A Response to the Call

I have a lovely college roomie.  Well, 7 lovely college roomies, but this post is about one of them and her blog this week.  Katie (whom I generally call by first and last name..but won't, because these are the interwebs and there are creepers out there.) wrote up this post two days ago about a refugee family living in Indianapolis.  I immediately commented and then called her.  The family has nothing.  As in, NUH-THING.  And, yes, I meant to yell that.  With a broken heart she called out to all her blog stalkers and interweb friends for help.

The response: overwhelming.  Because of the amount of donations she will be helping several refugee families in the apartment complex with basic necessities, like soap, coats and under garments. How awesome!

I am amazed at how a response to the Lord's call to "learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed,. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." (Isaiah 1:17) is blessed!  I also find it breath-taking the number of people she has talked to with the same mindset.  "I have all this, but I didn't know where to take it.  I just want someone who really needs it to have it."  It's almost as if God were preparing people for this to happen.  : )  I love God - He's so cool.

So, for the next couple days I have dubbed myself the Southside Donation Driver.  Wanna help??  Send me an email and I'll gladly collect your donations and get them to Katie.

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:11, 12

Not So Blue...

A) I'm having problems loading photos.

B) I've been at this for 41 minutes now.

C) This post is photo driven.

D) I haven't showered in ___ days (I refuse to write in the actual number...you, on the other hand, are allowed to put whatever number you would like in the blank.) and my baby will be waking up soon.

E) I think I'm having a post-loss-of-baby-nesting period -- does this really happen???  Because I have been little Miss. Nazi-organizing-throw-it-out-give-it-to-goodwill-have-a-garage-sale QUEEN for the past week.

F) Positive note - Our house is becoming de-cluttered.  :)

G) I will be back to finish the original post.  :)

Book Worm and Tube Watcher

So apparently Nells Bells is too good for Momma and her silly voices during book reading. Apparently at the age of 14 months one becomes capable of pulling books into one's crib and doesn't want Momma in the morning, just some privacy. Apparently, crying will ensue if Momma disturbs said happy morning reading time. So, here I am, posting to you all about this phenomenon instead of cuddling with my dear Sesame. Because she doesn't want me. Doesn't even want me to read to her. She can do it on her own. Apparently. :)

In other news: I'm gearing up for the aforementioned giveaway!! :) SO EXCITED! :) The website doing the promotional offers numerous items and sites to choose from. They carry kids beds, bar stools, and my favorite, COOKWARE!!!

Which is why I am giving away the best of cookware items. :)

A 12" x 9" Le Creuset Casserole dish in Caribbean blue. The LOVELY dish also comes with my two favorite rubber spatulas/scrapers in the matching Caribbean blue. Love. My next post will be a review of these items (which I already own and ADORE!) and details on the giveaway.

But until then - here are some photos of the REAL reason ya'll tune in. :)

Sesame discovered the beauty of TV. And standing too close. Jesopete. What kind of Momma let's her 14 month old watch TV at a distance of 1.2 inches!? Someone should do something about that. :)

This is her newly acquired "Mom you're in my way look." I also received it this morning from the crib as I attempted to pick her up.

"No, really Mom. Stop. You're cramping my style. I'm trying to discern whether Discovering Sonya is going to find the vowel 'o' or 'a' and I can't think with you this close to me. Go away."

We also broke out the frozen Go-gurt. LOVED. She didn't do too bad eating it alone. Homer tried to help. I shooed him away. He found some old crackers on the floor that were just as good.

This went so well I thought to myself: "Self, she could totally feed herself yogurt at dinner!!"

Wrong. it was EVERYWHERE. When will I learn!? She did clean out the container though!

She even put a green bean in the container for a snack later. yum. Vanilla green bean. MMMMM.

Da Zoo.

(Note: no edited photos...just clustered...And...this is my first "automatic" post! yay!)

So. I don't have too much time to write - hence why I just dumped a boat load of photos into this post! :)

The next three are not, in fact, an awkward, eccentric wave, but Nells blowing kisses! FINALLY! :)

What's up there??? Is it a bird? It's hard to tell in the photos who made the face first - Mom or Nellianne. :)

Honking Yia Yia's nose! :)

Happy with the elephants!

This is my I'm done at the zoo face. This photo was supposed to go at the end. But, CLEARLY, I misplaced it! :)

See - I DO exist! :)

And now we know where Sesame's face come from...

...her Daddy. Not. :)

P.S. I was approached about doing a giveaway - would you rather see kids items, kitchen items or home decor items??? :) Let me know!

Blog Changes...

Okay...so I'm teaching myself before the Photoshop Trial disappears to create banners, backgrounds and signatures. What do you all think of the banner at the top?? The signature at the bottom??? Do you like Dark or Light backgrounds?? Let me know what's easier to read. I've made a background but can't get the html coding to cooperate. For those of you newer to the blogging world (Nonnie, Pawpaw, Grandma, Pop, Aunt Beky - I'm talking to you!!), let me know what you think by clicking on the comments link at the bottom of this post. You can fill out the form to the right and let me know. Just say you are an anonymous user.