Great is Thy Faithfulness

Have you ever been whopped by God in the head?

I mean, really whopped in the head to where you get that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach? Something you totally weren't expecting and you feel like you may have just been sucker punched?

I was sucker punched yesterday.

But my life is forever changed because of it.

Let me start at Friday...

I went home this past weekend to go with Mom to Miss Peanut (yes, Miss National Peanut Festival...look it up...I was in it in my pageant hay-day!) and to spend some time with her for her birthday! My mother is amazing and I am happy to spend what time with her I can, with the distance between Birmingham and dear ole Dothan seeming sometimes like it's Birmingham and Tanzania.

I was so happy to be in Dothan. It's a wonderful town full of people I know. And they know me! It's amazing that literally everywhere we went on Friday and Saturday, we saw someone that we knew! I never thought I would sing Dothan's praises, but it really is a great town to live, work and raise a family.

Ben and I have lived in Birmingham since we were married. He was raised here. He LOVES Birmingham. But we have been wrestling lately with a huge life decision about where we are going next. Ben desperately wants to be a police officer, and with the crazy economy, nobody has any money.

Except the Dothan City Police Department.

Is Dothan where we are supposed to be? Should we completely uproot our lives? Ben's job is over at the end of this month, but mine is definitely not. I love my job and my company. I have not once thought of leaving it. Then there's our house! We've only lived in it a year. We got the first time home buyer tax credit. If we sell within 3 years, we have to pay that tax credit back! We have savings, but NOT THAT MUCH! Then we have our friends and our church and everything we have come to know since we became a married couple.

We came to the conclusion that if Dothan is where we are supposed to be, that it will just happen. He'll test, he'll pass, and we'll go. But my mind was filled with worries and doubts. Is this the right decision?

Then Sunday came.

Sunday was filled with emotion as I walked into something I was totally not expecting. I was disappointed by someone who I have looked up to my whole life and who has been in the top ten list of most influential people of my life. I was dumbfounded, lost, saddened, numb, and most of all, confused. How could this happen? Has everything that has ever been said been a lie? Has everything been a facade? Are you a hypocrite?

Sucker punch.

Then Bro. Ed says, "In times of uncertainty, where are you looking?"

WHAM. Whopped in the head. Thanks, God.

What is WRONG with me?

Then this awesome, overwhelming calm and peace came over me that I know was not me. Totally came from God. Where am I looking?

I cannot place stock in other people. People are human. Humans make mistakes. People will always let me down because people are not perfect. Everyone in some way or another will disappoint me. That's everyone. Ben, Mom, other family, friends, people who I thought were friends, people I've looked up to, people I've looked down upon. EVERYONE.

You know who will NEVER let me down? Jesus Christ. The one person who was perfect. The one person who was 100% man and 100% God. The one who made Himself like me to experience my life so He could lay His life down for me so that I could be forgiven and worship Him forever in His kingdom as a redeemed child of God (Philippians 3:5-11)!

How awesome is that?

Why am I worried about how other people affect me? Why am I hurt and disappointed in someone so stupid as a human? It is bound to happen! We are imperfect creatures! We are sinners by nature. We will disappoint.

How do I overcome it? I forgive. I show grace. I give love. I move forward. I don't hold grudges against the person who has wronged me.

Why? Because I disappoint Jesus just about every second of every day and he forgives, shows grace, gives love, moves forward, and doesn't hold grudges against me. We are to love as we are loved, and to forgive as we are forgiven.

As I knelt at the altar of the Lord yesterday, I asked for forgiveness for myself. Forgiveness of of my stupidity. I put way too much into people and not enough into God. I gave it all up yesterday. The pain, the hurt, the worries, the doubt, the decisions, the problems...all up.

And the peace arrived swiftly, like the wind.

I no longer am hurt. I no longer am worried about where Ben and I will be in six months. So be it. Why am I worried about that anyways? He's already taken care of that; we just haven't gotten there yet!

He is before ALL things, and in HIM all things hold together. - Colossians 1:17

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? - Galatians 3:3

So, thanks, God, for the whop. I was able to share this peace with my mom and Ben yesterday. I hope I encouraged them with what I experienced and my new lease on life. Jesus is peace.

Random Fun Parrish Family Fact: After so much praying and thought yesterday, Ben and I took a cue from my parents in times of uncertainty: we went through our Bibles, wrote encouraging verses on computer paper and taped them throughout the house. That should get us through the next few months. Even Charlotte has one she can look at over her crate! :)

Fallin...

The weather in central Alabama is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

It never got above 75 degrees today! I can't believe it! It was freaking 90 on Saturday! And James Spann the Man says that it won't get above 90 again until NEXT SUMMER!!!!!

WHOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

I don't know if you've noticed, but I am a very pale person. Sunshine is not my friend. I sometimes look like this after too much sun:

This was Labor Day when Ben and I were just dating. I woke up with sun poisoning that next morning. I would rather have food poisoning. I was miserable for WEEKS after this sunburn.

Anyways...Fall is the perfect season for me, because it is so nice and cool outside. It is a pale person's heaven!

REASONS I LOVE FALL:

1. No mosquitoes! Bye bye icky bugs!

2. No sunscreen! I mean, my make-up still has sunscreen in it of course, but I don't have to really worry about slathering it on if I'm going to be outside for more than 10 minutes.

3. FOOTBALL SEASON. We've already covered that...ROLL TIDE!

4. The National Peanut Festival. Never missed one in my whole life! The rides, the exhibits, the entertainment, and the FOOD!!!!!

5. All things peanut in general, but mostly BOILED peanuts! There is just no better way to eat a peanut.

6. Fall decorations with leaves, scarecrows, pumpkins, and hay bales. I need a new fall wreath to go on my door!

7. The leaves are already starting to change colors! The drive to work includes 4.2 miles on a windy stretch of road that is lined in trees. It is gorgeous right now.

8. My birthday! October 27th! Mark it down! The big 2-4!

9. Scarves, boots, sweaters, tights, blazers, warm colors...all fashion that screams fall!

10. Turning on my fireplace...which is not really a fireplace at all! It's a heater with a fire digital projection. It is super sweet.

11. Chili and soups. Comfort foods.

12. Wearing my pajama pants, sweatshirts, and "sleepy" socks all the time and not getting crazy looks from my husband. Cold weather gives me an excuse to be comfortable and cozy.

13. Jumping in bed a few minutes early with my hubs to snuggle and share a mug of hot chocolate while we watch a movie.

14. Fall food smelling candles - the only time it is acceptable to have a candle that smells like warm apple pie or cinnamon streudel in my house.

15. "Boyfriend Weather" or I guess it's now "Husband Weather." You know, when you're walking to the car after a football game and it's super chilly, but it wasn't that cold when you got dressed for the game, so you're not quite dressed warm enough, so you have to walk right up next to your significant other and they put their arm around you while you walk and you fit right under the place where their arm meets the shoulder and it's so warm and cozy and you're so in love. You know. "Boyfriend Weather."

I love love LOVE fall. I can't believe it's finally here. But we all know in Alabama that we must enjoy it for the short time that it lasts, because it will be COLD soon and I will wish it was springtime.

I do not, however, really enjoy Halloween. It is my least favorite holiday of all the holidays. But I will be dressing Charlotte in a Halloween costume if I can find one that Ben and I can agree on. I'm pulling for the pig costume.

Random Fun Fact: As reported to royal.pingdom.com, at the end of 2009, there were 126 million blogs on the internet. Ridiculous!

Saturday in the...couch?

I love Saturdays.

We've done nothing today. I take that back. I've done nothing. Of merit, at least. Ben did get up and cut the grass, but didn't trim or blow the sidewalks off, so he halfway did something.

I, on the other hand, laid in bed with the dog til 11. ELEVEN!!!!!! I can't remember the last time that happened. I'm so glad Charlotte is finally old enough to let me sleep til 8, and then get in the bed with me and be lazy. Then, we went in the living room and got on the couch, where we took a nap until 2. The Bama game kicked off at 2:30. Ben dozed in the chair through a lot of that, until I started screaming at the TV.

Bama was playing AWFUL! I'm glad they finally turned it out and won. Whew. It was a nail biter.

With the last few minutes of the game, Ben was complaining that he was getting hungry, so I told him at 5, I would get up and start dinner. I started dinner at 6, really. The game was too interesting! I had to do a victory dance!

Tonight for dinner we had steak tacos with corn and black bean salsa! DELISH!

Here's how I made it:

SALSA:

1. Chop all your fresh vegetables. I used 1 tomato, 1 bell pepper (without the seeds), and 1/2 white onion.

2. Combine your fresh veggies with your not-so-fresh veggies: 1 can drained black beans, 2 cans green chiles (with juice), and 1 package frozen corn.

3. Add fresh cilantro and minced garlic to taste. Or to Ben's taste, rather.

For the steak, I used this:

Pampered Chef's grill pan. This is a kitchen life saver! For small grilling projects like the steak, or to do grilled chicken or fish, it's awesome! No need to break out the charcoal!

Anyways...

1. Heat some EVOO on your grill pan.

2. Defrost your steak. I used steak strips that are used for stir-fry. I didn't have to worry about cutting up any steak. Already done for me!

3. Rub a little mild taco seasoning on your steak strips.

4. Throw them on the grill pan until done!

Then, I warmed some flour tortillas in the microwave, washed some lettuce, and put together our steak tacos! They were yummy!

We kept sitting at the table, eating away, and talking about the tacos. We couldn't put our finger on what it was missing. Then Ben says, "These would be great with some cheese." Idiots. We forgot to put cheese on the tacos. And I even bought Mexican blend cheese specifically for the occasion.

Oh well. When you make these tacos, please use cheese.

Chewin' Up My Heart

Charlotte has a bad habit.

She likes to chew holes in her beds.

We're not sure why. It usually happens when we're asleep or she's spent a lot of time in her crate. I guess she's mad at us. She just chews a little hole in the bed, rips all the stuffing out, and throws it around her crate. Then, when we see it and say, "CHARLOTTE, WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!?!?" she just looks at us like, "What? Oh, I'm not supposed to do that?" We think maybe her bone or something gets trapped under the bed, and instead of being a smart doggie and going under the bed to get to it, she just goes through the bed to get to it.

We've gone through four beds.

I was smart last time and bought a flat cat bed that didn't have a lot of stuffing in it.

This time, I was not about to buy a new one. Dog beds are expensive! And she's just going to chew it up again. So I whip stitched that baby up! No hole there anymore!

She's really upset that it's laying on the floor in the living room. She doesn't deal well with change. She keeps sniffing it like she's never seen it before. Then she looks at me like, "What the crap, Mom? Why is my bed in here? I'm not sleeping in here!"

Precious baby. Love her. I can't get mad at her because she looks at me like this and I melt. How could you not love those ears?

I'm going to be a big softy when we have kids.

Random Thoughts: We are very lucky that Charlotte doesn't eat the stuffing out of the beds. It's very harmful for dogs to eat it and it can impact their intestines. Here's a bright idea: Don't put harmful stuff in dog beds? Just a thought.

Rich Girl

I am a cheapskate.

That's right. I'm a cheapskate. I don't spend money.

Ben and I are young and we don't make a lot of money. Whatever we make in salary goes to mortgage, car notes, power bill, cable bill, groceries, etc. Whatever little we have left over goes in our lovely little savings account that usually gets depleted whenever there is some big event that needs to be paid for, like a tire blows or Charlotte needs an emergency vet trip.

In other words, we make enough to live comfortably, but we don't have a lot extra.

I always get really ticked off at the "Splurge vs. Save" sections in fashion magazines like they are saving you a big bundle. They compare, say, two dresses. The splurge is a runway designer like Badgley Mischka for $400. The save is from Bloomingdale's for $120. I'm sorry. Our country is in a recession. I don't know who thinks $120 for a dress is a deal. $20 FOR A DRESS IS A DEAL. I need to write that column. I'll show them how to bargain shop and bottom feed for a good deal.

Things I am cheap about:

1. Clothes

I don't spend money on clothes. I never go shopping without an intent. When I do go shopping, I go places that are kind of ghetto, especially if it's for something trendy that I'm going to wear for just a season or two. Places I frequent are Rue21, Forever21 (I'm not sure what the 21 thing is about), Target, Walmart, and Maurice's. If I'm lucky, I can catch a good sale at New York and Company, Express, JCPenney, or outlet stores. I never buy anything at full retail price. At these really cheap places like Rue21, you can usually catch basic pieces, like the brown shrug I bought today for $7. SEVEN DOLLARS!!!!! I will wear the heck out of that. And for shoes? Nothing beats Rack Room. Accessories? Claire's and this great store in Hoover called Accessory City.

2. Technology

Ben and I both had Blackberries at one point. We were spending $200 a month on a cell phone bill. Why? So we could check our Facebook and play BrickBreaker. After a few months of that crap, we traded down to two free phones, splitting the lowest possible minutes plan, and no internet on the phones. We cut our phone bill in half! And we didn't die! This is one thing that Ben and I have to work with each other on. He LOVES Best Buy. We "need" a bigger tv for the living room and a flat screen for the bedroom (even though the one in our living room is 2 years old and the one in the bedroom words fine - has a VCR and DVD player in it! What a relic!). We "need" a Playstation 3 to replace our Playstation 2 (that we never play and doesn't do anything different). All those things are fine if you have cash-money to spend. Lord knows I want a Canon Rebel camera and an iPad, but it's just not gonna happen! If it ain't broke, don't fix it! And if you really "need" it, check Ebay first! And NEVER buy something as soon as it comes out. Wait for the next generation so they can work out the kinks or you can buy a "gently used" version.

3. Home Decor

Hello! Home Goods and TJ Maxx! My whole dang house was decorated from there, with a few spatterings of sale pieces from Pier 1 and this super awesome store in Brookwood Mall, Z Gallerie. Our furniture came from Roomstore and a discount furniture warehouse. We even made our headboard! Again, no full retail price!

4. Entertainment

Have you been to the movies lately? I cannot imagine what it is like to take an average family of four to the movies. Tickets at $8 dollars a piece, plus popcorn, drinks, candy...ridiculous. If you ever want to buy Ben and me a gift, we LOVE free movie tickets. Then we split a drink and popcorn. Bowling is always a cheap date, too. Netflix? GENIUS!!! $9 a month for unlimited movies that I could keep until I watch them and no late fees! Books? Amazon! I've bought books for $2 before!

5. Name Brand Food

If you've got a Publix near you, you must use Publix brand anything. It is fantastic. Their quality is usually equal, if not better, than name brand. Their cookies are AMAZING!!!!! I buy Publix cereal, pasta, milk, cheese, lunch meat, and so much more! Same thing goes for cosmetics. I buy all my makeup and shampoo at Wal-Mart. There is no MAC on this face. Maybe it's Maybelline!

Things I will ALWAYS splurge on:

1. Travel

I like to spend money on things Ben and I will enjoy and make memories from. We love to explore new places. Our favorite cities to visit are Nashville and New Orleans. We may only be able to steal away for a few days, but it is usually much needed. Our next trip we are planning is actually for next Christmas. We want to go to Colonial Williamsburg! Our trick? Book waaaaaaay in advance through a discount site like Expedia or hotels.com. Another trick is to book tour packages through the destination's tourism website. When we went to Nashville on our honeymoon, we were able to visit 4 Nashville sites for only $70! It was a great deal! We love live music, too, so we plan far in advance to attend a concert. Jason Aldean is next up on the list - Ben's favorite.

2. Work Clothes/Wardrobe Staples

There are some pieces of clothing that you just should spend money on. I always spend a little extra on good dress pants and skirts, suits, dresses, etc, that I can wear to work. These pieces will never go out of style. You can always pair an $200 pantsuit with a $10 blouse and look like $1,000,000. I always look to Express, Limited, and Banana Republic for these pieces, because, let's face it, I'm still not going to spend a bundle on those. $80 for a pair of pants is a LOT. But I've worn them for years! And to a multitude of occasions.

3. Name Brand Toilet Paper and Mattresses

There are some cases when you just can't skimp. Toilet paper is such the case. I can skimp on paper towels and paper napkins, but never on toilet paper. It must be Quilted Northern. Mattresses are the same. We were lucky to get a great (cheap) deal on a mattress, but I'm all about spending money on something that is going to keep you healthy and sane. You need sleep. You need a not-raw butt. There are other things you must buy name brand also - laundry and dishwasher detergents (the inactive ingredients are different), my makeup foundation (comes from my pageant makeup guy, Clay Spann - buy it once a year, FANTASTIC), dog food (Charlotte needs Science Diet), and razors (they just shave better - I don't know why).

4. Lunch

Ben and I only see each other at lunch for an hour a day. It's much easier for him to come get me from work and us go grab something than for me to drive all the way home, spend 20 minutes, and then drive all the way back. If he comes to get me, then we get to spend the whole hour together! :) But we usually don't go expensive places. The most expensive it gets is Moe's on Fridays. Yes, that's every Friday. They know us by name and when I get to the line, they call for "NACHOLITOS!!!!" before I even order. It's awesome.

This is how I'm cheap. I am not a rich girl by any means, but it keeps me from being stressed about money all the time. I do like to spend a little on myself every once in a while. I bought myself a dress today...for $12. I was pretty proud of myself, so I bought a necklace to match...for $7. LOVE.

Random Fun Tip: If you're shopping online, google "promo code for..." whatever you're ordering. I ordered Ben's Lakers jersey from Dick's Sporting Goods, so I googled "promo code for Dick's Sporting Goods" and got a coupon for 15% off my online order! It doesn't always work, but it's worth a shot!

I want my MTV

Fall TV is starting! WHAT!!!

I love tv shows. With a husband who works night shift, there's not much for me to do while I'm at home with the dog except live vicariously through fictional characters' lives. So, these are the shows I'm excited about starting up again!

1. Gossip Girl

I know it's already started, but I love me some Gossip Girl. The drama, the love lives, the clothes...Chace Crawford...what's not to love? I was worried about Chuck Bass after the season finale at the end of spring. Glad he's ok. And Blair makes me laugh.

2. GLEE!

Glee is what I wish life was really like. The misfits of life get to broadcast their oddities to the sounds of showtunes and remixes of 80s and 90s hits. Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, Puck, Santana, and of course, Finn. Love, love, love.

3. Grey's Anatomy

When we left Grey's Anatomy last season, I was sobbing on the couch in hysterics because it was a two hour season finale of pure terror and raw emotion. I was dying thinking Derek was dying. It's amazing how attached we get to fake people.

4. Law and Order: SVU

I love Elliot and Olivia. This is one of those shows that is different every week and if you miss a week, it's ok because it's not a continuation of a story line. And they usually make me cry. Watch the episode where Olivia is trying to find the little girl over the phone. Ridiculous. Tears everywhere.

5. Real Housewives of Atlanta/Beverly Hills

I've never met a Real Housewives season I didn't like. DRAMA!

6. Community

Thank heavens for Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. Hours of entertainment.

What are you watching this season?

All I Do Is Win, Win Win...

Well, I did it.

I spent an entire day in Auburn and I didn't die. I only managed to leak that I was a Bama fan to a few people. According to Ben, I did not embarrass him! I even cheered for Auburn!

But, I could not physically bring myself to say those dreaded words..."War Eagle."

I just couldn't do it.

It just felt wrong. I could clap along to the fight song. I could spell out "A-U-B-U-R-N" during "Glory to Ole Auburn." I could even yell, "Let's go, Auburn!" or "Come on, defense!" because believe me, their defense needed a lot of encouragement, even from a little ole Bama fan like me.

But "War Eagle" just couldn't happen.

There was this precious little boy sitting next to us. (His mom was on the flag line at Auburn, Rebecca, and knew you!) I made friends with him because I love to make friends with little kids. I told him I was a Bama fan, to which he told me, "Boooooo!" Right before the nail-biting overtime, he came over to me and said,

"Are you still a Bama fan?"

I said, "Yeh, in my heart, I'm a Bama fan, but today, I'm cheering for Auburn. Is that okay?"

"Yeh, I guess."

"But you want me to be an Auburn fan forever?"

"YEH!"

At the end of the game, when Auburn finally won due to Clemson's long snapper's stupidity, I leaned over and gave him a high-five. He gave me a "War Eagle."

Spending the day in Auburn is just different than spending the day in Tuscaloosa. It's hard to explain. Auburn fans would say the same if they went to an Alabama game. My heart just wasn't in it. I can understand why Ben is an Auburn fan. The traditions are cool. The eagle flies before the game. You really do get a sense of family when you are in Jordan-Hare.

But it's just not the same as Alabama.

There's something about Bryant-Denny that just gets you going. The years and years of football excellence that have worn the crimson and white. Knowing that Bama has and always will be a respected football powerhouse. Seeing the now 13 National Championships recognized in the stadium. The pre-game videos with Bear's voice saying "I ain't never been nothing but a winner." The Million Dollar Band. Denny Chimes. The Coaches Statues. Everywhere you look, there's crimson and white and the most recent throwback to the houndstooth. The old tradition of the Bear and the new direction of Saban. Respecting the past and recognizing the future. Knowing that good things aren't ending any time soon.

Nothing like it.

So I may have been here Saturday night, but my heart was still crimson.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Random Game Fact: Clemson has the most classless fans I have ever experienced. I guess in the ACC it's different, but in the SEC, when the other team is performing rituals and traditions, you sit down and shut up. Then it's your turn to do yours, and louder. They were obnoxious. They rank up there with LSU.