Tuesday, February 28, 2012

QUIETED

When I saw on Twitter that the message at church this past weekend was about having a quiet heart, I could not wait for Sunday to get here. Y'all have read before that having a quiet heart is something I struggle with quite a bit. And the darnedest part of it all is that usually it's the same three things keeping my heart from being quiet.

The analogy used in Psalm 131, which was the text we studied, is of a mother and her unweaned child. I kept thinking of my beautiful nephew and hearing his precious little cry in my head. It really made the example more real. That is the most loved child in the world and not one need of his will ever go unmet. How much more, then, is God's love for me? Why would I ever doubt that what I need, he will give me? And the best part is the last three words in the Psalm: now and forevermore. The gap is closed: nothing we can do can remove us from that love. Hmm.

Encouraging words, indeed!

Monday, February 27, 2012

BOUGHT

How I spent my money this weekend:


I haven't tried the chocolate cheddar cheese but it looked too interesting to pass up. Story of my life at Trader Joe's! I CAN vouch for that Malbec, though. Amazing!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

BUMPED

I love this photo of Blue Ivy's parents at the Knicks game last night. Wonder what they were celebrating? I love it when couples high-five or fist bump to show affection, like they are on the same team. Exhibit B:

Sunday, February 19, 2012

AUNTED

Sigh. I am back in Nashville, still a little misty-eyed from having to leave behind the most beautiful, amazing, gorgeous little bundle of perfection called James Henry. The past six days have been a whirlwind!

On Tuesday morning, when my mom called me to tell me she'd just spoken with my brother-in-law and things were officially underway, my heart soared. I had already packed my "stuff" bag (magazines, Kindle, projects for work) and had more or less packed my suitcase over the weekend, so I was ready to go! I make it a habit not to get up before dark if I can help it but this was one exception I was all too willing to make.

I got to Birmingham and the rest is history. He was our 8 lb, 5 oz, 21 and 3/4" little Valentine. The first time I saw his tiny body in the flesh, rather than through the grainy lens of an ultrasound photo, he was all curled up and snoozing away. I burst into tears. He was just so perfect, so peaceful, so wonderful.

But the real game-changer was the first time I got to hold James Henry and study his tiny, wonderful features up close, and feel his sweet little fingers wrap around my own, and kiss his little cheeks and nose. I am officially obsessed with this little cherub. I cannot get enough of this child. It doesn't hurt that he is an incredibly beautiful baby. I know I am biased, but seriously, he's one of the prettiest babies I have ever seen. But while I clearly think he is adorable just the way he is, and I will always remember the week he was born, at the same time I cannot wait to watch him grow up and turn into all the things I hoped and guessed and wondered and prayed for 9 months. My new little pal and I are going to have a lot of fun.

I am the proudest aunt in the whole wide world!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

BLESSED

Cupid and the Stork teamed up this year to deliver the best Valentine's gift ever: a healthy, beautiful little nephew. It's official, he hung the moon! He's perfect, head to toe. Aunt Lin is obsessed!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

WHITNEYED

I remember sitting at my desk when someone a few cubes down shouted out (not uncommon in my office, btw) "Michael Jackson died!" We all were so intrigued. The King of Pop was gone! So sad.

Here's the thing: I listened to a lot of Michael Jackson in high school and college. But I've been listening to Whitney Houston since I was two. I probably could recite "All at Once" before I could recite my own address. Michael Jackson figured out how to be a great entertainer and performer. But Whitney had straight-up, unparalleled, God-given TALENT.

Simon Cowell put it best yesterday when he said that Whitney was the voice by which all other voices were and will be measured. I don't expect that to change anytime soon. She opened her mouth and made it all just seem effortless.

I think that's why I am so sad. I consider myself a little bit of snob when it comes to voices. I've been told I'm "hard to impress" when it comes to that and maybe that's true, but here's the real truth: no other singer I'VE ever heard holds a candle to Whitney.

So many of her lyrics are so ironic right now, but none more so than this: "And if by chance that special place that you've been dreaming of leads you to a lonely place, find your strength in love."

Friday, February 10, 2012

BLUED

GET EXCITED! The first pictures Blue Ivy Cater are here! So much hair!!!!

For more pics, go here.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

DISTRICTY

This time last week, I was packing to spend the weekend in Asheville, NC for... wait for it... district conference for ADPi. I was secretly kind of excited because for my first and only trip to DLC when I was a collegiate, I had scratched my eye with a contact and so per doctor's orders, I was rocking my glasses the whole weekend and several days afterward. Bum-mer.

So I was content to volunteer to tag along with the exec group for the chapter I advise. It WAS a good way to get to know the new girls and show my support for what they do. It was NOT a good way to meet the leadership in our district: no one reminded me that NO JEANS were allowed. Have you ever been the only woman in a room of 500 women wearing jeans? TWICE? Yeah. Not my finest hour but no one kicked me out.

Anyway, it made me miss all my friends who found it in their heart to claim the girl in glasses as one of their own that rainy Atlanta weekend and who collecitvely managed to make the Mallard Ball T-shirt look good with khakis. Even though Auburn is in another district, they accidentally called Beta Omega for a few of the awards that were handed out and I almost stood up and cheered anyway.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

THINKING

Ever since I found out I was going to be an aunt, I have been more emotional and sensitive to anything baby related. Yes, the Grinch has a heart. Imagine what I will be like when I have my own kids!

In light of that, I thought this little video/moment was adorable. Dierks Bentley's new album "Home" came out today and the last track on the CD is about his daughters Evie and Jordan. Dierks sang the song at the Ryman last week and said it was probably the only time he would ever perform the song live, as it is too painful to listen to when his daughters aren't around. Break my heart in two!

Thursday, February 02, 2012

HAPPY

Roses are red,
Tulips are pink.
I GOT PROMOTED!
How was your week?

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

PESTOED

ANOTHER RECIPE! WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO ME?

I will tell you what has gotten into me: lunches. Deciding what I am going to eat for lunch is more taxing than deciding what I am going to wear to work. Must it be this way? Must life be so hard? I have several friends that teach for a living and I always am so envious when they talk about their cafeteria food, even when they are complaining. I would love a cafeteria where I could go and choose what I wanted every day, free of charge.

Until then, I have tried everything from frozen meals to PBJs to going home for lunch to turkey pitas to skipping it altogether and nothing is as easy OR filling as a leftover. Hence, I am cooking my tail off - not so I can have dinner. So I can have lunch.

So, tonight's recipe is brought to you from my friend Molly. I have no idea where she got it but let me know if you have seen something similar. This dish was so idiot-proof that the hardest part about it was opening the jars of pimentos and artichoke hearts.

Baked Pesto Chicken Pasta

16 oz box of bowtie pasta
2 and a half cups of shredded chicken (I just used 3 breasts)
1 cup pesto (they don't sell it in "cup" increments at the store; 8 oz = 1 cup)
1 can cream of mushroom soup*
4 oz jar of diced pimentos
4 oz jar of artichoke hearts*
1/4 cup of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to box and drain. Boil and shred chicken. Mix all ingredients but cheese. Spray a large dish with pam. Pour/spread mixture into dish and cover with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

The asterisks are because I used my handy-dandy food processor to get the mushrooms in that soup ground into smithereens as well as chop up the artichoke hearts a little bit. Just a tip.

DELICIOUS!