I heart NY!!

Michael and I had a FABULOUS anniversary/my birthday trip to the big apple for several days.
(thanks to Poppy and Mimi for watching our sweet boy while we were gone!)

First I'll list a bunch of the stuff we did, then I'll post the pictures, which is all anybody wants to see anyway :)

Friday we got in, got to our hotel, which was 2 or 3 blocks from Times Square and the theaters where our shows were. We went to broadway's Phantom of the Opera that night, which was AMAZING!! (Andrew Lloyd Weber, how do I love thee?), and then around Times Square. It was around 11:00pm when our show got out, and there were a million cops around and everything was lit up like the 4th of July, so I felt safer there than I would here in good ole DFW. These dudes on bicycle carts kept trying to give us a ride back to our hotel, which was kinda funny.

Saturday we did a bunch of sight seeing and a TON of walking and subway riding. We walked across the entire width of Central Park (width, not length...I'm tough, but not that tough), which was beautiful, saw a lot of the super cool, super expensive stores on 5th avenue (I didn't go in because I didn't want to be tempted beyond Michael's patience/our stores of money :) ). We went to Chinatown and experienced the crazy behind the walls rooms and alley ways necessary to look at "Coach" "Gucci", etc. handbags and all that other fake but real stuff that costs a tenth of the regular price (no, I did not buy any of it - it's ugly, truth be told, and ridiculous...just my opinion, no offense to those of you who choose to indulge). We also went to Little Italy and bought a lot of our souvenier stuff there. I decided on this trip that every time I go somewhere new or exciting, I'm going to buy a picture frame and put a picture from that trip in it. Unfortunately, I didn't do this for Prague, D.C., China, or Europe, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? Saturday night we ate out at a nice New York pizza place and then went back to our hotel to watch football (pregnant lady was exhausted, and my honey wanted the Ohio State game stats :) ).

Sunday we took the subway to the southern end of Manhattan and saw Ground Zero...pretty amazing, and then took the ferry across to Statton Island to see the TINY Statue of Liberty, which was a total let-down after seeing it being so HUGE in the movies, but was also interesting since it was so very different from what I expected. We walked around this area pretty much all morning, then caught lunch and went to change before our Sunday matinee of broadway's Wicked, which was also FANTASTIC. The plot for this show is phenomenal...it's one of those complete outside the box thinking kind of deals, which I always enjoy, and at the same time wish I'd thought of :) For dinner we ate at the Rock Center Cafe, which is right under the Rockefeller Center, and is also where everybody ice skates in the winter and is usually filmed by the network stations for Good Morning America, etc. VERY cool experience - we ate the fanciest, most expensive BBQ we've ever had, and I could tell our waiter was slightly annoyed that we weren't drinking anything but water - hee :) After dinner, we took the tour of the Rockefeller Center and got some great pictures of the city from a crazy amount of stories high.

Monday we packed up, ate a leisurely breakfast, and shuttled back across to New Jersey to catch our flight home. Fantastic trip, and quite nice to get some adult alone time and to celebrate our 5 years and where God has brought us in that time. I'd recommend NY to anyone, definitely.
And now, without further ado, the pictures...


Coming into the city, our driver got a ticket :)

Our hotel lobby

View from our room - Times Square

At Phantom

We were in the second row. Awesome.

After the show.

In Central Park.

Grand Central Station elevator.

The Campbell Apartments :)

Elmo on the subway...a $5 picture b/c Michael didn't have change :) I told Elmo it's because my son REALLY likes him.

Ground Zero construction.

On the ferry, headed back to Manhattan.

Teeny tiny Statue of Liberty *sigh*

After the show.

At the Rock Center Cafe.

On top of the Rockefeller Center. (Empire State Building in the background)

Thanks, honey for this amazing trip!! I loved every minute of it!

Pray for the Carders

Take a look at the link that says "Amy" on my sidebar to see this sweet family's story. They need to be covered in prayer and lifted up to the Lord, especially now that little Ella has been born (evening of Aug. 31st). Please pray for both Amy and baby Ella's healing and recovery.

We love you, Carder family. You're in our prayers and thoughts.

Strength in weakness

I don't feel I'm very good at expressing myself about serious, deeper issues in life, so I typically choose to keep things light and fluffy and fun, with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure.
But recently I've really been chewing on some things, from past experiences combined with recent events and conversations with women far wiser than myself. So here goes what I've been thinking about, as best as I can say it.

Our world, and especially our American culture has taught us that weakness is shameful and awful, and is certainly something to be hidden and tucked away in darkness where no one else is able to see or find it.

I now know and am convinced more and more through examples from my own life and from others, that this is not only a false belief and world view, but that it is much more serious: it is a lie from Satan. And along with this, I'm beginning to believe that it is one of the biggest, most harmful and destructive lies we can choose to accept.

Our church did something called card board testimonies last weekend, and I was once again amazed at the raw power, glory, and truth attributed to God, as well as the comfort and emotional healing our entire congregation experienced from these testimonies/confessions. People who experienced addictions, abuse, death, loss, doubt and fear, and all kinds of bondage came forward and testified that Jesus Christ set them free. It was one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced. These brave people blessed literally thousands of people by stepping forward in truth. But what really struck me was the fact that they weren't always at this wonderful, rejoicing point of life; they weren't always out on the other side, testifying. At some point, they were lost, alone, crippled by fear, or beaten down and torn apart by the enemy. And God rescued and redeemed them all. But if they hadn't been honest and hadn't stepped into the light, there would be no testimony to give, and most likely no help to be had in a lot of their situations.

I believe more and more that honesty and openness about our weaknesses and struggles is key to truly bonding and growing deeper in Christ, and in spurring each other on toward the goal. Otherwise, we're fluffy, shiny Christians that stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and not much else - otherwise known as "American Christians."

My own personal healing and the healing of my family only came from honesty and bringing things out of the darkness and into the light, asking for help, not being ashamed of the truth of the way things were, and pursuing God's will in our lives. I don't say this to say "Go, me!" because God knows that had I stepped out in truth years earlier, so much pain could have been avoided and that many more people could've been helped, and He alone knows how He miraculously healed us, but I'm amazed, absolutely amazed, at how many other people I've been able to encourage and give strength to, not because I have a lot of wisdom to offer, or because I've got it all together (ha!), but because God makes me strong, and my weaknesses, failures and pain can be a testimony and a source of perseverance for others.

I think it's so important that I know that God can fill me with purpose and a new ministry to others when I've dealt with my own hang-ups and problems.
Being honest and bringing things to light does the opposite of what the enemy lies and tells us it does. It doesn't bring shame and hurt, isolation and rejection. It brings acceptance, encouragement, freedom, and great joy in the knowledge that God is using us to help others.

News

It's been a while friends, but yours truly has been busier than one person should be allowed. I've got three pieces of news to share, each following piece bigger than the previous one...here goes.

1. NEWS -- This just out...Mr. B. is officially the CUTEST clown ever known.


I couldn't keep his hat on long enough :(

The peeps at church dressed the kiddos up on their last summer day, keeping in with the circus theme they've had going. This is what I found when I went to pick him up (minus the sad/annoyed expressions that inevitably come when he sees a camera). Plus they had a bag of goodies and B. babbled on and on about the bounce house they got to play in when I asked him about it. So thanks Mindy and all the ladies who made it such a great experience for our little ones!


2. BIGGER NEWS -- You may have wondered in the past, "Who are the most wonderful, giving, selfless, hard-working people in the whole wide world?" I mean, who cannot possibly be topped? Oh friends, I have the answer. Their names are Micah and Lori. You read me right, and I'll tell you why. I took in upon myself recently to strip, texture, and repaint our master bathroom (see wallpaper picture below and you'll understand why), but I myself did not texture...oh, no, two angels from heaven came to do this for me. I was going to simply borrow a texturing machine (called a hopper - who knew?!) from Micah, which was wonderful in and of itself, when they were like, hey, why don't we just come do it for you? So they brought their sweet Annalee over for Bennett to play with, and we spent about 4 hours prepping, papering, texturing, and smoothing my bathroom walls. Michael was out of town, so Micah had to do all the nasty stuff (like removing our toilet - gross with a capital G) and stuffing his hand down the glop-ridden hopper, and skating on toilet water (don't ask). You won't find two more kind-hearted, giving people. I couldn't believe they spent their whole Saturday morning doing this for us and helping me out with my "small project." THANK YOU BOTH!!
The pictures I've included are befores, the work process, and afters.


hideous, I know..ALL OVER the walls


our prep work - we had to do this to the WHOLE bathroom, and around the CEILING..argh


Micah and the hopper


How they had to travel to the back yard to hose off so they'd prevent hoppered floors :)


still debating the wood doors..but the walls are beautiful!


pretty bathroom :)

4. BIGGEST NEWS -- Campbell Baby #2 is ON THE WAY, predicted to make an appearance around March 26, 2009!! This is yet another answer to prayer for us. This baby was in the works in our hearts and minds, and not really what we were going to actively try for for another couple of months, but God knew our hearts and what our family needed, so here he/she comes and we are THRILLED, PUMPED, and whatever other all caps words that equal excitement you can think of! We absolutely believe this is a direct blessing from God for our family and we are so thankful for the ease and wonder of it all. We'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers for our sweet one and our family as we change and grow.

(And if anyone has an AWESOME doctor they'd like to recommend, please e-mail me or facebook me or something to let me know, because I wasn't real satisfied with my last one, and have yet to find another one that I feel good about).

funny hair

Um...yes, the previous post was a joke.

I thought I'd relieve the awkward feelings some of my friends must be experiencing in thinking I'd truly change my hair in such a way and not knowing quite what to say...(since I've already had three people ask if I was serious - HA!) :)

No worries, friends. I don't struggle with delusions of scary hair - rather, my great struggle is overcoming the desire to blog using undetectable sarcasm... :)

Vote your favorite

Okay friends, I'm getting my hair totally re-vamped. I need your help. Vote your favorite:

1. The Big Sexy



2. The Happy Homemaker




3. The Ice Queen



Thanks for your input! It'll definitely help me make a fashionable decision!

God's pharmacy

I don't usually send forwards or blog about random stuff like this, but at our Girl's Night Out, several girls were talking about the "God's Pharmacy" e-mail. I think this is amazing - it's one of those things that just blows my mind. A lot of you have probably already seen this, but humor me, because it really is fabulous, and all glory be to God for His attention to detail and knitting us together so perfectly! (thanks Kristen!)

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.

Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic

index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist th e health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body

Savings and more Spectacularness

I've had several people ask more about couponing and CVS-ing, so I'm going to do a break-down of the deal I did this week. Here's what I got for $6.38:

(mega pack Pampers, Cascade dish soap, Colgate toothpaste)

Here's how I did it:

When you get a CVS card and use it during your deals, you periodically get print-outs on your receipts with coupons, as well as periodic e-mail coupons. I also check a blog at a glance (http://moneysavingmom.blogspot.com) every day or two because she is a CVS lover and posts their deals, coupons that are available that can make deals work better, etc. Keeping the coupons and print-outs in mind that I've searched for, this is a list of coupons I used.

1. $4/$20 coupon (this is a CVS coupon that means it takes $4 off a $20 purchase) - generally these are found floating around on-line, or print off of your receipt...see blog above.
2. $1.50 off Pampers (got this coupon in the mail, but you can find them a lot in the Sunday edition of the newspaper, too)
3. $1.50 off Colgate whitening toothpaste (got this from the moneysavingmom blog also, which provided a link to the coupon on-line that I printed off my computer)
4. $6.99 ECB (Extra Care Bucks that I earned from buying certain items last week)

So I started with a total of right around $20, but then used all of the above and ended with $6.38, PLUS (here's where it gets sweet), I received $5 in ECB back ($3 from the diapers, $2 from the toothpaste), which I will be able to use next time, PLUS in my Pampers package, there was a $1.50 coupon off one box of Cheerios, which totally rocks because we eat those like nobody's business. So essentially with the ECB, it's like I spent $1.38, with a coupon for cereal :)

I was a bit skeptical about CVS-ing when I first started, but the truth is, it totally works. I allot myself $10 or less each week to spend at CVS, buying mostly paper products, snack foods, diapers, cleaning products, and toiletries that we need. Then, I use coupons clipped from the paper and found online to buy the remaining $40 of my groceries (usually at Wal-mart, sometimes at Kroger if my coupons line up well with deals they're having). I plan my menu for the week of cooking for our family around both the coupons I have and recipes we like.

I was NOT a coupon clipper until this March, about 3 months ago, and I totally didn't believe it helped, but especially with how sweet CVS works, plus grocery shopping weeks like the one I'm about to have tomorrow (I have $10 worth of coupons I'll be using for things we need), it really does add up and make a HUGE difference. I've been at it for 3 months now, and I still spend just $50 a week, including all of my baby supplies (diapers, wipes, etc.) and including my CVS trip.

And one final tip for those of you who have been inquiring and are truly interested, I also recommend the coupon links on my blog for signing up for freebies. You go to different websites and give them your name, address, and b-day, and they mail you free samples and freebies of things. Here's a list of things we've gotten so far:
diapers, wipes, potty training DVD, Rand McNally Atlas, laundry detergent, paper towels, cereal, granola bars, coupons for diapers, stain remover, tampons, Tylenol, and several others I've forgotten. You wouldn't think samples would make much of a difference either, but again, it all adds up.
(You also have to give your e-mail most times, but I've set up a separate e-mail account for ALL of my couponing and money saving stuff, and it keeps my regular inbox from being cluttered or annoying).

And now for my wall of pictures (from our Summer Spectacular decorating!):

Whew, that's all for now, my friends!

Season passes

Can I just say that NRH2O is the best thing that's ever happened to me and my little buddy?!


We played hard and crazy in that water for about 2 hours, with a break for lunch. From there, my Benito fell asleep on the way home, which he NEVER does, and he has currently been sleeping for FOUR HOURS which is an absolute record for him. My house is clean, my feet are rested, and dinner is in the making. All of this, plus a day of fun in the sun for him. F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C. There will be season passes in heaven.

Spectacular Summer

Since it's been a while this will be a hodge-podge blog with lots of random stuff and some questions/requests for advice.

1. SUMMER SPECTACULAR -- my team and I are FINALLY finished with our decorations for this crazy big VBS for our church, which happens this Monday-Wednesday (June 16-18th). It's going go be an amazing production with great classes, awesome gifts and prizes for the kiddos each night, a rockin' free t-shirt, and an actual broadway-style show, three nights in a row. The theme this year is Jonah. It's all free and fun for the family. Not sure on the times specifically, but you can go to www.rhchurch.org and find the info there. And if you go, make sure to check out all the upstairs hallways - that's been my baby, my big project for weeks now, and our team did a rockin' job - I think the kiddos are gonna LOVE it. And because I'm done with all of this awesomeness, I should be around a bit more and able to actually be a friend to all my friends :) I'll post pictures of the upstairs fantabulousness soon.

2. SUMMER PLANS -- I've decided to get me and Benito season passes to the water park, for several reasons: a) my little buddy is free this year so I only have to buy one pass b) it's just me and him this summer, and I'm not positive that'll be the case for a super long time more c) Bennett LOVES the water and so do I, and they have a rockin' awesome baby/little kids area d) several of my friends have passes and will be going with their munchkins all summer long.
All that being said, is there a certain day any of you guys go? Do you go more than one day a week? What times seem to be best? Do you pack a cooler and do you get a locker?
Michael and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary this August and are going on an amazing trip to New York City for a few days at the end of that month. I am SO excited because I've never been to NYC and have ALWAYS wanted to go, and ESPECIALLY because we're going to see PHANTOM and WICKED on Broadway!! AHHHHH! I could just die of excitement and happiness. SOOO cool. We haven't been on a trip in a long time, and this will be a nice marker of time and work and renewal of things...

3. FRIENDS -- I am very excited because I've long been praying for more Christian women as friends, especially married women with children and in the same phase of life as me...I feel like God has been steadily and faithfully answering these prayers. Being with other women and having "playdates" and just hanging out is such a blessing to me - I've always been a social person and I need the interaction...plus I just like to have fun with other silly, ridiculous people :) So to you guys out there who have sought me out, just know that you are a GREAT blessing to me and I am very excited about continuing to get to know you better.

4. SEASONS -- I think we've all heard the analogies/comparisons of life to a roller coaster, or the seasons, or a box of chocolates...I tend to relate to the seasons the most. Some of you don't know, and many of you may not know why, but there was a very long, very intense period of winter in my life for about a year, and really more than that if I'm being completely honest. During this time, I now recognize that due to my circumstances and situation, I was dealing with mild depression, increasing social anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurities that became almost crippling emotionally. I say this to say that God is SO very faithful and also that He is a God who answers prayers. I consider my situation to have been quite serious, and here I am, in what I would call a late spring, where things have been blooming and thriving, growing and increasing for several months now, almost ready to plod into a healthy, steady, summer of stability and beauty. I know I have many friends out there that read this blog, and many more lurkers :) so I wanted to give you all an update and let you know that things are better now than they've ever been, which is thrilling and exciting, and leaves me anticipating what lies around the bend. Amazing how God delights and takes joy in going above and beyond our imaginations, isn't it?

5. BENNETT -- He turned 18 months old about a week ago, and in all the madness, I wasn't able to post anything. Soon I'll be attempting (again) to post a video, but for now I'll follow suit of what others have done and list some things (humor me, and if you're not family, you might just want to skip this part because you probably won't care) he's up to and can do right now.
Words: hi, bye-bye, got the ball, bird, dog, no, yes, yeah-yeah!, night-night, touch it, there, this, juice, cheese, banana, please, hungry, whoa, thanks, book, outside, bubbles, Mama, Daddy, Joseph (his uncle), eye, sweet, throw, spin, duck, up, down, go, and a few more that I can't for the life of me remember right now.
Letters he can name and sound: Ss, Oo, Tt, Hh, Gg
Body parts he points to: hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, cheek, hands, tummy, feet, toes
Funny things: He has a slight obsession with peoples' feet. He goes "Aww, sweet!" and then lays down on them or kisses them...it's pretty darn cute right now...I confess I hope he grows out of it eventually :); we play the "knock-knock game" on our doors. He stands on one side of a closed door and I stand on the other and we take turns knocking to each other. Every now and then I'll open the door and say "Hi!", which Bennett thinks is HILARIOUS.; He's a social butterfly. He says hi to just about everyone, but especially young, pretty women, and old, white-haired women.; He doesn't like messes. If something drops on the floor or spills, it really bothers him and he wants it picked up and put back where it belongs.; We've recently started writing on his erasing write pad that Aunt Rachel gave him for Christmas, and I was amazed to discover that he holds the little pen CORRECTLY rather than with a fisted grip. (when I discuss Bennett's "accomplishments" with my family, they say, that's great, but can he wipe his rear-end?...there's a REALLY funny story that accompanies this comment and explains it, dealing with a kindergarten student I once taught, who was accomplished at many many skills...apart from ones pertaining to the potty - ask me sometime when you need a laugh, or at least a really big smile).

Michael and I have started doing a quiet time with Bennett every night where we read a story from his bible (thanks, Mindy!!) and then pray for him and our family. It's SO sweet because after a few days of doing this, he sits there quietly, listening to daddy read, looking at the pictures, and pointing at things he recognizes, and then when we pray, he sits quietly, watching me and daddy, and then after we say Amen, he giggles and claps his hands and says "Yeah!" It's a precious thing to watch, and so exciting to know that seeds are being planted early. Any advice anyone has on continuing this and expanding, or adapting this as your child grows would be greatly appreciated, especially the praying together part.

That's about it for the latest updates here. This has become the world's next great novel (minus the great, perhaps), so I'll sign off now.