Scandal of Grace

Grace. What have you done?
Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in Your blood

Too much to make sense of it all
I know that Your love breaks my fall
The scandal of grace, You died in my place
So my soul will live

Oh to be like You
(To) Give all I have just to know You
Jesus there's no one besides You
Forever the Hope in my heart

Death. Where is your sting?
Your power is as dead as my sin
The cross has taught me to live
In mercy, my heart now to sing

The day and it's trouble shall come
I know that Your strength is enough
The scandal of grace, You died in my place
So my soul will live


Oh to be like You
(To) Give all I have just to know You
Jesus there's no one besides You
Forever the Hope in my heart

And it's all because of You, Jesus
It's all because of You, Jesus
It's all because of Your love
And my soul will live


Oh to be like You
(To) Give all I have just to know You
Jesus there's no one besides You
Forever the Hope in my heart

Oh to be like You
(To) Give all I have just to know You
Jesus there's no one besides You
Forever the Hope in my heart

365 WK5

29- In an attempt to get a 'what he wore Wednesday' shot, I took B into the studio in his cute outfit handpicked by himself. This is the best shot I got... I know you don't believe me but he is not always a perfect model and he may have been screaming just a little bit during this shot. :) I also hosted lunch and games this day. Though hosted would be a strong word since just minutes before guests walked in the door we were a huge mess. :)

30- Snow Day! R got to stay home and we were all healthy! We could have made an effort to get outside and enjoy it but I was on the phone getting Drs appointments changed around and set up. B's nap schedule was way off. The bank called- my card had a whole lot of fraud going on overseas. I got stuck in a snow bank on my way to the bank to get the card fraud taken care of. And R was busy scooping the drive. Why, yes that is a snow blower sitting there unused while he shovels. I don't ask questions. :)

31- What I Wore Wednesday. Wait. This was Thursday. Jeesh this week has been crazy! In case you missed it, I blogged about our Thursday here. It involves a lot of waiting and a brand new perspective. (Thursday also included a special visitor and a basketball game. Hopefully I'll post that soon!)

1- This was the only shot I could find on my camera from Friday. I cant even figure out what we did this day. I do know the Ballard boys won big that night. And B was worn out from a crazy week and in bed early.

2- Saturday was a HUGE day for B. Or maybe just for his mama. My little baby got his first haircut. And of course I took a million pictures to document it.

3- Sunday after church we got to see our long lost friends who we miss SO much! We also attended a super bowl party that wasn't at our own house. Crazy talk, I know.

4- Our neighbors were so sweet to hand this fun tent down to B. You know he loved it. :) We're having a catch up on work kind of Monday around here. Here's to a less eventful and more relaxing week around here this week.

How about you? How did last week treat you?

Happy Monday!

And The Winner Is....

Did you watch the super bowl? Did you have a party? For the first time in a long time, I can answer 'no' to both! And would you believe me if I even admitted that I barely even watched the commercials this time??? Crazy talk, I know!


For the first time since I've known R, we did not host a super bowl party this year. The last several years we've done a combined Super Bowl and Ang's Birthday party. It was kinda sad to know they now live too far away to watch the super bowl with us so we forwent the party planning and opted to walk across the street to the neighbor's house instead. There was a bacon theme but I just couldn't bring myself outside of my box enough to come up with two bacon themed treats so I went with one with (the maple/bacon cupcakes) and one without (the Pinterest famous feta dip).

I used this maple bacon cupcake recipe. The frosting was delish but the cupcakes tasted more like corn bread. I definitely want to try them again in the future but will find a different recipe. 

But the food isn't even the big winner of the night.

Let's talk about the commercials.

I should point out again that I did not watch hardly any commercials this year. (It's a little more difficult to do so when you are chasing a toddler... and um chatting the whole time. Yes, I may have gabbed just a little...)

But the few I did see were big winners.

First up:
It's only weird if it doesn't work. I know we've been seeing these commercials for awhile now but every time I see one, it cracks me up. My husband and his friend Corey are exactly like that. The furniture has to be in the right spot; the viewers have to sit in the same position; the remote has to be in the correct hand; etc; etc. I might even know someone that has been sleeping in the exact same shirt all basketball season long..... These commercials are a mirror of my life.

The tear jerker one:
The Clydesdale Commercial. Oh my goodness. Did you cry? I may have just a bit. It was so sweet- a reminder of how fast those little ones really do grow. Oh wait. We were talking about horses here weren't we? It was cute. And sweet. And almost makes me want a Budweiser. Almost.



And the big winner:
God Made A Farmer. Did you love it? Please tell me you loved it. This commercial promoting Iowa's family farmers was awesome. Wait. It was for Dodge Ram? Well those are nice too.



What was your favorite commercial??


(Oh yeah.... and did you enjoy the game?)  ;)

A Milestone | First Hair Cut

We dress our little man in suspenders, sports gear, & rock n' roll threads. It's an eclectic look but (in my opinion) definitely all boy. But no matter how we dress him, he still gets called a she. And as much as his mama corrects some people, they still call him Becca. The hair past his shoulders might not help with that. But when I was updating his baby book and realized the ONLY thing left to update was his first hair cut, I knew that hair cut would make him officially, like for real this time, no longer a baby. Ugh. The agony. So I put off getting him a haircut. Besides, I liked the surfer boy look on him. He rocked it. (in my opinion.) 

Then we woke up Saturday morning and I don't know what got into us, but we decided to head over to Joe's and get B his first haircut. I have no explanation as to how it happened or why, it just did. And after we had driven 45 minutes, I knew there was no backing out. And so it happened... B's first hair cut.

It had to be special so it was worth the drive to Joe's. As soon as we walked in, we heard the hushed, 'hey shhhh there's a woman in here.' While Joe's may be a special place for boys to get their first hair cut, it's definitely not mama friendly. Ha. Joe's barber shop is apparently the Saturday morning hangout where you can get your town news, tall tales & breakfast all in one stop. The sign says to sit outside if you're not a paying customer but they pay no attention. I'm not sure what the fire code limit is for a barber shop of that size but at more than one point I'm sure we exceeded it. We heard some good stories about Joe that I hadn't heard before. And we heard all about a big fundraiser he's a big part of that's having an auction soon. They enjoy giving him a hard time but had more good things to say about him than bad. You can tell it's a special place to be on Saturdays.

B was the main attraction this day and several of the friendly guys took an interest in him. He loves being the center of attention (I have no idea where he gets it!) and enjoyed checking out the car collection, the turkeys, and the antlers. He even got his very own set to add a little of the taxidermy trend to his 'bigger' boy room. (More on that soon.)

Yes, Joe's is definitely the place to be on Saturday mornings but I can't say how he stays in business. He insisted we would not pay for B's haircut and I noticed he charged the nice man ahead of us the same. I have no idea what keeps Joe's running, but it's clear the patrons wont be going anywhere else anytime soon. And I might even bring B back for another cut... you know, in another 14 months. :) 

A last look at B's sweet curls and a first look at his big boy look. He sat perfect all by himself in the big boy chair and was pretty thrilled that everyone in the place was locked in on him. He sat perfectly still but moved his head to find whichever guy was talking- couldn't miss out on those tall tales. He thoroughly enjoyed the combing and clippers though. It relaxed him so much that at one point he nearly fell asleep sitting in the chair. He perked up at the end of the cut when he saw the handsome boy in the mirror and was even happier to have his first sucker. Was a big day for the little guy indeed. Happy first haircut, buddy!! You may not be officially, for real this time, a little baby anymore but you're still mama's sweet baby boy! (But yikes, you look 'old' now!) :)

 

Be Thrifty Tip #43

You probably already know this but in case you don't, it's a tip you need to know.

If you have a smartphone or tablet of any kind, I'm going to assume you have the Kindle app. And if you have the Kindle app, I'm going to assume you think ebooks are pricey and their should be an online library of them.

Well there is! There are several actually. And it's really easy and FREE to use.

I mainly use Wilbor and several Iowa libraries are connected with it. There are other options as well.

With Wilbor, all you need is your library card number and an email address to access the books and you can start checking out from there. It's not perfect. And there are currently 81 people waiting ahead of me for 'Defending Jacob,' but it's free. And free is my favorite price.

Do you have a favorite online library to share??

Favorite Things Party

So after the 60th birthday brunch, we took the party decorations downstairs and set up for a Favorite Things party. My friend Erin and I had one last September at her house and couldn't wait to do another one. This time we chose a 'Cozy Up in the Winter' theme where everyone brought their favorite mug for the hot cocoa and we swapped favorite things that help get us through the winter. Some of us loosely translated the theme and that was totally fine with us! :) My five item favorite thing was a scarf. I chose a red/white gauzy one from Forever 21. I like Forever 21 for accessories because it's a super cheap way to spiff up and change up your look.

I can't believe I didn't get a shot of all the swag before it left the house. The goodies I collected are in the photo but other lucky people got slippers, cuticle cream, cozy socks, lip balm, scarves... and a whole bunch of other stuff I'm drawing a blank on. (Note to self- next time TAKE PICTURES.)

Besides gum, candy, gloves, Burts Bees, & bakers twine,  here are a few more of my current fave things that were in the swag bags:

-E.l.f. bronzer. You all know I'm super cheap and love a good deal so e.l.f. make up is (usually) perfect for me. It's not a big investment so you can try different things and not break the bank. My favorite is the bronzer.



-Dry Shampoo. Because I'm lazy. Okay, actually because ever since having B, my hair gets crazy dry if I wash it every day. It's been better since I quit breastfeeding but I still like to rock the dry shampoo hair.

-Packing list. I found one in the dollar spot at Target but I couldn't find that one online so here's the substitute.

-Aquaphilic hand cream. Ahhhmazing on dry hands in the winter. I feel like I wash my hands A LOT and the last two years they have been cracking so bad in the winter. This stuff is an instant cure. It's amazing. (Buy it at your local pharmacy.)

-Smash Tape in black dots. My fave is the one that switches colors throughout the roll but they were sold out so I got my second fave. I stick it on EVERYTHING!

-Urban Decay Naked palette. I saved my photography tips this fall and splurged on the first one for myself but went with the basics palette for the party. It was the big ticket item of the night and I can't believe no one stole it!

-And TWO lucky people at the party got a super cute What's Your Sign Designs banner courtesy of Alison. Want to snag your own? Go check out her Etsy shop then keep your eyes peeled on the Hickstionary for an upcoming giveaway!!



PS- In case you don't know what a Favorite Things Party is, here is a short description of how it goes down: You invite a bunch of people over. Everyone picks out their favorite thing (around a designated dollar amount- we chose $10) and brings five of those items. At the party, each person draws five names and gives their items to those people (obviously you have to make sure you don't have double of anyone's name or your own name). You leave with five new favorite things and you get to hear about a ton of other awesome stuff. 
You can also play games to win swag- which is one of my favorite things about the parties. It's a ton of fun!

i found a lump.

i am not worried. i assure myself the lump is related to breastfeeding. (i finished nursing january 4th.) i get a reminder in the mail that my yearly is past due. i call to make the appointment. i casually mention the lump. i am not worried. i tell the receptionist so. i am asked questions. i tell her the specifics. i am rushed into the next available appointment. i am stuck in a snow storm. i am a little worried. i wait. i pray. i am reminded. i am a wife. i am a mother. i am a friend. i am His child. i am loved. i am wanted. i am blessed. i am so very blessed. i am alive.

i am rescheduled. i wait. i pray. i am called in by the nurse. i wait. i see the dr. i wait. i am given more information than my brain knows what to do with. i am told it needs further testing. i am given a prescription sheet for a mammogram and ultrasound. i find my boys in the waiting room. i go to lunch with them. i run errands with them. i wait with them. i wait. i wait. i pray. i wait.

i get to the radiologist. i check in. i wait. i see the others waiting. i see the tears. i see the expressionless faces. i am sad for them. i pray for them. i wonder what it would be like to be them. i see the tech. i wait. i  am hit like a wave with nauseousness. i hate when the techs get the serious look on their face. i try to read her face. i try to read the screen. i try to look for any sign of anything to find out what is going on. i cant find it. i give up. i look at the ceiling. i think drop ceilings are ugly. i wait.

i see the dr. i am given the okay. i am given the news you want to hear. i have a cyst. i will heal on my own. i am told what to do next but i don't hear it. i am too busy thanking God. i try not to let the smile on my face get too big. i cant help it. i get dressed. i try not to run as i go to my boys. i want to shout the good news to them. i am healthy. i am living. i am okay. i can stop worrying about unpaid sick days. i can stop worrying about who will snuggle my baby while i'm in treatment. i am greeted with a hug by my baby. i am blessed by his smile. i am bursting with joy.

i see the tears. i see the kleenex. i see the hugs. i see the lady in the corner. i see the man with glassy eyes waiting on his wife. i see the woman bawling in her car. i see the waiting.  i see them through His eyes. i have a deep ache in my heart. i am sad for them. i feel guilty. i don't know why it wasn't me. i don't know why it was them instead. i feel guilty i'm walking out unscathed. i feel guilty i don't offer them a hug. i feel guilty for getting in the car with my healthy family and driving away. i pray for them. i beg God to protect them. i thank God for protecting me. i am thankful for this life. i will stop taking it for granted. i will stop waiting. i will start living. i will see people as He does. i will do something about it.

i dare you to do the same.

appy errtday!

That's 'Happy Birthday' in case you don't speak B talk.

We spent Thursday making 'errtday cake' and Friday making 'errtday frosting' and B was pretty excited to say 'APPY ERRTDAY!!!' all week long.  Of course by the time grandpa got here to celebrate on Saturday, he got shy and wouldn't say it in front of everyone. You'll have to take my word for it though- the kid is cute.

Just a couple party pics.... All the decorations found or made from something found around the house. The set up is really similar to B's Mustache Bash. (Which apparently I never blogged- I'll get on that.)

Menu:

-Birthday Cake! (I get asked for the recipe a lot... it's from a box. The trick is the frosting. I make Wilton buttercream for the big cake and Wilton cream cheese frosting for the cake jars. (Follow the links for recipes.)
-Egg bake casserole
-French toast casserole (I thought it was yummy! And super easy. We'll definitely make it again.)
-Marshmallow pops (just dip them in almond bark and decorate with sprinkles or whatever else sounds good- got this super easy recipe from my cousin several years ago but you can find it all over Pinterest these days).
-Mom's cinnamon rolls
-Bananas, muffins, donuts

'Appy errtday', grandpa! We hope you had a great day!

365 WK4

22- Tuesdays are generally my shooting day in the winter. B's grandma came to hang out with him this Tuesday and he had a great time.

23- Bath time is daddy's duty. Unless B get's extra messy during the day then requests a bath. He LOVES bath time (until it's time to get out!).

24- Mama was busy baking all day in preparation for an upcoming birthday party. B pushed a chair over to the counter and snuck a taste when he thought no one was looking. He has the sweet innocent look down, doesn't he?

25- More party prep. B met his quota of sweets for the month in just a few short days this week! Here he was tasting the frosting (or the 'appy earthday' as he likes to call it).

26- Saturday was party day! Grandpa came for brunch to celebrate his 60th birthday and later some friends came over for a Favorite Things party. Fun times!

27- The streets were an ice rink so it was a great morning to snuggle and drink (my new) tea. I won it at the Favorite Things party and it is YUMMY! We bummed around the house all day and watched church online. We finally ventured out that night for small group and it was still a little slick out.

28- Daddy had a late start so got to play with B most of the morning before nap time. B napped almost the entire time daddy was at work so he was extra excited when daddy was home so early this afternoon. Of course he's already gone again for basketball, but play time was fun while he was here!

How was your week???

What He Wore Wednesday

I've been wanting to do a 'What We Wore Wednesday' of B & I but he's actually way more stylish than me so I thought a 'what he wore' might work a little better. The whole getting outfit pictures of my toddler on the go thing though... not high on my to do list. I did get some shots of him in his trousers a week ago though. Unfortunately the trousers don't fit yet so rather than wearing the suspenders hanging down, he actually needed them. And the outfit didn't last much longer than this mini-session. :)

I was super excited when my little model grabbed the frame off the floor (all on his own!). Of course he was only interested in checking it out and not so interested in posing with it, but it was a good start. And after that... he was done. He let me know so by climbing up in his chair and giving me the look. Good thing he's stinkin' adorable. :)



Where he got it:

Trousers: Zara
Suspenders: Aven
Shirt: Target
Sweet smile: his mama ;)


PS- I know he looks like the little amish boy Jacob. I promise when the pants actually fit I wont pair that shirt with them. ;)