Our Berry Good Life

Day 7: Button

2012-02-07T10:53:00.010-05:00

Okay, okay, okay. I didn't take this picture today.

"Why didn't you have enough time/energy/hutzpuh to take a picture of a button today, Nicole," you may ask?

Well, really, I had great intentions to do so. A button. Let's see. My girls have the cutest button noses. I could have taken a picture of them. I just made hair bows with button on them. That would have been perfect for a picture and blog post.

But truthfully, yesterday Brandon and I tried to live intentionally. Tried, is the key word here. Tried is so closely spelled like TIRED.

Brandon woke up early. Got in the Word. Got his prayer on.
I woke up early. Fed the baby. Got in the Word. Got some prayer on.

The girls woke up later. Hallelujah. Could be because they didn't fall asleep the night before until 11pm, but that's a whole other story.

After Word and prayer and the sleepy girls got up, Brandon helped them make oatmeal and we had a picnic in our bedroom after I planned out our day of learning and engaging.

About that. We are trying to be more intentional about pouring into our kids. We've been so busy with moving, the church launch, being preggo, having a new baby, etc...that we have been guilty of letting Nick Jr. engage them more than we have. Not good. Not okay. Not anymore was our answer.

But after an hour of teaching them about Noah and his ark...practicing our N's, coloring, counting by twos, playing outside, etc...then making lunch and cleaning together and strategically waiting until they were 'resting' to get work done, and then playing outside again and making dinner and cleaning...

I was about to self-destruct. And I totally didn't care that I got into bed at 9:02pm without taking a button picture.

Being intentional is kind of like getting in shape. It takes a while to be able to run a few miles when you haven't run much at all in the last few months. So I'm gonna keep at it.

Day 6: Dinner

2012-02-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Berry Family Kitchen

Menu

Tender Ham Steak cooked in Cast Iron Skillet

Homemade Hash Brown Casserole

Hearts of Romaine and Spinach Salad with Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery, Bacon, and Cheese.

Beverage: Ice Water

Notes: Allie and Ella helped make the salad. Allie didn't eat it. Allie didn't really want to eat anything. Except the "hotdogs" with ketchup. Allie had a time out during dinner for getting out of her chair a bazillion times. Ella tried the hash brown casserole and liked it, Green Eggs and Ham style. "I like it Sam I Am!" Caroline was screaming when I put dinner down on the table, but I was smart and pre-cut my ham so I could hold her and eat without issues, allowing my wonderful husband to get his grub on without having to hold a crying baby. Selfless, I know... ;) Actually, Caroline decided she was also hungry for dinner at the same time, so I go my multi-tasking self to work.

And after all that, I completely forgot to take the Day 6: Dinner picture.

But I did make cookies and the as the Berry girls were snuggling in with Daddy for the 17 thousandth viewing of "Tangled," I snapped a quick dessert picture.

And here it is...

Day 5: 10am

2012-02-06T12:27:00.000-05:00

Day 5 was Sunday. At 10am, we are in the middle of church. And at 10am today, we happened to be in the church that we helped plant and now lead as the campus pastors, RWOC Charlotte! This picture is the culmination of a year and a half of training, hard work, relationship building, and a lot of prayer! It's exciting to see it become a reality.

Day 4: A Stranger

2012-02-04T22:56:00.000-05:00

These have become quite the strangers in the last 10 months. I'd like to get reacquainted with them real soon...

Day 3: Hands

2012-02-03T17:01:00.002-05:00

This hand,

So small, so soft.

Soon it will grow.

Soon it will have sticky stuff all over it.

Soon it will be learning how to tickle.

Soon it'll learn how to hold a crayon and make irreplaceable masterpieces.

This hand,

Soon it will hold a handlebar with white knuckles as Daddy lets go of the bike for the first time.

Soon it will learn how to navigate monkey bars.

Soon it will hold the strap of a book bag as she walks out the door for school.

This hand,

Reaching for a chord on an instrument

Or slapping high fives after a game-winning goal

What will this hand experience in victory and character-building defeats?

This hand,

Too soon it'll be used to text and tweet.

To update statuses and update Mom on her whereabouts.

And white-knuckled again, it will grip the steering wheel of Daddy's car for the first time.

This hand,

I wonder whose hand it will hold one day.

Who will ask for this hand in marriage?

What will this hand look like with a wedding band on it?

This hand,

How will it be used to heal the broken, the forgotten, the poor?

How will it feel like Jesus' hand to those whom it touches?

How will it fit in the body of Christ?

This hand,

in His capable hands,

I hold her loosely in my own hands

To release her into His care, for his service, for His glory.

Day 2: Words

2012-02-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

This is a tee-tiny lil' snippet of our humongous white board. Humongous as in, "it takes up an entire wall" big. When we moved to Charlotte, Brandon was pretty much looking for a house to fit the board. I hear that you're not supposed to look for a new home based on your furniture...I don't know if the idiom translates to office equipment. To say the least, I was opposed to putting it in the loft office at the top of our stairs...the room everyone has to walk through when they come up to the bedrooms.

"Babe, it's too intimidating."

I lost that battle. Can't win them all, I guess.

And now it hangs in all its glory.

But somehow I've grown to like it. I rather enjoy seeing my husband's thoughts, his words written out. His mind is so full of wisdom, strategy, prophetic visions, and many times I am able to connect with him by seeing what he's written, even when we haven't had a lot of face-to-face time recently.

For the record, I like face-to-face time a lot better.

The board is a topic of conversation that comes up a good bit because we spend a lot of time up in the office. We laugh because there are some of the words that have been there since day one (if you erase that, you are dead to me, woman) and others that don't live on the board longer than a few seconds thanks to our "helpful" children are fascinated with the erasable aspect of Dry-Erase. We've learned to put the really important stuff out of reach so it doesn't get wiped off with little fingers.

If words are life, there's a lot of life on that board.

Day 1: Your View Today

2012-02-01T21:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this is technically four pictures. Overachiever. But as I think of my view today, this is pretty telltale. Sweet Caroline hanging out in her swing (when she's not nursing, being held, getting changed, getting bathed, getting tummy time, getting burped, spitting up all over me, napping, etc.)

This morning I took these pics with my iPhone as Ella and Allie played blocks and Brandon was at a meeting.

Which leads me to admit that I'm completely spoiled. There, I said it.

I'm spoiled in a lot of ways, but one I'd like to touch on right now is the fact that my husband gives me until 10am almost every morning to spend by myself with the Lord. He usually wakes up early, gets his own time with the Lord in before the girls wake up, and then engages them while making breakfast. He then brings me coffee and breakfast in bed and closes the door so I don't get distracted.

Why does he do this? Because about 6 months ago when we moved to Charlotte, the Lord told him to make room for me to have uninterrupted time with Him. And he's doing his best to obey. Hallelujer!

As a mom to (then) two little girls, preggo w/#3, trying to keep my house in Greenville spotless for possible showings, researching where to move to in Charlotte, and helping plant RWOC Charlotte, I was taking on a lot of responsibility and not doing so great at keeping my #1 priority #1. So I guess God missed me and told Brandon to give me some space.

Thankfully, it didn't take long to remember that I do, in fact, love Jesus...a LOT!

So to tie all this rambling back to my picture...I was up with Caroline, Allie, and Ella this morning early while Brandon was meeting with a couple of guys for breakfast. And this was the picture I shot during my early morning time with my girls.

Up For A Challenge

2012-02-01T12:09:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law, Pepper who can be found over here, is so very good about taking pictures. She always has been since I've known her. When their first son, my stellar nephew, Channing, was born, Pepper was one of those moms who set out to take Chancake's picture EVERY WEEK for the first year of his life...and actually succeeded.

Completely amazing, if you ask me.

We all oooohed and aaaahed at his epic 1st birthday party as she creatively displayed each week's photo on a clothesline/timeline...seeing him grow and change week by week was fantastic, especially since our families lived over 4 hours away from each other, and our times together that year weren't super frequent.

So, I ~~got~~ stole the idea from Pepper, and decided to take Caroline's picture each week of her life with the intent to display them at her 1st birthday party. Pepper encouraged me and gave me a tip, "plug it into your phone's calendar and set a reminder so you don't forget." So into my trusty iPhone went, "Take Caroline's weekly pic".

Week One. iPhone calendar reminder beeps. Okay, I'm on it. Get camera. Get baby dressed. Pick out a cute fabric to lay baby on. Check lighting. Work camera. Wait...(Note to self: Self, you REALLY need to figure out how to use this camera! What's the point of having a sweet, super deluxe camera with all these cool settings if you're clueless as to how to use any of them except the automatic feature?). K, if you can't work it, just do what you can, sister.

Click, click, click, click, click...

Photoshop or no? (Further note to self: Self, you also REALLY need to figure out how to use your Photoshop program. What's the point of paying for sweet computer photofinishing programs if you're clueless as to how to use it?) No.

And this is what I came up with. Nothing Ansel Adams worthy, but there is a sweet little snookie wookie in that picture who has pretty much stolen my heart.

Week Two. iPhone calendar reminder beeps. But baby is sleeping. Hmmph...I'll wait.

And that was the end of my Picture-by-the-Week endeavor. Sorry, Caroline.

So it is with great trepidation that I even put this out there. I saw this on Pinterest and wanted to at least take a go at it. A picture a day, for 29 days (hello, Leap Year). Some days will be focused on the aforementioned snookie wookie...Others will be my other loves and randomness from my life. We'll see how far I get. I'll try to post them on the blog, too...another high and lofty goal: to blog every day. But I want to do this for a couple of reasons.

A: It will give me an incentive to try to figure out how to work my camera. (or at least my iPhone camera)

B: It will give me an incentive to try to figure out my Photoshop program. (or at least my iPhone photo apps)

C: It will challenge me to document my sometimes crazy life as a pastor's wife and mom of three. Birthing a newborn and a church in the same month is not for the faint of heart, people.

D: It will challenge me to write more. I have so many things that happen in my day that I want to write about. Mostly they get out in 140 characters or less, but I really want to work on my writing skills, so this will give me that push to do so.

29 Days. Let's go.

Sweet Caroline

2012-01-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

I'm a little embarrassed that it's taken me so long to post a blog about Caroline!

She's here. She's healthy. She's beautiful. We are so very blessed.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Caroline Sophia Berry

December 20, 2012

7lbs, 9oz. , 20 in.

Sweet girl

With Nissi

And Papa John

Already making faces for Papaw...

Ella's ready for more big sister duties.

Allie's not so sure...

Daddy's really got his hands full now...3 girls!

Always thoughtful Pappy came with gifts after watching big sisters all day.

John John, Aunt Pepper, and Chancakes

Some church friends...I wish I would've had a recording devise to capture the 1000 questions that cutie in purple asked me in the span of 20 minutes! So funny!

The Smiths were in Charlotte from Greenville for the day and dropped by.

Going home. Although I begged the hospital staff to let me stay another week or so! Round the clock help and room service...but alas, they kicked us out after 2 nights. We're on our own now.

Sweet cheeks.

Everyone loved Caroline's little hat. She'll grow into it soon, I'm sure!

Daddy chest picture. Classic.

She's been such a huge blessing to our family. She fits right in and is so, so, so easy! Thank you, Lord!

From Don Juan to Stan the Man Van

2011-12-17T13:13:00.015-05:00

When we bought our 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, we were on a hunt. We had just recently purchased the bigger, nicer, swankier Armada, but it was too good to be true. After less than 2 weeks, we found out that it was leaking oil and was going to cost $10k to replace the engine. And that, my friends, was not going to happen. We felt pretty frustrated at the whole ordeal, to say things like a pastor's wife should say them...

The Armada was fully loaded. Nav system, DVD system, heated leather seats, sunroof...you name it, it had it. But that engine issue...well, we just couldn't get over it for some reason. ;) All the bells and whistles that the Armada boasted paled in comparison to the fact that the engine didn't work properly. Here would be a great opportunity to write about some deep spiritual metaphor pertaining to this reality. But I'm not feeling deep right now, so I'm gonna hold on to that for later.

So when we went looking to trade in the Armada (we didn't want to sell it outright and give someone else our huge headache), we were looking only a few things:
1) It had to be certified.
2) It had to have a warranty in case anything happened later.
3) It had to have three rows of seats because we were picking up and dropping off a lot of teenagers for church those days.

And we found a great deal just outside Atlanta. We disclosed the engine problem, but since we were at a Nissan dealership, it was a lot less burdensome for them to fix it as a trade in than it would have been for us to get it fixed. It was the end of the month, and they needed to reach quota, so we were able to negotiate a pretty sweet deal, and get a certified Pathfinder with 30k less miles, and a warranty for our Armada. The Pathfinder didn't have a bell or a whistle. But neither of us cared. It had what we needed. We affectionately named him Don Juan the Nissan, and ol' Don Juan proved to be a wonderful addition to our family.

But loading both girls in Don Juan soon proved to take an effort. Among the missing bells were running boards that would help us step up and lift the girls into their car seats. When they got older, they were unable to reach the door handle on their own because it was located halfway up the window. So we began making Ella put her hand on the tire while we opened the door, strapped Allie in, and then walked around to get Ella situated.

This was pretty stressful for me because at such young ages, the kids aren't 100% great at obeying, and I was always keeping my eyes peeled for Ella to take her hand off the tire and run into a parking lot. I was like the "hand on the tire" Nazi, spitting threats through clinched teeth as I strapped her squirming sister into the car seat at lightning fast speed.

As they've grown, they could (barely) climb into the car themselves after I opened their doors, but the backseat was so small that they couldn't climb across easily from one side to the other, and that necessitated me to have to open each door. As my pregnancy progressed, the thought of picking them up to put them in faster makes me want to tear my hair out.

Plus, since both of them are on the small side, they are both in 5 point harness car seats. And we were wondering how in the world we were going to fit three across the backseat. Or, if we could put Ella in the 'way back', we couldn't figure out how to get HER back there and strapped in safely. Seemed like a big pain in the butt, and I was imagining that after Caroline came, I'd be stuck in the house FOR.EV.ERRRRRR! Or at least until they got their own driver's licenses.

So we began facing our fears head on. The fear was that we were going to have to move from "cool SUV driving parents" to "not so cool but practical minivan driving parents."My friend, Jodie, had once declared any minivan to be a "mommy mobile with no sex appeal." And for some reason, I believed her, although most families who drive minivans have multiple children, so I guess sex appeal doesn't completely dissolve. I mean, we do know how those babies are made, right?

And, with less than a month before Caroline was set to be on the Berry scene, we decided to get serious about this switcheroo. We scoured Craigslist, visited some dealerships, and came up with Stan.

Stan the Man Van, that is.

Actually, Brandon spearheaded the effort. He found Stan on Craigslist, he took Don Juan down to the dealership in Lancaster, SC, and he negotiated the deal. Then he bought a red bow and surprised me!

I never EVER thought that I would be THIS excited about having to drive a minivan. Minivans scream, "MOMMY!", and I hear that word enough during the day as it is. But Stan is so suave, so plush, so cozy, so spacious. Stan the Man opens the doors for the ladies. Literally. At the touch of a button on my key chain, Stan's doors open automatically, allowing my 4 and 2 year old treasures to climb in to safety without much effort at all. And now that treasure #3 is here, and I'm lugging that huge baby carrier around (why can't they figure out how to make safe and light baby carriers, by the way?), Stan's debonair ways are even more appreciated.

I love how much space Stan affords our family. The girls no longer have to keep their legs bent so as to not touch the seats in front of them. I no longer have dashboard stuck in my teeth every time we go on a road trip. We stored so much stuff in Stan on our first trip to Greenville, someone would have thought we were moving back.

Love it, love it, love it.

So for all you haters out there, I'm telling you something. I'm a convert. Stan the Man Van has my heart.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner-Part 2

2011-12-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

The closet nursery...

Is almost finished. I'm pretty excited, actually.

For those of you who didn't know we were putting baby Caroline in our walk-in closet, check this post out for a little catch-u-up.

As for us, we are less than a week away from the anticipated arrival of baby girl #3, and are beyond excited to meet little miss Caroline.

We have pretty much completed most of the big projects needed for the launch of RWOC Charlotte, set for January 15th, 2012. It's like finishing an assignment early. I don't know if Brandon knows what that feeling is like, cause he was pretty much notorious for turning in projects at the last minute, or after.

We have bought a family-friendlier vehicle. More on that later!

We had a small baby shower with some local friends. It was a diaper and wipe shower, since we have pretty much what we need gear-wise for a baby girl. It was a wonderful time to stop, reflect, and celebrate Caroline's arrival.

And...the nursery in the closet is almost finished. Hall-le-lu-jer!

So here's a little breakdown of what's what.

We are finally using the crib we bought as an infant crib for the first time! Ella and Allie both used the same crib that I did when I was a baby...teething marks and all. We had bought new hardware for it to make sure it was up to date with safety issues, and it was so fun to have them in it. But we bought this crib that turns into a toddler bed and a full sized bed a little bit before Allie was born. We had Ella in it with the mattress at the lowest setting, cause she was just a 20 months old when Allie came along, but it wasn't long before we transitioned it to a toddler bed. Since then, a new recall has outlawed drop-side cribs, so Caroline won't be using the same crib Mom and her big sisters used. Instead, she gets the newer model.

The crib sheet was a gift from a dear friend who just had her first child. She sent it a while back, and I told her I liked it so much I was gonna use it as my nursery decor inspiration. Well, Katie, I'm a woman of my word. I've also picked out a couple other fabrics on sale at Hobby Lobby that coordinate, and am going to make a couple more crib sheets for lil Miss using this link I found on Pinterest. Cost for other fabric:s $15 total.

The crib skirt is a homemade touch of brilliance that I adapted from one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love. I seriously don't miss a day of these folks' posts. Love them. And this crib skirt was super easy, and cheap! They did a 3 sided skirt, but I only had to do 1 side for the time being, because sides 2, 3, & 4 aren't visible! I did, however, buy enough fabric to make the other 2 sides in case we move the crib to a different spot or move homes and Caroline ends up somewhere besides the closet. Cost for crib skirt (1 sided): $7

The lime green frame was in a give-away pile. It actually was a plastic, gold (read: gaudy) mirror. After convincing Brandon we needed to put it in the car (he thought I was CRAZY), I ran over to Lowe's and grabbed a bottle of spray paint. Then I put on 3 light and even (for the most part) coats of lime green to cover the gold. Total cost: $3.77

The hot pink name and scripture wall decal was a must to tie things all together. I found it on Etsy, which is another wonderful site for ideas and homemade/creative gifts. This was, by far, the most expensive aspect of Caroline's nursery...with shipping, it cost $27. It conveniently came in the mail about 3 hours before my baby shower, so I had Brandon sticking it on the wall before it started so my friends could get the full effect. It makes me smile every time I see it. I heart it.

The hot pink with orange polka dot blanket was purchased off a gift card that I got from my credit card rewards. So, technically, that was free. And it's so soft and sweet.

The kelly green boxes were already on hand from IKEA, and they house Caroline's clothes, blankets, and burp cloths.

It's not installed just yet, but we bought this super cute chandelier from IKEA the other day for $20. Right now we have a fluorescent tube light in there that casts a pretty harsh light on things. So we think this will soften up the ambiance a bit.

I hit up Pinterest again for a super easy and cost effective storage option...reusing old diaper boxes by decorating them with burlap and ribbons! This gal's idea gave me lots of storage for just a few bucks! Cost of two burlap covered boxes: $6.

Again, since I am pretty much obsessed with Pinterest, I found another cheap and easy project for this burlap covered wall hanging with button "C" on it. This project took me about 15 minutes and $2.

The wall clings were given to me by a friend who had them left over from her daughter's nursery. So not only were the FREE, but they also do pretty good to cover up Allie's 'artwork' --she took a brown crown to the flat paint, and I haven't had the energy to try to figure out if the Magic Eraser will work or not.

As far as other necessary nursery staples, we have the changing table pad in our room since she'll be spending a lot of time in there with us, and it's only a few steps from her nursery, and the same friend who hooked us up with the wall clings also donated her super cush rocker to us, and it is in our room doubling as a reading chair right now. It will be perfect for nighttime feedings and snuggling, and the light blue gingham blends in decently with our bedroom decor.

So there we have it. A sweet little place to lay her head. And it cost a total of $80.77 out of my pocket. Not too shabby, eh? The wall opposite the shelves has yet to be decorated, but we'll wait to either find a great deal on something we can't live without or until I discover a Pinterest project that I just have to incorporate. When that happens, I'll be sure to update, as I know you'll be on pins and needles. ;)

The 5 Love Languages of Pregnancy

2011-12-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

I remember reading Gary Chapman's The Five Love Lanugages for the first time. It was so eye opening. It was then that I was able to see in words how most people give and receive love. I recognized that one of my main love languages is Quality Time. I love spending real time with people, getting past the surfacy conversations and getting to know and be known by someone. I also saw how I was giving love the way that I most desired to receive it, but had to adjust and find out what love language others were 'speaking' in order to tell them that I love them.

For instance, Brandon's main love languages are Words of Encouragement and Physical Touch. When I speak life into him, tell him that he's doing an awesome job, speak positively of him in front of others...or when I give him lots of hugs, kisses, back scratches, and er....well, this IS a post about pregnancy, so you get where I'm going with this....he feels loved. Me just buying him a gift simply won't cut it.

And that's no good.

Since I've been a Stay At Home Mom, I think that besides needing Quality Time (read: no screaming kids around while we try to have a conversation), my other love language that is high up there is Acts of Service. When Brandon helps with the nighttime routine (which is pretty often) or gets a wild hair to clean the entire kitchen or wash and clean out my car, I get all warm and gooey inside. He's much more likely to have that Physical Touch need met, too, so we both win. Having two kids and being engrossed in everyday acts of service for others really allows me to appreciate it when others take small things off my plate.

But now that we are in the last few weeks of our third full pregnancy, I have come to find out that there are other, unpublished love languages that pertain to my life right now. My sister-in-law, who is always a wealth of wisdom and just so happens to be preggo too, and I were discussing some of these love languages of pregnancy.

Sleep: For the preggo, sleep may arguably be the most popular love language. That first trimester is simply exhausting. Personally, I remember never being so tired in all my life. When I was pregnant with Ella, I would come home from work, sit on the couch, and wake up hours later. No dinner had been made, no cleaning or planning for the next day...I would simply shuffle from the couch to the bed and sleep until my alarm would rudely awaken me the next morning. And no, brushing my teeth was not a priority during those times. It only got worse with Allie's pregnancy cause although I wasn't working anymore, I had 1 year old to run after, and that was a WHOLE lot more tiring than sitting at a desk. Now, with the third child...well, I'm still so tired I can't even express myself adequately. You get the point. It gets worse with more chil'ren. And it doesn't just end. The first trimester and the last trimester are both super sleepy times for Mama. So if you have a preggo and want to tell her you love her, give her a break to get some shut eye. Men, put the kids down to bed yourself and tell her to get in bed and not worry about a thing. Friends and family: offer to watch the kids or help out so she can get some much needed sleep. She'll feel super duper loved.

Food: This can go two ways. One, the preggo is going to have some serious CRAVINGS. This happens mostly through the first and second trimester, but in the third she will definitely know what she wants to eat most of the time. There's just something about having a craving satisfied that makes a preggo H-A-P-P-Y. And two, there are going to be some serious AVERSIONS. If your preggo can't stand the smell of fish during pregnancy, don't go to Harbor Inn at lunch and come home smelling like an aquarium. Don't even mention Red Lobster. Don't request shrimp scampi for dinner. Whatever her aversion is, note it and STAY AWAY. You'll be happier, I promise, when she feels loved in this way. And don't get upset if her aversions include your favorite foods or change suddenly. Just go with it, because like other pregnancy-related downers, this too shall pass.

Sanity: This is super important for a preggo because pregnancy is a time when our minds are racing. If this is a first pregnancy, there are no less than a gazillion things going through Lil' Mama's mind. It's a time when anxiety levels can be high, so if you know a preggo, give her space to collect her thoughts. Perhaps a Starbucks gift card (if she doesn't have an aversion to the smell of coffee, that is) and a journal so she can write down her thoughts, lists, To Do's, etc... Also, don't pile more on her plate than normal. This is not the time to announce to her that you are quitting your job to join the circus, or that you want to take an trip out of the country that just so happens to land during her 36th week. This does nothing but make for more craziness going on in her mind. Finally, go with the flow when it comes to her forgetting things. Cause she will. Often. Even the most organized, on-top-of-it preggos get pregnancy brain. We can't remember our own middle names sometimes, much less where we put that receipt that you need for reimbursement. Instead of scowling, just say, "it's okay, babe" and figure something else out.

Massage: Massage can often be tied in with Sanity (i.e. a massage definitely helps keep a preggo sane). My husband has always been good about hooking me up with an hour long prenatal massage sometime in my second or third trimester. This pregnancy, my dad actually sent me to the spa for a whole day of pampering...massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. Marvelous. Having the opportunity to put your big ole belly in a hole and lay face down in a dark, warm, relaxing room while someone massages your sore back is pure bliss. Especially when you are growing another person in your womb and haven't been able to sleep in your favorite position in over 6 months. If you can't afford a prenatal massage for the preggo you love, feel free to pull out the lotion or massage oil and offer to hook a sister up with a massage yourself, focusing on her lower back, neck, fingers, legs, and feet. Please note, massage should be reserved for the second and third trimester only. Also, be aware and stay away from prenatal pressure points that have been known to induce labor before your preggo is full term (at least 37 weeks).

and...

Chop Blocking Anyone Who Tries to Touch The Belly: Many women may adhere to the self-loving aspect of this because they are the ones being violated when strangers or even well-meaning friends without permission try to touch the belly. But, men...friends, whomever is close to the preggo, can really tell her they love her by going Mister Miyagi on people who reach out unsolicited. Preggo feels protected and loved in unimaginable ways, I promise! I talked a little about this here, but I'll say it again. If you want to love on a preggo AND you want to touch her belly...ask first. I have no qualms about embarrassing you in public or cutting your finger off if you come in unexpectedly. But I'd rather have someone else do my dirty work for me because I'm just too darn big, tired, cranky, etc...

So, there it is. 5 ways to love the preggo in your life. Find out which ones she needs when (she'll probably need all of them at some point over the 40 weeks), and hook a sister up. You'll be happy you did.

Your turn: What other pregnancy love languages can you think of? If you've been pregnant, what are some ways people have loved you well? Share, share, share!

Drives Me Crazy

2011-11-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

Things that drive me crazy...holla if you can relate.

1) Grocery store cashiers who over pack bags or take no notice of the fact that I may not want my raw meat snuggling with my fruits and veggies... I recently had a cashier take the fact that I had a larger sized reusable bag for granted. Instead of putting many light things in it (like cereal boxes, pasta, etc...), she decided to put: 1 gal of milk, 1 OJ, 1 large apple juice bottle, 1 XL coffee creamer bottle, 1 carton of soy milk, 1 4lb box of Borax, and about 15 other light pantry things all in this one bag. The bag probably weighed 85 lbs. She must have not noticed that I'm not a body builder. She must have not noticed that I'm 8 months pregnant, either. Which brings me to the next thing that drives me crazy...

2) People who make stupid preggo comments and touch my belly without asking. I've blogged about this before here and here. Yesterday, while I was taking my girls down the hallway at church to put them in childcare, one of the ladies who works in the nursery leaned out the door as I walked past, and called out to me, "Nicole...are you pregnant?" I turned sideways and she said, "Oh, you didn't look pregnant until you turned sideways" (okay, that was nice), but then she had to add..."you about to have that baby, Nicole? You are so big!" Really? Thanks! Then we had to get up in front of the whole congregation for an announcement about the campus coming to Charlotte. And since Apostle Ron mentioned the fact that I look like I'm about to have a baby right there on stage (which really wasn't a big deal cause he made it somewhat funny), apparently that gave everyone else in the congregation the permission they needed to make comments and jokes and touch my belly in between services. I won't even begin. And while I was complimented by many sweet friends that I was glowing, 'looking good hot mama' (these are people who must have read the aforementioned blogs or had been pregnant themselves), etc... I was also told by someone who probably meant well that I looked miserable. Geez, makes a girl all warm and fuzzy inside. I also have a family member who insists on commenting on how fat I'm getting every time I see him. Or every time I reach for food. I need to go on to the next one before I get really mad...

3) Traffic. It took us three and a half hours to get from Greenville to Charlotte last night. It usually takes less than two. Enough said.

4) Pretty much all people who want to put more on my plate these days. Did you know that in the next two months the Berrys will be: hosting Thanksgiving, finishing Christmas shopping, wrapping and decorating, training and traveling back and forth to Greenville a bazillion times to get ready for launch, buying EVERY SINGLE thing we have to have for our church, HAVING A BABY, celebrating Christmas in a new house, still mourning the fact that my mom's not here over the holidays, celebrating Brandon's 30th birthday, sleeping through New Year's, and planting a church that is set to start on my birthday. That's on top of things like working on keeping our marriage great, raising godly children, and keeping our house from becoming a cesspool of clutter, dirty laundry and germs. So please don't get offended if we don't send Christmas cards, remember your kid's 12th birthday, call 'just to chat', come to your ugly sweater Christmas party, or randomly offer to babysit so you can go on date night. We are usually pretty good at these things, but this year... We. Just. Can't. In fact, if you cook, clean, babysit or are a computer whiz, could you please help a sista out so I don't check myself into a mental hospital in the next few weeks?

Okay, I should probably stop at 4. Plenty to chew on. But feel free to add some of your own in the comments.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner

2011-10-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

But we sure as heck are about to put her in the closet.

Yep. You read that correctly.

You see, we recently moved to Charlotte, and have been renting a nice home in a nice neighborhood. There are three bedrooms...one for us, one for E & A who have shared a room since Allie was 2 months old, and one for our guests. We thought about turning the guest room into the nursery, but a few things stopped us:

1) We have overnight guests ALL THE TIME. I think out of the three months we've lived here, we've been home 6 weekends all together. And of those 6 weekends, we've had overnight guests 4 weekends. So that leaves a big, whopping 2 weekends that we've not had overnight guests. And that doesn't even take into account the overnight guests we've had during the weekdays. Hotel Berry. We like having guests and know that we have been blessed to be a blessing, so offering our home for friends, family and launch team members who are looking to move to Charlotte isn't a big deal for us. We know as we get closer to the launch and even into the new year, we should expect to have that room occupied with people from out of town. And that's cool.

But we couldn't imagine having to deal with the awkwardness of rearranging a guest room, incorporating a crib, changing table, and baby decor, and making our guests feel like they are intruding on baby's normal routine when they are visiting. Nope. Strike One.

2) It's expensive to make a nursery. As mentioned before, it would take a lot of planning (and money) to bring our existing guest room decor and baby decor into agreement. In fact, it just wouldn't jive, so either we'd have to switch out the bedding for the baby or the bedding for the guest bed, or both. Or just live with clashing decor. No thank you. Strike Two.

Well, in this game, two strikes is enough. It's kind of like the opposite of T-ball where the players get unlimited attempts to hit the ball. We play hardball around here, yo.

So, looking around for other options, we had two options left. Put baby's crib in our bedroom or put baby's crib in our enormous walk-in closet.

At first we were gonna go with the bedroom. It's a rather large room, and even with a king sized bed and furniture, we could make it work without cramping us too much. But then we would run into the whole "how do we meld these two decor styles together" question again. We looked again at the closet. It has a vent and, again, it's huge. And the fact that we don't have very many clothes (certainly not enough to fill it) made this option a bit brighter.

Here would be an awesome opportunity to put a picture of the "Before" closet. Alas, I suck at thinking ahead these days and we got to work before I remembered to snap a pic. Boo me.

We took out the shelving on the back wall and on the right side, and consolidated all of our clothes to the front left part of the closet.

Then we set up the crib on the back wall. This is a in-progress shot. I just put a rug down and a crib sheet on but don't have the skirt, or any decor yet. But you see how big this is? That is a BIG crib in there, people.

So next up is to think of some creative and renter-friendly way of decorating the wall. I'm thinking vinyl wall decals that stick and unstick easily. Also, I would really love to switch out the fluorescent tube light for a dainty chandelier...but that is going to have to be up to the owners, I think.

At first I was a bit hesitant to consider putting baby in the closet, but a few things really changed my mind:

1) Baby doesn't care. She's not going to even know the difference. I came to grips with the fact that most of the time when people spend crazy amounts of money and time on a baby nursery, it's not even really for the baby. It's for them. Not that it's some horrible thing to want to design a beautiful nursery. I remember when Ella was about to be born, setting up the nursery really helped me see the reality of the whole thing. There really is going to be a little person in here one day. But Ella could have cared less what fabric I picked out or the fact that I had her bumpers, crib sheets, Roman shade and diaper holder custom made, or how everything coordinated perfectly. All she cared about was being loved, well fed, and clean. Same with Allie. Neither cared that their room was the second largest in the house, and neither even really used it except to sleep and be changed until they were older. By the time Caroline is old enough to know she sleeps in a closet, we will most likely be in a new house and she'll have a room (maybe).

2) It's close to us, but not too close. We have to go through our master bathroom to get to the closet. And there are two doors that we can close if needed. This is a better option in our opinion than having her in a crib in our room because it does give us a little bit of privacy when we really need it. After she starts sleeping through the night, we will most likely want to have some semblance of rest and retreat sans baby in our bedroom.

3) It offers a separate, quiet spot for her to rest. Said another way, her sisters won't be all up in her grill all the time. And they won't have to tiptoe around because when she's asleep in her crib, she won't be able to hear them anyway unless they are playing in our bathroom (which has been known to happen at times--little girls LOVE to get into Mommy's lotions, makeup and hair stuff).

4) It's a great use of a space that would normally become a dumping grounds for junk. I really wish I had the "Before" picture of the closet. Because "Before" for us really meant "before I unpacked everything". We had lots of boxes and baskets of unorganized clothes that easily could have stayed put for months if I had not had the motivation of "let's transform this into a nursery". So, it forced us to purge some clothes and shoes, organize the others into seasons, and store the unused seasonal clothing elsewhere. When we go into the closet now, we are more likely to put things where they belong instead of just being lazy and dropping them on the floor (gasp...yes, we did that from time to time!)

5) It forces me to keep things simple. Between parenting 2 other angels, being a wife, and starting a church, I have a lot on my plate. And the fact that I love to be creative can actually work against me when thinking of designing a nursery..."Oooh, I saw this on Pinterest, I could do that!" thought a hundred times could really add up in time and money! Yes, I'd like to still make it special, but the fact that there isn't a ton of space will help me stay reigned in a little bit (I hope).

And yes, for those of you who are concerned about stuffiness, there is a vent in the closet that allows air to circulate, and we'll probably put a small fan in there for white noise/air circulation as well.

So that's where Lil' Miss Caroline will be spending her first few months (or until we move). And guests, we welcome you to Hotel Berry!

Do you have any ideas that you'd like to share on how we can make the closet nursery a sweet little spot? Please share in the comment section!

It's Been A Year

2011-09-21T00:25:00.001-04:00

Warning: this post contains raw emotions and real talk about death and grieving. It's not for the faint of heart.

It's been a year since I've seen her face, held her hand, felt her tangible presence. It's been a year, and yet sometimes it seems like it just happened and sometimes it seems like it's been a decade.

She's missed so much this year:
Us moving to Charlotte, finding out we're having another baby, finding out it's ANOTHER girl(!!!), the craziness of trying to start a church, birthdays, Christmas, vacations.

Those events have been hard...the feeling of knowing she's not with us is especially heavy when we gather around a celebratory table to enjoy a meal together or cross another milestone in our young family's life. But what is even harder are the random mornings when I just feel like picking up the phone to chat, and tell her about the mundane things in life. That happens almost every day. For a while, I was so used to picking up the phone for our daily talk that I wouldn't even realize what I was doing until I heard her voice mail, "You've reached Cris Malseed. Please leave a message." So professional...I think she set that before she got sick. My heart hurts when I walk into their home and though things look pretty much the same, it's just...different.

I ache during the times when our girls are acting especially cute or talented or when we notice that Allie's vocabulary exploding again (she and Allie always had a special bond), and I think, "Gosh, Mom would LOVE to be here right now soaking this in." I hate that she's missing out on hopscotch and Ella's soccer games and seeing how sassy but fun Allie is--true Cris fashion! It stinks not having my Mom to talk to after I've been up all night with sick children to encourage me and remind me that this will be in the past soon. She was great at holding back unsolicited, outdated parenting advice. I miss the joy on her face that I saw when we brought the kids to see her and she soaked in how her baby was now somehow a mommy herself. Parenting small children without Mom is just harder.

But as much as I hurt still, I'm overwhelmed by a sense of thankfulness.

I'm thankful for the five years we had together between her diagnosis and the end of her battle with Pulmonary Hypertension. Along with her physical changes, she changed spiritually and emotionally. Brandon and I were talking this morning about how special that time was. It felt like we squeezed 30 years of heart-to-heart real relationship into 5. We became more than mother and daughter, we became friends, confidants, prayer partners even. Our time together wasn't taken for granted anymore. We knew there was a chance that it would be short-lived, so we took advantage of the opportunities to spend time together and make them count. Not everyone has a reason to stop and recognize how precious life is. So many take it for granted, but we didn't take those 5 years for granted.

I am so thankful for that.

I am so thankful to have been able to see my dad step up in ways I would have never imagined. His faithful sacrifice was so endearing, so inspiring. As her primary caretaker, he learned more about Pulmonary Hypertension, administering Flolan, and patient care than most nurses. He gave and gave and gave, even when it wasn't easy. Mom was still Mom...although she was sweeter MOST of the time, the bulldog Cris who used to be so important at huge law firms was still itching to have control over something. She couldn't control what was happening to her body, so she many times overcompensated by trying to control things like how the books were arranged on the shelves, how her sandwich was made, how the bills were paid. Dad graciously accepted more than most people would, and at least tried to accommodate her wishes. That was hard. I know because during my visits, he would get a break and I would take on that role, and if the Spirit of the Living God wasn't in me at times, I would have probably caved. But that is just how she was, and who can blame her for wanting to keep her grip on something, anything...as the rest of her life was slipping through her fingers. So I am so thankful to have seen my dad stay true to his wedding vows, to never give up, to sacrifice so much until the very last moment.

I am also thankful that in this year, he has had a lot of healing take place. I can't imagine the grief he feels over losing Mom, but the fact that he can get on his always-dreamed-of Harley Davidson and go for a ride to think, cry, clear his head...worth every over-priced penny in my opinion. Their friends have stepped up in wonderful ways to support him and love him and keep him included as much as he feels up to it.

I am so thankful for that.

I am so thankful that things happened the way they did on the night she passed. I had received a call from her hospice nurse letting me know that she had been taken to the hospice house that afternoon and she was in a lot of pain, and had been put on strong doses of morphine. I knew that the hospice house was only used for two things: to give the caretakers a little rest or to have constant high-quality care during the last days of one's life. I spoke to Dad that day who told me that he would keep in contact with me if things seemed to be spiraling downward anymore. Otherwise, he didn't want us to have to make the big effort to pack up two kids and drive down just to wait indefinitely. She was such a fighter that no one knew how things would turn out. That night after dinner, Brandon and I had been talking about what to do and the girls were up later than usual. Brandon said, "you know what, let's just go. At least you can sit with her, give your dad a break, and be there if anything happens." So we packed, got in the car, and drove down there, arriving at 11pm. I relieved Dad at Mom's bedside so he could get some rest. He hadn't slept in 2 days.

My time at her bedside was short. I sat in a chair and read my Bible and prayed and journaled and listened to Kari Jobe. I praised God for opening Mom's eyes to see who He really was, for drawing her to himself, and for securing her eternity by his sacrifice. I praised Him that this wasn't the last time I would see my mom, but that I could rest in knowing where she was going. It was truly a time of worship...hands raised, tears flowing as I felt His presence so strongly in that room. The nurses had told me she was in crazy pain, and as the morphine wore off, she would come to because of the excruciating pressure on her lungs and pain in her body. They said it could take weeks for her to pass. So as I was praying and journaling, I felt led to ask the Lord to have mercy on her and us...

And right as I wrote that the most amazing thing happened. Mom opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me. Though she had not been coherent all day, I could tell that she knew I was there. She tried to sit up. She started to take off her oxygen mask. I stood up and leaned over her, stroking her hair and whispering, "It's okay, Mom...it's okay. You can go be with Jesus. Just go be with Jesus, Mom. I love you, Mom." The fear in her eyes dissipated and she relaxed, closed her eyes, and I could tell the end was near. I called Brandon to tell him to wake Daddy up. Thankfully the hospice house was just minutes away from their house. He made it just in time to say goodbye. It was a precious, priceless moment.

The sense of relief and peace that washed over us was strange. The battle was over. She had won. Sort of. She finished well. She was at that very moment probably being told by Jesus, "well done, my good and faithful servant. You have finished your race, you have won the prize...the prize is Me." We had finished that battle well, too, loving and serving her to the best of our ability. The first thing we did was ask that she be unhooked from all the tubes and wires she was chained to for so long. She was finally free from all of that.

I am so thankful it happened that way.

Yes, as difficult as this year has been, I have much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the growth that's come in the grieving process...the closeness of God that I feel when I'm brokenhearted. I'm thankful for the wonderful memories that remain etched in the fabric of my mind as I think of her. I'm thankful each time my girls bring up Grammy, and I'm thankful that they can watch firsthand how someone who is anchored to the Rock of Christ grieves with hope. I'm thankful that life moves on, albeit differently. I'm thankful for the wonderful support from our family and friends who have rallied around us during this difficult year. And I'm thankful for a God who brings beauty out of ashes.

2011-09-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

I have an interest in Pinterest.

What's that, you don't know what Pinterest is yet?

Well, just think about this... (cue the Wayne & Garth's dream world sequence: doodley doo, doodley doo, doodley doo...)

You are just getting a chance to sit down on the couch and prop your feet up after a hard day of __________________ (work, parenting, LIFE...whatever). You have a tall glass of _______________ (tea, wine, lemonade, Diet Coke...again, whatever) next to you and you reach for your favorite magazine or catalog.

"Oh, this is a cool recipe...I should try it sometime". Riiiiiiiippppppppp! Out comes the page.

"What a beautiful kitchen! One day when I build my dream house..." Riiiiiiiippppppppp! Out comes the page.

"I love the way she has her hair done. I bet I could do that..." Riiiiiiiippppppppp! Out comes the page.

"Cute shoes..." Riiiiiiiippppppppp! Out comes the page.

"Dude, the guy from 300 is BEAST! What? Here's his workout regiment...I'm totally gonna look like him next month!" Riiiiiiiippppppppp! Out comes the page. (Had to throw in a guy scenario for all my dude readers.)

And the next thing you know your relaxing time on the couch has turned into this...

What to do with all your great new ideas, recipes, workout regiments? How do you keep them organized, accessible, and relevant?

Well, ladies and gents...that is where Pinterest comes in.

Pinterest is an online board for you to 'pin' anything your heart fancies that you discover on the internet...PG rated, of course. And you have access to it from your computer, smartphone, ipad, whatever! You can also share your pins with friends and see what they are into as well.

Gone are the days of piles of magazine pages littering your living room. Gone are the searches for that recipe you tore out three months ago that you are just now getting around to trying.

I have gotten so many cool ideas off this site. And, just being on it stirs up my creative juices. Yesterday alone, I made this:

this:

and this:

At your fingertips...ideas, creations, wisdom. Pinterest rocks my face off. Hallelujer.

The Risk in Relationships: Lottie

2011-08-29T17:12:00.005-04:00

(Sorry about the wonky sideways pic, but I couldn't get it rotated!)

There comes a point in every relationship when each party has to take a risk. Many people have already decided not to take that risk before they enter into even a first conversation. These are the people with whom you can never get past the surface. Every conversation seems to be taxing and forced because there comes a time when you just simply run out of things to say if no one opens up.

With our pets, it's different. They are usually the opposite of the surfacy conversation person. They give love and receive it as they trust their owners with their every need. They let us in to even their messiest details. We see them when they are hungry, tired, thirsty, needing attention. They don't hide behind masks, hoping no one will ever find out who they really are. And so, especially when we adopt them as babies, they work a special way into our hearts and families.

Lottie was like that. From the moment we laid eyes on her, both Brandon and I knew she was supposed to be a Berry family member. We adopted her on December 23rd...kind of on a whim as we were hosting Dad for Christmas and missing Mom tremendously on our first Christmas without her. She loved kitties and cats have always been part of their households. Plus, Ella had asked Santa for a puppy for Christmas, but Brandon and I knew that we didn't have enough time or expertise to take care of a puppy the way he/she deserves. Kitties are different. Not that they don't need time and love and attention, but generally they are a lot more self-sufficient than puppies. So...we went on a hunt for the little kitty that would light up our lives on Christmas morning. After searching multiple adoption options, we found this little blue-eyed kitty who was recommended to us by an ex-con (think John Coffey from "The Green Mile") who was working there. In fact, his exact words were, "You should wait for the kitties in this here box. They took 'em to go get their shots. Them are some real cute kitties." Who wouldn't take his advice?

Through a series of events that couldn't be described in any other way except the Lord working it out for us to take her home, we had her in our car on the way home just before the place closed for the holidays. We sat in the driveway trying to figure out how to hide her until Christmas morning, but underestimated our oldest daughter, who had gone up to the bonus room, peeked out the window, spotted the kitty on Brandon's chest through the windshield and ran downstairs yelling, "Pappy, pappy, Mommy and Daddy bought me a kitty." That solved our problem on hiding a little kitty for 36 hours.

The first person Lottie captured was Brandon. She must have known that he didn't really like cats. He had what we called "cat baggage" and the only other cat he'd had he had nicknamed "Lucifer". Lottie climbed up onto his chest at every opportunity and purred her little heart out...until she had captured his.

We meant for Lottie to be an indoor cat because of the obvious safety hazards associated with outdoor living. But she found ways to sneak outside, and then we kind of caved. We lived on a safe cul-de-sac in the back of a neighborhood without many dogs, so it wasn't too stressful.

When we moved to Charlotte, our new home was only one house removed from a main parkway, which made me nervous for both my kids and our pet. But we'd allow Lottie to go into the enclosed backyard some times when we were enjoying a morning outside.

This past weekend we hosted Brandon's family at our new home for the first time, and celebrated Papa John's birthday on Friday night. After going out to dinner, we all returned home, and Lottie was inside as usual, waiting on us. I took the girls upstairs, but I guess as everyone was getting inside, Lottie slipped out somehow. I didn't notice until the next morning when she wasn't asleep at the foot of our bed as usual. We searched numerous times for her that day, and made up fliers for our neighbors to be able to keep an eye out for her. One neighbor said she heard a cat the night before near the creek that ran by the golf course. So we went looking for her around there, but realized we couldn't really get back there without scaring the neighbors tromping through their yards at night. So we decided to get there through the golf course route. But unfortunately, before we made it to our destination to start the search, we found Lottie. She was soaking wet, and only 20 yards from home and had been hit by a car.
I think she had been trying to find her way home, and was just so close. It broke my heart.

The risk in every relationship comes with the fact that as we get close to someone, we could get hurt. The closer we are to one another, the more risk there is to be hurt. When we lose someone whom we were close to through death, divorce, or other means, we lose parts of ourselves that we gave away. But real relationship is always worth it. Whether it's with a two-legged or four-legged friend, our lives are richer when we are in relationships. The hurt we feel when we lose them is outweighed by the enrichment we received while we were in them. If we took off our masks, put in the time and energy, grew through the process, and committed to seeing the best for the other, then we have become better, more fulfilled people.

Our family spent some time on Sunday talking about Lottie and all of the wonderful memories we had with her, how she was a great pet for our family, how we know she felt loved by us, and how we are glad that we had had her--even if it was just for a short time. We are all hurting, but we are so thankful that we opened our hearts up to love and be loved by such a special little creation.

We will miss you, sweet Lottie girl. Thank you for giving us the gift of knowing and loving you. The tears we've shed and the hurt we feel is worth it for all the love you gave us.

Nooooo!!!!!!

2011-08-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

Things don't always go as we think they should. I am reminded of one of my favorite holiday movies, "A Christmas Story". You know..."You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" Yeah, that one. There is a line in the movie that keeps playing over in my head when I think of this newly revised picture. The Parker family has torn through all of the Christmas presents. Ralphie has opened his new Red Ryder Carbine Action 200 Shot Range Model Air Rifle (aka, the beloved BB gun), "shot his eye out" and lived to tell about it. The dad is sitting in his recliner reading the newspaper. Randy, the little brother, is asleep amongst all the yet-to-be-thrown away wrapping paper. Mom is somewhere upstairs, probably recomposing herself after her fear of her 8 year old boy shooting his eye out just practically came true. And the narrator, Ralphie as an adult, says,

"Oh, life is like that. Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us."

I wouldn't consider this the most unthinkable disaster that has descended upon us, but it is a pretty big bummer. (Oh, by the way, for those of you on the edge of the cliff regarding what happens next in the movie, the neighbor's dogs break into their house and destroy the beautiful turkey that is about to be served for Christmas dinner. The family has to go out to the only restaurant open on Christmas night, which is a Chinese restaurant. They get serenaded with some amazing Christmas carols, and then watch a duck get its head chopped off and declared to be Chinese Turkey. Great movie.) But, in terms of us thinking things were going so swell and then feeling like the rug was pulled out from under us, yes...we kind of relate to this quotable quote.

In this post I shared about how wonderful it felt to have our house under contract, to come home to notice our agent put the "Sold" sign up, to be able to make real plans to move forward and relocate to Charlotte, to get to a place where we could settle in and not have to keep so super spotless (a daunting task for a preggo with a 2 and a 3 year old to say the least).

We found a house that would work with our needs and our budget close by the area where we are going to be planting the church. We got ready to sign a contract to rent that house for 1 year. We got word that the contract on our home in Greenville had come up against some bumps in the road. We talked to our leaders, expressing our concerns about moving before things were sealed up. We were encouraged to go ahead and get on the ground. Things started smoothing out for the sale of our G'ville home. We packed. We moved. We began unpacking. We realized the A/C was broken on the hottest day of the year in our new place.

And then we got the call.

Our agent said somethings I didn't really understand, but then after asking her to talk to me plain, she spelled it out for me. A week before closing, the buyers lost their financing. We were NOT sold. We were now responsible for a rent payment AND a mortgage. Phew. That's heavy stuff.

But that's not the end of the story. I don't actually have an ending for you, beloved reader, but I do have a couple thoughts that God has placed on our hearts as we have walked through this:

We cannot look at this situation with our natural eyes. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us eyes to see what He is doing, how He is working on our behalf to bring about something even better. 2 Kings 6:17
We cannot fear. This battle is the Lord's, not ours to fight! We have done everything we can in the natural to get out of that house, and we just have to leave the rest up to the Lord. We can't fear the future, our financial outlook or anything else! We have to just trust, trust, trust. (But, it's not always easy to do that!) 2 Chronicles 20:17

The good thing is, these truths are not just for our situation! Whether you're facing an army of thousands circling the city like Elisha's attendant did, or you just found out your home's sale fell through at the last minute, or you're facing any other issue that, on the surface, doesn't seem to possibly be able to work out for good, you can apply these truths and watch how God takes care of everything. It may not be the way you would have scripted it, but God is glorified through our testimonies! We are excited to have a testimony one day of how God worked all things together for us who love him and are called (to Charlotte, in this situation) according to his Name!

Yesssss!!!!!

2011-07-19T09:32:00.000-04:00

God's an on-time God...just not on MY time!

It's funny that when you least expect it, things happen. I remember when I was 25 years old and finally gave God my singleness, content with whatever He had for my life whether it be alone on the backside of Africa or in a suburban home with a family as a stay at home mom. I stopped "looking" for "the one". And a few months later, "the one" found me!

That is kind of what happened with this house. We had been looking for "the one" by putting our house up on the market FSBO for six months. Like many of my pre-Brandon dates, that didn't work. Lots of looks, no commitments. Then we hired an agent, and thought things would move quickly from then because she had a go-getter plan. Unfortunately, we saw LESS people coming to see the house than we had before, but instead of getting frustrated, we kind of left it up to God and took our hands off the thing. Our hearts weren't pounding as we cleaned before each showing. Maybe that was because we had been cleaning like madmen for almost 8 months and we were straight up TIRED!

We went on a mini-vacay. Well, just me and Brandon. It's not really a vacay with a two year old and a three year old. If you've never had a two year old and three year old at the same time, you don't know, so don't judge. We just got away for 24 hours and left the girls with a capable sitter. We came home on a Sunday and scooped the girls up to take them to church because we had to observe children's ministry that day (oh, did I mention we are starting a church in T-minus 5 weeks? Crazy amounts of work to be done, people.) By the time that service was over, we were donesky. Exhausted. All we could think about was taking a Sunday nap as soon as we got home.

Wouldn't you know that as soon as we put the girls in the car to get on the way home, the phone rang and it was the showing service from the real estate agency. They wanted to show the house that afternoon. How inconvenient! Our bodies were screaming to us, "say NO this time! Take a nap!" We hadn't even really seen the house since we'd been home...how dirty was it? What would it require tons of work to get it show-ready? That would definitely be cutting into our much needed naps. Well, needless to say, we worked it out, cleaned it up a little (thankfully, our sitter kept it pretty dang clean!), and still got a quick nap in before they showed up.

The showing was at 4:30pm. The offer came at 5:15pm! Hallelujah! The inspections, appraisals and other hoops have been jumped through. Lord willing, we close August 10.

Next step was to find a place to live. And, we just got word that even though we've had a tough time finding an adequate rental in the area of Charlotte we want to live in up until now (houses are getting rented within hours of going on the market! We literally looked at multitudes of homes and had even considered moving into an apartment for a while so we wouldn't be homeless in August!), we did just get a lease on a nice three bedroom + bonus just five minutes from where the church will be.

Just in time.

Thanks, God.

I need to be on a TLC or HGTV show...

2011-06-23T19:57:00.000-04:00

...Called, "UGH, Sell My Freakin' House!"

That being said, here are some thoughts about the home selling process.

First of all, we don't even really want to move. Don't get me wrong. We want to follow the call God's placed on our lives to move to Charlotte and start RWOC Charlotte. But that is easier said than done. We love our home. We love the new floors and upgrades we've done. We love our neighbors (more on that later). We love our friends who live here. We love Greenville. AND...we don't love having to pack our stuff, find a new home, move our stuff, unpack our stuff, and reorganize our stuff. It's a lot of work. We're certainly not opposed to work, but dang...what a hassle! We don't love trying to sell in this economy and the prospect of losing money on this investment. Who does, right?

Re: neighbors...we live in a great neighborhood. People are friendly. There are tons of little kids to play with (about 18 with two more on the way) on our cul-de-sac. We've got a great mix of young and old, married and single, working and stay-at-home...it's just fun. We have block parties and borrow each others' lawn machines and watch each others' kids. Brandon and I have been blessed to have this be the first neighborhood we bought a house in. And we realize that it's taken 4 years to get to this point in our relationships with our neighbors, and that it's going to take probably just as long to build that up in a new neighborhood. Again, work. Again, not opposed to work.

Secondly, have you ever tried to keep your house "show ready"? This means, clean, clean, clean. It means all the windows clean and the floors sparkling, and the toothpaste spots on the mirrors and faucets wiped away. It means keeping the carpet stainless, keeping the curb appeal up, and keeping up with minor repairs. It means making your beds right after you get out of them just in case a showing gets scheduled for that day. It means packing half your stuff away and "staging" your home, which therefore means bye-bye to things that make it homey like family pictures and special knick-knacks. I don't miss the knick-knacks, but I do miss seeing my pictures around.

Now try to imagine keeping the house show ready with a 2 year old and a 3 year old in the house. And a kitten. And a husband. And me, too...I guess. It's tough. So tough, I'm surprised I'm not in a mental institution after doing it for 6 months. At first I was neurotic about it. Running behind my family members with a rag and a broom. And that was not sustainable. For me or my marriage. So we've had to decide on a happy balance because it's just plain impossible. Usually, the house is pretty well picked up and somewhat clean. But it still takes a good 2 hours to do a top-to-bottom-pre-showing cleaning. And that's a lot of work.

Then you get things like this:

That's crayon on the carpet. Yes. It. Is. In the shape of a cross. As in, someone's about to get crucified in the Berry household. Can I get an amen from all the folk who believe in spanking your children? Cause that wasn't from my 2 year old. It was from my 3, almost 4 year old who knows better. And tried to blame it on her sister at first. This blog is my sanity break from cleaning it up all morning.

So we've cleaned and staged and marketed and showed this house plenty of times. We've had some real characters come through here. People who have knocked on our door during our morning jammies/coffee time (that's too early, people!) and been super aggressive trying to get us to allow them to lease-purchase the home (only to find that when we actually asked them to get a CREDIT CHECK, they mysteriously backed out. hmmmmm....). We've had people who were ...this close...to putting an offer in and then something came up that made them back out. It's been truly hysterical. I can't tell you how many times I've heard from agents, "my client loved, loved, loved your house...if they could just pick it up and move it (to the country, to Simpsonville, downtown, etc...) they'd be all about it. If I had $10k for every time I heard that, I could...well, I could buy this house again.

And finally we figured that maybe the Lord has had us stay here for this time for a reason. Yes, we need to get to Charlotte eventually. But we definitely didn't have to get there as soon as we originally thought we did.

As far as the natural side of things, we've done everything we can do to get this house sold. And so we wait on the the Lord. LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God (Ps 38:15).

So if you're the TLC/HGTV watching type and they announce a new show, sign me up, please!

Book Review: Lioness Arising

2011-06-22T14:50:00.001-04:00

Unstoppable.

Like a slow-moving train that eventually gains power and speed, making it a dangerous force to be reckoned with, Lioness Arising begins in an almost innocuous fashion. In fact, it took me almost a week to really get into it! Maybe it was the 1st trimester of pregnancy playing tricks on me, but every time I tried to get through a few pages, I began to feel like a lioness after a large meal in the heat of the day. *Yawn* Thankfully, I decided to plug through, and boy am I glad I did!

Bevere has done her homework on the mighty lioness and compares her well to Christian women today who have the Lion of the Tribe of Judah living inside them. She challenges us to wake up, recognize who we are, come together in unity for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom to our earthly realm, and keep our eyes fixed on the Light of the world. As a stay at home mom, I needed to hear that because it’s easy for me to get bogged down in dirty diapers and dishes and forget that God desires to raise me up and use me for His good purposes.

As for her use of The Message, I thought that in this case it was helpful because it opened up the biblical concepts to more people who may not have a clear grasp on Scripture. She even says that she is not “replacing the Bible with a paraphrase” (pg. 29), but bringing in relevant language and additional research with the use of The Message.

I felt my heart stirred by many of her stories, particularly regarding her time working overseas with women who are caught in the sex-trade industry. Perhaps God was using this book to bring to light some way I can pray, give, help in that area. I believe that her inspiring details would probably do that for many people, for how can one read about some of the things she experienced and not be moved in the least?

Overall, I believe that this book is one that is a keeper. Even better, read it and then share it with a girlfriend! If we all get the heart of this book within us, we can be unstoppable!

I received Lisa Bevere's "Lioness Arising" for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Organic Church Growth

2011-06-16T14:15:00.002-04:00

As most of you know, Brandon and I are in the process of planting a satellite campus of Redemption World Outreach Center in Charlotte, NC. There is a lot, I mean, A LOT of work that goes into birthing one of these things (who knew, right? ha!)

And, as most of you know, we are also in the process of moving, and there is a lot, I mean, A LOT of work that goes into moving a family of four across state lines. As seen in this post, we are trying to sell our home in the Greenville area before we head over to look for homes in Charlotte. I would hate to find something I simply cannot live without only to realize I'll have to live without it because we don't have the funds available as they are tied into our house in SC. That would be bad.

During this time of transition, we have been spending a lot of time researching best practices (there are already a lot of churches doing this satellite campus thing well. Why reinvent the wheel, huh?), building launch teams, negotiating deals with possible sites in Charlotte, and trying to figure out the best way to market this awesome, life-giving church to the people of our new city. A lot of questions have arisen concerning how to grow a church.

And I think we have an answer. or at least an idea as to how RWOC Charlotte will be growing:

Yes, that is what you think it is. And yes, it is ours. And yes, we realize what craziness having a baby, moving, and starting a church all within a few months of each other can wreak on a family who already has a 2 year old and a 3 year old.

We are about 12 weeks in (that pic was taken about a month ago) and almost done with the yucky, nausea-filled, ultra-exhausted, all-I-wanna-do-is-lock-the-kids-in-their-room-and-take-an-uninterrupted-nap first trimester. Actually, the exhaustion has been doubled from what I remember from the last two babies, but the nausea hasn't been nearly as bad. In fact, not once (yet) have I had to quickly find a trash can, commode, or remote patch of grass (I learned the hard way never to throw up or pee on concrete--it always comes back to haunt you). So happiness is on its way. I can feel it.

So, by Christmas, RWOC Charlotte will have at least one new member. And we couldn't be more tickled about it! Actually, on our awesome launch team (which I can't wait to tell you more about, they are awesome!), there are a few other families who are also expecting in 2011, so that is practically exponential growth! Charlotte, get ready!

Roller Coaster Mother's Day

2011-05-05T16:11:00.001-04:00

The roller coaster ride has begun this May. At one point, I knew that I would probably take this ride, but somehow I must have forgot...until I found myself buckled in, holding the bar in front of me and holding my breath. Ready for the ups and downs of impending Mother's Day.

The ups are obvious. I have been ridiculously blessed to be Ella and Allie's mommy. I have found that this year, especially, has brought me incredible joy as Allie has become more independent and communicative. Life is just a little easier when your baby can tell you what she needs or wants. And now that she has that ability, she's definitely not shy. At all. Her favorite requests are "Mommy, I wanna go Chick-A-Lay", and "My daddy, my daddy, my daddy!!!!" The burden of constant need for a protective eye on her has been lessened by her sweet, sweet spirit and tender touch, the depth of those dark brown eyes calling me in to get lost in love with my daughter.

Ella's preciousness is immeasurable. Her predictability, priceless. I love my creature of habit. I love her need for snuggles, hugs, and kisses from her family. I love her elephant-rivaling memory...how she'll recall something I have totally forgotten, a rare and precious memory that brings a smile to my face.

Yes, being a Mommy on Mother's Day is a nice thing. It's great to get hugs and kisses and homemade cards and gifts from my little artists, and thank you's that are really not even needed because I would gladly do this job a thousands times over without any repayment.

So the roller coaster ride is cresting the top, and life is good. God's there. Cheering me on. Reassuring me that my efforts are not in vain, that He's proud of me, that my girls are in His hands.

And as I find myself at the climax of life, giving God praise and honor for the view up here, the cars suddenly obey gravity and come shooting down the track.

In all my 32 years past, I've always enjoyed honoring my own mom with love, hugs, kisses, and gifts. Homemade crafts that are still stashed away in special memory boxes she kept. Cards and letters that I had thoughtfully written over the years to express my thankfulness, my love, my respect for who she was and what she did for me.

And this year, she's not here to smile that big smile as I present her with those things. It's been 8 months since I've seen that smile, or heard her voice or felt her motherly loving touch. I've missed the advice that only a maternal grandmother can give a new mommy who doesn't know what to do with a two year old and a three year old. Who needs a safe place to share her insecurities about being a pastor's wife and journeying on new adventures like I am during this season of my life.

The roller coaster car is plummeting down, down, down, and yet...God is there. Comforting me, collecting my tears, and cheering me on. Reassuring me that my efforts as a daughter were not in vain. Telling me He's proud of me at how I've pressed into Him during this time of grieving and that my mommy is in His hands.

The thing about a roller coaster is that usually there's one big up and one big down, then lots of twists and turns...things that don't make your stomach drop quite as much and leave you with an overall pleasant experience (if you like roller coasters, that is).

The rest of the small ups and downs include:

Rejoicing with my sister-in-law as she celebrates her first Mother's Day with an actual baby in her arms. After years of battling infertility and many Mother's Days spent sitting in church with hot tears probably rolling down her cheeks as the pastor asked mothers to stand and be honored, wondering if she would ever get a chance to have that wonderful experience, my nephew, Channing, is an Ephesians 3:20 kind of blessing (more that she could ask or think of!) He's charming and adorable and chunky-licious and has a twinkle in his bright blue eyes that tells of the brilliance going on in his brain. God's got such great plans for that little boy, and I know that He's using Pepper mightily to form Channing's worldview in a radically different way than she was taught growing up.

A little climb...

Missing my grandmother who lives far away and wishing that life were not so crazy right now so I could spend time by her side enjoying her company and watching her as she basks in the glory of her great grands...

A slight descent...

Thoughts of miscarried babies who are now in the arms of Jesus, their Grammy by their side...

Twists and turns...

Excitement at the thought of the future baby Berrys God will one day add to our family, in His perfect timing...

With each hill and valley, twist and turn, God reaches out, steadying me and reminding me that I'm securely fastened in His love. He is here this Mother's Day, riding this roller coaster right next to me. And eventually, Mother's Day will have come and gone. I will have exited this roller coaster for this season, and more than likely, will have a fond overview of my experience.

You're Go....

2011-04-25T23:14:00.001-04:00

The other night we put the girls down for bed, and lo and behold...neither of us were completely and utterly exhausted. Miracle of all miracles, right? Usually we are ready to crawl into bed right after we say, "and chances are, if you give him some milk, he's gonna want a cookie to go with it...." (that's the last line from one of the girls' favorite bedtime books). In fact, there are many times when we have fallen asleep while doing the bedtime routine...sad, but true. Don't judge. ;)

So, here we are...coffee brewed, it's 9pm and we're awake and wanting to have some, ahem....platonic hang time. Good, clean fun, you know? We didn't want to pop in a movie because we had just endured a rainy weekend and the DVD player is just plain tired. Instead we opted for a game and conversation. Sequence is usually our go-to game. It's fun and challenging, and we both know it well enough that there's not a "you're a newbie so I'm gonna dominate you" vibe going on. But tonight, as I was pulling out the Sequence game, the marbles from another game, Abalone, fell out of the box. I picked them up and suggested we play since it's already out anyway.

I had played this game about a gazillion times when my parents took me to Argentina to visit my grandfather and cousins for a month when I was 15. My cousins, Nicolas, Carolla, and Mercedes (yes, car names) were all very fun and welcoming, and while we had plenty of great conversation getting to know each other, this game served as both a "we don't have to think about how to translate what we want to say" break for all of us and a fun opportunity to compete with each other. My parents went out and bought it as soon as we returned stateside.

Brandon didn't know how to play, so the first game was a learning curve for him. And yes, I dominated him. Complete domination. The game is pretty simple. You have to move your marbles to be able to push the other guys' marbles off. First one to 6 wins. There's more rules than that, but if you want to know, you're on your own to Google it. Just take my word for it. Loads. of. fun.

But here's the thing. Brandon isn't like any other opponent I've ever had. He never has been, and when I say that I mean that he is super annoyingly slow when taking his turn. When my aforementioned Argentine grandfather who pretty much plays cards 24/7 with a bunch of old retired guys came for a visit to the States and visited our home, my entire family played a lot of cards. A lot. We didn't have kids yet, so really...hundreds of card games. And my poor grandfather...when it would get to be Brandon's turn, he would hold his tongue after a few minutes passed. We all would. Brandon would sit, and internally examine every possible outcome for every possible move he could make. And it would take forever.

After a couple games, Brandon started winning. A lot. And that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. My grandfather would stand no more for allowing Brandon so much time to strategize. He started saying comments in all seven languages he knows to try to get Brandon to go faster. My mom chimed in. I gave him the, 'you better move or we may be out of the inheritance' look. My dad just laid his cards down and went to bed, his statement sure. But it didn't work. Brandon knew that it was getting to everyone and started using that as his strategy to beat us all.

Needless to say, Brandon's tactics of stalling are still in full force. By the end of the second game, this gal was so frustrated that I pretty much threw it so we could stop playing.

Pathetic, I know.

Do any of you know someone like Brandon who takes forever to take his/her turn at a game? Maybe you do it yourself?

Low Country Boil: Noun or Verb?

2011-04-22T11:31:00.001-04:00

Before I married Brandon, I spent a few years living in Mt. Pleasant, SC...right outside Charleston. There are too many great things that I can say about Low Country living to list here, but one of my favorites was the cuisine. Oh, food...glorious food. There are some wonderful restaurants in the Upstate, but every time we make it back to the Low Country for a vacay, I'm almost as excited about what we will eat as to who we will see or what we will do (or not do as we just relax on the beach, hallelujah!)

The other day the weather was beautiful, the kids were playing in the yard, and we had some friends coming over for dinner. I thought to myself, "Self, how can you make something easy and delicious to impress your friends and fill your bellies for not a big wad of cash?" And then I answered, "Self, you need to do a Low Country Boil!"

What's a Low Country Boil, you ask?

There are two different ways to answer that question.

1) Low Country Boil (n): a region-specific dish that starts with a stock made from vegetables and perhaps shrimp shells, invariably with heaps of the chef’s favorite seafood season blend (like Old Bay). Subject to the usual variations, the gist of the boil will include crabs, shrimp or both, some kind of sausage, a good deal of corn, and aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices.

2) Low Country Boil (v): a fun way to feed a crowd in a no-fuss manner! This dish is great for an outdoor party where you can line a picnic table with newspapers, throw the boil on the table, and tell everyone to dig in!

I know your mouth is watering right now cause mine is, too. So to help you alleviate that ailment, here is the recipe. It's for 4 people, but making a bigger batch is super easy.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs new potatoes
1 16 oz. package turkey sausage (andouille or kielbasa works too)
3 ears fresh corn, husked removed and cut into smaller, hand-held portions
2 lbs medium to large shrimp, deveined and peeled
A buncha (that's a technical term) Old Bay Seasoning or crab boil seasoning
4 lemons, quartered
Melted Butter, Texas Pete, more Old Bay, and crusty bread (for sopping up the good stuff).

Directions:
Bring the potatoes, sausage, corn, lemons, and Old Bay Crab Boil packet to a boil and keep on a rolling boil for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes and corn are tender (longer the larger the batch). Bring the boil to a very low simmer and add the shrimp and cook for the last 5 minutes or until they are pink. Once the shrimp are pink, remove from heat and drain the water.

I usually drain most of the water (saving a bowlful for sopping), line a table with newspapers, throw the pot out on the table and tell everyone to dig in while I go back for a roll of paper towels and the sweet tea pitcher. So good, so easy, and relatively cheap when using in season ingredients.

So, noun or verb? It doesn't matter. I like to mix the two definitions for my own personal dinner planning with friends! I may not live in the Low Country anymore, but I sure like to cook like I do!

What about you? Are you a big fan of the Low Country Boil? Or maybe you've never even tried it (you're missing out if you fit in that category). Would you consider using it for a big group gathering, or would you rather save it for an smaller, more casual family setting? What other Low Country cuisine dishes can you not go without?

Allie's Two!

2011-04-19T11:35:00.005-04:00

My baby is not a baby anymore. Sniff, sniff. How did this happen? One day she's all squished and squirmy and has no control of her own body, and then she's...well, she's this:

Beautiful and silly and very mischievous at times. A big girl indeed.

These last few months have been nothing if not crazy in terms of schedule and house keeping responsibilities. Most of that is because we are getting ready to move to Charlotte and start a new campus of our church there, so we're trying to sell this house and find a new one. Lots of travel, lots of cleaning. And Allie isn't exactly great a the tidiness thing yet.

So when we began thinking of Allie's birthday, inviting 10 little kids to our house for cake, ice cream, juice and various sugary and staining items, didn't sound so fun or helpful to the "let's-keep-this-house-spic-and-span-for-prospective-buyers" cause. We decided that two is the perfect age to do something a little lower key.

One is a big birthday, if not for the kid, but for the parents. It's a time to step back and say, "I kept this kid alive a whole year." There's great social pressure to do a 1 year old birthday party, a smash cake, the whole nine yards.

The three year old birthday is a pretty big one, we've found, because the kid actually has an opinion of what she wants. Ella was ~~slightly~~ completely obsessed with Dora the Explorer when her third birthday came around. And so the theme of her birthday was really a no-brainer. She cared about who came (and who didn't) and still remembers most of the day.

But two? Well, two is what I've affectionately named "the year of the breather" because a two year old rarely has a specific list of birthday party guests, themes, and menus that she desires. And, a two year old will probably not remember her birthday party (or lack thereof). Granted, this term, "the year of the breather" is only appropriate when put in the birthday party context. Certainly it does not belong within any other conversation revolving around a two year old.

And that being said, I thought about what our two year old likes the most. And I came up with Family, Fun, and Food. Not necessarily in that order all the time. In fact, as I mentioned in this post, Allie likes eating more than most people 16x their age (me, at 32--yes, I just revealed my age, gasp)! And since we are trying to get the girls excited about moving to a new city soon, we decided that celebrating her birthday in Charlotte would be really fun. So we invited John-John, Pepper, Channing and Mama Nissi and Papa John to meet us at Monkey Joe's, and indoor bounce park, in a part of the city near where we are thinking of planting the church and living. (Pappy was out of town and couldn't make it, but he was invited, of course.)

Everyone had a lot of fun (including the adults). But maybe no one more than the birthday girl. Bouncing is her thing.

After we bounced ourselves silly, Brandon and I had the opportunity to take the family to two possible church locations that we are considering. It was great to get their feedback, and by the end of the tour, we were all pretty set that one is going to be better suited for RWOC Charlotte than the other.

Next we went to a local restaurant, but there was a long wait. No problem. We Berrys are resourceful. We transformed John and Pepper's Subaru into Party Central, brought out the gifts and cupcakes (who doesn't like to eat dessert first?) and kept everyone entertained as we sang "Happy Birthday", laughed and talked in the beautiful weather until the ~~dinner bell rang~~ buzzer buzzed calling us inside to dinner.

Allie received some fun new toys, books and clothes, though she was painstakingly slow to open each one. At some point Big Sister couldn't take the suspense any more and had to "help" Allie tear into them a little faster.

So my baby is growing up. She's doing two-year-old things like tantrums and potty training. She's talking in full sentences now and loves to carry on conversations with anyone or no one at all. And I'm enjoying every minute of it. What a sweet blessing Allie is in our lives. We are so thankful to the Lord that He has entrusted her to us.

Happy Birthday, Allie!

Culda Bin Me

2011-03-24T15:58:00.001-04:00

(The title of this blog was supposed to be written in cow handwriting, but they didn't have that font!)

The other day Brandon and I stopped at a Chick-Fil-A in Georgia as we were making our way home from Birmingham and a third assessment with ARC (more about that experience later). It was a Tuesday night, and the dinner rush hadn't yet arrived (if there is a dinner rush at this by-the-interstate store on a Tuesday night). We got our food and sat down in the area that is NOT next to the children's playground. Ahhh....adult time! Can I get a HALLELUJAH? AMEN!

The employees were all hard at work restocking items and cleaning, but since there were not many customers in the store (maybe 4 or 5 counting us), they were just chatting away as they worked. This is what we heard:

Pretty teen-aged girl #1: Well, he says he thinks he loves me and that he might want us to get an apartment together and see how it goes.

Pretty teen-aged girl #2: So, what are you going to do?

#1: I don't know. I mean, I think I love him too, and it would be fun to move in together and test things out. But I would never tell my parents. They'd dig their own graves and jump in if they knew I was moving in with a guy and NOT MARRIED! So I'm a little confused as to what to do.

#2: You really think that you could move in and them not know who you're living with?

#1: I'll just refer to him as my roommate and make up a different name until I sign the lease. Then I'll be in at least until the lease is up.

I mean, we weren't trying to eavesdrop or anything, but she was talking pretty loudly. Brandon and I kind of looked at each other, stunned, mouths a little open (yes, even with chicken inside). This girl couldn't be more than 17 or 18 years old. I know we were both thinking, "oh, if Ella or Allie did that..."

And then the Holy Spirit nudged me. He reminded me that teen-aged girl #1 could have been me. You see, when I was a teenager, I was into a lot of things I shouldn't have been into, and they were in my life to fill voids that I didn't have filled with the Lord because I didn't really know Him yet.

For instance, I had way too many boyfriends growing up, and allowed way too much physicality to happen with too many guys. No, I didn't go all the way before marriage, but that was only because I was scared to death I'd get pregnant and not get a soccer scholarship to play in college. Seriously, that was the only reason I said no on many occasions. But I was looking to feel secure and affirmed, and did that through always having a guy to be connected to in some way.

I remember when the Lord got my attention and brought people into my life who invested into me to help me have a firm grasp on walking with God daily and allowing Him to be Lord over my life. That happened in college. As I grew closer to the Lord and allowed Him to become my security and my affirmation, I realized that having a boyfriend all the time wasn't as necessary as I had once thought it was.

But what if it hadn't come to know the Lord in this way? Where would I be? Who would I be?

I allowed my mind to go down that road briefly while we sat in that Chick-Fil-A listening to this girl who is obviously confused and trying to fill a void in her life that will never truly be fulfilled by any earthly relationship. (And please hear my heart in that I am not trying to judge this girl or anyone else who has moved in with a boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage. While I don't recommend it because it usually ends in heartbreak and a lot of messy issues, I know many people who know and love the Lord now who walked that road at some point in their lives, and God worked through it.)

I relayed the fact that the girl behind the counter (or many other sad stories I've heard in my years of ministry) could have been me...I could have been the one who was confused and decided to move in with my boyfriend. I could have slept around and gotten pregnant as a teenager. I wasn't far from being hooked on alcohol or drugs. I didn't know the purpose for my life when I was that young, and could have gone in a totally opposite direction from my destiny...All of these scenarios and more could have defined my life easily.

But God.

He intervened in such an awesome way that my life was never the same. Even when I didn't know Him, He was protecting me in many ways. He knew the plans He had (and has) for me, and kept me from falling off the cliff on so many occasions. Then He saved me, He raised me, He filled me with His Holy Spirit, and He set me on a solid path, helping me along the way.

I felt silly for crying in Chick-Fil-A, but I just couldn't help it. God has brought me so far; such a long, long way. But there are so many people who don't know Him yet. They don't know what a life of freedom really is. And it's my (and your) job to help them get there.

I prayed for that young girl as I finished my meal. I didn't judge her because I saw myself in her. But as I prayed, I thanked God for that unexpected reminder of the way He's made me into a new creation. Not a perfect one, but a new one swimming in His grace.

Book Review: Sun Stand Still

2011-03-10T14:42:00.002-05:00

Sun Stand Still

Steven Furtick

sunstandstill.org

The Big Idea:
What happens when you dare to ask God for the impossible? If you have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to respond.

Thumbs: UP!

The Review:
I recently had the chance to sit down and read Steven Furtick's book, Sun Stand Still, and was extremely encouraged and challenged to become more audacious in my own faith as I did so. Three things I really appreciated about this book: 1) Furtick writes in a very conversational way, making it seem like he just sat down with his reader over a Caramel Macchiato and he's just sharing a life-giving vision with them. It's easy to follow, not full of a lot of churchy words, and interesting enough to keep one's attention. 2) He gets very practical by writing out specific how-to's for getting started on a more audacious faith journey. I love practical. 3) Even while giving the practical how-to's he's not putting God in a box and saying that He has or will do everything you tell Him to. It's not a "throw your wallet down and hop on one foot while giving a shout and God will do whatever you want Him to" kind of deal. It's more of a "try this, listen to God, see what He says, and continue to have faith that when your desires are matched up with His will, He will see it come to pass...somehow. It's your job to keep the faith."

I liked how real he was in many of his illustrations. As a pastor's wife, mother, and church planter, I was able to relate to many of his examples, which helped me solidify my own faith strategy for many things I am believing for.

I also like the fact that the book's website is chock-full of great ideas to get this information to a larger group, say a church or small group and help them work through the main points and put them into practice in their world.

On a Personal Note:
I am very excited to be laboring in Charlotte alongside the Furticks and Elevation church folk. I love what God is doing through them and many other life-giving churches in the city and can't wait to see how RWOC-Charlotte can contribute as we see the Kingdom come to the Queen City!

We Plant Life-Part 1

2011-02-24T13:00:00.001-05:00

As we've been exploring multi-site church planting, Brandon and I have been devouring books on the subject. We've been going to other churches to observe how they do everything from loading in on Sunday mornings to leadership development. We've been praying and meeting with our leaders at Redemption, and discussing what will be the best way to launch a healthy church in Charlotte with the same spirit that RWOC in Greenville has.

We've found out it's not going to be easy. Doable? Yes. Easy? No. Who knew all the details that go into planting a church? And the fact that we are an extension campus, quite honestly, takes many large burdens off of us such a fund raising and coming up with weekly sermons. We really get to focus in on the launch team, the acquisition of a property to have services, and the well-being and development of the future flock. Things we love to do anyway!

Included in this pre-launch period was ARC 2.0 Advanced Church Planters Training in Birmingham, Alabama. ARC (Association of Related Churches) is a life-giving organization that seeks to plant healthy and successful churches in the USA. It was founded by my an amazing pastor whom I used to serve while living in Charleston, SC, Greg Surratt, and I respect him deeply on many levels, so I felt confident that this organization would be top notch.

I underestimated it. Completely. We drove to Birmingham to attend a 4.5 day training at Church of the Highlands, and quite honestly, have not seen that level of excellence in a long time. Or ever. The entire week was thought through. Every detail, from the material we'd be going through to the fancy soaps in the bathrooms, was thought of. There was a not a glitch.

I'm not saying it was PERFECT. I'm saying it was EXCELLENT. Perfection is about "me" (or "us"). And this, my friends, was definitely not that. Excellence is about other people and about God. Yes, that was this training was all about for the folks at ARC. They gave us their best so that we would be prepared to go out and plant life-giving churches and that God's kingdom would be expanded through us.

What an awesome way to look at investing. Since everything in the natural was thought through so thoroughly, we were able to flow in the Spirit as we engaged in conversations with other church planters, digested much of the meaty material, and sought the Lord to help us achieve the dreams He's put on our hearts.

Stay tuned for more thoughts on this life-giving church planting process!

Bucket List-Greenville Date Nights

2011-02-16T16:39:00.001-05:00

As we begin to wind down our time here in Greenville (before we move to Charlotte to plant a new campus of Redemption World Outreach Center) I have been thinking of all the date nights that I've wanted to do in Greenville but we haven't gotten around to. Granted, some are not Greenville-exclusive. In fact, probably none of them are. Hmmm....

ANYWAY....enough about the fact that we could probably do these in ANY ol' medium sized city in America. I'd still like to try to do them here...in Greenville, not cyberspace. Duh.

My point is, is that sometimes we just get into a date night funk. Same restaurants. Same Falls Park destination. Same coffee/dessert choices. Same, same, same. I'm ready for a little variety.

So, without further ado, my just compiled list:

Par 3 Golf at Crosswinds Golf Course. You Greenvillians have seen the course off 385 going into town. It always looks a little, well...bleak, when it comes to people actually playing. But I say all the better because the less people there the less times I have to shout out "four!" when I shank my ball. I will be sure to let you all know when we decide to do this so you can plan NOT to drive on either side of 385 during that time. Maybe I should also call the police department and have them do a road block while we're on those particularly dangerous to oncoming traffic holes. BBerry and I can each play 9 holes for less than $25 total.

Salsa Dancing at Salsa Greenville/Studio 54. I mean, have you SEEN these people doing this???? It's crazy, and a super good excuse to get extra close to the one I love! Not to mention I hear it's a great work out...In so many ways, it's bringing sexy back. Thursday nights at 8:30pm lessons are only $5 each. That totally allows for some moola to go to grab some Latino food beforehand.

Rock Climbing at Climb @ Blue Ridge. We pass this sign every time we trek to Hendersonville to see B's parents, and I never knew that it is formerly Rocks n Ropes, which was in the West End of downtown! Back in college, I used to go there with some friends, and while I never really got "good' at it per se, I did have an ex-boyfriend who dropped some serious cash on buying me a top of the line harness and shoes...which I still have packed away somewhere. If I can dig them out of my stash of "already-packed-because-it-doesn't-stage-well-to-have-too-much-in-your-home" items, we can enjoy as long as our gripping muscles can stand for less than $30.

Bike Riding Healthy trails to you at the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail which connects the City of Greenville to Travelers Rest (right by our alma mater, Furman!) It's about 10 miles or so, and I've heard it's not only a great workout, but a gooooorrrrrrgeous (Anyone done P90X when Tony Horton says this about 10 times about Dreya? He's totally got a crush on her) view (and no, I'm not just talking about riding behind Brandon and staring at his heiny all day). Free 99, yo! We just have to borrow some bikes, first. Hmm...

Indoor Shooting at Allen's Indoor Shooting Range. The heat that this place packs would make Ralphie's "official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle" look like, well, a toy. I think this could not only be fun, but therapeutic as well. For range usage and rental, we're looking at about $25 to get some shots squeezed out.

So what about you? Do you have any Greenville date nights you've been on that just have to make our list? Anything you've been wanting to do but haven't, for whatever reason? Throw your ideas out, and let's all spice up date night a little bit!

Into Everything Allie

2011-02-12T12:54:00.002-05:00

There's a book called Oh, David! that I read to Allie often, changing the main character from David to Allie. It goes like this:

"Allie's mommy always says, 'Oh, Allie!' (Picture of baby with entire roll of toilet paper unfurled on bathroom floor).

'Open up, Allie.' (Picture of baby refusing to eat-though Allie eats everything she can get her hands on most of the time.) 'P.U!' (Picture of a satisfied looking baby with a full diaper). ' Hold still, Allie!' (Picture of Mama trying to diaper a super wiggling child.) 'Go night, night, Allie.' (Picture of baby standing in crib.) 'Oh Allie, I love you.' (Picture of baby on Mama's lap reading a book)."

This book goes along with some of the things I love about our second born:

She loves to explore her world, and isn't afraid to rock the boat, make a mess, etc...when she's caught she always has a coy little smile on her face like, "whaaaaaat? You're mad at me? Have you noticed how absolutely cute I am?'

Her love for food rivals my own. We have neighbors who laugh because every time Allie comes over to their house, she always beelines it to their pantry, which is stocked with all sorts of yummy food. Though she eats like ravenous wolf, she stays petite, which may be a great thing if her metabolism stays like that when she's older.

She's as strong-willed as her Daddy, and she knows what she wants. Whether it's her 'bippy' (pacifier), 'ba ba' (milk) or just a good hug, she is really good at persistently reminding us that her desires are not being presently met. I think that if we hone this attribute in, it will work for her in the future as she advances the Kingdom of God!

Her laugh is amazing, and I try to do whatever I have to hear it everyday! She often laughs as she tries to get away from me on the changing table!

She's a great sleeper and I have never really had a problem with putting her down to sleep for naps or nighttime. She loves routine, but is also flexible when our schedules dictate

She's a little lover. A hug from Allie Berry will make anyone's day, and she gives them out liberally. I love how fiercely affectionate this little girl is!

What a precious child of God and gift to our family!

Princess Ella

2011-02-11T12:40:00.002-05:00

Next up in my love story is our firstborn, Ella. She is definitely a princess at heart and has grown up so quickly!

I love Ella's heart for the Lord already. She loves to pray and read her Bible, and has a knack for remembering the stories in it. She often tells me that she sees angels flying by our car or in her room at night, and I totally believe her.

She is an awesome snuggle bug. Every morning she loves to climb in our bed and get some snuggles before we start our day. Her favorite way to snuggle when Mom and Dad are busy is in her skivvies with a warm blanket and her new kitten, as seen here.

- She is a builder and an organizer. It is not rare for us to come into her room and see that she has organized all of her shoes, books, toys, etc...
- She is a great big sister and friend to many. She loves to remind people that "Berrys share" (a motto we have tried to ~~drill into her brain~~ instill in her. Her naivete in playgroups is precious and allows her to be nice to everyone.
She loves to dress up. Everyday. Without fail. She will have on some sort of princess dress and accessory on for some period of time. Guaranteed. Her preference these days is the Rapunzel dress her grandparents gave her for Christmas.

What an awesome firstborn I have! I can't wait to see what the Lord does in and through her life!

Wuv, Twu Wuv

2011-02-10T12:36:00.002-05:00

Seeing as it is a few days away from Valentine's Day, I thought I'd give a little thought to some of the things I love about the people I love the most. And since he's my #1 love (besides Jesus, of course), and we are going to the marriage conference tonight (which makes me want to start transitioning my brain from Super Mommy to Adoring Wifey), I thought I'd start with Brandon. Here are some things that I love about him:

I love how passionate he is for the Lord. He is absolutely smitten with Him, and he seems like a little boy when he shares things that He is telling him.
I love that he is an amazing father to our little girls. He encourages them and speaks life into them. He knows how to mold their precious little hearts and he prays for them regularly.
I love his hugs and his loving touch. He always knows just how long to hold me on any given day. He is equally liberal in giving away hugs to his the girls, and also to many in the Church who need a loving touch.
I love how he is always learning. On any given day, he is reading at least 2 books along with his personal Bible study, and he devours other pastors' sermons so he can glean more wisdom. I continually pray that God will give him even more wisdom and understanding than Solomon.
I love how he leads with vision. He takes the time to get a vision and is great at articulating it with again, the aforementioned, passion.
I love how well he takes care of his body. He is not an obsessed meat head by any stretch of the imagination, but he loves to work out and eat healthy, and I appreciate that for so many reasons.

Those are just six of many reasons why I am absolutely, madly, utterly, head-over-heels in love with my HOLY HOTTIE Husband, Brandon Berry!

So now it's your turn. What do you love about your husband/wife/fiance/boyfriend/girlfriend?

Won't Lie

2010-11-14T15:28:00.004-05:00

I won't lie.

It's been a killer hard month. Busy. Too busy. Full of really high highs and really low lows. I wish I could be better at keeping up with this blog during busy times, but this is one thing that gets pushed by the wayside.

Here's a run down of what's been going on:

Brandon and I were asked to be the campus pastors of Redemption Charlotte. We got to choose the city, and Charlotte has been on our hearts for a long time now. We are excited about the opportunity, but of course still trying to wrap our brains around what will go into starting a new video campus in another state.

A week later Mom's battle finally came to an end. She won. Not in the sense of "I beat Pulmonary Hypertension", or "I got a lung transplant finally", but "I passed this test, I finished the race, I gained the prize...and the Prize is Jesus." She went to be with Him on September 21. We were incredibly saddened, but also relieved that she is suffering no more. We are grieving as best we can. It's terribly hard, and lonely at times. But we remember that she is with the Lord and that gives us hope to see her again. Hopefully a long time from now, right?

Our friends, Brad and Cory-Marie got married the day after Mom's memorial service. It was a beautiful wedding and we celebrated as much as we could considering the circumstances.

A week later, we went on a cruise that we had been planning for months to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. It was a good time to rest and reflect...and eat. We did a lot of all that. We reconnected as a couple and it was a wonderful time to have a little respite. We spent a couple of days in Charleston after the cruise with some friends and enjoyed celebrating another wedding...Amy and Yves Gege. It was a gorgeous day and perfect for a wedding.

Four days after we got home, our nephew, Channing, was born in Fayettville, NC. We drove there to be with John and Pepper and welcome little Chancakes to the world. We haven't been able to see him since, but look forward to getting some good baby snuggles at Thanksgiving.

On the way home from Fayetteville, we stopped in Charlotte and stayed with a buddy who gave us a generous tour of the city, mainly Uptown areas. We got charged up and excited about that.

After we got home we decided to try to move forward with our move and put our house up on the market. And before we could do that, we had to do some big time renovations. New hand scraped floors in the foyer, great room, dining room and hallways/closets. New ceramic tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. Touch up paint, little projects here and there that have needed to get done...it is now "go" time. We've been staging our house, packing our belongings up, and furiously cleaning to keep it sparkling clean. We are praying for a quick sale so we don't have to keep this up for long, because it is just plain exhausting.

We have been taking a lot of trips to Charlotte and are excited about what will happen there. We've been reading a lot of books about multisite churches and speaking to people who live them out. We're digesting a ton of material in a very short period of time. Thankfully, I have been a part of a church that did multisite pretty darn well, so I have a little experience in it. A little.

My aunt Leslie beat cancer last week. In the same way that Mom beat PH. They are now enjoying Jesus together, I'm sure. We went to Greensboro to be with our family to celebrate her life last weekend.

So that's it. Not much. Wait...I'm lying. I told you I wouldn't do that.

2010-09-07T16:26:00.003-04:00

I recently have become slightly obsessed with a design blog I stumbled upon called Young House Love. And since stumbling upon it, I have been inspired to declutter, clean, organize, repaint, refinish, design, etc. My house is slowly but surely getting whipped into shape.

I recently took a took on a little project which turned my husband’s skepticism around and made him a true believer that the DIYer part of us is still alive despite our busy lives as parents and professionals.

I was looking for some file storage for our office, and came across this vintage file cabinet at a garage sale for $5.

As you can see, it needed A LOT of work...

First, I took off all of the hardware and sanded the entire things down multiple times. (When I took the drawers out, I found an original Time Magazine Special Edition from 1969, “To The Moon and Back”. On Amazon, it sells for $5-$25 + shipping, so maybe that will get me my money back!

Back to the project...So, after getting everything as rust-free as possible, I spray painted the cabinet and the hardware a semi-glossy black with Rustoleum spray paint. After it was thoroughly dried, I chose four pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper and cut them to fit on the front of the drawers. (sorry, I was way more excited about the project than documenting the project and forgot to shoot some of the steps.)

I then taped off the drawers where the paper would go and sprayed adhesive in the center. Then I put the paper on.

After it was dry, I reattached the hardware, and viola! A new, improved, super chic file cabinet.

Soon I will get some good pictures that do it justice in its new home, my bonus room/scrapbook room/office. It looks awesome!

Where the heck we've been...July

2010-08-01T15:00:00.007-04:00

In July I surprised Brandon with a trip to Summerville to see one of his all-time heroes in the faith, David Hogan.
(that's him in the middle with the salt & pepper buzz cut and goatee. He's a bad mammajamma.)

Jo-D Hogan and others pray for Brandon

Brandon's parents and Nikkie came with us as well. Nikkie got to ride on John's motorcycle!

Had the girls all dressed up for July 4th...Festive and darn cute if you ask me.

Brandon, his brother and their dad went on a camping/kayaking trip down the Chatooga River.

(Pepper stayed with me and the girls while they were gone...thank the Lord for her cause I wouldn't have made it alone!)

After the boys got back safely, we were all able to celebrate John Channing Berry's upcoming arrival at John & Pepper's baby shower in Hendersonville!

We took a mini vacation to Mt. Pleasant and Isle of Palms and stayed with my mentor, Leesa, and her family, the Northrups where we were thoroughly spoiled in every way. Dave and Leesa cooked, entertained, and even babysat. Their oldest son and his family had just been transferred back to the Charleston area, and had moved in temporarily until they get a house, so their 18 month old, Trig, served as a ready playmate for both Ella and Allie. I forgot our camera, but here's them playing in the backyard.

Finally, my dear friend from college came down with her two beautiful children to hang out. She lives in Kansas, but was visiting family in Highlands, NC which is about 2 hours away. We actually got all the kids down for a nap at the same time (a miracle?) and had some sweet catching up time.

Where the heck we've been...May and June

2010-08-01T14:28:00.004-04:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged. My friend, Carrie, calls it being a "slogger" or slack blogger. Whatever name you want to put to it, yes...I've been bad at keeping my little blog updated.

"So, where the heck have you been all summer, Berrys?"
Well, here's May and June...

Pickin' stuff from our garden....

Using our Zoo Pass...they have a great playground which serves as a wonderful rest stop.Swimming in a redneck swimmin' pool...

(Yes, we swim in real swimming pools, too.)

Visiting Grammy and Pappy in Columbia (picture by Rhonda Danner Photography).

Getting in some good sister time...

We've Been Working On This...

2010-05-06T10:12:00.001-04:00

Allie's First Birthday

2010-04-07T12:20:00.004-04:00

We had an amazing time at Allie's 1st birthday party. I decided to keep things "low key" and just make the decorations and cupcakes. Turns out, that's not so low key when you have two little kids running around and providing bi-minutely interruptions, and you can't quit the ideas from popping in your head. Yes, low key can turn into almost overwhelming when you have time to check out what all the other creative mamas are doing by Googling "homemade 1st birthday party". At some point, I decided to quit adding and stick to my low key plan. I was having a blast thinking of all the great things I could do with my plethora of scrapbooking supplies and my newfound sewing skills. The final projects that made the cut were a homemade birthday tutu, a customized onesie, birthday hats, cupcakes with toppers, a banner, and some other around the house decor. I was pleased with how it turned out.

One of the best thoughts for the low-keyness of the party was to ask my friend, Rhonda, to take pictures for us. She is a photographer and fellow stay-at-home mom who lives across the street from us. Our 1 year olds are just about at the age now where they can have a play date that consists of more than diaper changes and major meltdowns. So, in lieu of gifts, I asked her to take a few shots for us while they joined in the festivities. This allowed me to enjoy the party without worrying about capturing every moment on film (or digital card).

Click here to see some of her great shots. Also, if you would like to order any of her shots, you can go to rhondadanner.com . Click on Client Proofing, type "allie" in the password box, and take a look at the whole kit and kaboodle. Ordering information is on the website. (The posted pic above is not one of her shots...hers are even better!)

We had a nice turnout for the party, including most of Brandon's family, and a couple of Ella & Allie's friends with their parents. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and we enjoyed grilled hot dogs for those to whom it didn't pose a choking hazard, and other 1 year old appropriate goodies.

The apex of the party had to be Allie getting to break her 1 year sugar fast and tearing into her cupcake. She LOVED it and barely left a crumb to clean up. She also had a chance to experience her first non-diluted juice box and she surely enjoyed it. The kids were a little sugared up by the end of the day, but a nice long outside play time and Easter egg hunt negated it and they happily went to bed on time that night and slept all the way through.

We are so very thankful to have Allie in our lives. She is such a source of joy and laughter in our home, and we are beyond amazed at her sweet spirit. Thank you to all who celebrated with us!

Frugal February - Failure?

2010-03-03T14:07:00.004-05:00

If at first you don't succeed, DON'T GIVE UP!

That's what I'm taking away from Frugal February now that I'm reconciling all of our bills and statements to figure out the total spending for the experimental month.

We had some....hiccups, I guess you could call them. Some things, like our semi-annual car insurance bill that is due in February just couldn't be helped, so I didn't even count that. I did, however, check around to find out if we were getting the best rates possible, and we are (so that's good).

I felt like we really did sacrifice on many occasions...I can't tell you how familiar we are with PB& J. I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many we ate this month! There were so many days of Brandon taking left overs to work instead of hitting up Chic-fil-A. I clipped coupons and matched them with sales. I tried to stay to my list. We ate our pantry almost empty, but then had to restock it. But even then I was focused on buying things for recipes, not just to buy them. Only once did we go out to eat (and that time, with a coupon!) just because we didn't want to cook or clean.

Here's the thing...life happens. We spent more on gas because this month included two trips to Columbia and one to Hendersonville to take care of my parents and pick the girls up from their grandparents' house...We had a few opportunities open up for us to minister to others and that included buying them lunch or coffee. I know it didn't have to, but in these instances it just did. My camera was broken and instead of missing out on the lives of our small children any longer, we decided to fork out the money to get it fixed (after researching all the options, of course). I hosted a baby shower for one of my dearest friends...These things all add up, I guess.

I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Really, I'm not. I'm not even going to declare this month, "Money Saving March" or "Mo Money in My Pocket March" or anything else like that.
But I am going to try to make more small adjustments in our spending so that we can save and give more in the future.

So long, Frugal February. Although you were only 28 days, you felt soooooooo long.

Frugal February - Creative Thinking - #6

2010-02-10T12:38:00.001-05:00

"When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way." - H. Jackson Brown, Life's Little Instruction Book.

Frugal February - BumGenius! -#5

2010-02-09T12:03:00.004-05:00

Gotta say that I never thought I'd be "that mom" who does cloth diapers, but I love my bumGenius diapers! And...they are a great subject for Frugal February! I was given most of mine, so the initial investment wasn't as much (they usually run $16-$17 each).

Some of the factors that make these great are:

They grow with the kid (fits 7-35 lbs).
They each come with two inserts, making them even more customizable...Knowing that Allie fills her diaper more at a certain time of the day allows me to put in the super-duty insert!
They cut down on diaper costs. Check out this diaper calculator to see your savings.
They can be used for more than one kid!
They are "greener" than disposables.
If washed and cared for properly (meaning no stains), they could be resold on consignment websites.
They are cute, cute, cute!

Now, I'm not gonna lie and say they are perfect. Far from it. Here are a couple of downsides:

Cleaning out dirty ones is a crappy job. Literally. I have had a few incidents where I am up to my elbows in poop. Not many. Thankfully, I have an additional insert that I try to put in that catches the solids and is biodegradable...I can just toss it in and flush. But on those times when I forget to put that in, or if the girls have solids that are, um...less than solid...I have a mess on my hands.
Storing dirty ones is sometimes stinky. I usually rinse them out and throw them in a pail and wait for them all to get dirty before I do a load (to save water, detergent, energy). This is fine when I am staying home all day and committed to using them. It gets trickier when we are out and about and I have to use disposables, therefore making the time the used ones sit drag out...this is bad for the nose sometimes.
The velcro straps kind of get pilly after being washed over and over.
They are bulkier than disposables, so sometimes the girls' clothes don't fit as well when wearing them.

All in all, these are great items to have for the stay at home mom who sticks around the house a good bit. I wouldn't send my kids to church or Mother's Morning Out with them on because I feel like it gives the nursery workers more work and can get messy (I'll admit, I don't always check and empty the diaper bags as soon as I get home).

I would say that we have saved $150-$300 since we've been using them.

For more info on cloth diapers, hop on over to my friend and fellow mama, Kelly's site.

Frugal February - Brandon's Wisdom- Entry #4

2010-02-04T16:45:00.001-05:00

Brandon always likes to chime in with, "No matter how great the sale, you always save more by not buying anything at all."

Hmmph. I guess he's right.

Frugal February - A Drop In The Bucket - Entry #3

2010-02-03T15:01:00.004-05:00

I don't know the people who designed and built our home (or the other homes in my neighborhood that are clones to my home....home clones, I guess.) But if I ever get a chance to meet them, I am going to have a few questions for them, the first one being, "what in the world were you thinking with the plumbing in this house?"

Like any good storyteller, I tend to embellish minor details to help make what I'm saying vivid and memorable. For example, "That book was so good, I read it in about 2.5 minutes flat." But let me just say that while I admit that fact, I am not exaggerating in the least bit when I tell you that it takes at least 3-4 minutes (depending on outside temperatures) to get the hot water to come out of the shower head in our master bathroom. I literally turn on the water as hot as it can go and wait. Sometimes I do push ups and sit ups. Today I got in 100 ab moves before I checked to see if there was hot water and it was just getting warm. And don't even get me started at how frustrated I get when I can't use warm water to wash my hands immediately after using the restroom...ugh!

That is what brings me to this post...I had to come up with a way to save all that precious water! It began when we first moved into the house and there was a massive drought going on in the area. Lakes were being sucked dry, the news was pleading with the community to conserve water, etc, etc, etc...I hated the fact that at least 5 gallons was probably going straight down my drain before I even stepped into the shower.

So I got a bucket.

And I put that bucket under the water flow. It catches almost all of the cold water that comes out (yes, it's a 5 gallon bucket and almost full), and then I heave (or if I'm preggo, I have Brandon heave) it away and take my shower.

What do I do with my bucket o' cold water? A number of things:

I usually put it in the washing machine. My machine stops putting water in the basin when it gets to a certain level, so this hastens the process and the amount of water needed to wash clothes. Obviously, this works best with a cold water setting.
Sometimes I use it in the girls' bathtub. It works out that the hot water comes in and adds to the cold bucket water at just the right level for safety and comfort.
During the summer, I like to use it outside in my garden, or for my plants.

So, it may seem like a little thing, but those 5 gallons at every shower add up!

Frugal February -Grocery Guru? Perhaps not. - Entry #2

2010-02-02T10:52:00.006-05:00

Frugal February began with a trip to the grocery store. This is more significant than may come across on the surface. Going to the grocery store may not seem like a big deal, but when you're trying to spend as little as possible, it becomes a little more complicated. Let me indulge you:

Before going to the grocery store, I had to take inventory of my fridge, freezer, pantry and cabinets. What do we have? What do we need (as in staples). I realized during this step, that we really have a lot more than I thought. This is the result of many couponing frenzies when I would have been a fool not to get something for FREE or for mere pennies (more on this later). So I have lots of rice, pasta, canned goods, etc...that need to get eaten up! I also made note of all the fresh fruits and veggies that I have that will go bad if I don't use them soon.

After taking inventory, I decided on a meal plan for the week and beyond. I wanted to use all of my perishable foods without having them go to waste. I also purposed to utilize some of the aforementioned extras that are plaguing my pantry.

This week, for example, I am making Whole Wheat Bread, Canadian Stew, Turkey Chili, Barley w/ tomatoes & basil, Chicken & Sweet potatoes, Salmon Cakes w/ Rice, and Tacos.

Next, I checked my coupon stash and the store circulars to see if there were any can't-let-them-get-by-me deals. I tried to match up sales and coupons.

Finally, I came up with a list of about 10 items that I needed this week. This included a few items for the kids and a few that the recipes called for.

The next thing I knew, I was strapping Allie to my chest in the Baby Bjorn and wiping down the "car" cart with antibacterial wipes for Ella.

Here's a clincher...and I have to give myself a pat on the back for this one cause it's a true sign that I am really working hard on this Frugal February thing...I bought ONLY what was on my list. Even with Ella in the cart, I was able to keep my blinders on and work my plan. Yay!

Now, I know that there are some super couponers out there who are so savvy at this shopping thing that they regularly save more than they spend. That is not me. I will forever be amazed at some of these women who have the time, energy and organization to do that, but I'm at a place where I just can't be that person right now. I'll do what I can and not let myself feel condemned because I don't have staggering numbers to show off yet.

So that's it. I got all of our groceries for the week for less than half what I usually spend. It's a start.

Frugal February - Entry #1

2010-02-01T12:33:00.006-05:00

It's February 1, 2010. We are officially in FRUGAL FEBRUARY! What's FRUGAL FEBRUARY, you wonder? I thought you'd never ask.

FRUGAL FEBRUARY is an experiment that the Berrys are doing. We are trying to see how little we can live on in the month of February.

There are a number of reasons why we are trying out FRUGAL FEBRUARY. Some include (but are not limited to):

The economy: We all know that the economy is bad. That's not new news. Thankfully, we have just recently felt the belt tighten a little in terms of Brandon's paycheck and other work-related expenses that were once covered, but are now not covered due to the economy and cutbacks that the church has wisely made. It is nice to know that God is our provider, and He has used Brandon's job to provide for our family in great ways.
The discipline: It is good for us to work discipline into every area of our lives. Last month, for me, it was in the area of eating. I finished a 21 day Daniel Fast as I abstained from all meats, dairy products, and sweets of every kind. I never thought I could do it, but I did! Now, even after I have finished the fast, I am still able to hold on to some of the discipline that I put on myself as I choose what and how much to eat. This month we are disciplining ourselves in the financial areas of our lives. It is so easy to become "fat and lazy" in this realm...going out to eat for convenience or just because I don't want to do dishes...buying things at the grocery store that I won't really use or need in the near future and/or that may go bad before I use them...wastefulness needs to end (or at least get a good spanking).
The need: I am not saying that Brandon and I flippantly spend our money. In fact, I would categorize us in the more conservative tier of our friends when it comes to what we spend and how often we spend money. We do this for a few reasons, but mostly because we want to have more to give to the Kingdom of God and those who are truly in need. This isn't a "pat yourself on the back" moment...it is the reality of our lives when we live them by our principles and convictions. We usually have enough left over each month to be able to bless others with food, clothing, a nice gift, or even a little help with someone's bills which have had to be neglected because of temporary setbacks. This doesn't just feel good, it IS good, according to God (See Matthew 25:40 for just a few examples of what He says about helping others). Recently, we have had more people express a need than we have resources for, so that has aided our decision to do our FRUGAL FEBRUARY experiment.

That's my rant...I wanna hear your rave. How does your family cut expenses? I want any and all ideas! Please comment and let me know...I'll promise to read them and try as many as I can out.

Recent Readings

2010-01-28T16:55:00.007-05:00

I've really been enjoying going to the library to check out different books for children. I solicited the help of Ingrid, one of the friendly and ever-so-knowledgeable librarians who had me laden down with 20+ books in 5 minutes flat! Ella loves the reading time, but Allie is much more engrossed in turning the light on and off than the story or the pictures. I know the time and experience is getting into her little heart, mind, and soul, though!

Knuffle Bunny & Knuffle Bunny Too Mo Willems

Olivia by Ian Falconer

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake & If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

I Love My New Toy also by Mo Willems

I haven't even been through all of them, but what are some of your favorites?

Funny.

2010-01-27T14:38:00.003-05:00

I have to admit that as a stay at home Mom, I have come to love the connection that I have with others through blogging, Facebook, and Twitter. Sometimes it's my ONLY connection to the outside world, the adult world, or the "real" world. I love the fact that I can keep up with long lost friends, faraway family, and people I do life with daily at the click of a mouse. I can enjoy watching my friends' kids grow up on uploaded videos and pics. I can show off my own kids with others, too.

But there are some things that I'm not a big fan of when it comes to Facebook. Here's a video that captures my sentiments. (Except the old people one...my kids' grandparents are on FB, and I'm glad it gives them a little fix in between visits.)

Enjoy and let me know what you love/hate about Facebook!

Daniel Fast Day 21

2010-01-21T09:03:00.004-05:00

Well, it's the last day. At sundown, my Daniel Fast will be over. I'm not planning on going overboard when the clock strikes to end my fast, but I will probably try to stop by and get a chai or coffee before we head over to RWOC for our Defining Your Child's Destiny parenting class.

I'm still expecting God to meet with me today in a deep, intimate way. And even after the fast, I look forward to a richer relationship with my Creator.

During the fast I feel:
* I have gotten closer to the Lord. I have been able to hear Him more clearly and see Him more readily in situations than I had previously.
* My spirit hungered for God more than before. If a day went by without some deep communion with Him, I really felt it.
* I've had a great success in making my body submit to my spirit. I haven't really cheated, which (honestly) is a surprise to me. This was a huge victory to me. I feel like my body is not addicted to sugar and high-fat foods like it was during the holidays. Hopefully this will translate into better eating habits for the future.
* My mind is clearer, and I feel healthier. Also, I've lost a few pounds, and my clothes fit better.
*I've had breakthroughs in prayer points and have seen God work mightily on my behalf.

Daniel Fast Day 17

2010-01-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

A new focus for the fast...

Today at RWOC, Apostle Ron talked about the reality of the financial situation for our church, and did an altar call for those who are either (a) unemployed, laid off, looking for work and can't find it or (b) business owners or others who have taken significant hit to their businesses that have sent them into survival mode.

You would not believe the amount of people who came up to the altar. HUNDREDS. People who are hurting, who are struggling, who never thought they'd be here.

Apostle Ron is fasting on behalf of these people and believing for a financial turnaround for the Church...the people of God's Kingdom don't have to live by the world's economy. But we do have to use wisdom when handling our finances.

I'm adding this to my list of prayer foci for the remainder of the Daniel Fast.

Brandon and I are also going through and shaving down our budget (again), looking for extra streams of income, and trying to simplify our lives and sell some items so we can continue to give generously to the Kingdom, to supply the House.

Queen For A Day

2010-01-16T14:44:00.000-05:00

Brandon got me good for my birthday.

He wrote out a sweet poem declaring me queen for a day. Hallelujah!

Queen for a day privileges included:

Not having to change diapers.
Getting an hour long aromatherapy massage with Roxy @ Urban Nirvana.
Getting my hair washed and fixed @ Urban Nirvana's salon after said massage.
Having Ashley pick me up and take me to lunch.
Window shopping with Ashley after lunch.
Getting dropped off at Barnes & Noble all by myself for some leisure reading & relaxing.
Being picked up in a newly washed "Don Juan" (that's what we named our Nissan Pathfinder)
Taking a nap.
Having Mama Nissi (Brandon's Mom) babysit all day and night.
Enjoying a dinner out (read--no dishes to do!) with Brandon.
Watching "Avatar", which was WAY better than I expected.

Not too shabby, huh? I thoroughly enjoyed my queen status. Now it's back to Wifey, Mama, CEO of the Berry Household, Nose Wiper, Diaper Changer, Taxi Driver, Pastor's Wife, Ultra-exhausted status...It's a good thing I love these titles as much as Queen!

Daniel Fast Day 15

2010-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

God, for my birthday, I want more of YOU! I don't need cakes or big celebrations, but I do need a fresh breath from You. You are everything to me, and I thank you for 31 years of life...and especially the ABUNDANT life that I've enjoyed since knowing you for these last 13 years. You are the best GIFT I could ever receive.

Daniel Fast Day 13

2010-01-13T10:10:00.003-05:00

Another answered prayer:

Tonight at clubRED Tavner brought an anointed message about finding our purpose from our Creator. It was definitely needed for teenagers and adults alike!

Tav gives an altar call at every service and gives a chance to everyone to accept Christ for the first time or recommit their lives to Him. Those who choose to do so, go into a separate room where Brandon and I and Maggie (along with some other wonderful leaders) counsel them, pray with and for them, and give them materials to help them grow (Bibles, Life Change Booklets, etc...).

I met a young girl today who really desires to change her life. Her past may be tainted, but God has erased it from her tonight when she asked for forgiveness and invited Him to take over. I am praying and believing that she is going to be a catalyst in her group of friends, her school, and her community for change. She's gonna change the culture. She's gonna show them how God can turn someone's life around.

Breakthrough is coming in the ministry and with the teens. Just you wait and see.

Daniel Fast Day 10

2010-01-10T08:07:00.000-05:00

I've found some rather yummy recipes to help me on my Daniel Fast. I can't believe how expensive it is to eat this way! There are hardly any coupons for fresh fruits and veggies! And I have been also purchasing vegan foods, which definitely boost my bills at the grocery stores. I also have to go a lot more often, because fresh foods don't last as long as processed foods, so I have to buy small quantities more often.

Brandon and I visited Asheville for date night. We hit up Rosetta's Kitchen , an all Vegan restaurant, for dinner. We were pleasantly surprised! I had a tofu pot pie that I could have sworn had real chicken in it. He had a veggie burger. It was a little different than we are used to, but we enjoyed getting out of our 'box' a little.

Afterward, we went to The Green Sage, a "green" coffee shop. They have all sorts of good things to eat and drink (I enjoyed hot filtered water with lemon while Brandon had a caramel macchiatto or something that sounded way yummier). But they also use all 'green' materials, have solar heated water, recycle and compost, etc...it was pretty cool. I was definitely tempted by the coffee and desserts, but again, greater is He in me than he who is in the world! Score: God in Me: a lot, Satan: zilch!

Daniel Fast Day 5

2010-01-05T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today God answered a prayer that I've been praying for a year. I can't get into too many details but I am very excited to see Him orchestrating circumstances to bring glory to His name!

Praise God!

On that note, here are my major prayer points during this fast. If God lays it on your heart, please join me in praying!

* More intimacy with God
* Physical healing for Mom, More intimacy with God for both my parents...
* Family healing for Berrys, including for J & P to be blessed with a baby in 2010!
* Direction and Wisdom for 2010 (Raising Ella & Allie, Finances, extra streams of income)
* Breakthrough with the Teens in ministry.

Daniel Fast Day 4

2010-01-04T07:52:00.003-05:00

Well, my Daniel Fast began at 12:01am on Jan 1, 2010. We had celebrated with Redemption World Outreach Center at the Bi-Lo Center and had employed the help of two teens to babysit our girls at the house. We had ordered them pizzas and sodas for dinner.

And when we came home by 1am, I was faced with my first temptation. Who wouldn't want some pizza after a night of celebrating? I resisted. Score: God in Me 1 Satan 0!

Then I went to visit my parents while Brandon took a much needed 2 day retreat to spend time with the Lord and organizing and strategizing the upcoming year. My parents house is infamous for having wonderful goodies. Usually, it is the demise to any eating plan I try to do on my own. But, I came armed with my own food this time, and was able to spend a lot of time with God while the girls slept or played with their Pappy. This allowed me to resist temptation while I cooked up some meals for them. Score: God in Me 2 Satan 0!

I forgot to mention that my best friend from college, Claire Eckert, has partnered with me on this endeavor. I think it's going to be great to be able to hold each other accountable and encourage one another through this. We have exchanged prayer requests, and are committed to praying for one another throughout this fast. We've lived apart for 5 years now, and as you can assume, it's much harder to stay close when you're not doing life together, so I'm excited to have this point of reconnection with her.

I feel like I'm beginning to focus less on my eating situation and body and more on God, which is a good thing! I'm excited to see what He is going to do in and through me!

Daniel Fast Day 1

2010-01-01T07:32:00.002-05:00

Jan 1, 2010.

I have been praying for MORE OF GOD lately, and through my prayers, I have felt a movement towards a time of prayer and fasting.

Fasting. It's not something I usually do "well". I love food. I love to eat GOOD food. It's not just the taste, it's the EXPERIENCE of food that I enjoy.

When Brandon and I were first married, we tried to fast once a week. I hated that day every week, and really began to dread it. Looking back, I'm pretty sure it's because my eating habits every other day were so poor that my body rebelled like a spoiled child during that one day that I couldn't give it what it wanted when it wanted! (In my defense to my poor eating habits, I must say that we were living on such little finances that we would stand in line for free food and had to try some pretty suspect items such as cans that just said "beans" on them. What kind of beans? It was a surprise!) During those times, I never really felt close to God. I was too busy thinking about King Stomach who was on the throne of my mind.

But I remember one time during that first year when we lived in LA when God impressed on my heart to do a three day fast (full fast, nothing but water). I was a little nervous, but couldn't deny that it was a God thing, not a man thing. I was praying for my parent's salvation. That was my focus. And the fast was surprisingly easy because I was caught up in talking with God this time.

Another time, recently, when I felt the need to do a three day fast was when my mom was told by doctors that she had but a few weeks left to live. Again, God pressed on my & Brandon's hearts to fast and pray on her behalf. Since I was nursing an infant, I was instructed by her pediatricians (who, by the way, are amazing and love the Lord and supported me in this endeavor) to take juice and continue with my prenatal vitamin. That was back in August, and Mom's still alive and kickin'.

So at the end of last year, I began to seek God on deeper levels and He kind of led me to this fast. I'm doing a Daniel Fast. Basically that means no meats, sweets of any kinds, dairy, fried foods, or anything to drink but water. I feel like it's one of those that are going to be difficult, but WORTH IT. I'm excited to get closer to God, and if that means giving up some rich foods, I will consider it a small price to pay for deeper intimacy.

I'll try to post my thoughts and reactions to the fast on my blog. My hope is that it will encourage you to grow in your own relationship with God.

Berry Thankful

2009-11-29T14:49:00.004-05:00

I reached an adult milestone last week....I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner. Brandon and I decided to host Thanksgiving at our house this year, and we invited my parents, his parents, and his brother and sister-in-law. Pepper offered to help me, and boy was I glad for that (she's not only a great cook, but also was so helpful in keeping me organized so I could get it all done by dinner time on Thursday!)

John and Pepper arrived on Tuesday night. They got to see a sleepy, but still awake Ella, and then we all went to bed to get ready for a long but fun-filled few days ahead. On Wednesday, John and Brandon went to work refinishing a table and chairs that HAD to get done if we wanted to seat 8 people all together. We had been given the set by Brandon's mom, but it sat in our garage, in desperate need of attention, for months. The task seemed to loom over us, so it ended up being a good goal to set: if we have Thankgiving at our house, we have a deadline to meet. There's nothing like a looming deadline to make you move, right? Well, I didn't take before pictures, but here is the finished product. We sanded off countless layers of grime, paint, and stain, then restained it a dark walnut color, cleaned and replaced some hardware, and repadded and upholstered the seats. I think it turned out to be beautiful, and was so thankful that John was willing to work on it with B.

Meanwhile, Pepper and I got to cook and hang out with babies for a while. We made casseroles and pies and vegetables....favorites of our families that we were proud to serve. I lost count at how many sticks of butter we used (or cans of cream of mushroom soup, carrots, celery stalks, etc...).

On Wednesday night, Brandon went over to the church for a youth concert, and John and Pepper took the girls out on a date. They were gonna go to Chuck E Cheese, but Ella pitched such a fit that they wisely decided to go more low-key and hit up Chic Fil A instead. Ella's never been to Chuck E Cheese, so it wasn't that she didn't want to go there, but she was just in a pill of a mood. I found myself with a few minutes of peace and quiet (which I used to cook dinner for me, make stuffing and greenbean casserole and then sit on the couch for a few minutes.)

By Wednesday night, I thought we had the bulk of the cooking done, but found on Thursday morning that there was still much to do. Breakfast casserole (by Pepper), lots of different appetizers and munchies, setting the table, roasting the turkey...finishing the table!!! We threw in a couple of quick trips to the Dollar General for some last minute items such as parmesan cheese, gravy (we decided against the homemade stuff because we couldn't find the giblet bag in the turkey...little did we know there were TWO openings in that bird...I didn't find the bag until after we had all finished eating and I was cleaning up and putting things into Tupperware!), and a newspaper so we could check out the deals for Black Friday.

So, for the official 2009 Thanksgiving menu, we had:

Appetizers

Sausage balls

Pigs in a blanket

2 different cheese balls w/ assorted crackers

Fresh veggies w/ dip

Chips & Salsa

Homemade Spinach Artichoke dip

Main Course

Roasted Turkey

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Maple Butternut Squash with Bacon

Collard Greens

Green Bean Casserole

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Macaroni & Cheese

Stuffing

Cranberries and Harvest Apple Casserole

Cranberry sauce

Yeast Rolls

Dessert

Aunt Jane's Famous Pecan Pies (made w/ Brown sugar, not Karo syrup)

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Paula Deen's Gooey Pumpkin Bars

Cool Whip

Honduran Coffee w/ assorted flavored creamers (Thanks to John who brought us the coffee from his latest mission trip!)

Needless to say, we were in need of a walk and a nap after that extravaganza!

But, friends, there's no rest for the weary because at 4am Pepper and I were on our way to save our husbands lots of money at Target! :) We arrived to find that at least 400 others were thinking that BEFORE us! We stood in line and got what we wanted and were home again before anyone else was awake. Target actually did a great job with organizing the shoppinig event, and I was thankful for the order that they brought. Hats off!

After a round of golf for the men, everyone met back up around our new table to help us get rid of the ridiculous amounts of leftovers we had, and by 4pm it was all over. Brandon and I sat face to face with full bellies and a smile on our faces. We had pulled it off (with some major help from John and Pepper!)

Sooooooooo unbelievably, incredibly thankful for the amazing blessings in my life.

Great Date

2009-10-12T15:02:00.005-04:00

I remember during our first year of marriage when we had a weekly date night. We were beyond poor...in mounting piles of educational debt as we both were in Masters programs. We lived in a tee-tiny apartment in Pasadena and often times stood in line for free food to make ends meet. (Those cans that just said "beans" were always a surprise...what kind of beans would we be eating tonight???) But every Friday night we knew that we were going to get out of our tiny apartment and go somewhere...do something. Sometimes we would hit up a two-for-one happy hour for dinner, other times we'd use our precious gift cards that we were given for wedding gifts. Sometimes date night just meant a walk through downtown Pasadena or laying out a blanket in a park and hanging out, or driving to see sights of Los Angeles. It didn't have to cost anything; we were just glad to put away the books and ministry thoughts and focus on each other for a few hours.

Then we moved to Greenville and life got even busier...date nights became a little less frequent, but at least we could somewhat afford to go out to eat a little more often.

It seems that date nights became an anomaly after Ella was born. Exhaustion had set in for both of us, and the whole, "we have to find a babysitter" thought didn't make either of us want to do a little dance...it almost always added at least $20-$30 (by the way, this figure has gone WAY UP since I used to babysit) to a date night bill. So we took them when we could...when free babysitting was being offered by the grandparents or our adult friends.

Since Allie's been born, date nights have become few and far between. We've since employed the help of pairs of some of our youth group girls who can each entertain one baby while hanging out at our house and eating our food.

But on Saturday, we were really wanting to go on a date, yet had not figured out what to do with the kids. Brandon called his parents who agreed to watch them OVERNIGHT at their house. We just had to get them up there, which we did and then we happily came back home, showered, and got ready for a fun night on the town.

Our first stop was Sushi Hana. We had never been there, but Restaurant.com had offered 80% off gift certificates, so I grabbed one from Sushi Hana: $25 that I bought for $2. Not too shabby. After all was said and done, we saved over $30 on a meal that both of us thoroughly enjoyed. Neither of us are very experienced in the sushi realm, but our friendly server helped us pick some good choices. The restaurant located on Haywood Road, was a pleasant surprise. The atmosphere was nice, and the food even better.

We had gotten a late start, and determined not to allow ourselves to turn in early, we headed next to Starbucks for some caffine and sugar. I chose a pumpkin spice frap and he a venti caramel macchiato. Next we got arrested by Kispy Kreme's Hot Now sign all lit up, so we got a dozen to eat and share with others.

Our final destination of the night was the HandleBar where Need To Breathe was performing in a sold out show. We had been put on a list to get in (thank you!!!), and met up with some of Brandon's friends from Furman. The lead singer from N2B, Bear Reinhart, played football with Brandon for Furman, so there were a lot of people out to support him. The show was awesome, we were so glad to be there. The band is really making it big now, and it's cool to think that they had their beginnings at a place so close to our heart.

After the show, the caffine and sugar kick had worn off, and we remembered that we're not 20 anymore and were ready to hit the sack. Brandon woke up the next morning and had to be at the first service at church, but I had planned on making it to second service so I found myself at home...with no one else there...completely quiet...for a couple hours! Bliss!

As much fun as it was to have a kidless evening and morning, I was sure glad to see my baby girls at church when B's parents brought them down. We spent the rest of the afternoon cuddlin' on the couch with them and remembering how blessed we are to have them in our lives.

Battling PH

2009-10-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

I started a new blog that will follow Mom's battle with PH. http://battlingph.blogspot.com . Of course, I still plan on updating Our Berry Good Life with thoughts and pictures of our life and family.

Can You Praise and Pray?

2009-09-27T14:33:00.019-04:00

I feel like I've been bombarded with prayer requests lately...so many people are getting sick, dealing with diseases, fighting for life. "It's not the way it's supposed to be", I think to myself.

I was at a women's conference at my church this weekend and one of the speakers, Cynthia Brazelton brought light to this subject in my life. She was talking about how we are the apple of God's eye (Deut 32:10). It says that He found him (us, the people I'm praying for, etc) in the wilderness, in a wasteland (in a dry place where they don't have the healing they need). It says that He threw His arms around us, lavished His attention on us and guarded us as the apple of His eye. Well, praise the Lord!!! When we are struggling, he is wrapping his arms around us, giving us all the attention and love we need and guarding us as very precious to His heart.

Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of his people. We are to praise Him, and He simply can't help but be present when we do so. He longs to visit us when we are praising Him--what parent doesn't love to hear his or her kids say how much they love Mama or Daddy? I know when I'm putting Ella down for the night, I long to hear those words, "Wuv you, mommy" pass through her pacifier, especially when they're unsolicited.

So, I want to praise God for who He is, in light of a few people who are close to me and need to be wrapped up in His arms right now. In fact, they need Him to move in a mighty way, and I'm believing for them that He will. In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas...they had been preaching the gospel through a town and casting out demons and healing people. Some people got mad at them and had them thrown into jail. They weren't just put in a holding cell. They were put in the deepest dungeon in the jail. No doubt there were rats and all sorts of nasty things down there, and it was dark and wet and....ewwwww! Then they were shackled and so their hands were bound and they couldn't do anything about those rats and creepy crawlies all over them. (Double ewwwww!) What did they do? They were praying and singing to God. And not just some woe is me kind of, "I praise you, God. (sniff, sniff)"...No, they praised and prayed so loudly that the other prisoners who were not underground heard them through the thick stone walls and dirt that separated them. This was a serious praise. And then do you know what happened? An earthquake came (I don't think it was a coincidence), the foundations of the jail shifted, and all the doors opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

What Paul and Silas did was praise. What God did was free everyone who even heard them praising. Everyone who was bound. Paul & Silas were in jail for no good reason, so maybe some of the other prisoners really were innocent, too. And they all were able to be free.

My three big prayer requests have been for:

1) My mom, who is battling the last stages of pulmonary hypertension, and has been for 4 years now. We are at the point where we have to have a miracle or lung transplant. She is #1 on the transplant list, but her antibodies are so that there is a very small percentage of people who would match her. I am praying for God's healing touch to touch her, heal her. OR...if He'd get more glory through a transplant process, then I am praying for the match, or a change in her antibodies...anything.

2) My friend and college roommate, Ashley. She and her husband are missionaries in Botswana, and she has always been someone who I've looked up to spiritually. This girl is a ball of fire for God. She recently gave birth to their second child, a boy named Caleb. Unfortunately, during the birthing process, his oxygen was diminished, and now there is significant damage to his brain which, barring a miracle, could mean a lifetime of round-the-clock care and almost no quality of life. Ashley and Percy have each felt God telling them to believe and ask for healing in this situation, though they were prepared to simply deal with the diagnosis and still give Him glory.

3) My "aunt" (she's related somehow through my marriage on my dad's side) Leslie who is in the last stages of cancer. She is fighting and battling, but has been dealing with it a long time, and I'm sure she's tired. I can't imagine how hard it must be to go through all that she's gone through, and as a mama, I can't imagine the torment that she deals with when thinking of her two sons and husband. I am praying for a miracle in this situation, too.

Overall, may God's will be done...He is worthy of praise even if things don't turn out as I have hoped and prayed. He's amazing and his ways are higher than my ways. I'm going to praise Him because of these situations. I am going to continually give Him the love and admiration He deserves, and He will inhabit these praises and the anointing that comes from it can be transferred into their lives, just as it happened with Paul and Silas.

Will you please take a minute and praise God with me? Thank Him for answering these prayers. Thank Him for wrapping these three people in His arms and lavishing His love of them and guarding them as the apple of His eye?

Twtter

2009-09-22T11:48:00.002-04:00

FYI, I had installed a Twitter application to my page a couple days back, and it worked at first, but apparently got switched with some random's tweets. If you read any of those wierd ones that didn't sound like me...they weren't! I deleted it. If you really want to follow me on Twitter, my username is coleyberry. Sorry bout that!

Been Thinkin'

2009-09-20T17:35:00.003-04:00

I've had some time to think. It's an anomaly in my world, actually. Here's a look into my brain lately...nothing profound or special...

When going to two stores across the street, parking lot, etc... (or nearby each other) it's just easier to take the kids and walk with the cart than to load them back in the car, then unload them again in 2.5 seconds.

I did this the other day when I just had Allie. We were at Target (ahhhhh...) and I had her in the Baby Bjorn (by the way, I think I'm gonna need a chiropractor soon). We also needed to go to the sports store across the street, and since it wasn't a busy street, I decided to just keep things as they were and hike it. I mean, I was going to a sports store, why not actually get some exercise doing it!?! This is good for one, but especially true for shopping with two kids. In and out of the car routines can shave precious minutes off of melt-down free shopping/errand time.

When deciding whether or not to purchase designer jeans, one should take into account the probability of getting pregnant again soon...

Brandon and I spent a morning date at Stax Omega and then wandered over to the mall. This was the first time we'd been to the mall in a loooong time. I guess my motto has been one-stop shops are better for shopping with babies, so I frequent Target or Wal-Mart, and occasionally have a few minutes and enough guts to hit up the TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross kind of stores. But we had grandma watching the children so we decided it might actually be FUN to walk around the mall like we did when we were in high school on a Saturday night. We looked at lots of great clothes in lots of great stores, but weren't there to buy anything. We went into this store called Buckle..it's all the rage here. You've probably seen something from there...the swirly, printed pieces of clothing with lots of flashy, sparkly things on them...We'd never really been in there, but walked through and I got talked into trying on some jeans...The nice girl said, "what kind of fit do you wear?" I answered, "The kind that fits a preggo belly and have a band on them." It's been at least 3 years since I've bought jeans because I've been battling preggo body since then. But I did, and while I found some really cute ones that actually fit this soccer booty and "powerful" legs (lol), I thought twice and decided not to take the plunge...yet.

Here's the problem. I don't really want to spend that kind of money on jeans that I love, only to find out in a couple of months that Baby #3 is on the way (no, this is NOT an announcement). My history of pregnancies says that I won't be wearing them long. That will leave me longingly staring at them in my closet every time I reach for the jeans with a band on the belly.

Soooooo....no new jeans for me. Maybe I'll use that money for something that will be better put to use.

Like I said...nothing profound. Maybe even a little trivial. Believe me, as the wife of Brandon (who I believe is gonna be used by God to change the world one day), the mama of Ella and Allie (also world changers), the daughter of Cris (battling everyday with a disease that wants to take her out), and the friend to so many who are really running hard after and doing great things for God's Kingdom...I have a lot of other things on my mind that go a bit deeper...that's why these silly thoughts stick out to me. I hope that they bring some relief and laughter to you as well.

Some Wonderful Summer Time Fun

2009-07-19T13:16:00.005-04:00

We've been having a nice summer, and can't believe how quickly it is going by! How did it get to be mid-August already???

We had a chance to visit Nassau, Bahamas for both business and pleasure! While I won't get into the craziness that preceded our trip, let me just say that the devil didn't want us to get away! We had some amazing time by ourselves for a couple of days before I flew back to take care of the babies who were safe and sound at Pepper & "John-John"'s house.

We then spent some time together as a family at Myrtle Beach. We had fun riding waves, eating out, and sitting in the sunshine as much as possible. Ella had a blast playing in the surf, making sand castles, jumping in the pool, taking nice naps in a dark cool room after lunch, and hanging out with some people who love her a whole lot. My diet went out the window, but it was all worth it!

As soon as we returned from a two week hiatus, we hit the ground running and had 4 weeks until our annual youth conference. There were long, hard hours put in, but God seems to enjoy showing off, especially when the natural is all in order. I have to say that Brandon's team did an excellent job organizing and pulling off such a huge event. I think we had over 1000 young people from all over the country, and many dynamic speakers and musicians. Perhaps the best part was the unity that came as different denominations came together from the upstate and worshipped and served together...that was Brandon's heart, and it was awesome to see it happen.

We were also bombarded by a lot of...how do I say this?...crap. Someone hit our new car as Brandon was taking it to get serviced, we also started having unexplainable mishaps occur that tried to distract us, and Mom had some hard news regarding the progression of her lung disease delivered to her that we have all been dealing with since. All of us got sick, we were all way too busy, and didn't get much sleep...honestly we approached the youth conference on empty. But when we are weak, God shows his strength through us! Afterwards, we celebrated Ella's 2nd birthday Elmo-style, which was a lot of fun.

Now, I know I just talked about our vacation, but believe it or not, after one month of youth conference prep, we had to get away again to recharge. We did so in Charleston with some of our closest friends. This was a much lower key vacay...we spent a lot of time in the house, just being there together and talking. It was wonderful. On the last day, we visited Seacoast, my old church, and spent some time with our friends there. We hit Columbia on the way home, and celebrated my dad's 60th birthday with the family.

Doin' Better

2009-06-18T13:56:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! Thanks to those of you who called to make sure "just makin' it" wasn't my last post!

Let's see...so much has happened!

Allie: We went through a couple of different treatments for Allie's "cat hair ball" cough. And it went away! Don't know what did the trick, but it's gone, and she's not on anything for it currently. I guess she just grew out of it!

We did have to go to the hospital with her, though. A couple of weeks ago, she woke up with a fever and because she was under 2 months old and they were working on this cough thing, they asked us to come in and get tests done and allow them to monitor her. It really was the best thing for all of us. My in-laws picked up Ella and took her to their home in Hendersonville, NC, and Brandon and I were able to focus on Allie and each other for a whole day. We ended up spending the night, and actually got decent rest considering the sleeping arrangements. They determined it to be a virus, and she was released the next day. Since then, she's been doing great.

Ella: Our big girl started a Mother's Morning Out program 2 times a week which has been WONDERFUL. She loves it, I love it...enough said. She is getting ready to spend a week with her Aunt Pepper and Uncle John in NC while Brandon and I go out of town for a business/pleasure conference trip. She's growing so much and learning so many words, but her favorites right now are "No!" and "mine!" Ahhh...the life of an almost two-year-old.

Brandon: As usual Brandon's busy with work, and loving every minute of it. He is currently getting ready to host the annual youth conference in early August. He has been bringing two new employees up to speed, and they are really great assets to the team. Things seem to be really starting to move in a good direction with the youth ministry. He also just finished a class, Managing Conflicts, and enjoyed it immensly.

Nicole: I am riding around in a new/used Nissan Armada! On a recent trip to see Mom and Dad in Columbia, I was rear-ended while driving the Honda. We had hoped to replace B's truck with a family-sized car, but the Honda was totalled (everyone was okay-both girls were in the car with me). It actually ran fine still, but the bumper work and replacing the trunk would cost more than the car was worth (it was a '95). We ended up getting $325 less than what we paid for it 4 years ago, so we were happy with that. We were also able to give it to a couple that needed some wheels. But all that to say, it made our decision to buy a new car a little more to the forefront of our minds! We were able to get this awesome new SUV from some friends who kept it immaculate! It seriously has every bell and whistle I can imagine...dvd player with cordless headsets, nav system, 6 disc cd changer, sunroof, ipod connection...I could go on. you name it, it's got it. The first time I drove it after we bought it, I cried like a baby for a good 30 minutes. It's just an Ephesians 3:20 kind of car (more than I could have thought of or imagined)! Thank you, Lord!

I have also been working out trying to get my body back in shape. I began a program called P90X with two other girls, and am loving it! Our church just opened a new state-of-the-art gym/workout center, but this P90X thing is keeping my attention for the time being. I took before shots, and will take after shots when I'm done with the program. Hopefully, they'll be good enough to post! I am starting to really feel great. I have more confidence, energy, and peace. I love getting up early in the morning (the workout starts at 6), coming home to a sleeping family, making breakfast, grabbing a shower, and getting some quiet time before the house starts to stir...I am remembering that I really am a morning person.

The Berry family is going on vacation in July, and I'm excited for Ella to enjoy the beach this summer. I've bought Elmo kites and bubbles and toys...I think she's going to have a blast! I'm glad to be starting to make traditions in our family and the memories that go with them!

Well, the baby is done eating so I'm gonna leave it at that!

Just Makin' It

2009-05-08T16:01:00.003-04:00

Phew! I'm typing this 1 handed with Allie in the crook of my left (dominant) hand...and I gotta tell ya...this 2 baby stuff ain't easy! Ella loves. loves, LOVES her little sister. She loves hugging her, climbing on her, snuggling with her, seeing if her fingers and toes are REALLY permanently attached, trying out her binkies (pacifiers), swinging in her swing, etc... Sadly, her super proximity to the baby has not been without its ramifications. Despite our attempts to keep both kids healthy, Ella got a cold and then passed it on to her sister. That was last week. This week was pinkeye.

So my infant who had the clear to not have to come back to the pediatrician for a 2 week checkup because she had gained all her birthweight back and was so healthy, has been to the doctor twice since then. Brandon and I have also felt crummy, although we managed to avoid the pinkeye mess.

Poor Allie still sounds like a litte rhino snorting and snuffing and trying to breathe. Her feedings, which were timed about 3 hrs apart, are now much closer because she can't get a full feeding-she has to choose btwn breathing and eating. She keeps gaining weight, but I feel like an open buffet.

But the good news is that we're on the upswing. This won't last forever. I promise...

Precious Pics

2009-04-29T11:24:00.003-04:00

Congrats, Huckabys!

2009-04-27T10:33:00.002-04:00

Congrats to the Huckabys on their newest addition, Judah Pace, born on April 24th!

More Pics of Allie

2009-04-10T22:38:00.003-04:00

Introducing...

2009-04-07T08:44:00.003-04:00

Allie Elizabeth Berry

April 6, 2009

12:24am

7lbs, 13oz

20 inches

Hamming It Up

2009-03-31T10:29:00.004-04:00

Nevermind the oversized, double-chinned giggling mama in the background. Check Ella out! She's such a little ham!

Leslie Coehlo took this and many more pics the other day at Cleveland Park. I'll post some good ones soon!