it is healing...PRAISE JESUS. It did require removal of the nail. There will be plotting to come on how to keep it covered through the summer months, but I am so very thankful that it is finally going to be a memory of the past! I have thought about throwing away that awful platter that did this to me...but it's just too pretty and I can't do it. I'm just too forgiving I guess.

Stephen is currently asking me to be a guest blogger with a title: Why I Like Nickleback. So yeah, stick around for that one soon, should be a great read. Nickleblog: Why They are Terrible. I'm just quoting you what is coming out of his mouth. But now apparently he has found a Nickleblog. Something about ears bleeding? ....digression.

Let me clue you in on one thing about Stephen, when he doesn't like something he focuses on it. Can you tell??

If you are a Nickleback fan, I hope you aren't completely offended! :)

FEET

2010-04-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

Where in the world do I start?

I could tell you that it is hilariously ironic that I am currently obsessed with an appendage that I ~~hate~~ seriously dislike. FEET.

I could tell you that I spent most of the day Tuesday at the doctors office having my poor toe checked out.

Or I could tell you that between the x ray and poking by the doctor that I was in some serious pain, with some serious pain relievers that followed.

You might get a kick out of the fact that I've walked barefoot around the office for 3 days straight now, wearing my one bright pink peace sign bedroom slipper on my gimp foot & my ~~rainbows (singular~~ ~~rainbow)~~ one flip flop from the car to the office so that I wouldn't have to walk on the gravel with bare feet.

I could tell you that I've realized God created our big toes, the hallux, for a greater purpose than just being able to paint them with pretty polish. Yes, they are important, and yes, you will become obsessed with it when you can no longer walk or function, let alone look at it, without searing pain or pain pills.

But what I really want to tell you is that I'm tired of having a gimp toe & I'm ready for this all to pass.

If only that were the case, seems that some people think I can wait THREE weeks for my toe to be looked at by a specialist. I thought I was going to lose it, seriously. When I was told my appointment was for May 5th I wanted to jump through that phone and show the woman what I was dealing with. I can't even stand the sight of my toe anymore. By May 5th I will have lost my mind and who knows what I'll have done.

Needless to say I made an arrangement to have that appointment moved up. You would do the same. I promise.

I wish I had more interesting things to tell you such as extravagant plans my husband and I have for our last weekend off together for another five weeks, but I don't. Looks like I'll have a date with our couch and two pillows under my foot.

OUCH!

2010-04-11T19:59:00.000-04:00

Let me just clue you in on something I learned last night...dropping a platter & large cookie sheet on your toe WILL hurt and not just for a little bit...but for a LONG TIME. I would show you a picture, but it's just too gross. It instantly turned purple! YIKES!

Thankfully, I have a very loving husband who so willingly got up at 2am to get some more ice for me when the pain was excruciating! So yeah, that's the highlight of my weekend!

On a happier note, baby Elijah Abdou made his entrance into the world last night! I had a chance to see him & his wonderful parents, Tony & Leigh after church today. He is adorable!! AND, to all of our surprise is a clone of Leigh! We all knew he was going to have dark hair and Tony's features. NOPE! He has light hair and Leigh's features! So precious!

Beautiful new momma Leigh & adorable baby Elijah

I am so excited for the Abdous and can't wait to see him again!

Lists, Chick-n-Minis & Some Food Network

2010-04-09T15:10:00.000-04:00

I'm a list kinda person. It makes me very happy and a lot less stressed to actually put check marks on my list. I have checked off quite a few items off my work and home to-do lists. I AM ONE HAPPY GIRL! :)

I do have to brag on my hubby for a minute. After a long week at work, he got up this morning (on his own effort) and made a Chick-Fil-A run for breakfast. He is THE best!! I LOOOOOOVE Chick-n-Minis. I could eat them everyday, a biscuit and a chicken nugget.

Now, I'm sitting here watching The Food Network while my husband naps. Stephen thinks it's strange that I could watch The Food Network 24/7, but really I couldn't watch it 24/7. There are a few choice shows that I can do without in my life, and when I see them coming I go searching for something more entertaining, usually an old episode of Scrubs or something with comedy.

ANYWAYS, so I'm watching an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, chicken pot pie...YUM! It really makes me wish I had inherited more of my dad's red hair. It's such a pretty color. I couldn't ever cut it as a blonde. Tried that briefly in high school. YUCK! But with the right shade of red, I think I could pull it off. The summer sun does a great job of bringing out my red highlights, so I've got that going for me!

I'm looking forward to a relatively relaxing weekend here in the Hodges home. Breakfast with the parent's in the morning. I love that Stephen and I have such a great relationship with both of our parents. I count it as a blessing that we have such close relationships with them. And this summer we will embark on a first...family vacation with my parents as a married couple. One week. One house. Lots of good times I'm sure!

The craziest 15 minutes I've had all week.

2010-04-07T20:23:00.001-04:00

Sadly, this is the first time this week I've actually been able to sit down and update!

This is the time of the year that my life becomes insanity at work. Between several huge events and a long list of projects, who knows when I'll see daylight again!

I love what I do, really I do, I just haven't had much in the way of creativity lately.

THEN, of all things to think of when I am driving to work, I start thinking about when we have kids and having to work at the same time. It's just one of those things that I have come to terms with. It doesn't make me sad that I'll have to be a working mom. I honestly think I would go stir crazy if I were to become a stay at home mom, because we would be too poor for me to do anything but literally stay home.

My thoughts on the way to work were this: I will have to be a working mom, yes. I will have to be a working mom who drops her child off at daycare and heads to the office and needs to be creative, alot. I have to be creative while juggling little sleep, the responsibilities of a little one, time with my husband, making sure our house doesn't ALWAYS look like a tornado just barreled through, oh yea, and making sure Lucy still feels like someone loves her, too.

I was exhausted just thinking about it. Then I realized I am thinking WAY TOO FAR IN ADVANCE. Don't even let your mind wander, I've done enough of that for all of us today.

I have to brag about my CVS bargain tonight!

2010-04-03T23:15:00.001-04:00

I FINALLY "GOT" THE CVS SYSTEM!!

Tonight, Stephen & I had to stop in CVS to grab a 2 liter, Coke of course, before heading to a friends house. It was marked $2.19 and I told Stephen that it would only be $0.19 because I had $2 in ECBs. Which I thought was pretty impressive! (He was complaining that we could have just stopped in somewhere & gotten it cheaper.)

WELL, turns out it was on sale for $1.19 when we got to the register. And my total came out to -$.98!! And, DUH, CVS isn't going to give me money back. So I got a 2 liter coke & 2 candy bars for a whopping FOUR CENTS!!

I was super proud of my purchase too & Stephen heard about it all the way to our friends' house!!

Just had to brag about my little bargain I got today.

It's way past my bedtime. With the start of three services comes an earlier wake-up time. 5:45am. Not sure how long this will last! But for tomorrow Stephen will be kicking me out of bed come 5:45! That means if I get to bed in the next oh...20 minutes I can get, what 6 hours and 15 min. worth of sleep.

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

I'll leave you tonight with lyrics to one of my favorite songs, ever. I blogged about it a few weeks ago & how I walked down the aisle to it at our wedding. It stands to be one of my all time favorite songs, and is very fitting to remember on Easter.

Words can't describe my thankfullness for my Christ who's love I still struggle to understand, but this song does more justice to how I feel than any words of mine ever will.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Convincing myself that 3 day work weeks really are a blessing, really.

2010-03-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

I know it's a blessing to have Thursday and Friday off. It can just be stressful & it is looking pretty impossible to get all the work done, on top of the fact that I'm playing catch up to a lot of stuff I missed last week!

Thankfully after 5PM tomorrow whatever isn't done will just wait until Monday! YIPPIE!!

I am learning quickly how to leave work at work. My sweet husband has been trying to convince me of this for a while now, but like I told him- I had to learn it in my own time. I'm very bad about taking my to do list home and working on it when I should be spending time enjoying home life.

I think it's going to be cereal for dinner tonight. Though smelling hubby's pizza makes me want some!

homemade lemonade, cheez-its, and some radom thoughts...

2010-03-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

It might just be the perfect way to wrap up a much needed vacation!

I am really digging homemade lemonade lately. I have made two "batches" in the last couple of weeks and every time I go to Chick-Fil-A it's my drink of choice, being as it is also homemade too. I should know, I spent almost 2 years of my life making it back in High School. Yes, true fact my first job was at Chick-Fil-A!

Speaking of work, it's back to the office tomorrow, and I already have a to do list when I get in! I'm actually pretty excited about this to-do list, full of new design projects!

AND speaking of design projects (I'm on a roll with transitions tonight! haha) if you're in the Florence area you may have received a postcard from Cornerstone. Well, this morning I had a voicemail on my office line from a man who was highly offended by said card. He started by reading the card to me, like I had no idea what it said, proceeded to tell me the "HE" in "He is Risen" didn't really exist and couldn't be proved. He followed up by telling me that for that matter my God, Muhammad, Allah, or the Jewish God isn't real and that we all need to take a look around us a take a hint. At this point I wasn't sure if I should start laughing at how passionate he was about his viewpoint, or if I should feel sad at how passionate he was about his viewpoint.

This man was so angry because of a few words on a postcard that it motivated him to call the church and give us a piece of his mind. And this, my friends, is evidence of our post-Christian society that we live in.

He finally ended the conversation by telling me that my Christ came from this Jewish God, who clearly condones slavery and rape in the Old Testament and then tells me "Have a nice day!" and hangs up.

It is so easy to have tunnel vision when working at the church. Though I get the weekly phone calls from people asking for money and help with their bills, I have also become desensitized to these.

All I'm trying to say is this was a wake-up call to be aware of the opportunities I have around me and not take for granted that I have a great job where my faith is affirmed.

With that being said, I will now step off of my soapbox!

Stephen Points at Biltmore Things

2010-03-26T01:33:00.000-04:00

You know why I love vacations? Other than the chance to getaway? NO BEDTIME! I know, I sound like I'm five..."no mommy, I will NOT go to bed at 8." But really, there are no consequences if you stay up until 12:45am, and such is the case tonight, ehhem this morning!

You want to know another reason I love vacations? I get to play around with photoshop actions while my hubby plays video games! I spend so much time doing what I have to do in photoshop and then getting out that I rarely get to play! Tonight, I had fun playing with some new actions. They all came from The Pioneer Woman and best of all they were FREE. I love her actions, plus the fact that you can't beat great actions for zilch! Also, if you're looking for cool things for photoshop for FREE (yes, I love free things can you tell?) check out The CoffeeShop. She has great actions, frames, and wonderful step by step tutorials on how it all works. Before reading her blog, I'll be honest, I was L O S T when it came to these things!

Well, the time has come, I present to you Stephen (and Heather) Point at Biltmore Things:
I must add a quick side note that we laughed hysterically at the silliness of these pictures. I hope you get a kick out of my husband's humor, too.

Had to "censor" this one. Didn't feel right having 115 year old cherub privates on the blog!

A little anniversary getaway...

2010-03-24T23:37:00.000-04:00

The little getaway is exactly what Stephen & I needed. The change of scenery was nice for a few days!

We went to Asheville last May, but were unable to do much sight-seeing. This time it was Biltmore, local restaurants, the hot tub, and a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway (which was a let down...Asheville doesn't have the pretty scenic views as the areas to the north do).

We had fun taking silly pictures outside Biltmore, learning about the Vanderbilt family, eating BBQ at the Fiddlin' Pig, yummy pasta at "Pastabilities" (I couldn't pass up a dinner at a restaurant with a name like PASTABILITIES, hello...how awesome is that? And the food was wonderful too! Not to mention cheap! Double Points scored.) and sitting in the hot tub while snow fell outside our hotel.

So here is a glimpse at our trip in pictures:

More to come later...such as Stephen's Points at Biltmore Things....

OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY IS HERE!!

2010-03-21T22:57:00.000-04:00

I am so incredibly thankful for my wonderful, sweet, and manly husband.

And finally....our cake:

GROOOOOOSSSS!!! But at least we can say we ate our cake on our anniversary!

Can you believe it?!

2010-03-20T16:17:00.000-04:00

This was captured just after we walked down the aisle. I LOVE the emotion and it perfectly captures that moment of our lives.

So it's the day before our anniversary, really this time last year (Saturday), I was walking down the aisle, now I'm sitting on the couch watching my husband play a video game waiting to put the taco dip that I am making in the oven. Does anyone else think of how a year changes things? I mean last year I was all dolled up in a gorgeous white dress marrying the love of my life and here we are a year later growing a life together and content just sitting beside one another. I love that.

The plan is to head up to Asheville on Monday. Can I just say that a break from Flo-Town is MUCH needed? We have been so busy lately that I can't wait to get away and just spend time together. No outside distractions, just Stephen & Heather with the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Biltmore House! EEEEEEEEE!!!

Oh, Cake Batter, How I Love Thee...

2010-03-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

Seriously, can there be anything better in the form of frozen dairy? Yellow cake ice cream & chocolate frosting swirled in! FROSTING, I'm talking the real deal cake frosting. Oh Ben & Jerry's you made a good one this time!

In other news everyone in the house...that would be the hubby and the pup are asleep and have been for a while. That means BOREDOM. Only so many times I can check twitter, facebook, and the multitude of blogs. UPDATE PEOPLE, UPDATE! :)

Tomorrow I am getting my hair cut for the first time in 6 months, which I think is about the same time span from the last hair cut. I have noticed my hair grows too slow & damages too easily. You should see these ends, actually you shouldn't, it's embarassing.

Oh, and countdown to the anniversary: 3 DAYS! So here is a favorite wedding picture to start counting down the days....

Walking hand in hand as Mr. & Mrs. Michael Stephen Hodges for the first time. awwwww.....

Random Wednesday Night Thoughts

2010-03-17T18:14:00.001-04:00

My hands still smell like garlic from cooking last night, which isn't necessarily bad, but smelling it while eating breakfast- not my smell of choice.

Tomorrow is Thursday and after Thursday comes Friday and you know what happens on Friday?...

THE START OF VACATION!! HALLELUJAH!

It also means Stephen and I will be married an ENTIRE year come this Sunday! I am grateful & thankful & ridiculously blown away by how fast time has flown!

The one year anniversary also means we get to dive into that wonderful cake that has been frozen for oh, only 365 days, it'll still taste like March 21, 2009, right?! :) At least it's chocolate...chocolate can't taste that bad a year later, I hope...I'll let ya know Sunday night!

Also, I am WAY to picky when it comes to blog templates. I want a blog makeover, but I don't like what I'm seein'!

I love when my dinner concoxions are a success!

2010-03-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

I have ventured out recently from recipes and decided to experiment with my cooking. Sometimes they don't work out so well, but today SUCCESS!

I call my creation Parsley Feta Burgers....

To the naked eye they look like any normal burger, but my goodness they were the best things I've tasted in a while! It helps to have a hubby who is a grill pro, too! ;)

So what went into my creation other than parsley and feta, of course? It was a palm full of grill seasoning, s&p, and a dollop of tangy marinade. The fun part was nesting the feta in the middle as if it were the treasure to be found!

Added to the meal were garlic and feta mashed potatoes and green beans. (Can you tell I had a lot of feta I needed to get rid of!)

P.S. This week has already been MUCH better than last, but I think anything would be an improvement!

P.P.S. The blogging frequency may increase this week as Stephen has bought a new game that is suppose to be "perfect and amazing and the best game ever"....might need some company in the way of blogging friends! :)

Thankful for Patience and Grace

2010-03-11T21:10:00.002-05:00

Here is a re-cap of my week & why the blog has been neglected.

Sunday: Woke up with pink eye.

Monday: In the doctors office with Pink Eye.

Tuesday: Almost 12 hours in the ER/Hospital with mom and dad. Dad had a kidney stone that was too large to pass and it got stuck. WOW. That is some serious pain. This picture below(thanks to my wonderful husband) was taken just as we were leaving the hospital.
*Just for the record nurses are way under appreciated, and the nurses at McLeod are WONDERFUL. God bless each and every one of you!

Wednesday: First, and only, full day at work! PRAISE JESUS I actually got some work done!

Today: I got a call this morning at about 8:30 that went something like this:

Me: Hello.

Stephen: Hey, what are you doing?

Me: Just getting ready for work. What's going on?

Stephen: Well, can you be a little bit late for work?

Me: Yeah, what's the matter?

Stephen: Well, I cut my leg open and it won't stop bleeding.

Me: WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU OK?

(Obviously, at this point I became frantic and had no clue how bad it was.)

So, we took a trip to the doctor's office.

This is Stephen's leg, and trust me, you don't want to peek under that bandage!

After a lot of poking and prodding by the doctor this is a well bandaged leg. No stitches, just a serious gash and lots of bleeding. And you know the most ironic part? I don't deal well with blood. I must really love this man because I didn't once pass out- even as the doctor says, "Hey, come look I'll show you why stitches aren't going to do him any good." YIKES! But the real trooper is this guy below, of course!

So, needless to say, it's only Thursday night and I can't describe to you the exhaustion I am feeling. I feel like that's all I have to blog about lately. It's just crazy to think that this time last year we were on the home stretch counting down the days to our wedding, and this year we have spent almost an entire week in a doctors office or in the ER.

Oh, and we are on the countdown to the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY...10 days!! Which, speaking of anniversary- I bought anniversary milk today! What is anniversary milk? Well, it all started when I had to stop and get some much needed things from CVS for the hubby. Typically I don't by food products at CVS, but I really wanted some milk, and THIS is what I picked up:

AND, it made me smile real big. ANNIVERSARY MILK. Ok, milk that has an expiration date of our anniversary. I'm sure the people in CVS thought I was a weirdo to be smiling at a carton of milk! OH WELL. Now, I am sitting down, enjoying a Russel Stover caramel egg and a glass of anniversary milk. Perfect end to a crazy day.

So, basically, I am thankful that the Lord provides grace & patience during weeks like this. Weeks where it doesn't seem like things can get any worse, but then they do. Weeks when there aren't enough hours to get everything done, but everything is accomplished.

I was never meant to be a nurse...

2010-03-03T21:37:00.000-05:00

...but this week I have learned what it means to be a wifey nurse! Poor Stephen came down with a CRAZY sinus infection. I'm talking Z-Pak didn't even phase him, crazy! SO, that meant I had to play nurse to make sure he was well taken care of and comfy.

I think I'm on a first name basis with the cashiers at CVS now. 5 trips in 3 days...yep! I had to fight the urge to be "frugal" and only buy items that came with ECBs. Apparently cold meds don't get on the rotation, but I did happen to find one of the meds he needed half price...SCORE!

He is on the uphill now! PRAISE JESUS! I never thought we'd see the light! And, I have learned that guys deal with sickness MUCH different than us girls do!

As I type my wonderful husband is walking around trying to get me to laugh at his crazy walk, yep definitely feeling better...I love this man!

The Hodges are getting O-L-D

2010-02-26T19:01:00.000-05:00

Sadly, Stephen and I have had major senior moments this week.

We have been in bed the last 2 nights before 8:30, last night we came home from dinner at 7:30 and jumped straight into our pjs and into bed. WOW!

I would love to say that we slept soundly for more than 12 hours, and though I know Stephen did, I did not. My sinuses were on FIRE all night! I hate being sick!!

Oh, and I must blab that Tuesday night Stephen was so tired he put his sweatpants on backwards! I laughed until I cried & it was a laugh that was long overdue! Anyone else ready for the winter funk to lift? I'm ready to see green grass and flowers!! Just sayin'...

Embracing Accusation

2010-02-23T18:00:00.023-05:00

I became a Christian when I was 10, and ever since I was 15 or so I have really struggled at times with my salvation. The Devil knows that is the best way to try to get me. I often look at my life, and I think there is no way that God still loves and forgives me. It's one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to my walk with Christ.

A few years ago, at a Shane & Shane concert, I listen to Shane talk about the writing of the song, and how the Devil was even using scripture to condemn him, but how the Devil will leave things out that he does not want us to remember. That particular verse is Galatians 3:10 (quoted from Deuteronomy 27:26), “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” However, in verse 13 it says “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us...”

He plays the song, which had not even been recorded yet (but now is on the Pages album) and the whole song is talking about condemnation and how the Devil is speaking these truths into our lives, but he forgets a VERY important part, and at the very end it says two words that I have to remember all the time, “Jesus Saves.” That covers over all of my sin and means the Devil's condemnation means nothing. So, I know that the Devil is going to try to accuse me and get me down and try to condemn me, but I also know that Jesus Saves and that is all that matters.

The father of lies
Coming to steal
Kill and destroy
All my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying cursed are the ones
Who can’t abide
He’s right
Alleluia he’s right!

The devil is preaching
The song of the redeemed
That I am cursed and gone astray
I cannot gain salvation
Embracing accusation

Could the father of lies
Be telling the truth
Of God to me tonight?
If the penalty of sin is death
Then death is mine
I hear him saying cursed are the ones
Who can’t abide
He’s right
Alleluia he’s right!

Oh the devil’s singing over me
An age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently
He’s forgotten the refrain
Jesus saves!
-Embracing Accusation

SIKE...

2010-02-20T15:36:00.003-05:00

No new couch for the Hodges! INSTEAD we purchased this beauty...

I am in love! It looks so pretty in our bedroom with our chocolate and aqua bedding. I sat here all day just enjoying the new addition to our house! I have never been excited for new furniture, but when it's NEW and not a hand-me-down, there's just something about the independence you feel!

By the way, did I mention we got a GREAT deal on it? Makes it that more exciting!

Exhaustion!

2010-02-16T22:27:00.001-05:00

I am fighting serious exhaustion this week! "Heather, you should probably go to bed instead of typing this", you're probably saying. Right? Nah. I am watching one of my favorite things about the winter olympics- FIGURE SKATING! And although it is men's figure skating, I'll take it.

I don't know what it is about this week, but I feel like it should be AT LEAST Thursday! Anyone else feel the same?

Some random moments about this week:
• Lucy now passes gas while sleeping on the couch beside me, and it is INTENSE.
• Don't stock up on groceries thinking you are going to be "frugal" and not eat out as much, EVERYONE will all of a sudden ask you out to dinner, and you can't say no to dinner with friends & family!
• My sister and I talked about how much we love ramen noodles and how it reminds us of our childhood, and how we remember our uncle eating them ALL the time! (He is only 5 years older.)
• Now all I can smell is chicken flavored ramen noodles- I haven't even had ramen noodles in like A WEEK!

My favorite pic from this week:

Stephen playing the mandolin.

It still amazes me how much talent he has been blessed with. He just picks up an instrument and plays. I admit there are jealous bones in my body for this! I actually got a mandolin for Christmas a few years ago, and he plays it more than I ever have. (Though it is funny that my reasoning for wanting it is because the frets are smaller and I thought it would be easier to play, HA! So not the case.)

P.S. I am still smelling chicken flavor ramen noodles! What up with that?

Thinking about coupons makes my head hurt

2010-02-11T19:14:00.002-05:00

I sat through three hours of a couponing class. THREE HOURS people! Did I mention no break, yep, no break! It was intense. I am still processing it all. And though I can't see myself being an extreme couponer at this time, I did learn a lot. It's worth checking out southernsavers.com and taking a look at her tutorials.

Also, we are in the middle of deciding on new furniture. My inner designer (what little part I have) is REALLY excited about this decision. My numbers crunching, self-conscious, anti-decision making side is freaking out a little bit. I HATE making decisions. When I say HATE, I don't use it lightly. I am just not the decision maker in the family. (When asked what veggie I wanted for dinner one time I grabbed the mixed veggies. THAT'S how much I HATE making decisions.) Ok, now we have an understanding, can you imagine ME trying to pick out furniture we plan to keep for a loooooong time? Right now it's down to this couch.

The picture is deceiving. It's more of a golden color. It's not fancy, but it's comfy.

This one has also been considered. I have a deep love for all things crimson, garnet, and red. But, am I really savvy enough to work a red couch into our decor without going overboard with the red? Not so sure yet.

Either way we will AT LEAST have a new couch soon and that makes me very excited to purchase our first piece together!

In other news, looks like snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. We'll see how accurate it is!

License and Registration, Please.

2010-02-08T20:13:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while we find really funny stuff at Walgreens. Check out the Valentine's area if you have a chance. They've added some interesting items. It's not just about big chocolate hearts anymore, apparently!

Anyway, this is Stephen's big purchase from our trip. AWESOME shades, cheap.

BTW, looks like my husband might upstage my blog with the REALwholehodgepodge blog. Watch out!

A must check out show that we just found American Pickers. F-U-N-N-Y! The History Channel, who knew?

Random thoughts for a dreary Friday morning...

2010-02-05T10:58:00.001-05:00

Lucy has now started "crying" when Stephen leaves for work....at 4:30am. Sadly, I gave in yesterday and seemed to have started a trend, and therefore leaving here to cuddle in bed with me. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing when it's so cold and she generates THE MOST HEAT evah. But she snores, something baaaad!

AND, I must say taking a dog out to use the bathroom at 4:30am isn't fun.

I watched some movie trailers on my mac this morning. A few churches in the area sponsored the movie To Save a Life for students in the Florence area to see at a reduced price. I am sad I have not seen it yet, but watched the trailer again. There is a quote that I've been meditating on since, What's the point of all this if you're not going to let this change you.

I must admit I am guilty far too often of not allowing situations the Lord wills to change my life. It's that oh so independent nature of mine that I let guide me. I fix things on my own, and when they are too big for me to fix my world crashes down on me. When will I learn dependence on the Lord is GOOD?

I am starting work on a website that I am super stoked about! I always love broadening my horizons of design, and this is one more step in that direction! Although I have designed a website before (you should definitely check out www.exit137.org) I will be using different software and methods this time. FUN!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

John Mayer...you speak my mind.

2010-02-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

I watched John Mayer on Storytellers last night.

I forgot how funny he can be. I saw him in concert on Daniel Island back in 2002. Thankfully, he has lost the weird facial expressions as he sings, at least for TV anyway.

But, he said something near the end that I totally connected with. He talked of how he wished he was quiet, didn't talk so much in that mysterious kind of way.

LET ME TELL YOU, I have that thought at least once a day, usually more.

You know, the speak when spoken to. Only say what you really need to say deal. I'm just not wired that way.

I can't seem to master that. I can't even to try. If I overhear someone talking, I gotta put my two cents in!

It has gotten me in trouble and I often say TOO much, and regret it.

It's the battle I will forever fight. I have been this way since I can remember.

A Glance at the Past

2010-02-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

In college I had a blog. If you ever want to read the writings of a young 20 something trying to figure out where life would lead check out browneyes7.livejournal.com.

I did get a kick out of the "interest" section of the blog. Here is the list, laugh with me if you will at how random it seems!

3-d design, 4-wheelers, 7, a.w. tozer, banana pudding, bebo, blue like jazz, brad paisley, c.s. lewis, cbc, children's ministry, clouds, cold weather, country music, csu, desiring god, diamond, dorkus, dr. pepper, family, fat rain, fishing, football, full house, gamecocks, garnet and black, gavin degraw, god, grace, guitar, happy thoughts, hello kitty, hiking, horseback riding, horses, jack johnson, jars of clay, jeremy camp, jesus, jet skiing, john mayer, john piper, jumping puddles, kayaking, keith urban, lightning, mercyme, mountains, movies, music, painting, pillow fights, pink, potato salad, pursuit of god, randomness, rascal flatts, reality, singing, skiing, sunflowers, sunsets, sunshine, surfing, sweet tea, swimming, texas, thunder, tozer, w, water skiing, waterfalls, watergun fights, waves

Much has changed, so much has changed.

And a favorite quote on my profile:
Leave.
Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed.
~Don Miller [Through Painted Deserts]

I was so enamored with the thought of leaving in this stage in my life. I started the blog just before my junior year of college and my last entry is 4 months after I graduated.

I vividly remember adding this quote and how much I meditated on it. For months I devised ways of moving out west. What a great adventure I was going to have. By myself, no less.

I wanted to be different. Not because I am called to be different, set apart if you will, as Christ calls us to be different. But different because I didn't want to accept the path my God was leading me.

Honestly, I was running. As hard and as fast as I could, I was going to get out of South Carolina. God wasn't going to hold me down. No sir, not this time!

Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Kentucky, and Minnesota. These are a few states I thought of fleeing to.

How could my God, who knows the desires of my heart, send me back to Florence? Doesn't He know there's nothing there for me?

The intertwining of the story he was writing for me at this stage in my life is simply amazing.

I briefly mentioned in my first post:

To take my health condition, familial adenomatous polyposis, which I won't go into a ton of detail about, but basically I had to have my colon removed after I graduated from college. Then, move back in with my parents due to the extensive recovery involved. I had to learn to lean on my parents like I never had before. It was difficult because I am somewhat independent when it comes to relying on others for help.

He had a plan though, and what an amazing plan it turned out to be! I wish I could tell you I accepted this with grace, but it was tough. By the time June 14, 2006 came I had accepted this plan, but I had my doubts, still.

The surgery and recovery itself went better than my doctor had ever imagined. I recovered ahead of schedule and now, almost 4 years later, you would never know I ever went through any of what I did!

But now what?

All the surgery and recovery was over. I was free to do whatever I wanted! I could return to the grand plan of LEAVING.

The world was at my fingertips and all I wanted to do now was STAY!

He intertwined my life with an amazing ministry at Cornerstone, where I met the love of my life!

Stephen had my heart and there was no where else I wanted to be. You couldn't have paid me to move!

I can NEVER get over our love story. It has changed me.

I am so incredibly thankful to my God for his patience and allowing me to see that my plans of running were foolish and cowardly.

I am thankful I can look at my story with no regrets of missed blessings or disobedience of his plan.

Dave Ramsey Hit Me Upside the Head with a 2x4

2010-01-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

...ok of course I'm kidding around, but seriously.

We started Financial Peace University tonight. I am pretty excited about what we will learn, while the other half of this couple isn't so excited. (I think it's more about the time that won't be spent napping than the class itself.)

We are the youngest couple in the class and it makes me think we are doing something right if we are starting this young.

I just don't want to look back 10 years from now and think what if...

What if...

• we had paid attention to our finances early and saved a lot of heartache and stress.

• we had prepared for our children's futures.

• we thought about more than just the here and now and looked long term.

• we could have been better stewards of what God has given us.

SO, now we won't have those what ifs! I am determined that Stephen and I will do the best with what God gave us with the knowledge we have. We will be different!

"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7

In Christ Alone

2010-01-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's because our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY will be here before we know it, but I love looking back and remembering all the special moments that made our wedding unique to us. I walked down the isle toward Stephen to "In Christ Alone". This is one of those moments that are so special to me. Looking back, I honestly don't know how I didn't lose it. Maybe it was my inner dialogue where I kept saying enjoy this moment, don't loose it, take it in, IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Whatever it was, I remember the most powerful moment was about the time I was standing by Stephen at the altar the lyrics being sung over us were:

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

I get chills, even now, thinking about how truly powerful these words are. And, though there are days where I struggle to stand in that power, or I allow the fear and guilt of the humanity that I live in get the best of me, I can always go back to March 21, 2009 where we made a commitment to always stand in the power of Christ and it empowers me to shove those lies of Satan to the side and remember I am a daughter of the KING!

I hope you, too, live in that same power!

A Look to Valentine's Day

2010-01-09T22:11:00.000-05:00

Our first dance as husband and wife was to Dave Barnes' "I Have and I Always Will". Stephen introduced me to some of Dave Barnes' songs on our first date. So, it was only fitting that it was our first dance at the wedding!

What I love about Dave is that he can have smooth lyrics such as this:

Darling, we’re both scared

But where love is, fear won’t tread

All of these friends here agree

We’re right where we should be

Underneath all your white

My Lady, My Love, My Bride

In your darkest hours

Will I love you still

I have and I always will

But he can also come out with this sweet gem of a video:

That's my kind of well rounded artist! Hope you enjoy!

*On a side note the Wisdom with Granny series is worth checking out, too!

When it is 26 outside...

2010-01-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

...this is what I dream of...

MEXICO

The view from our honeymoon suite. A-MAZING! I am always asking Stephen when we can go back.

SOON AND VERY SOON! (I HOPE!)

Until then, I will continue to bundle up in as many layers as I can and dream of Summer's return!

Following a Ten Year Old's Heart

2009-12-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

I've been really thinking lately how sovereign God's plan for our life is. How things work out when they seem impossible. How He orchestrates events in our lives that can seem ordinary in and of themselves, but over the course of our lives become more significant when we can see HIS handprint on them!

Take my story for example.

I can remember telling my parents, when I was ten, how I wanted to design billboards and be a big graphic designer. I had dreams of how it would all work out. I had the college picked out, the big plan set, and all I had to do was graduate...8 years later!

Well, none of those plans worked out. I went to a completely different college, earned a completely different degree, and got a completely different job, temporarily!

How was I to know that taking a job simply to escape a bad work situation would give me the experience I needed to reconnect me with my dream. But HE did! I get chills thinking about how it all worked out. How learning the skills I needed that (to this day I say can't be learned in a classroom) would give me the creative push to find my passion for design. Looking at all the doors this has opened, all the opportunities I have been given, and the incredible place I am able to work now is simply overwhelming! WOAH!

God had it all worked out though, it just took time and patience.

Or, how about being told I had to move back home after graduating college due to health issues, and finding the love of my life! Yes, all God's plan.

Was it all as smooth as it sounds? No. Did I often question this plan and WHAT God was thinking at times? Yes. Do I regret any of it? Not for a skinny minute!

So there's my short story. We all have them. What's yours?