Tumblr Tutorial and Weekly Randomness

Thanks to sweet folks like Melissa, who are really good at computer stuff and writes "for dummies" tutorials for clueless folks like myself, I can now hold onto something that is very precious and dear to me.

Something I have been losing in vast numbers at a steady pace since giving birth to kiddo #3.

Something that I am beginning to treasure as I twirl through my 30's.

Brain cells.

The lack of these little microscopic jewels causes me to do things like ask, "Where's my cell phone?!?!"

While holding it in my hand.

Or greet the bug man at the door without my bra.

Melissa's tutorial on how to have your very own Tumbler site has changed my life.

I know I know.

Dramatic.

But oh so true.

Now when The Nester has something marvelous on her site (I know, I know...when does she not?!?!) that I don't want to forget, instead of having 53 windows open on my computer simultaneously, I can now just click.."Share on Tumblr" and it will store my fabulous find on my tumblr site for me! I can even save a picture of what it is I'm remembering.

Fabulous for the visual learner like myself.

Plus they are really fun to create just like a blog. Take a peek at mine here but be sure to head to Melissa's and follow her tutorial to create your very own.

Your brain cells will thank you for it.

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I'm having a Pampered Chef party at my house tomorrow night.

I have no idea what possessed me to do this.

Yes I do.

I want this and don't want to pay full price for it.

Other than needing to clean and prepare my house to host a ridiculous amount of ladies, I am extremely stoked because it is a breakfast theme party and we are all wearing our pj's and bunny slippers. :-)

That's how I roll.

Word.
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Did I mention I'm a horrible hostess?

Seriously I did not get the hostess gene when God was working up his DNA concoction for me.

I do not have cute "hosty" things to serve people on either.

Hope they like paper plates.

How about you? Are you "hostess challenged" like myself?

If not, don't answer cause I already hate you.

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I'm feeling so much better than I was at the end of last week. I do however have a nasty cough/asthma issue I can't seem to shake so I'm off to see the doc today. I am one Z-pac away from feeling 100%! Thanks so much for all the prayers and sweet comments you all left. Prayer and friendship is good for the soul.

And near death sickness. (Drama again)

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My girlfriends and I have officially just booked our annual Gatlinburg getaway for this year. I am so excited!

No kids.

No husbands.

Private Pool.

Hot Tub.

Laughing till I nearly pee my pants.

Heavenly.

Recently,at the funeral of the mother in law of one of our gals, an elderly lady stood up to pay tribute to her longtime friend. There was a group of them that had been best friends for 40+ years. Getting married...having babies...and even sharing in loss. A very sweet bond.

She proceeded to affectionately refer to this group of (Christian elderly) ladies in her life as her "Smut Sisters". You can imagine.

S.M.U.T.S.

Sisters
Must
Unite
Together

They also had a slogan that went with this affectionate title.

"We are S.M.U.T.S, not sluts"

I kid you not.

Glorious.

I hope I have a group of "SMUTS" that will stand and share some of the many memories we made along the way together at my funeral one day too. :-)

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This weekend I will embark on a hard treacherous journey.

A scary place to be.

Frightening even.

Where few moms have dared to venture.

Alone anyway.

A road trip with my 3 children.

The 12 hour kind to be exact.

Each way.

We will be driving all the way from Nashville to Tampa to visit my mom for a week.

And this will be my co-pilot



He is thrilled to have this "front seat riding" crown bestowed upon his handsome 14 year old head.

But I'm sure it's just because right now he thinks it involves eating Pringles, reclining the seat into his sisters legs,and listening to his MuteMath (or silent arithmetic as my husband calls them) on his iTouch the whole way.

Poor guy is gonna get a good ole' Homeschooling crash course in map skills.

And he doesn't even know it yet.

Insert evil mom laugh here.

I am super excited about this trip but the length of it already has me hating myself for having such a fear of flying.

This is where I would inform you that I used to be a Travel Agent and even had Frequent Flyer miles and you would say, "What the heck is your problem then? Get on the plane you big sissy!"

If my hubby were coming along I'd say there would be a little blue pill involved and presto we would be there in 2 hours. And he could make sure my unconscious body was removed from the plane. But he isn't so I was afraid I'd pass out on the plane and leave my poor children to fend for themselves with those oxygen masks.

It is going to be a LONG trip but I am determined for it to be a bonding experience with my kids.

We will be stopping overnight on the way there and back so it shouldn't be too awful.

And the fact that we are also going here helps make it all the more bearable of course.



















The fact that they have $5 kids tickets right now made for one happy frugal momma too!

Yes, I picked the hottest time of the year to drive to The Sunshine State.

To walk around a theme park all day.

Alone.

With 3 kids.

I must be feverish right?

I may be when I have my heat stroke.

I may be shamelessly knocking poor unsuspecting children off the front row at the Shamu show.

If I end up on the news for assualting young children or swimming with the dolphins without permission you will still be my friend right?

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I don't know if I will be as brave as Ruthanne and post videos of our trip.

1. Her hair is perfect and not to be emulated.

2. My car will not be that clean so I'd hate for you to see my video and feel compelled to send it in to "Hoarders".

3. My head is too big for those Burger King hats.

But I do plan to blog while there so stay tuned.

"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Under the Influence {of Nyquil}

There is no telling where this post may go.

Please do not hold me responsible.

Blame my husband for allowing me to operate heavy machinery {laptop}.

I wouldn't count on cleverness.

Or proper grammar.

Or even coherent thoughts for that matter.

You see, I'm way sick.

Way doped up on Nyquil.

And way bored.

So I'm blogging.

If that's what you want to call it.

I also reek of Vick's Vaporub.

So be glad you are my friend from a distance.



Let me back up a bit.

It all started 7 days ago when I began trying to convince myself that "it's just allergies Talysa..you can't possibly be getting sick with your husband being in Haiti all week and you here alone holding down the fort and all!"... I soon found out that I am nothing but a big fat liar...to be trusted by no one.

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We went on about our week trying to stay busy.

The kids had the best time with this cash register.





They even set up a grocery store...



complete with price checks...



clean ups on aisle 7...



and a little elderly man that robbed unsuspecting patrons in the parking lot. {I have no idea}

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Meanwhile I walked around in a decongestant induced daze. I did manage to smile and nod occasionally so they didn't panic and feel the need to call in Emergency personnel.

Eventually {thursday} the gig was up...and I was left with nothing but the hard cold facts...I was sick. And alone.

So I rallied the troops and called in the calvary.

Translation: I told my children that I was near death and that they had no choice to put their big boy/girl pants on and take care of the house, each other, and their bedridden feeble mother.

They made me proud.

Cleaning house.

Washing dishes.

Taking out garbage.

Feeding dogs.

Folding laundry.

Even praying over me.

They did a fabulous job and we somehow muddled our way to Saturday.

Translation: They had Oreos for breakfast and cereal for dinner for the next two days till my best friend of 11 years walked off a plane and back into my arms bringing balance to my world...and their food pyramid.

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The kids were so proud of their dad and the work he was doing in Haiti all week..but could not wait to have him back...they even made posters the night before.







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Finally Saturday arrived and determined to give my husband a grand welcome at the airport I managed to get to the shower. I did not however get any further with my hair than the drying process...and even that took about an hour because I had to keep sitting down on the bathtub every minute or so to keep from vomiting. This left me feeling irritated that there were electrical codes regarding outlets being allowed within so many feet of a bathtub.

We waited...



And waited...



And waited till we could wait no more...



Till finally...



He came!









So much for the romantic homecoming I had planned.

That will have to wait.

It's now Sunday and he is downstairs doing what he does best...playing with and loving on our kiddos.

While I am here.

Upstairs.

In bed.

Sick.

But so grateful that I am not alone.

I'm linking up here today:

Darcy's


Emily's






"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

A Small Price to Pay...{Haiti}

UPDATE:
I AM ADDING MORE PICS TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST AS ADAM SENDS THEM DURING HIS STAY IN HAITI.


He hates needles.

All things needles.

His chart at the doctor is even flagged "HAVE LIE DOWN WHEN DRAWING BLOOD".

But he saw it as a small price to pay...



To be here.



With these precious fatherless children.



Adam is in Jeremie, Haiti right now with our church on mission with God. And I have never been more proud of him. He stepped out of his comfort zone a few months back and stepped out in Faith and said "Yes" to ministering to and loving on the orphaned children in devastated Haiti.

A few months prior to the earthquake in Haiti, our church had a burden placed on their hearts for this poverty stricken country. We partnered with The Global Orphan Project and soon purchased land to begin building an orphanage there on the West coast of Jeremie.

We began raising funds through our Crazy Love campaign and before we knew it there was land...there was enough money...and building began. There was also a plan. A marvelous plan. Not only would we build an orphanage, we would build a church, a school, a medical building, and multiple "homes" for these children with the church being the center building. We would also pay Haitian women to be "mommas" to 5 or 6 children in each "home"...there would be about 30 "homes". We would pay her well even ($60 a month) as a Haitian. In other words...we would build a community for these orphans.

Then January 12, 2010 happened. And we all know what followed. A country that once had an estimated (By UNICEF in 2007) 380,000 orphans, now had a massive spike in those already staggering statistics.

Staggering numbers of...

Motherless.

Fatherless.

Loveless.

Homeless children.

Children no different than my own. And certainly just as innocent.

Children that need to be tucked in at night.

That need to be hugged.

That need to have someone tell them it's ok when they feel sick or they are hurt.

To just hold them and comfort them when they are afraid.

All of this was confirmation from God that we were where we were supposed to be as a church. And then God began to personally move our hearts to help however we could. Adam knew he would go the minute this trip was cleared. God had a great plan and it was wonderful to be on board and a part of it.

No church is perfect...if you attend church anywhere you already know this...it's full of humans that mess it all up. :-)

But let me tell you that I have never been more proud to be a part of something like this...where the focus is on serving "the least of these" and not becoming distracted with things like carpet colors and pews. (Cant I get a witness?)

It's so refreshing to be a part of a body of believers that "gets it"...This life is not our own. It is not about us. Or our comfort. Or our self righteousness. Or our judgments. It is about something far beyond ourselves. Far bigger than our egos. Or our selfish agendas. It is about being the hands and feet of Christ to a lost and broken world. It is about "caring for orphans and widows"...it is about loving others more than ourselves. It's about a love some would call... Crazy.

I have never felt it as strongly as when I see my husbands strong, fatherly hands on the shoulders of those young boys up in that picture. I know they have already been blessed just by spending time with him today. He is such a fabulous,caring,and attentive Father. They will feel so much love from him and know he cares by his touch. His smile. His focus on them. Did I already say that I'm proud?

I feel such a connection to those children just by seeing them with Adam. In fact I find it hard tonight to sleep because I think of them alone as they sleep and it hurts me. Somewhere that makes me very uncomfortable. Somewhere I cannot shake. Deep. I have a feeling in those depths that God is in the midst of moving in our lives in a big way that even I do not know...and I have to say that as scary as that may be...it is also the sweetest feeling I have ever known. Bring it on! :-)

See that Tennessee Titans (whoot!) hat up there in the picture? And the sunglasses on that handsome young man in the second picture? Those are my Adam's. Seems they were smitten with his things. We have been able to talk through Blackberry Messenger and I feel like I am right there with him. Technology is mind boggling folks. I can't keep a signal in Wal-Mart but I can chat with my husband while he is in the middle of the Caribbean on an island. Go figure.

He was able to tell me all about arriving at the orphanage today and the children singing for them. How they literally attacked them (in a loving way) and began to rub his arms and hold his hands and hug him. How he spent his evening thumb wrestling and playing the hand slap game. All of this says so much to me about what we are doing there. The fact that these children can give love, says they are being shown love. So many others are not as fortunate so my heart is over joyed for these kids

Adam says he will never be the same. His heart is broken and he already knows after just one day of being there in their midst, that we will be going back again.

He says the "mommas" are so proud of their children they are caring for. That the kids living conditions are far greater than most Haitians and they eat far better than most there. He said they wanted to show him their "homes" and wanted to graciously share their food with him. He said it pained him to leave them for the night. (The Guest House is not yet finished with construction so they are in a Hotel in downtown at night) This is the view from what will be the Guest House.



And this is where he will get a chance to snorkel...that's a shipwrecked submarine in the middle of the ocean there...and a cave on the right. Breathtaking huh? Even more mind boggling that he was able to send these through email from his phone! Doesn't' take much to fascinate me. I should get out more.



He said his room was about 95 degrees tonight as he was trying to sleep because they turn the power off at night from 10-5am to save energy. And that he misses us like crazy...but that he would not want to be anywhere else right now.

And although I want nothing more than to have him here with us,

I can't say that I blame him.


"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." James 2:26

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

UPDATED PHOTOS:
Church Service Sunday


15 year old Makenson


Obu and Makendie


Adam with Obu and Makenson


I'm linking up to these great Blogs today









"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Time Traveling and Tomatoes...a Daytrip Downtown

Last week we said goodbye to these two handsome fellas as they headed off to Kids Camp for 3 days. It was Aidan's first time to go and he was so stinkin excited. I'm so blessed to have a husband that would volunteer to go along and endure the 180 Heat Index and a cabin full of 2nd and 3rd grade boys. God bless him.



That left me here alone with (enough pubescent hormones to last me a lifetime) Maggie and Tyler.

We decided to join my sister downtown and check out a little shop on 8th Ave called "Pre to Post Modern".



If you are ever in Nashville you must check this store out. They have some really neat vintage furniture and such. If nothing else you will be taken back to a much simpler time in your life when Smurfs sheets graced your bed and you carried your lunch in a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox.



Tyler said he felt like he was in an episode of "I Love Lucy". Avocado ashtrays and all.









Be still my turquoise and red lovin heart.





I am kicking myself for not getting this cabinet. I fell in love. It was from the Nuclear plant in East TN. It's an old "lab" cabinet. Would look fabulous in our new school room.



This chair reminded me of my Grandpa Sammy for some reason. Seems like he had a chair once similar to this...or maybe it was a chair at his Barber Shop. It was screaming for a grandpa to sit in it.



I never had Skipper. Just her scantily dressed big sister.



There was also a section in the store devoted entirely to fashion. If that's what you want to call it. I call it itchy Polyester land. I now know why streaking was once so popular...poor people couldn't stand the feel of their own clothing.



Can't help but think you would rock this dress Edie.



Maggie and I had a little Polyester fun of our own. My sister said I should have worn that for my husband's homecoming. It was oozing "romance" apparently. Only if polyester induced hives are your thing.



Maggie fell in love with this apron. So did I. So I let her get it.

We also got the colorful dishes up above as well. They are Yugoslavian cookware. Like little colorful skillets. They will be put to more practical use in my kitchen. Hanging on the walls.

After the vintage shopping we headed to Farmers Market...one of my absolute favorite things to do. I just love all of the different textures, colors, and smells. It's like sensory overload. Plus food is one of my favorite things to shoot. It is just so darn easy to get along with. No whining. No squinting in the sun. No need to bribe or threaten. It just sits there looking glorious for you.











Yep, our day downtown was just peachy. I heart summer.

I'm linking up here today





"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"