"Blessing Others" Giveaway!

Today is my sweet boy's six month birthday. Tonight, when I have more time to think and write, I want to share more with you.

But, for now, I want to tell you about an exciting giveaway I'm doing in honor of Chase.

As you all know, one of the lessons our family has been lovingly taught over the last six months, is what it means to be blessed by others.

Not just by a few words or a hug here and there.

But, richly, thoughtfully, over-the-top blessed...in ways I would have never thought of, often by people I've never met, and through acts of love that I never expected.

The gifts I have received from others have helped us on this road in ways I can't really describe. Each gift has shown us such sweet love and has honored Chase in such creative ways. (I don't mean to keep talking about this....it's just that the sweetness just keeps coming! And, I know the gift ideas have helped some of you honor others in your life too. So, I continue to share...)

Just this week, I got two beautiful necklaces with special pictures of Chase's sweet feet from a friend of my mother's. Kimberly, even though we've never met, you have blessed my life by your love and generosity...not to mention your beautiful and creative talent!

I wore one of your necklaces today, in honor of my sweet boy, and I got so many comments on it! Thank you so much. (professional photo by Kendyll. :)

And, after bible study this morning, my friend Nicole handed me this little package. And, when I saw this:

I just started crying and crying. And, even hours later, I'm still crying. :) It is absolutely perfect. And, Nicole, I wish you could have seen the girls' faces when they saw it. They couldn't stop staring at it, just like I did.

It feels so good to see Chase in a picture with the girls. It's the exact thing that's been missing around our house, and I can't wait to find the perfect place. I've always wished I had just one picture of the four of them together, and that has been a hard part of the girls not getting to see him or hold him.

So, this feels like a sweet representation of what that would have looked like. And, I'm blown away, yet again, by a friend who knows what I need, even when I don't.

Now, on that note of blessing others....let me finally get to the point!!

It's giveaway time!! WOO HOO!

Today, I am happy to announce the "Blessing Others" giveaway. Erin, at The Vintage Pearl, has so graciously given a $50 gift certificate to be given away in Chase's honor, so that one of YOU have the opportunity to bless someone else!!

I know that so many of you have seen The Vintage Pearl's jewelry, and agree with me that it is just amazing. I can't tell you how much I love it. (I actually now have a gift certificate of my own {thanks, Erin!}, and have been trying for months to pick out the perfect necklace for ALL my children. Someday, I hope to make a decision. :)

I know you could all find a perfect necklace for yourselves as well. And, really, if you win, it's totally your right to do that! But, I'm asking that if you DO know someone you could bless, that you consider doing that. You never know what it might mean to someone else.

So, enter this fabulous drawing by leaving a comment! Feel free to share how you might use this giveaway if you are the lucky winner, whether it be for you or for someone you want to bless.

My handy assistant, Mark, will draw a lucky winner on Thursday night, at 10:00 pm.

Thank you all for blessing ME, and my family. I'm so excited to share this necklace with someone out there who needs a blessing. :)

Carlie's Dream

If you're just tuning in, we're remembering Chase's six month birthday this week, so I'm sharing my thoughts a little at a time all week. Come back for more about our sweet boy in coming days (and also for a sweet giveaway that I'm VERY excited about!)

This last Saturday morning, Carlie bounced into my bathroom, telling me she had the best dream ever that night.

"There were lots and lots of flowers that sparkled all over and were shiny on green hills with rainbows in the sky!" (Carlie's perfect world, really.)

I told her that it sounded beautiful and that it was certainly a great dream!

Then, she said "And, Chase was playing on a cloud there. He was wearing a light blue baby boy outfit."

(Now, a little background info: Carlie and I had gone shopping a couple of days before this. Throughout the day, I kept noticing all the CUTE spring boy stuff, and it kept making my heart a little bit sad...especially when it had cute girl stuff to match it. :) So, eventually, I just said to Carlie "You know, Chase would have looked so cute in that, and I sure wish he was here to wear it!" She stared at this cute little blue and yellow plaid shirt and navy pants that I was pointing at, and smiled. She agreed that it was cute, and wanted to know which one would have fit him right now. So, I held up the 6 month size, and we giggled about if he would have been big and fat like Kendyll had been or tiny and petite like Carlie and Abby Kate. Throughout the day, this became Carlie's favorite thing to do. She would find two baby boy outfits and show them to me, asking me which one Chase would have worn. I would pick my favorite and we'd both smile. It was really a precious time for us. We talked alot about him that day, and I really think Carlie pictured him in the clothes. Because she talked about his features quite a bit.)

So, back to the dream.

Carlie told me that he was wearing "the baby blue outfit from the mall" in her dream. And, I knew exactly which one she meant.

I stared at her a minute, and then said "Carlie, I think you were dreaming about heaven!!"

She just beamed. Then, gave a Carlie giggle and bounced up and down.

"I was! I was!" I could tell she was so happy to have had a glimpse---in her own way---of what heaven must be like for her baby brother.

Over the last couple of days, she has brought that dream up a number of times, and we have talked alot about what we know heaven will look like.

Today, at our special lunch for just the two of us (at Taco Bueno, of course!), we were talking about Chase's birthday tomorrow. She once again mentioned the dream, and what Chase was wearing and what he looked like. It is amazing what a vivid picture of him she has always had.

But, then she said "Umm, Mommy. I don't know if I really dreamed that or not. I am not really sure. Because, I just kind of think about that all the time. The flowers on the hill and the rainbows and Chase on the cloud. So, I might not have been dreaming that. I don't know."

It was cute. I think she has daydreamed about it as well. So, she was just trying to clarify with me that she might not have dreamed it in her sleep.

Either way, I don't really care. I just love discussing our sweet Chase so naturally and so lovingly with my five year old big girl.

She loves him SO much, even though she never held him or met him. It's what hurts the deepest sometimes. I watch her with babies and I just know that they would have had such a special bond.

But, through the sparkly flowers and clouds, I guess they still do. :)

A Week of Honor

I have thought about this week's post again and again.

I have tried to come up with the perfect words for Tuesday.

I have written so many things in my head.

But, there's too much for one day.

So, to honor the six month birthday of our little Chase, I'm spending a week honoring him, and remembering September 30th. The day we met our son. The day that changed our lives forever...

Many of our weekends are spent with family in some way. The last two weekends have been full of time with our parents, siblings, and cousins. Today, as we gathered at my dad's house for an Easter celebration, we laughed, remembered old times, ate wonderful food, and had fun with a house full of kids.

As we drove home, a little tired from the day, I was once again reminded, that family is everything to me. As I drove, I just felt God say to me "Do you see the treasure I have given you?" To be able to go from laughing to crying, all in a breath...and know I am safe in each...is truly a treasure. To share countless memories and moments with these people who know me SO well...is truly a treasure. And, to feel their deep love for us and our children...is truly a treasure.

We have been blessed so abundantly. And, I could never express what our family has done for us, and continues to do for us. Family is the place we feel safe to still be sad if we need to, but also to be joyful when we want to...to share our hopes and dreams and prayers, knowing they understand us and support us and love us regardless.

So, without realizing that this would be my first post of honoring my son this week, I want to show you how much this amazing family loved my son on the day he was born. And, the amazing legacy I feel blessed that he is a part of.

Picture after picture of sweet love...mixed with sorrow. But, what I see, even through the tears, is the LORD'S GREAT LOVE for us. He thought of this whole "family" thing for just this reason. He knew we would all need each other, in the good times and the bad.

Our sweet, precious family....sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, cousins:

You continue to be a blessing to us. These last six months, our bonds together have all been strengthened and deepened. Your love for us, and for Chase, has at times overwhelmed me. Words can not express it. As I have told so many of you, we have watched you grieve as deeply as we have for what we have lost. But, we have also seen you praise the Lord as freely as we have, for what good He has done through it. Thank you for loving our baby boy, and honoring his life. Thank you for loving our daughters, and protecting their precious hearts. Thank you for bearing our burdens, and lifting us up before the Lord. It means more than you will ever know.

And, as Mark and I begin walking down new roads we never dreamed possible just six short months ago, we are so very thankful that you are still walking alongside us, encouraging us and comforting us and getting excited with us...and continuing to lift us before the Lord!

You are all the most abundant blessing of our lives. And, I am so proud to call you "family".

"This is the true grace of God." I Peter 5:12

Spring Break Adventure!

We decided two years ago to camp every Spring Break. And, this year we broke that plan. :) Instead, we took a Road Trip Adventure with the girls. Mark had a business dinner in Atlanta, so we decided to tag along, and make it fun for the family.

We didn't tell the girls we were doing anything for Spring Break, and decided to totally surprise them with this trip.

I secretly packed their bags, and we loaded the car after they were asleep. The next morning, we woke them up bright and early to begin our adventure.

Through their sleepy eyes, Kendyll read this poem to begin the day:

The bags are packed, the plans are done.

Let's jump in the car, and have some FUN!

It's a Spring Break Road Trip!

That's where we'll be--

Planned all along for you sisters three.

Where will we go? You want to know!

Mom & Dad won't tell, until we're on the go!

All we'll say now, is that we really love you,

And you'll have to wait for Clue # 2!!

They were immediately energized, rushed to get dressed, and we hit the road. They immediately began guessing where we were going, which included everything from Oklahoma to Great Wolf Lodge to New York City to Florida...and all were wrong, of course. Here they are at breakfast, checking out their new atlas and map to get some clues.

Little did they know that their clues were MUCH further down the road than Mesquite. :)

Now, half the fun to me of planning a road trip is making the CAR part fun. I packed a crate full of activities and crafts, and the girls received "Car Mail"{like Tree Mail for you Survivor fans} every 30 minutes. When the timer went off, they gave me one ticket, and received their mail. This helped the time pass quickly, and made it more "understandable" for their little minds. They new that our next stop was "two tickets away". The mailbox would contain either a new activity, or a fun snack each time. Here's Carlie with her first ticket...She definitely loved this part the most.

They also received these little butterfly boxes in their first "Car Mail", that had $5 and all of their road trip tickets inside. The $5 was theirs to spend how they wanted that day...whether it be on souvenirs or junk at the gas station. It was AMAZING to watch how they guarded it so carefully and wouldn't spend it until they really found the right thing. I had no idea that it would really work, but I was glad to not be asked all day "Can I have gum? Can I have a drink?"

By the way, alot of these ideas came from this website, and I highly recommend it if you're traveling a while in the car. They had some genius ideas. (Amy M, I thought of you the whole time. You were the original minivan mom. :)

So, half of our road trip was spent in a car together. And, although that may sound tiring, it was actually really fun. (although I'll be happy if I never use a convenience store bathroom for the rest of my life...)

We did everything from tissue paper art, foil creations, Bendaroos, games, car decorating with paper chains and window crayons, and a whole bunch of other crafty things. Any time we traveled in the dark, THEN movies and I-phones were allowed. :)

And, of course, they received new clues in the mailbox as we would approach a new state. {This was my sneaky way of having them learn new things without them noticing!}

Clue #2: LOUISIANA

The girls received their first poem for Louisiana, and I'm sad to say we've lost our literary masterpieces, so I can't share them. :( But, after Kendyll read the clue, they would each look at the map and in their atlas for the state that matched the clues, and then color the state we were headed into on their car map. We all learned new things about every single state, and had fun finding the things that were mentioned in the poems. A very fun way to learn--for all of us!

Louisiana was a bit of "drive through" state. Nothing much to report from this land, except that we learned a little bit of French...

Clue #3: MISSISSIPPI

Visiting the river, as we crossed the border...

In Mississippi, we spent the afternoon in Vicksburg, learning about the Civil War and the Siege of Vicksburg. This was a wonderful day, with perfect weather, and we explored the battle grounds and the memorials around the city, which were SO well done.

Here is my tough little soldier, firing her cannon:

And, here's the whole gang climbing all over it:

Later in the week, on our way back home, we spent time in Jackson, and enjoyed seeing "Old Town Mississippi", dating back to the early 1800's. This museum was set up like an old farm town, and we learned more about the history of Mississippi.

There was the printing press, the doctor's office, the old farmhouse, a school, a church, a blacksmith, a cotton gin, along with a cute general store where we bought old fashioned cokes. SUCH a fun place!! And, again, we all learned so many new things!

Abby Kate stirs a pot of something yummy...

A cotton gin, still in working condition!

The School House:

The beautiful old church, still available for weddings...

And, our family picture in the world's largest rocking chair:

Clue #4: ALABAMA

On our way to Atlanta, we decided to stay the night in Birmingham, which would be the first of three hotels we would visit on this trip. What is it about a hotel that is just SO fun for kids? We could have stopped here and they would have been satisified. They had a blast exploring and pretending in the hotel room.

And, it's even more exciting when the hotel has breakfast! (This was Kendyll's favorite part!)

We took some time to explore Birmingham, the childhood home of Uncle Austin, and we decided we could move there in a heartbeat. It was a very cute town with lots of cute shops, and beautiful neighborhoods. Here are the girls using their butterfly box money at the candy shop. A VERY cute shop.

Our other favorite thing to do on road trips is eat. And eat, and eat. We had some delicious meals on this trip, including the best catfish I've ever had in Vicksburg, and some great Greek food in Birmingham. Nabeel's was a favorite of Aunt Cassie's when she lived here a few years ago, and we were glad we tried it too!

Clue #5: GEORGIA!

Now, we were finally ready for our final destination! Atlanta was so much fun, and we fit alot in to two days! The girls were so surprised to be visiting FIVE states on this trip, and it was so fun to surprise them with each part.

The first night, Mark had a business dinner, so the girls and I enjoyed dinner out, and a movie and trail mix in the hotel. Here they are creating their own mixes:

I had actually planned that as an activity for a rest stop along the road, but was very glad that we hadn't used it yet!

The next day, we hit the ground running. One of our favorite stops was of course the Coca Cola Museum!

We were all VERY excited to see a gigantic bottle of coke from Africa as soon as we walked in!

Along with lots of African drinks too!

It was amazing to see how Coke has made such an impact over the years. They are marketing geniuses, that's for sure.

Really, we rushed through the museum part, because they were SO ready to sample all the goods!

I've never seen three girls ingest so much liquid in such a short time. Their tummies were so bloated, and if you know my girls, you know this happens easily. :)

But, oh the joy that is found in the freedom to drink as MUCH as you want without having to stop. Especially when this includes the usually off-limits caffeine drinks!

The favorites of the day were: A watermelon flavor from China (AK). Sparberry from Zimbabwe (Kendyll), and Carlie loved them all. Ha. Actually, her very favorite was a pineapple blend from Japan, although there were quite a few on her favorites list. Mark found a new root beer love, called Birch Beer, and I still preferred the classics in cherry and vanilla. (Although I did try lots of others...my favorite international drink was probably Fanta Exotic from Uganda.)

We went straight from there to wash down our coke with a little burger. :) The Varsity was another great tourist spot we had to try, and it did not disappoint. To add to our already bloated feeling, we added lots of cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes. Wow.

We also spent the afternoon at Stone Mountain, hiking and exploring the great big granite rock.

Here's my favorite three year old tourist, chillin' in her stroller. She was SUCH a great road-tripper, especially since she didn't get a full nap the entire week!

We rode the Sky Ride (which the girls thought was THE biggest adventure in the world!) and had popcorn at the top of the mountain.

My parents actually took us on this exact same road trip when I was little, so it was fun to share these same things with my girls. I think I have a picture of my sisters and me on this same rock...along with many of these other stops along our way!

While we were up there, we checked out Atlanta from afar...

Looked at the clouds...

And, ran around...until Carlie face planted on the granite. Then, the running ceased. :)

The next day, was St. Patrick's, so we all wore our festive green. However, no one else in Atlanta did. Seriously...who doesn't wear green on St. Patty's?? But, don't you worry. Our whole family matched in our green stripes. :)

After another morning of sightseeing, we started the trek back toward Dallas, stopping for a day in Jackson, and a two day pitstop at Gammy and Papa Ron's ranch. :) I never charged my camera, so I have no cute pictures from those days, but they rolled in the hay, played with the animals and cousins, and spent time relaxing. (And, I did lots of laundry!) We also got to see our sweet little Mia Maulsby for ice cream on her FIFTH birthday! What a treat that was!!

We arrived back home yesterday, thanking God for a very safe...and very fun family trip.

I know this was a long post for anyone who is not family, but we love having the details documented to go back and read later. In fact, as I started this post, I went back and read the last few spring break reports (here and here and here). Mark and I feel so blessed to be able to make these memories with our family. I pray there are many, many more to come.