gillisglam.blogspot.com

I have created a new blog for my new business. I create stationery of all kinds, and the God is Good stickers are available there too. The fifth person to email me with a God is Good sticker order will get a free one with their order. There will be frequent stationery giveaways there also, so keep checking the blog and become a follower. Winners of the giveaways will be chosen from my list of followers and comments. I hope everyone is have a great start to their summer!!!

Happy Shopping!
http://gillisgang.blogspot.com

Rowe is 17 Months!

Where does the time go? How is it that I laid Rowe down last night in a size 0-3 months gown after giving him his bottle, and he woke up a size 3T and asking for his daddy? It makes me fear blinking, in fear he will grow even more and more time will have passed.

He is running everywhere and is hard to keep up with. He has thick blond on the back of his head, but the front is still jealous of every thick headed baby that passes by. His eyes are as blue as ever. He is 30 pounds (92nd Percentile) and 33 1/2 inches tall (90th Percentile.) I was proud he was even on the percentile charts this time! Yesterday, was the first time that the nurses measured his height standing up. Normally she lies down, just kidding. Normally he is lying on the little table for his length to be measured. He has chronic allergies, and it has flared up worse than ever. His breathing and coughing is starting to get better today, but now daddy and myself have the allergy crud. We can send men and women into outer space and even bring them back, but we can't even cure the common cold! People are just setting their sights too high, while we still have issues right here on Earth that should really get fixed first. Sorry, I'll quit all that blabbering.

Rowe's favorite foods are bananas, bread of any kind or form, yogurt melts, butter beans, Yo-baby yogurt, cookies (on occasion), and lots more. His favorite toys are his huge panda named Panda Landabell, balls, his big car, and his newest favorites are books, books, and more books. He is constantly bringing books to me to read and reread and reread. I have half of them memorized by now. Sometimes, I just make up new stories to go with the pictures. He doesn't usually notice. He also likes to read to me too. It usually is not in English, but at least he tries. We have started the "Your Baby Can Read" program, and so far he has learned to dance to the songs. He dances a lot throughout the day! His favorite words are daddy, stop, no, yeah, Missy, Wow, Bye Bye, and thank you and I love you are on occasion. I am still daddy instead of mommy. Once he catches on to the "Your Baby Can Read" program, I am going to get a name tag that says Mommy so he will learn my name. He is still a daddy's boy. The past two mornings, I have gone to get him out of his crib, and he kept trying to look around me as if he didn't want me. He kept looking for his daddy. He walks up to family pictures throughout the day and points to Lee saying, "daddy, daddy." It is really sweet, except for the fact that he doesn't even know MY name. I'm the one who carried him for 8 1/2 months. I'm the one who gave myself shots in my stomach for a year for him. I'm the one who nearly died in delivery! You would think he could say my name in return.

He will start Mother's Day out a couple days a week this summer. I am excited about him getting to play with other children his age, even if they aren't quite his size. I am also excited that he'll be in class with Brayden, his very best buddy. I am nervous too, because I have never left him with anyone other than my family and a couple of friends. Church nursery only lasts a couple of hours, but Mother's Day Out is all day. I am also nervous about this messing his schedule up, but I know he will love going any way!

I hope this catches up some on my sweet boy. Life just gets more and more exciting everyday because of Rowe. Lee and I are so grateful for him everyday. God is so Good.

Congratulations to our Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Lydia!!! Send me an email with your address and which one you want, so I can put it in the mail to you.

I used a random number generator online at www.random.org to choose the winner. Lee says I should just send everyone who left a comment one, but I don't think I could afford to make anymore if I did that. However, I will do more giveaways in the near future, so keep checking back.

I want these stickers to be a witness to others. I really liked the Life is Good stickers, but I couldn't bring myself to put one on my car because life is not always "good" everyday. I still like the stickers, but I feel like the God is Good stickers are better for me. There are days that life seems overwhelming, hectic, or sad, and there are other days when life is wonderful, peaceful, and great. I want the world to know that although life does not always seem "good," God is always good. Everyday, He shows me something new to appreciate and thank Him for. Don't ever stop looking for His blessings or ways to bless others, because He will surely show them to you!

Happy Blessing Hunting!

Time for a Giveaway

I have been getting my creative juices flowing lately and creating all sorts of fun things. My latest creation which I can't take all the credit for, Rothe Ent. did most of the work, are my God is Good stickers. I am also creating personalized stationery such as note cards, gift tags, invitations, whatever you like. I have not created a separate blog yet with all these new products, that I like to call "Gillis Glam," of my creativity yet. However, I will post the stickers for you. If you see one that you like, but would rather it be a different color or black and white, that can be done. Different sizes can be done too. These stickers are laminated so they will not be affected by rain. If you would like to order one, just email me with your order and mailing address.

Large 6 inch round sticker - $7
Medium 4 inch round sticker - $5
Small 3 inch round sticker - $3

Now for the giveaway. Leave me a comment between now and Friday, and I will randomly choose a winner Saturday morning. The winner will receive a sticker of your choice for FREE!

The white around the outside of the stickers will not be on it when you peel it off of the backing. That is just where I cut around the sticker. Notice on the last picture that the white is not there once it has been peeled off. Happy Commenting.

The cross sticker above is 3 inches in diameter.

This is the one on the back of my car. It's 4 inches in diameter. It is my favorite. I love sunshines!

Sleeping Beauty

We have got to be the meanest parents every, but this was too funny to resist! Enjoy the video.

Psalm 31 Woman

I know, I know what you are thinking. Don't you mean Proverbs 31 woman? Well, we're both right but today I want to be a Psalm 31 verse 24 woman too. Psalm 31:24 says, "Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD." This verse tells me to be strong, courageous, and hopeful in the Lord. I want to be that kind of woman. I am not as strong in my faith as I would like to be, nor do I have the courage that prevents me from fearing the unknown. I hope for many things, but do I always put my hope in the Lord? Maybe if I put all my hope in the Lord, I would be a bit stronger and more courageous.

At this very moment I hope for nothing more than I do for my mom's healing. I hope for Rowe to love the Lord from an early age. I hope that I will finish my Master's degree by December. I hope that I will quit obsessing over my weight. I hope that I will show Lee daily how much I love and appreciate him. I hope that I will lead someone to the Lord this month or even week. I hope that my sweet friend finds out she is pregnant this month. I hope that I will spend more time in prayer than on the phone. I hope that I will spend more time making my heart look good before God than I spend trying to make my outward appearance look good before the world. What do you hope for and where is your strength and courage?

Don't lose heart and wait for the Lord. I always try to picture God is filled with joy as He is preparing our future, earthly blessings in which he plans to surprise us with. Are we wasting His joy by complaining and worrying that He has forgotten our hopes and prayers. We should wait as a child waits for Christmas, not as though we expect no answer. What are you waiting for or should I say Who are you waiting for? God will never let us down!

Happy Hoping!

I Will Not Forget You

I will not forget those who dread Mother’s Day,
But they put on a smile anyway.
Those who go through the everyday motions,
Numb and hoping no one knows they aren’t okay.

I will not forget the empty arms with no one to hold.
Nor those without tiny clothes to fold.
Those lying on tear stained sheets,
Those with sleepless nights and filled with defeat.

I will not forget those who wrestle with God each day
Who feel guilty for doubting, but just can’t find the faith.
I will not forget those whose mustard seeds are few
And wondering if God is even listening to you.

I will not forget those whose lives are consumed
With no escape from the daily desperation that comes to stay.
I will not forget those who just want a moment of rest
To relax and enjoy this day that God has blessed.

I will not forget those who know what they are suppose to feel,
But just can’t seem to find the strength or will.
With my eyes to heaven and my knees to the floor
I will lift you up to my Father day after day and more.

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 31:24

Mother's Day 2009

Before the Straw
After the Straw

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my wonderful mom. Mother's day is such an emotional holiday for me, and has been for the last few years, but for different reasons.

Mother's day 2005 was a celebration for my family. This was the first Mother's Day after my mom survived her brain aneurysms and brain surgeries. It was a day of thanksgiving to God for allowing us to keep our precious mom another year.

Mother's Day 2006 was a very difficult day for me. It was a month after our first miscarriage, and I was heart broken. I was still grateful however, that my mom and I had another year together.

I had my second miscarriage a few months prior to Mother's Day 2007, but at the first of May we found out we were expecting again. Mother's Day 2007 was happy and scary.

Mother's Day 2008 was perfect. It was my very first Mother's Day ever as a mom!!! My mom was doing well, and we spent the whole day with my family.

Mother's Day 2009 has been good. My sweet husband and chunky monkey have made it very special for me, even though my mom is not feeling well and we aren't spending the day with her. (Lee was reading this as I was typing, and said we should take mom icecream in bed and surprise her this afternoon. I can't tell you how thoughtful this man is! That will be a different post sometime.)

16 Months Update

Rowe is running everywhere now. There is no stopping him when he is on a mission. He is still obsessed with baseballs, footballs, beach balls, you name it. He is also loving the outdoors just like his daddy. When we are inside, he is at the window or door wanting to go outside. He likes to play with his electric four-wheeler and especially loves pushing it around instead of riding it. He likes pushing his lawn mower around too. We have tried sidewalk chalk, but it was hard to get out of his teeth, so we decided to wait until he is a little older. He loves to play chase with Missy. She doesn't call it chase; it's more like run for your life to her. His favorite indoor toys are his shopping cart with play food/boxes in it and his new car. We use it inside at my parents, but we'll take it outside this summer for him. He loves to climb into big chairs. I guess he feels like a big boy when he climbs on my parent's couch, the patio chairs, or our chairs at home. He just climbs up there and looks around like a big boy.

His favorite foods are bananas, butter beans, green beans, yogurt, bread of any kind, yogurt melts, and cookies. He loves to go to bed early. At 7:00 he is trying to leap out of our arms into his crib to play and go to sleep. It is so precious listening to him sing and play over the monitor at night until he falls asleep. He is not biting so much anymore which is a good thing. However, he claps his hands at us and says, "NO" quite stubbornly several times a day. It is the spitting image of my mom telling him no. It is hilarious, but we have to get on to him for it, so it won't become a habit hopefully. His favorite words are Dad, No, Ball, Shoe, Yeah, and Bye Bye. As soon as I get to my parents' house in the afternoons to pick him up, he runs to me and starts waving bye to my mom. Whenever we are at the grocery store, church, or anywhere and he is ready to leave, he starts waving bye bye. He is too cute! He still smiles most all of the time, except when one of us is saying No. He is such a happy boy, and still a daddy's boy.

He is on a great schedule still. He takes a good morning and an afternoon nap. This is great, so mom can get rest during the day too if she is having a bad day. Her health has not been good lately, and Rowe keeps her on her toes. Rowe loves his Nana and Pops! They help us out more than I could ever say.

He wears a size 2T in most clothes and a 3T in t-shirts. He wears a 5 1/2 in shoes. Most of his shoes still have teeth marks in them.

We are having so much fun with our little angel. God is so good! Only a fool can doubt his goodness and perfect timing. I was a fool once, but now I am learning daily that God knows best, not ME!

Rowe's first bloody knee.

At home in the back yard.

Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock is my all time favorite Christian fiction author if not my favorite author period. She writes great love stories, can't put down suspense books, and more. She lives in Mississippi and her father-in-law and mother-in-law are members of our church. I have never met her, but would love to. I would also love to hear her speak if ever I have the opportunity. Her in-laws are precious people that we sit near each Sunday. Last month I mustered up enough nerve to tell Mr. Blackstock how much I loved Terri's books and what a blessing she has been in my life through each of them. He grinned his big, sweet, grandfatherly smile and told me he would have to tell her when he saw her later that week. A couple of weeks later at church, he passed me a book down the aisle and told me to open it. It was her latest book, Double Minds with a note in it for me and her signature. I was speechless. How thoughtful!!! He later told me that it always makes her feel good to know that young people are reading her books. (side note: I like to be called a young people.)

My questions for you all are - Have you read any of her books? Have you ever heard her speak and what did you think? What is your favorite book she has written?

If you have not read any of her books, please do and tell me what you think. She has many stand alone books if you do not want to read an entire series, although all of her series are excellent.

HAPPY READING!!!