A what? Why in the world would anyone want to do that?????????
So, last night he was just eating up all the bad weather, and I knew he probably wasn't going to get any sleep because he would be staying up all night watching the weather. Well, I'm glad he did.
Around 2 a.m., I got a phone call from my dad, and his voice was quite frantic. "Lena, there is a bad storm coming RIGHT towards you. You need to take cover right now."
Well, being asleep and all, I JUMPED out of the bed and turned the television on. Sure enough, there was our little community of Christiana on the television.
And the freaking out began.
I grabbed the cats, dogs, pillows, flashlights, anything I could get my hands on and ran in the bathroom. You know what Brad was doing? Walking around outside and throughout the house like a FOOL!!! I thought I was going to pass out I was so scared.
Needless to say, the storm weakened considerably before I got there, but it reminded me a lot of my days when I lived in Texas - when everything would get extremely calm and still before the storm came. And because in 2003, a tornado went right past my parents' home, and they suffered lots of damage, I was even more frightened. I am so very thankful that I did not have to experience destruction again.
Even though we were out of the "tornadic activity," my heart was racing because I was seeing all of the destruction that was happening across the southeast. Because I have a heart for service - especially in times of disaster (I did relief work on the Gulf Coast less than 3 weeks after Katrina and have visited 4 times since then), I immediately began praying for all the people who would wake up and see the destruction in the daylight. It breaks my heart for these people who will have to re-live all of their pain once the sun shines on their destroyed homes and families.
So, even if you think the storms didn't affect you life, they did. I encourage each of you to check within your local American Red Cross to see if you can help - give your time, your blood, your money - anything helps. Believe me, I have been in that situation before. Remember to say a prayer for all the states that have been affected - this storm has changed the lives of many citizens of our country.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
- Romans 15:13
- Romans 15:13
Blessings, y'all!
This is a picture of the lampshade that I covered with this adorable black and white gingham fabric! I got the lampshade for $3.99 at Old Time Pottery and I got the fabric for a good deal at Wal-Mart! I had a little help from my mom covering it, too!
Here's a picture of the finished lampshade - I plan to add some black pom-pom balls around the edge to give it a little extra something-something! I also made the little arrangement of pink peonies (also from Old Time Pottery) - since real peonies cost an arm and a leg, I thought this is a great way to enjoy my favorite flower ALL the time while I'm at work! I plan on making a "curtain" to go around my desk in black and white gingham fabric to cover all the cords from my computer and phone! So, pink and black are the colors for my office - I'll be sure to post pictures of the final product! What does your office look like?
And who can resist this?? My mom, sister, and I have recently started covering clipboards in our favorite papers and giving them as gifts! This is one that I made for MYSELF! I love the colors - plus it kinda looks old-fashioned! Our dream is to open our own store one day and sell all the things we love - we even have our store name picked out and everything! What's the store name you ask??? Mattie Mae's! Mattie Kathleen was my grandmother's mother's name, and my grandfather's mother's name was Pellie Mae. They were both very important women in our lives, so we made a combination to honor them! So, be looking for our store one day :)
And finally, here is a picture of me working with my absolute FAVORITE Christmas gift - and I CANNOT believe I haven't told y'all about this already! My parents gave me a 
2. Our big girl, Georgia Dooley. Yes, my husband named her after his favorite SEC football team and a Georgia coach, I believe. Anyways, while Brad and I were dating, we would often visit the local animal shelter, and on one visit, we played with a sweet little puppy who would later become ours. I actually went back to the shelter the next day to buy her so I could surprise Brad. When I got her from the shelter, they informed me that she was a "beagle mix" and would probably be between 25-30 pounds. Not too bad, I thought. Well, a couple of months later, she surpassed 30 pounds and kept growing. And the problems grew as well - she was terribly skiddish, we had a horrible time crate training and housebreaking her (believe me, I have housebroken some dogs in my lifetime), and she would tear up anything she could. We were in quite the tizzy. A trip to the vet revealed that she was actually depressed, and the vet suggested a few things for us - we could put her on antidepressants (for a dog???? WHAT???) or try letting her stay outside for a trial period. So we built a fence around our yard and bought Georgia a big dog house. And you know what? She was happy as a lark! She would chase squirrels and birds, and Brad and I figured out that she is probably part bird dog/hound dog. She is a very loving dog, and I'm so glad that she is happy in her own environment. She loves our new house with a HUGE backyard and lots of other dogs in our neighborhood. Here's my 70 pound Georgia D:
3. Our other cat, Beaufort Bob (he's a bobtail cat), is our other cat. He is from a litter of kittens that my mom rescued. He is my baby boy - and he is the most lovable cat ever! He lets me turn him on his back and rub his belly, and every night he sleeps right beside me. In the mornings, he always wakes up with me and even meows like he is talking to me! He's still in his kitten phase, and he is fascinated with Gertie's tail since he doesn't have one! I love watching them get the "midnight crazies" and run through the house playing! I'm glad that Gertie has someone to watch over and play with...here's Bob:
4. Lastly, is our lab mix, Turner Davey. One Saturday, while I was working at the shop, I noticed this poor little black puppy running around in the streets, and it looked like he was going to get hit any minute. We weren't busy in the store, so I ran out and picked him up. It was cold outside, and he was crying like a little baby. After work, I walked around the square to see if this little guy belonged to anyone. Of course, no one would claim him, and I figured that someone had probably dumped him there. I took him home, and Brad and I instantly fell in love with him. Georgia loved playing with him as well! Since Georgia was outside now, it was nice to have another dog inside with me while Brad was working late nights. Turner did manage to get into things, though. A couple of weeks before our wedding, Turner could not hold a thing down - he wouldn't eat or drink, and we just knew that our baby T was going down. At this time, I was still living with my younger sister (who is a SLOB). Brad and I decided to board Turner while we were on our honeymoon so the vet could keep a good eye on him. On our wedding night, we got a call from our vet saying that he found the source of Turner's problems. Are you ready to hear what it was? A tampon. Yes, you heard me right, my dog ate a Tampon. He had been in my sister's bathroom and had gotten into her purse where she had some Tampons stored. They had to do emergency surgery that night, but thankfully, our dog was better. So, we came back from our honeymoon with a $1200 vet bill. Turner has had other problems with skin allergies and mites. His skin still looks pretty bad, and I have even had someone ask me if he was involved in some sort of fire accident. He's seriously the best dog, and even though Brad and I have probably spent $3000 on him, I wouldn't trade him for the world. Here's my Baby T:
