IN THE SUMMER OF 2010 WE TOOK A FAMILY TRIP TO CHICAGO FOR A FAMILY REUNION. We made a point of going through Springfield, Illinois on our way to the Windy City and it was a day enjoyed by everyone in our family. In honor of President’s Day I wanted to reshare our fun from that trip. I always love traveling with my kids. Oddly enough, they seem to exhibit perfect behavior while traveling — perhaps because they are learning something new?

 I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when they realized that you could rub Abe Lincoln’s nose!

Grace as a ten pound newborn in the NICU.

I AM NOT SO WORDLESS TODAY…BUT QUIET WITH THOUGHTS. I’m having deep thoughts today. We had a new baby niece come into our lives this week. She’s the first grandchild for my husband’s sister. All in all, a very happy situation. But they had an emergency delivery which was very scary. I’m getting ready to go visit them this morning and spend some time remembering my own delivery of Grace. Let’s be honest, I think about it all the time. It affects a great deal of my life and I am also reminded daily what a blessing this hard headed and sparkly child is…and how close we both came to the edge of life. When I tell my nephew and his wife that I understand what they are going through it will be sincere in every way. Not many people go through something so scary. I feel like God has prepared me for this very visit. I was able to pray a most specific prayer last night.

And this morning I am remembering milestones I blogged in the past like these:

Two Years Old

Three Years Old

Four Years Old

Six Years Old

Seven Years Old

 Something difficult in my life does have meaning. Something simple to say and challenging to live. That’s where I am in my mind today.

THIS YEAR I HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO DO MORE OF THE “GOOD IDEAS” IN MY LIFE. THOSE IDEAS WHICH REMAIN SUSPENDED FOREVER IN MY MIND, BUT NEVER USED.  Pinterest is a perfect example of that. I love the browsing of cool crafts, neat outfits, and beautiful rooms, but how many of those ideas am I going to put into practice? My friend Meghan began a group of Pinterest lovers who are putting their pinboards to work. Last week was the first “linky” link up at her JaMonkey site. Interesting to see how ideas are put into action from this sharing.

So for the second week of this group challenge I decided to find the organization idea using a parts bin from Harbor Freight mentioned by kinseywilson.com on her Jiminy Pinterest profile. She obviously does scrapbooking and has her rotating bins perfectly organized, but it looks great!

This is the article on her blog. 

So we went off to Harbor Freight to buy the 12″ Revolving Four Tray Bin. Actually, we called ahead with the information from their website and found out that this little parts bin was out of stock in many places. I blame Pinterest. I wonder how many saw this and plunked down the twenty dollars to organize their projects and supplies? This would be great with jewelry beads and materials, stamps, makeup or kid art supplies.

We bought the last two parts bins in the store. Once my husband unboxed them and laid out all the parts he had over 75 screws and matching washers to piece this item together. To say it was tedious was an understatement. It does seem sturdy though! We were missing parts from both boxes so my husband simply made one complete one until we could put the other one together for our teenager.

I am completely thrilled with the result though. I placed it in my art area. About a year ago I began to assemble some of my supplies together in the unfinished part of our basement − in a lockable situation away from kid sleepovers and other parenting hazards. It’s nothing fancy and it has no natural light…BUT the mere fact that I can leave a project in progress is worth e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I do art with the kids also (of course) but this is where I keep my good Prismacolor Pencils, my nice watercolor paper, and my empty canvases.

My husband made that beautiful dresser from scratch about four years ago. At one point it was supposed to be in my closet and it is a beautiful 5 drawer cabinetry piece he has mounted on the studs at my request. I have a desk to the left of it which is actually a 1930s Hollywood Blonde Wood table. I bought it at an estate sale in my hometown for 40 dollars before going off to college. 27 years later and it still serves me well. One day I’ll have the whole set up ready for a photograph and show you my little nook away from the computers and technology. For now this Project Pinterest idea will have to suffice.

Are you on Pinterest yet? If you want an invite please leave me a comment and I will send you an invitation so we can share ideas. Make sure you visit this week’s Project Pinterest page on JaMonkey’s blog for more project fun. I love seeing what everyone is trying.

I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN — KID ART IS SPECIAL. As you know, I love kid art. On Friday a drawing appeared on our refrigerator with very little fanfare. It was put under a magnet and quietly waited for someone to notice it. I saw it as we finished packing the sunscreen and other details later that night. It was a drawing by Grace. A piece she had done on September 12, 2011. The day after the ten year anniversary of 9/11.

And the words were accurate — particularly for someone who was not born on 9/11/01.

Love the way she mentions the debris falling from the disaster. I think the visuals she saw last month during all of the news recaps must have made quite an impression on her.

This year we let our children see a little more of the news and reality that happened on that horrible day. For them it was a relief to see some explanation as to why our country and communities honor those lost in 9/11. Some things made sense to them. They have always known about our friend’s sacrifice at the Pentagon. Oddly enough, our teenager who was four and a half when it happened remembers the actual day. She remembers her Grandmother picking her up at school and not understanding why. She remembers us being in the hospital with a 4 day old William. William knows that his birth is very close to the actual date.

Grace was not even born then. That’s why it is so interesting to see her interpretation of this history event. I gave her a big hug when I realized why she had put her drawing front and center on the fridge. I was glad for a reminder of life a month later after the 10 year anniversary.

Children are very perceptive, aren’t they? Happy {Not So Wordless} Wednesday!

IF YOU KNOW ME PERSONALLY, YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A READER. I adore reading. I’ve encouraged my children to be readers. I’m convinced that reading is a life skill which will make all things better. I’ve had three very different children, but they all love books in their own way.

Would it surprise you to know that I actually hate reading logs? I despise them.

I’m not a reading teacher, nor do I claim to be an expert. I am a parent who happens to be a book lover. Three children later, it is my belief that forced nightly book logs from a teacher can actually make a child hate reading.

Are you surprised to hear me state this publicly on my blog? Here are my thoughts:

• 20 minutes each day does not a reader make – Strong readers who love reading will see the log as a forced chore. For my children this has taken the free feeling of reading for pleasure away. Often Grace or William will choose to tackle the reading part of their homework first because it is on their “to do” list each night. Once the 20 minutes are up then they feel like they have to move onto the next thing on their list.For some children, the only reason they read is to satisfy the teacher’s requirement. They will read anything quickly, scribble it down on the log, and hopefully return that piece of paper to school to the teacher’s satisfaction.
• The reading log has become a way for the teacher to verify the involvement of the parents – William came home in tears one day. I had forgotten to sign his reading log sheet and he was graded upon that fact. He and I both knew that he had read almost an hour with his father the night before because they were simply caught up in the joy of a good book. Each night his teacher has us initial at least 4 things and sometimes more. Eventually that easy chore becomes so trivial in relationship to the actual learning that needs to take place. Do I need to look at his planner with him? Of course! That’s a tool we use every night and a wonderful habit to cultivate. Should he be slapped with a fine just because his mother forgot one set of initials amid all the daily homework chaos at our house? In my opinion that is not what should be graded. I want to know if he can comprehend what he reads, knows how to pick a book his level to enjoy, can relax and let his brain go elsewhere into the book’s world. We spend at least two hours on homework and related online computer tests he has been assigned. Does scribbling down the daily read teach him to do this? Shouldn’t my job as a parent be to help him acquire a skill and master it fully?
• Intrinsic motivation is stronger than external motivation - Creating an internal drive will create a much stronger reader instead of presenting the reading as a requirement. It’s an honor to read and be able to discuss books together. Teachers and parents are actually role models in the reading process.  {Think reading club mentality instead of book report assignment.} I really enjoyed this article which discusses simple learning practices and attitudes that create readers. {In fact, the whole website “Reading Rockets” is a great resource for both parents and teachers.}

What is your opinion on book logs? How do you encourage reading in your home and/or classroom?

ON TUESDAY A GROUP OF GEORGIA SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS (AND DADS) VISITED CNN FOR A SPECIAL TOUR. The group has been such a wonderful resource for those of us who blog or consult in social media in the Atlanta area. My friend Desiree, who is Mommy Reporter, planned the event and made all the reservations. Apparently the tour was updated about a year ago so even local Atlantans who have ‘seen it all’ may want to revisit the next time they are sightseeing. I learned that the 8 story long escalator was actually the entryway to an amusement park at one time. Yes, CNN Center was briefly home to an amusement park called The World of Sid and Marty Krofft. I had no idea of that fun fact until yesterday’s tour.

We had an excellent behind the scenes tour given by our tour guide Jason. He allowed any questions and gave the group plenty of time to soak in the details of each newsroom setup or studio window. I believe they do that for every group though. The tour was not rushed and allowed for time to enjoy the artwork and photos along the way of recent news milestones. There was an “n” on the wall in one area. It was the last letter in Saddam Hussein’s name at the Saddam International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq. I thought that was a neat relic considering much of the way CNN functions today began during the First Gulf War in 1990. I remember watching CNN as a Navy wife.

And then I photographed something unique. So unique that I had to have my teenager explain the character to me. I’m not big on letting the kids watch all of the Cartoon Network shows so I certainly don’t know all the characters. I’m quite sure they know all the characters anyway, despite my attempts at media parenting. Apparently this is Lady Rainicorn. So popular they had to put a barrier around her I guess. 

And this is the rest of Lady Rainicorn inside the Cartoon Network store at CNN Center. Here is the character sketch I found on her courtesy of Wikipedia:

Lady Rainicorn (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the short, Niki Yang in the TV series) – Princess Bubblegum’s half-rainbow, half-unicorn steed. She can turn objects and people different colors. She has a love of the viola. She can fly because she can intercept light and can dance on it. She’s Jake’s girlfriend and they play music together. Jake describes her as “The Rowdy Queen” because she can have fun and fight evil. In the short, she makes pigeon-like sounds, and as of the TV series, she is speaking Korean. In both cases, despite being unable to speak the main language of the series, she is able to understand it.

Did you understand that? So, that’s what I learned on Tuesday!

BORDERS RECENTLY CLOSED AND THE WAVE TO GO BACK TO INDEPENDANT BOOK STORES IS ALIVE IN ATLANTA. Atlanta offers opportunities to experience author’s homes, a rich literary history, and a community of life-long learners who feel most comfortable in a bookstore. If you have a favorite which wasn’t included on this list I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I’m always looking for another cozy place to make my favorite.

My latest Savvy Source article:

“Best-Loved Book Nooks”

OR “HOW TO MAKE YOUR WIFE SQUEAL IN 5 EASY STEPS.” We had been visiting Callaway Gardens for a Multiple Sclerosis cycling event over the weekend. We had only a few hours before we needed to be back home, but just enough time to squeeze in a visit to the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, Georgia. The kids saw the billboards coming off the interstate and I had a friend tell me it was loads of fun so we took a chance and headed out to the Safari.

As we stood in line for the tickets, Dave looked at me as if to say, “This is going to cost HOW MUCH?” There are five of us after all though and there is an additional cost I highly recommend to anyone going through the safari…renting the Safari’s vehicles. Their motto is that it is cheaper than a car was, and honestly, they are right. There is no way I would have wanted wild animal ‘stuff’ all over my van. Almost all of the vehicle’s windows have been removed so you can feed the animals from the backseats. There is a whole lot of these zebra striped customized vehicles:

Dave volunteered to drive and I thought that was so nice until we got further into the safari and I realized that he had a plan. A devious plan.

And the animals are smart enough to know that every vehicle headed through their territory has some kind of food inside.

Pretty soon you see animals greeting you like this:

And this:

And the people in the car start jumping around like this:

Then your husband drives on the left side of the road and encourages the animals to come peek into your window. His has the only glass window in the car so he is not worried at all. Your husband then lures the animals in mighty close to introduce themselves:

And you end up sitting in your husband’s lap while the kids laugh their heads off.

Let me just say that we had loads of fun…and my husband got his money’s worth of fun and mischief. it was a fun way to end a weekend.

CALLAWAY GARDENS WAS A QUIET BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO VISIT LAST WEEKEND. Well, unless you were in the mini-city which the Multiple Sclerosis Organization had set up. When that was full of cyclists and all their families and volunteers it was extremely busy. The moment we finished the send off and breakfast, I took my crew to explore Callaway. We did a quiet walk along a boardwalk area which was brimming with life. The kids were simply thrilled to see so many turtles and fish just enjoying the natural surroundings. One mother (or father?) turtle had so many little ones following, climbing, and otherwise impeding her swim. Although she wasn’t the fastest swimmer, she seemed perfectly content to have the chaos around her. Everytime a little one climbed up her shell and then slid off, she simply looked at them and then kept moving along. I related to her instantly. This is my homage to that parent:

I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY OF YOU ABOUT THE PROJECT TO HONOR 9/11 VICTIMS BY VOLUNTEERISM AS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES. If you have already served this Summer or would like to submit your commitment for a future commitment, please use the new website:

It contains tools and supplemental materials for various project you may want to lead or join. And if you would like to dedicate your service to our friend CAPT. Robert E. Dolan, USN we would be honored. I know Bob would be pleased because he was a man of service and giving. His family – Lisa, Becca, and Beau – will be serving right alongside you. Please let me know if you have any questions. If you do make a commitment would you be willing to drop me a message or leave a comment here? I would love to pass them on to Lisa, his wife.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Ann

SSSHHHH! SIT STILL! BE QUIET! I remember a time when I dreaded any moment which involved waiting quietly with my young ones. Keeping a child busy and content during a situation where quiet is required becomes a survival skill for motherhood. A restaurant, church services, doctor’s offices…the list goes on and on. Adults seem to have no problem hanging around a dinner table…but young kids cannot wait to leave it as soon as they are finished eating (or even before their meal is complete!).

Over the years I have found that there are some simple, non-electronic items which allow open ended play in these scary motherhood moments. Eventually I developed a mini-toolkit of small items which could be brought out during these moments. The bonus is that they are simple, easy to find play items which are actually good for your child’s learning and creativity. You will be surprised at how quickly time passes as they learn to entertain themselves. You may even finish a restaurant meal in peace. For mothers of young children that is considered a treat!

5 Ways to Entertain a Young Child

{without electronics}

KATHRYN TUCKER WINDHAM DIED ON SUNDAY IN SELMA, ALABAMA. She was 93 years old, the same age as her mother before her.  Hearing that news took me instantly back to 1979 and “Junior High School” {Which is what we used to call “middle school”, just in case you are younger than me!} to the auditorium with old wooden seats and a much used stage. We were called there so often for “Assemblies” and a lot of them were lame. A ventriloquist, a magician, or a historian who lacked the ability to hold our attention — that’s what assemblies were most often. We sat there as early teens simply being happy to have our day’s schedule relaxed and classes shortened. But the day that Kathryn Tucker Windham came was different.

From the moment she opened her mouth to speak we were drawn into her masterful storytelling. It was like a piece of history unfolding in front of us…only we felt like we were sitting on the front porch at her feet.

Her voice was calm and steady – strangely soothing considering the topic of ghost stories. 13 Alabama Ghosts to be specific.

One of the things I remember about her was the patient way she spoke. It was like she wanted to get every detail correct to set the scene. She didn’t mind taking a pause to let you soak in what had just been said. Those quiet moments made you hang onto her words even more. Who could imagine that this sweet looking lady could weave a tail so vivid that it would make you believe in other spirits in this world — the ones you weren’t sure you wanted to meet. Her main characters were more than just silly icons, they had personalities and endearing characteristics.

The fact was that she told about things that had happened to her or places she had explored and experienced. It wasn’t just a kitsch story she retold, those stories were part of her. As you listened to the stories you also got a glimpse of the South. You understood why oral histories were so important.

On that day in sixth grade I probably didn’t understand that a living legend was right in front of me. I didn’t know that she was one of the first newswomen in the state of Alabama to make a successful living from her research. I didn’t know that she had published a series of articles and photographs on the famous Gee’s Gap Community and their quilting art. I had no idea that she would go on to write over 20 books about more than Jeffrey, the famous ghost. The one thing I did know about that assembly was that I needed to immediately read more of her stories. I would indeed race to the school library that day and devour the books she authored. The greatest thing was that I could hear her calm and knowledgeable voice speaking to me in each written word.

A masterful storyteller is someone you will not easily forget.
Rest in peace Kathryn Tucker Windham. Rest in peace Jeffrey.

IN FEBRUARY I CHAPERONED A CONFERENCE TO GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE with our church youth group. This is a huge gathering of teenagers – like 13,000 of them. So much so that it has to be split into two groups because they fill the Gatlinburg Convention Center twice. It was a great conference. On the first night they focused on the level of detail God put into the design of the human body. Before the main speaker began we were handed these:

A set of raffle tickets and a swab to collect DNA from our cheek tissue. I can honestly say that this was a new conference concept to me. Turns out that they were giving away $100 to the winner of the drawing. Each person was supposed to put their sample back into the package with one of their raffle tickets. No names were taken, only random numbers assigned. A unique giveaway idea to say the least.

I don’t know if you were a fan of Scully and Mulder from the X-Files, but that music came into my head immediately!

But the teenagers in our group thought it was cool. It got their attention. It tied into the topic to be discussed and the next morning when we gathered, they were still talking about it. It reminded me that so much of the experience of a young person is visual. I can’t really see this being taken seriously by a roomful of stuffy business types. I can see it being met with huge protest by a room full of security professionals.

As a person who develops communication concepts for companies and brands, I was able to remind myself that that if the gimmick or visual doesn’t fit the audience, then the message will not come across clearly. Not a bad reminder.

(And no, they don’t have my DNA.)

GRANDPARENT TECH: START TALKING

Do your grandchildren speak a foreign language when it comes to their use of technology? I’ve got a cheat sheet for you…come do your homework!

HEART OF HAITI

A country which has been filled with so much pain and hurt is still producing beautiful pieces of art. Take a few moments to browse the offerings brought to us by the Heart of Haiti efforts. I guarantee you will see the soul of Haiti in each piece.

BLISSDOM

I’m excited! Next week I will be in Nashville for my first BlissDom Conference. The idea sharing and collaborations that come out of these gatherings always seems to amaze me. So fantastic to be in a room full of entrepreneurial (mostly) women.

DOODLE4GOOGLE CONTEST
Do you have a budding artist in your household? Each year Google hosts the Doodle4Google and I enjoy seeing the creativity these young minds explore.

That should be enough to get you started. I’ll warn you…say something negative about how ‘kids these days’ are wasting so much time on computers (or phones, or facebook, or anything else) and those grandchildren will shut like a clam. Knowing you will listen to their ideas about technology or trends will mean the world to them.

Now go be the hip grandparents I know you can.

THE END OF THE YEAR IS A WONDERFUL TIME TO LOOK BACK AND SEE WHERE LIFE’S PATH HAS TAKEN US AS A FAMILY. I’ve taken the time to link up to some of my favorites and I just may add to these as the weekend reflection goes by:

ParentTech Alchemy

How to disable Facebook Places

Your Digital Footprint: iPod Touch / iPhone settings

Your Digital Footprint: Look at yourself

Your Digital Footprint: Sticks and Stones online

Your Digital Footprint: Digital reality

Your Digital Footprint: Back-to-School

5 Things: Old School Style

“I’m bored!” teenager style

An update on my girl, Grace

Don’t rush the learning

more technology articles

Travel Wonders

See you later alligator

American Girl Birthday Fun

More American Girl Birthday Fun

Along the way: Atlanta, Illinois?

Rubbing Abe’s nose

First Stop; The Gateway Arch

More travel articles

Family Funnies

What an afternoon!

How teens make you humble

Photos for his wedding slideshow

That’s how boys are!

A kindergarten conundrum

More Family articles

Spirited Reviews

Animal Mastermind Towers

In praise of the original

Groupon success on my doorstep

Looking ahead I wish you and your family a wonderful 2011! More changes are coming to MundaneMagic and I can’t wait to share them with you, my readers. Thanks for the community you have created and the richness you have added to my life.

IT JUST WOULDN’T BE FAIR TO SHOW YOU ONLY THE SENTIMENTAL MOMENTS FROM THANKSGIVING and not  share a bit of the fun we had during that time together. There was an incident in the kitchen (while we were channeling Rachel Ray) that cracked us up…I’m just sorry I don’t have pictures of it. I was too busy cleaning up the mess to document it. I sat up the nice Kitchen-Aid mixer that my parents own and forgot to lock the bowl into place correctly. The moment I turned on the mixer sweet potatoes went flying everywhere. What a mess! A recipe I have made at least 50 times and boy did it leave a mess to remember. That’s why I include the picture above of us looking so calm and relaxed. That was Thanksgiving day and all the cleanup was behind us.

There wasn’t much more than a nap between the Thanksgiving day and the midnight mission for Black Friday Sales. Usually Dave and I go around 4 am and make a date day of it. This year our teenager persuaded us that she needed to participate. She had saved a good bit of money and was ready to buy a laptop. Only catch was she needed to get it at the doorbuster prices or she would have to wait much longer to purchase it. After much negotiation and price comparison she decided that Sam’s Club was the best place to purchase it. Here is Dave faithfully waiting with her…and let the record show that they were first in line on a Black Friday line assignment. Amazing for our family!

We watched THE big game of the season between Auburn University and the University of Alabama. It was exciting enough to keep me awake even after our marathon shopping adventures, though I will admit to dozing during halftime. Jordan passed out altogether. So thrilled to see Auburn come back in the second half and win the game.

Mountain biking became an adventure on my parent’s property Saturday. My brother-in-law, Russ, and Dave took the two boys on a substantial ride through the woods and a bit of mud. They covered about seven miles of hard riding and the boys were exhausted and starving after the fun. Here they are at the start of the ride:

First hill as they departed the house. The boys are tiny specks in the field already at the bottom and heading off towards the stream:

Drake stops to check his texts…wonder what the signal strength was like in the woods of Alabama?

William rides a fun loop and gets a little airtime:

Coming around a hill:

To complete the fun I return back to Thanksgiving Day. We women were sitting around the table. The guys were in the family room, kids playing outside, and we were left to enjoy some time with Mammaw before cleanup. I pulled out my camera trying to capture a few sweet moments. I had just framed up a sweet interchange between my beautiful sister and my grandmother. As I snapped the moment my sister has a moment of burping from the huge meal and this delicate and hilarious photo is the result. I know you are happy I don’t have this on video. My reaction was to roll my eyes in a sisterly way and die laughing. Family life is never perfect, but man at the sweet memories!

Related posts:

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2010: The Homecoming

Thanksgiving 2010: The Feast

The minute I saw it was possible to purchase Cirque Du Soleil Ovo tickets using our RCI vacation points I was excited. We had points about to expire in January — not many, but enough that I didn’t want to lose them. Doing that enabled us to take all five family members to the show without damaging our checking account. I was thrilled to have the kids get to see the creative and amazing acrobatics and dance here in Atlanta. Dave and I saw Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas last January and were mesmerized. It was fun to go with the kids this time.

After church services and Sunday school we headed down to Gordon Biersch in Midtown Atlanta. We have great memories of eating at the Aloha Tower location in Honolulu years ago when Jordan was a baby. The Atlanta location is just as good…garlic fries may not be healthy, but they sure are delicious! I did eat fruit and salad along with that so hopefully it all balanced out!

We had a couple of hours to kill before the Ovo show so we made use of our family membership at the High Museum of Art. It was the perfect amount of time to see the currently featured Salvador Dali exhibit. That’s what I love about having a membership to a museum – you never feel like you have to cram it all into a day. So, as you can imagine, paintings like The Persistence of Memory made for some interesting conversations with the kids…like, really interesting since Dali was an “out of the box” type. Amazingly even some people in the art world thought he was “out there” at times. While there I read a quote by his critics saying that he was too much of a self promoter. In light of today’s social media and self-promotion frenzy I would say he was ahead of his time.

And then it was time for Cirque Du Soleil which is set up at Atlantic Station in an elaborate series of tents built especially for the show. The show is here for several months in Atlanta. Our kids were excited and anxious since they did not know what to expect.

It was every bit as thoughtful and beautiful as the Beatles LOVE show, but it is a more intimate experience in the tents. I love seeing it in the round. All day long the kids have been discussing which part was their favorite. It occurred to me that we probably loaded their brains up with so many visual thoughts that we’d have kids waking during the night. Fortunately a sound night’s sleep was the reality…though I am quite sure that they talked in their sleep. I was just too tired to hear it!

I’ve been quiet the past few days. Unusual for me really.

On Sunday morning I arrived at church to help with the collection of “Thanksgiving in a Box” meals for Atlanta InnerCity Ministries. It’s a great way to help others celebrate Thanksgiving. As I left the garage to head to church early with William, Dave ran out to the car and whispered in my ear, “Hailey’s gone.” Those two words were all he needed to say. For over two years Hailey battled an aggressive cancer called AT/RT and became one of the longest living victims of this horrible disease. She’s been a brave and bright soldier in the fight, so to hear that the end had arrived has been difficult for all who loved her.

Hailey, prior to her cancer diagnosis

Shauna, her mother, has honestly chronicled the journey from beginning to end on CaringBridge. Not only has that served as a central clearing house for spreading news and prayer needs, but it has become a community of individuals connected to this one delightful little girl and her ability to spread God’s light in this world. Cancer is one of those diseases you hope never comes to your family. It’s one you certainly would never want for your child. Shauna has eloquently explained that it was not an easy road to travel as her honesty accurately portrays. At times the feelings are very raw and real. But by doing so she allowed the power of the situation and the good that might come of it shine on the screen.

Hailey with her first life vest at the lake.

Today we celebrated Hailey Ann Trainer in a beautiful service. The audience was filled with doctors, nurses, therapists, co-workers, football players, neighbors and church members who loved Hailey and her family. We released hundreds of bright pink balloons up to Heaven for Hailey. In honor of their loss I wanted to ask you to take a moment to read some of Hailey’s journey and then perhaps consider a donation to the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research in her memory. No one should lose a 34 month old child with a sparkle in her eyes – and Hailey could shine with the best of them. Keep the Trainer family in your thoughts and prayers. Learn a few lessons from Hailey who lived and loved on this earth without abandon.

That’s a lesson we could all take to heart.

A first trip to DisneyWorld for Hailey this fall.

I love college football rivalries. There, I’ve said it.

I love tailgating as a tradition. It’s awesome fun.

Nothing can be better than cheering your own team on whether they win or lose. I love NCAA college football.

Our conference, the SEC, is full of them. The Auburn / Alabama game continues to be a highlight of my Fall activities year after year. I grew up in a town about two hours from Tuscaloosa. I often wore crimson and white growing up and honestly never even thought about the fact that I would indeed find my college degree coming from Auburn. The University of Alabama has a beautiful campus and when I took my tour of it as a serious option I realized that they didn’t really have the exact degree I wanted in architecture. That’s how I came to attend and love Auburn.

Every football season I enjoy the fun that college football brings to our household. Our trips back to Auburn with the kids, seeing my friends visiting their alma mater, and the spirited discussions which result. I know a lot of people love their professional ball teams, but the heart and loyalty that is shown in college football rivals the entertainment value of a pro game any day for me.

On November 26th, The University of Alabama and Auburn University will play the yearly Iron Bowl Rivalry which is talked about among fans for 364 days to follow. In an effort to extend some kindness to my friends who love the University of Alabama, I’ve compiled a collection of fanwear in my “Mundane Magic Finds” OpenSky Shop. I never knew there was so much houndstooth to be found, but OpenSky offers some unique items which I’ve never seen in larger stores. Let’s just call this my peace offering for all those times I’ve offended you by yelling “War Eagle” so loudly!

HOUNDSTOOTH GALORE

DRESS THE PART

TRAIN THE KIDS RIGHT