RUBYE IS ON HER WAY!!

I just received a text message from my BFF Betsy. She is at the hospital, in labor. YAY! Rubye Kate Puckett is on her way!!!

UPDATE:

Ruby Kate Puckett was born 3/30/09. She weighed 6lbs 15oz and was 20.5in long!!

Rubye Kate and Mommy


Rubye Kate and Daddy

Betsy, Rubye Kate, and our friend from MHBS Mandy

Third night...

Well, the 3rd and final evening without my hubby was a long one on Saturday. I was so wound up from the excitement of bringing him home Sunday that I didn't fall asleep until after 1am. I had already decided that I would help cook and serve breakfast on the mountain Sunday, because I got a tip that they are usually short on volunteers because of people wanting to go to church. Which means that even though I didn't fall asleep until after 1am, my alarm went off at 5:40am! Yes folks, that's right, 4 1/2 hours of sleep. I do NOT look forward to this kind of sleep when we have an infant around (though I know it will be worth it).

Anyway, it's Monday now. I got my husband back yesterday, :D. He was surprised to see me at breakfast, and he had a great weekend. I can testify that we BOTH slept horribly this weekend without each other, and that we BOTH had and excellent and deep sleep last night!! I'm glad to have him home.

Second night...

Well, it's a little harder than it may seem to entertain oneself with no husband and no TV (we gave up TV for Lent this year). So, I decided some RETAIL therapy was needed to distract myself from what would be date night! Matt and I discussed that I needed new clothes and since he was going on a golf trip this summer, I could shop! WOOHOO. I did most of my shopping online at Victoria's Secret (yes, for clothes not the other stuff)! They're running some great deals on dress pants (free shipping and some are on sale) and 20% off knit tops and tees. So I got lots of new stuff including my Easter outfit! This top in white with this skirt!! I'm so excited!

After work, I came home quick to feed and walk dogs, then I headed to Hamilton Place. I was looking for new shoes to replace the ones I wear with ALL my summer dresses (I've had them for MANY years and they need replacing). They are a shimmery bone/light taupe sandal that I LOVE. No luck on shoes, but I did find a new purse and a few tops. I met a couple of friends for a short dinner and then headed home.

On my way home, I thought "hey, Sonic sounds good." So I pulled into the Sonic on Dayton Blvd. I'm listening to J103, waiting for my Reese's Cup Blast, and all of the sudden... putt putt dead. CRAP!! Not again! YES, earlier this week, AT THE VERY SAME SONIC, my car battery died! THE VERY SAME MANAGER came out and jumped me off. Needless to say, I was mortified and a new battery is on the to-do list today.

I came home, played around on the internet a little, started some laundry, and went to bed. This time, I had sense enough to take my trusty teddy bear Amanda with me. I slept much better. I've had her since my Papaw died when I was 14, and she's always helped me get through the hard nights!! My prayer is that Matt and all the other Pilgrims are continually blessed this weekend.

First night...

Well, I survived. The Walk to Emmaus brought the first night that Matt and I have been apart since getting married 6 months ago. I don't know how Matt is doing on his Walk (they tell the spouses to stay away as much as possible to not be a distraction), but I had a rough night!

The Walk to Emmaus in Chattanooga is held at Camp Lookout (on Lookout Mtn about 40 minutes from our house). Matt told me at dinner before I took him up the mountain that he forgot to pack a TOWEL! Dangit! They have a pretty strict schedule for the weekend, so there was no going home to get it before going up. I didn't leave the mountain until about 9:45pm. I got home, walked dogs, packed a towel, drove back up the mountain, dropped it off, and drove back home. I finally got in bed last night, totally exhausted, at about 12:15am. What? Sleep? NO, I was SO tired and SO without husband that I couldn't fall asleep!!! It seemed like an eternity before I finally fell asleep. Oh, and BTW I had to get up at 6am this morning, no excuses - must be up.

As I write this, I wonder, why the heck am I up now??? I'm exhausted.

Anyway, I hope Matt is being blessed by his Walk. No matter what it was all worth it. I love him, and I miss him a lot!!!

PRAYERS NEEDED

Hello all my blog followers, friends, lurkers, stalkers (eek). I just wanted to ask for some prayers for all you warriors out there! Matt's Walk to Emmaus is this weekend, please pray that God moves in his life according to His will. I was blessed beyond measure during my walk, and I pray the same blessing for Matt.

I also have several friends (who will remain nameless for their privacy) who are either searching for a job or worried about their job stability. Please pray for them in these uncertain times.

Lastly, I've become a bit of a blog lurker recently. I found this family through my friend Adair's blog. Their son, Stellan, is in the hospital fighting for his life. He was diagnosed in utero with SVT (extremely high heart rate) and they were told he would surely die. Miraculously, he was healed, born and has lived 4 healthy months. Now his SVT has returned and they have been unable to normalize his heartrate for nearly 3 days, it's often been over 300 bpm. They are a family of incredible faith, but they all need our prayers, including Stellan.

It's our Anni!!! 6 whole months of married life!

It's our anni! That's what Matt calls it because it's half of an anniversary; I call it our 6-monthiversary. Matt and I have been married 6 months today, and our wedding day is still such a clear memory. I always heard people say that their wedding day is a blur, but mine isn't. I feel fortunate to have been able to really savor and enjoy each part of the day.

One of my favorite memories of our wedding day was being alone that morning. I had banished all visitors from the premisis on Friday so that I could have the evening and morning to myself at home (I'm such a smart cookie). I actually had a horrible headache for much of the day and night on Friday, I hope I hid it well. After the rehearsal dinner I went home, took my headache meds, and went to sleep - I think I got 9 hours! It was wonderful. I woke up on Saturday morning, pulled out my Bible and read about Jesus visiting a wedding in Cana (Luke Ch4, where He performed His first miracle), and also about the disciples traveling on the road to Emmaus with a "stranger" (Luke 24:13-35). I had some quiet time, did some yoga, took a long hot shower, and then the phone started ringing... the end of my perfect, peaceful wedding morning.

Matt and I have talked a lot about "how are we doing at this newlywed thing?" and we agree that it's going well. Getting used to living with and sharing a home that you've occupied alone (for the most part) with someone else was difficult for me. The shared banking took a while for both of us to get used to. But all in all, I am so happy to have him with me all the time and to go to bed next to him everynight. I think he likes me too ;) although, he does blame the fact that I "cook from scratch" on his weight gain! I'm sorry, Hot Pockets and canned soup are not grown-up meals! Anyone who knows me knows that I make healthy food!

Anyway, since September 20, 2008, we have been to Jamaica, did the fall thing, elected a new President, started our own family traditions, celebrated the holidays, added to our pet family, and considered starting a cottage industry business. WHEW, I'm exhausted just thinking about it! It's been the best 6 months of my life and we are truly happy!!! We pray that it only gets better from here!

Pretty picture

I thought I would post a picture of the newest addition to our home, a beautiful 24x30 canvas from our wedding hanging on our wall! I love our photographer Melody Hood!!!

Help me name my etsy site

Free poll by Listomatica.com

I'm thinking of starting an Etsy site for the cute baby and kid things I make. I want to use my initials for the name of the site. Vote for your favorite or suggest something better in the comment section!!

Jill's Mommy Boutique Jillie's Moxie Babies

View results here

Tips to save $$ and GREEN clean (your spring cleaning)!!!

So, my friend Ashley who did all the amazing printing for our wedding and is totally crafty in so many ways, and I take turns at inspiring each other. I inspired her to become a Dave Ramsey faithful follower. She's inspired me to start couponing and turned me on to this SWEET website that makes it dummy-proof (exactly what I needed). On my first trip to Publix, armed with only one online printable coupon, I bought over $53 worth of groceries for $29 just by taking advantage of the weekly Buy 1 Get 1 deals!!!!

If you are going to coupon seriously, then you have to give up your brand loyalty. Now, I am not an extreme couponer; I use it mainly for food and paper products. Other items I buy, such as toiletries and household cleaners, have a totally different set of values attached that have nothing to do with price. I buy animal and environmentally friendly products. I try not to buy any makeup or toiletry items unless they have "not [been] tested on animals" (for me anyway, Matt is not a convert yet - he's brand loyal).

Collectively, we can change market production by changing our demand for certain things! We are already starting to see big companies that make chemical-based household cleaners respond to the change in market demands, like Clorox coming out with a "green cleaner" line (which probably isn't anything but dyed green anyway since they refuse to release the ingredients to the public). For things such as laundry detergent or other cleaner needs (not listed below), buy from a reputable company such as Seventh Generation (click the link for COUPONS!).

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," (Joshua 24:15) and make our own cleaning products!!! If you want to rid your house of harsh chemical-based cleaning products and create a healthier, safer environment for your family, here are a few "recipes" to use. First, tightly seal up all of your chemical-based cleaning products and dispose of them at your LOCAL HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY. Next, get to shopping and mixing!!

Shopping List:
2 Empty spray bottles (re-use one you have if it's already empty, but don’t pour the chemicals down the drain!)
2 Glass jars with tight fitting lid
Distilled white vinegar
Baking soda
Lemon juice
Olive or vegetable oil
Tea tree oil (optional disinfectant)
Non-toxic liquid soap (vegetable based/castile)

All Purpose Cleaner:

Plastic spray bottle, mix equal parts vinegar and water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp tea tree oil (optional), shake before use

Window & Mirror Cleaner:

Plastic spray bottle, mix 2 parts water, 3 parts vinegar, spray on and wipe with newspaper or paper towel

Scrub Cleaner:

Glass jar, mix baking soda and castile soap to paste consistency, add lemon juice for scent and/or tea tree oil for disinfectant (both optional), use as scrub for tough stains and toilet bowl cleaner

Wood Furniture Polish:

Glass jar, mix 2 parts olive or vegetable oil, 1 part lemon juice, shake well and apply to furniture with clean lint free rag, let stand, polish with dry rag

Silver Polish:

In 1 quart of warm water, add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda, 1 Tablespoon of salt, a piece of aluminum foil, and the item to be polished. Let item sit for at least 15 minutes.

Drain Cleaner:

Pour ¼ cup of baking soda down drain, followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes, then pour 2 quarts of boiling water down the drain.

Recipes provided by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

and Alameda County Healthy Homes Project

POST UPDATE:
Ashley (the one who is always inspiring me) once again inspired me by her comment!!!

I have always heard you can make your own baby wipes, so I figured - why not clean-up wipes too??? Just follow the directions at the link to prepare the paper towel roll and use this recipe for homemade green clean-up wipes:

1 Cup water
1 Cup vinegar
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon tea tree oil (disinfectant)

babies, babies, babies...

Well, this post is all about BABIES!! No, none for Matt and Jill yet. C'mon folks we haven't even been married 6 months! Anywho, Matt and I have lots of friends that are either new parents or expecting babies!

The first in this round of baby season is none other than our pastor, Rev. Brian Davis and his wife Melanie. Yes, Brian is the same pastor that encouraged Matt to ask me out, and the same pastor who married us! Brian and Melanie welcomed Caleb Gray Davis on Friday the 13th (February 13, 2009)!!! I am proud to say that his middle name was totally my idea, in honor of Melanie's grandparents! :D Isn't he just SO CUTE??



Betsy, my BFF since 5th grade, and her husband Bradley are expecting their first baby in late March or early April. I am SO excited because this is the first of my friends to have a little GIRL!!! I think I may have gone overboard sewing for little Rubye Kate, what do you think?? I made her wall hanging with painted letters from the accent fabric she is using in the nursery. It was definitely my favorite project! Although, the gown is pretty stinkin' cute too! I've been told I need to start a "cottage industry" business. I don't know, it would be lots of time and not lots of $$!


























In other FABULOUS news, our friends Lara and Bryan, who have been going through the adoption process for about a year now have completed all the paperwork and background check. The final step is a home visit by the social worker, then they will have a complete profile that will be available to birth mothers for viewing. Oh, and in the midst of finalizing the adoption paperwork, Lara found out that she is PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!! She is due at the end of August. They still plan to go through with the adoption, and will possibly have 2 infants within 6 months or less of each other! It's like having twins! This is a huge praise for them, what a wonderful blessing to be able to experience pregnancy and adopt. They will be phenominal parents to the most beautiful blended family!