bff

Umm hello? Is this thing on??

NO ONE has entered the giveaway for the amazingly fabulous Hot Pink and Sequins earrings....I don't get it. I think they rock. Maybe Erin will give them to me :-( I am extending the giveaway until midnight on Sunday so make sure to tell alllllllll your friends and get your butt over to the post and enter!

I am so stinking excited for my fabulous weekend ::skipping around giddilly in a circle:: Yes, I realize I just made up a word. I get to hang out with my 3 best friends from college. My friend Mary Allen is getting married at the end of October so we are having a small little bachalorette party for her in Charlotte. Just the girls. Oh, and Lila. Because what's a bachalorette party without a baby?

This was the last time all the girls were with Lila, when she was 3 weeks old. So needless to say, things have changed a little bit. I cannot wait for the giggles, inside jokes, toasts, inappropriate conversation, oversharing and snuggle time. Just the girls.

Sometimes you wanna go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see

Our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows your name

~"Cheers"

awkwardness

There I was, standing in Barnes & Nobles, Lila sound asleep in her stroller, and my mom and I laughing so hard we had big tears of mascara rolling down our cheeks. 

Last night, both Brian and my dad were working, so my mom and I decided to have a girls night strolling around the mall with Lila. Not looking for anything in particular but just to hang out. We went in stores and looked around but weren't really finding anything worth spending money on. We decided to stop in B&N before we called it a night and there on the main table was the funniest book I have ever seen.

Photo Credit

I cannot even begin to explain the hilarious photos in this book. And it is so funny because we all have family photos like this. You know, the Glamour Shots. Or that one with the matching sweat shirts, splatter painted denim skirts and shoelace hair clips.

Just laughing over nonsense was such a great way to get over a stressful day when Lila was super fussy, I had a hard time getting work done at home and I just needed to let it all go. And as it turns out, the book comes from its very own website, http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/. I hope it gives you a side splitting laughing session too.

Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.

~"Steel Magnolias"

free hotness

Who doesn't love a beautiful new set of earrings? I love me some big jewelry. I love jewelry that makes a statement. I especially love jewelry that makes a statement about fashion and the environment.

Enter Hot Pink and Sequins. Erin describes her company as "revamped, repurposed couture jewelry and accessories." I simply like to call it "hotness."

And she is giving away these Recycled Leather Poppy Earrings in Crimson to one of my fabulous readers! Lucky, lucky you. Here is what you have to do to win your very own pair:

-Be a follower of my blog by clicking on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of the blog and then leave a comment on this post with your email address (required to enter)

-Follow me on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway and leave another comment telling me you did (+1 extra entry): "loving the hot giveaway from @HotPinknSequins on @houseofhege blog. check it out at http://tinyurl.com/28jhjma"

-Head over to Hot Pink and Sequins Etsy shop and "Add seller to Favorites" then come back here and leave another comment telling me you did (+1 extra entry)

-Become a fan of Hot Pink and Sequins Facebook page by clicking "Like" at the top of the page. Then come back to this post and leave another comment telling me you did (+1 extra entry)

-Follow Hot Pink and Sequins on Twitter and come back and leave another comment telling me you did (+1 entry)

The giveaway will be open until Friday (October 1) at midnight. I will pick the winner using Random.com and announce it on Saturday! Good luck!

Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles.

~Sonja Henie

black and blue

I am super clumsy. I have no hand eye coordination. True story: one time, I broke my own finger by cracking my knuckles during the Stanley Cup finals. The doctor said he had never heard of anyone doing that before. So when your kid asks you why he shouldn't crack his knuckles, make sure to tell him this story. You're welcome.

So it is not hard to believe that in my life I have broken at least 5 toes and 3 fingers. And now, the total is up to 6 toes.

This past weekend when Brian's family was in town for Lila's dedication, his brother Patrick brought us a cornhole set he had made for us. For you uncool people, cornhole (otherwise known as tailgate toss) is a fabulous waste of time and a beach vacay Southern tradition. HEY-O to Brian and my dad at Ocean Isle this summer.

I was running around the house on Wednesday morning trying to get Brian and Lila out the door to daycare. You know the drill, bottles made, extra pacis located, clean lovey in the car seat, give the baby her medicine...and BAM, running right into the giant wooden box laying on our dining room floor.

One black toe, lots of cussing, some athletic tape and a bottle of ibuprofen later, it was not a good morning. My new nickname around the office? Gimp. Or Crip, if the boss is feeling super funny. I guess that's still better than Locked In the Closet Girl.

Carrie: Honey, if it hurts so much, why are we going shopping?

Samantha: I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit.

~Sex and the City

i wish they all could be california girls

Going out to LA for my grandma's funeral was emotional on so many levels. It was about losing my last grandparent. It was about saying goodbye to my grandpa, since I did not get to go to his funeral 5 years ago. But it was also about introducing Lila to my home town. Showing her where I spent the first 10 years of my life.

And most importantly, it was about sharing the goodness of In-N-Out. Oh sweet cheeseburger with grilled onions, how I have missed you.

After burger time, Lila got to dip her toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Fittingly, it was also her 6 month birthday. How many kids can say they have played in both oceans in the first 6 months of their life?

We spent plenty of time just hanging out at the beach, which is our family's favorite place. Just walking along the strand. Oh yeah, and playing the "which house would I live in if I was super rich" game.

Just a simple home on the ocean. Perfect for a small, humble family. Say what??? This place was out of control.

But most of all, I got to show Lila off to all our family and friends. Meeting all of the people who have prayed for her so hard for so many months. It was so fun to see all my worlds collide. The past and the future, all in one room.

California girls, we're undeniable

Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock

West coast represent, now put your hands up

Oooooh oh oooooh

~"California Gurls" by Katy Perry

just keep smiling

This past Sunday, we dedicated Lila at church. In our church, we do not water baptize infants since we believe that is something they should choose to do when they are old enough to commit themselves to Christ. Instead we stand up on stage and publicly state that we will raise Lila in a Goldy house and teach her to be a strong woman of God.

I was pretty emotional when I woke up that morning. I remembered the years I was trying to conceive where I would see my friends stand on stage with their beautiful children and weep with fear that would never be me. I remembered being pregnant and worshiping in church with one hand on my growing stomach, praying with my whole heart for God to protect this little life. And I cried, thinking we could have dedicated two babies this day but only one was here on earth.

Needless to say, it was an emotional morning with all of Brian's family in town and all of my family at church to celebrate. Lila was wearing her beautiful silk white gown my mom had bought her in LA last week. And best of all, we were dedicating her at the same time as the whole 4 Pack. Her little baby friends, all being dedicated to God.

And then we got up to walk on stage and I smelled poop. "Umm Brian, I think Lila pooped." "Well it's too late to do anything we are walking up on stage." So I tried to chill out and switch my hold of her on my hip to not squish her diaper. And then I scratched my cheek. And wiped poop all over my face.

"Umm Brian, I just wiped poop on my face. Oh my gosh, I am looking down her dress and there is poop EVERYWHERE!"
"Just keep smiling, no one knows."

I stood there frozen, on stage in front of several hundred people, trying to turn her on my side so no one could see the poop now leaking through her white dress. My bad, dressing a baby in white. And all my friends were going down the line introducing their family and I am literally having a heart attack that my baby has poop all over her, all over my outfit and now all over my face.

"Oh my gosh Brian, she just turned towards me and threw up all over my dress and down her front."
"Just hold her in front of your dress and keep smiling. No one can tell."
"Brian, now she is pulling down the front of my dress and trying to grab my boobs."
"Just keep smiling."

Apparently I am pretty skilled at keeping a straight face because NO ONE could tell. I guess God wanted me to remember that even though this was a very important day, she is a baby and I am a mom and that is the miracle of motherhood. It is about praying over her crib every night that God would protect her while she sleeps. It is about trying to make sure you always turn hard moments in her life into life lessons. It is about teaching her scriptures that she will remember throughout her life. But is also about smiling even when you have poop on your face.

If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go

where a prayer has not already been.

~Robert Brault

sit ups

Now that we are back in the right state, back in the right time zone and trying to readjust to life, I will try to be better about blogging. In addition to all of the travel from last week, Brian is taking his Licensed Banker state exam today, which means he has been parked in front of our computer every night this week. So no blogging time for me. I am so proud of him and I hope he knocks it out of the park today!

And in case you missed it in the last post, my baby is sitting up! She's so advanced and smart! That smile just kills me.

Sitting in the morning sun, I'll be sitting when the evening comes

Watching the ships roll in and then I watch em roll away again

I'm sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away

I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay wasting time

~"Sitting On the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding

three time zones

I am still here. We made it. All the way across the US in a plane and back. Making my baby change sleep patterns across THREE time zones. Let's talk about how fun that was. Basically I got less than 4 hours of sleep every night in the last week. But my gosh, she was such a trooper.

Lila smiled and flirted with all the flight attendants, including the one who picked her up out of my arms on the plane, only asking afterwards if it was alright (umm, no?) She did not cry when I rudely put her tiny toes in the freezing cold Pacific Ocean for my photo op. She did not fuss at the countless relatives that were meeting her for the first time and wanted to pinch her cheeks and love on her. She did not complain that she slept in everything other than her crib for five nights. Including a dresser drawer, blankets on the ground, a port-a-crib at the hotel circa 1987 and her stroller.

And most of all, she made my heart smile on this sad trip. She let me snuggle her way more than she usually wants while I cried at my grandma's funeral. She silently sat very still as I sat in the funeral home, staring at the shell that used to be my favorite playmate growing up, now lying peacefully in her coffin. She made my dad smile and laugh as she sat up for the first time, only hours after he had buried his mother. She was our reminder that life goes on and with the passing of one life, another one is just beginning.

May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be ever at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face

and the rain fall softly on your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

~Irish blessing

blessed rest

My grandmother Mary Ellen went to be with Jesus early this morning. She died peacefully and knowing how much her family loved her, even if she wasn't able to respond to our prayers. Today I celebrate that she is dancing in heaven with my grandfather. I keep thinking about his sweet face appearing to her and saying "Hey babe!" his trademark greeting to her. She will no longer know confusion or anger or frustration or pain.

My whole family (minus Brian and my brother-in law Peter) are flying to Los Angeles tomorrow for her funeral. I wish she had been able to meet Lila before she passed but I know she will be looking down at us on Saturday and smiling at her great-grandaughter. I am also excited for the rest of my family to meet Lila, as she has not met my aunts, uncles and cousins. A reunion and a parting. Such sorrow and joy. I pray that God help us find the peace that only he can bring to our hearts.

Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die

O, raise your head, for love is passing by

Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted and carried far away

And precious blood has washed away the stain, so

Sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus, sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby, don't be afraid to crawl

And remember when you walk sometimes we fall...so

Fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely and steep and filled with pain

So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then

Cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over and music fills the night

And when you can't contain your joy inside, then

Dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye

Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and

Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live!

~"Untitled Hymn" by Chris Rice

how great thou art

Not until I had Lila did I think about my own mortality. I remember holding her when she was new born and already being sad that one day she would live without me in her life. I don't know why I think these things; maybe I am a pessimist. Maybe I just never realized what it meant to be needed like that.

This has been a hard week for our family. Brian's mother's best friend, who has been in Brian's life since he was a child, passed away yesterday. I don't think he has ever felt a loss this sudden and he doesn't know what to say or do to be supportive. I just keep praying for her family, that they know how much she loved them and that they find a peace in this horrible time.

And at the same time, my grandma is dying. She is my last living grandparent. She has had Alzheimer's for 10 years and has not known who we are or who she is for over half that time. She was so confused when my grandpa passed away 5 years ago. What a horrible dichotomy of emotions, being so relieved that she will finally be at peace and yet aching for her once she is gone. Right now she is in the last several hours of her life. And I am saying goodbye from 3,000 miles away. I just keeping praying that she close her eyes and go in peace to her husband and Jesus.

My whole family will be flying to Los Angeles for the funeral once she passes, so pray that Lila will do well on the long trip. Pray for my father, who is struggling to deal with the loss of his mother who left us long ago in spirit and is finally leaving us in body. Pray for Brian's family as they deal with a sudden loss of their friend Becky. Pray that I can look at Lila and know that God has all of her days and our days in his hand, just as they should be.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration

And then proclaim: "My God how great thou art!"

Then sings my soul, my saviour God, to thee

How great thou art, how great thou art

Then sings my soul, my saviour God, to thee

How great thou art, how great thou art

~"How Great Thou Art" by Carl Gustav Boberg

little corner of life

Is there one place in your house that is your corner of refuge? Maybe it is a chair you like to read in (for those 15 minutes in between putting the kids down and before the dryer beeps). Maybe you have a beautiful porch to sit and read your coffee (if you do, I hate you and am totally jealous). For you, maybe there is a spot in your yard that you have turned into your own.

For me, my favorite part of the house is my kitchen window sill. It sits above my sink so I am there quite often. It holds things that are treasures to me and make my heart smile every time I see them.

There is the cute little sheep on the left that Brian bought me on a trip to the Biltmore House. This was on the weekend of my grandfather's funeral that I could not attend on the West Coast and he was doing his best to cheer me up. I bought Brian the cow on the right to be the sheep's friend the year after.

Then a silver plaque reading "Our Darling." The plaque was give to us by a couple who had been through 5 IVF's to get pregnant with their daughter. It had been something special to them that reminded them that God had a child for them. We have had it on our windowsill for the past 3 years while waiting for God to bring Lila.

A card that my mom brought me on my first day of work, reminding me I can do this working mother thing.

A picture of Brian and Lila, just 2 weeks after she was born.

The framed card I bought on a business trip in Seattle reminding me it is okay to be a little out of the ordinary. "Masquerading as a normal person day after day is exhausting."

A beautiful ceramic piece telling me to always "Expect A Miracle"

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Where is your place of peace in your home? Write a post about it, come back here and link up at the bottom. Then add the same blog hop link on your blog for others to join. Can't wait to see your little corners of life!

preservatives burn my mouth

Some nights (okay, a lot of nights) I do not get it together enough to make dinner. No excuses, just can't get my crap together enough to make anything until I am starving and my evening is slowly dwindling away. Now we all know that Bertoli makes a mean bag of frozen pasta. But sometimes, I just want something that doesn't taste like preservatives. 

Side note: in college I knew a girl that refused to eat bagged lettuce because she said the preservatives burned her mouth. She was super fun.

I digress. One of our favorite fast meals that involve actual non-frozen food is quesadillas. They are so easy to make and you can keep the ingredients in the fridge for those last minute quick dinners.

Start with some common ingredients:
-torillas
-butter or cooking spray
-whatever cheese you have on hand (I usually use a combination of block and shredded cheese)

-salsa

-cooked chicken (optional for the vegetarians. or those who forgot to buy meat at the grocery)
-sour cream

Turn the stove top to medium heat and let the pan heat up. I try not to put the tortilla on there too early or it will burn before the cheese melts. Spray the pan (or butter one side of the tortilla) and lay down one tortilla in the pan.

Add a layer of cheese and any meat you want. Then put just a small amount of salsa spread very thin. Add another layer of cheese and the top tortilla. Make sure to butter or spray on that tortilla as well.

And voila! It's dinner time! Make sure to keep a close eye on the underside of the tortilla and flip when it starts getting crispy. Cut it into quarters with a pizza cutter and add a little sour cream. Yum!

Cooking is like love.

It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

~Harriet van Horne