I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

More specifically, I've taken procrastination way too far this time. And put off printing photos of Annalyn way too long.

I'm going to a scrapbooking retreat with my cousin Sarah this weekend, and I haven't printed a single picture since October.

Nine months ago.

And apparently, sorting through hundreds of photos, editing them and sending them to print is not the easiest thing to accomplish the week after a week-long vacation.

All that to say . . . I need to spend my Thursday night blogging time on this "little" project. So how about we take a litlte poll in the meantime?

How do you print your photos? Every month? Once a year? On your printer at home? With an online service like Shutterfly or Snapfish? At the drugstore or scrapbooking shop? Tell me - obviously my system isn't working so well!

Did you say photos? Vacation photos?

Well, since you asked.

Seriously, I found out after posting the link to Flickr that you have to sign in with a Yahoo account. And since not everyone has that, I figured I'd better put the pictures on here.

I wouldn't want you all to revolt. Or protest. Or whine. Oh, please don't whine as you beg for just a peek at my 367 vacation pictures.

Brace yourself. Here they come. (A few dozen. Not 367. I promise.)

A flamingo was just waking up as we entered Sea World on Monday.

I don't remember where this was in Sea World. But it sure was purty.

Yay! The dolphin show! Or, as we found it to be: the dolphin and people and birds show. Seriously, we didn't expect the acrobats and birds, but they were all incredible (if a tad bit cheesy).

Would you laugh if I told you that I cried during the Shamu show? Because, um, I totally did. Mark mocked the sappy "Believe" theme, and I can't deny that it was a bit over the top. But I'm a sucker for sap, I guess. (Oh, please, who am I kidding? This is not news.)

On a side note, the Shamu show is also where we thought we lost our video camera. When we went to pack the camera on Wednesday, we couldn't find it anywhere. We just knew that it had fallen out of my purse (stupid hobo bag) or been snatched. I sat on hold with Sea World for half an hour, only to learn that no, nobody had turned our camera into Lost & Found. Thankfully (thank you, God!), it was just buried in the backpack. Still not sure how it got there . . . but I don't even care. I'm just so glad our camera (and videos of Annalyn) didn't disappear.

Back to the pics.

What, you thought I went to Florida to take pictures of palm trees?

My friend Kevin told me about Celebration, Florida, a planned town built by Disney. Unfortunately, we planned to check it out on our beach day. The one where it rained a lot. What we saw from the car, though, was beautiful.

I think this is self-explanatory? Unless, like me, you don't know what Downtown Disney is. So, I guess I should explain after all. Just in case. Downtown Disney is essentially an outdoor Disney mall. It's a strip of stores and restaurants, and it may or may not include Pleasure Island. I wasn't quite sure. But I am sure that it was a lot of fun. We didn't actually go to any of the Disney parks, so I was glad to get a little bit of time in the world of Mickey. (After all, we needed to buy a Mickey shirt for Annalyn somewhere!)

This would probably be a good time to tell you about the ferry adventure we had on the way home from Downtown Disney. But . . . no. I think I'll save that one for later.

Do you see this? My brownie sundae? It was ridiculous. That's about all I can say about it. We tried to eat a light dinner (this was an unsuccessful venture, since we ate dinner at a delicious pizzeria), because we'd heard about Ghiradelli's ice cream shop at Downtown Disney. Don't worry - we walked off at least a tenth of the calories we ingested as we shopped. But it was sooo worth it!

I was real excited to visit the Lego Store. I'm not sure why. It was pretty cool. But I'll admit: we were darned tired by the time we reached it. So I snapped a few (a lot) photos, and we headed home.

Well, we tried to head home. But like I said, I'll tell you that story later.

More Legos.

I have never wished more that I had a good camera phone with e-mail capabilities. Because I would have Twitpic-ed this for sure. As this motorcycle passed us, I noticed the couple was not wearing helmets. But before I could even open my mouth to start my usual rant about stupidity and helmet laws and all that, I saw the milk crate on the back of the bike. With a DOG in it. A dog! And that dog didn't have a helmet. Or a seat belt. Or anything to keep it safe! I was appalled! I wanted to call PETA! Or the police! Or the Ghostbusters!

But instead, I asked Mark to speed up a little so I could take a picture.

On Tuesday, we drove to Clearwater. I'd read all about the incredible sunsets, the white sand, the dolphin cruises. What I didn't read about was the thunderstorm that covered most of Florida that day. We kept hoping that we'd outrun the storm, and for a couple hours, we did. But it never really got sunny, and halfway through our walk on the beach, it started raining again.

Fortunately, I was prepared. With a big black umbrella in my purse. I'm not sure who looked more silly - Mark, trying to do his best Baywatch run back to the car, or me, sauntering along the sand, proudly holding my umbrella with a broken spoke.

But you know what? We still had fun. We drove down the coast (or was it up? I forget.) and found a great Italian restaurant in Tampa and overall, had a great day.

The Gulf in Clearwater. Can you see the sun shining? Wayyy back in the corner there?

Our little bathing beauty.

On Thursday, we drove north to meet my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and our sweet baby who we hadn't seen in four days. And I'm not quite sure who was more excited - her or us!

The second we set her down on the sand (after a picnic lunch and lots of sunscreen for her and me - except my back, which is officially peeling today), she plopped down on the towel and popped that leg up in the air like some sort of beach model.

I have no idea where she learned such a thing.

Annalyn was excited to see us, but she loved spending so much time with her A-ee and Bompa (otherwise known as Allie and Grandpa). I think she's gone into withdrawal since we came home!

What is this? (I promise, several of us were within arm's reach. I just cropped us out.)

Once she got used to the warm ocean water and the gritty sand, Annalyn was perfectly happy to sit in the ocean and let the water rush over her as she played with her bucket.

So happy that she pitched quite a fit when it was time to go. But who wants to talk about that?

After all, who would believe this happy girl would throw a fit?

Oh, how I wish I'd had my camera handy when that happened, though. My sweet daughter, who hasn't sucked her thumb or pacifier for about 18 months, curled up in the fetal position, stuck her thumb in her mouth and sobbed her little heart out.

All because I didn't want her to get sunburned.

(Did I mention that I forgot to put sunscreen on my back that day? And that I had to go buy a loofah on a stick at Target today?)

Ahem.

Annalyn would not tolerate the very cute and comfy (cloth) floaties we bought specifically for this trip. She did, however, put up with the baby floating ring that - as we discovered a couple days later - was built for babies a few pounds lighter than her.

For a baby who loves taking baths, she wasn't all that impressed with the swimming pool. She was a little more energetic the day we swam in the afternoon, but the morning swims? Not so exciting, I suppose.

Long story short, my great uncle - who we went to visit - ended up in the hospital on Friday. So while my parents spent the afternoon visiting him, we went with my brother and sister-in-law to visit the only plantation open to the public in Thomas County: Pebble Hill.

It was beautiful, and even though it was blazing hot that day, we had the chance to take some great pictures on the grounds. (Kids under 6 weren't allowed in the main house, so we wandered around outside - and enjoyed the air conditioned snack shop - while James and Lauren toured the house.)

When my mom called the hospital to find out what was going on with my uncle, she found out that the lady working the information desk was from Pavo, the same small town my great-grandad (my mom's grandad) was from. As a matter of fact, she taught at the elementary school - and taught my aunt way back in the day. Later that afternoon, when Mom and Dad were at the hospital and trying to track down my uncle, the security guard went the extra yard to find him because he knew him, too.

So, as we chatted with the info guy at the plantation while we waited for James and Lauren to finish their tour, I thought I'd give it a shot. I told Mr. Taylor how we were in town visiting my great-uncle and great-aunt, but that my uncle had gotten sick and went to the hospital. I told him their names, and he said, "Oh, yeah! We're in a club together. We went on tours together!" Turns out "a club" was Kiwanis Club, and tours had something to do with their church. So as we waited and finally stopped sweating, we swapped stories about who in our family and his cheats while playing cards.

"Small world" deosn't even begin to describe that place.

We didn't see a sign saying not to climb on the ancient carriages. So we took full advantage of the old-fashioned photo opp.

"Are you finished taking pictures yet?"

Sorry, baby, no.

This photo was taken at the plantation, not on the plane we took home. But if you can imagine taking this face, adding some hysteria and lots of ear-splitting screams? Well, then you might be close to imagining what the passengers of our TINY (34 passenger) plane between Tallahassee and Memphis endured.

Reportedly, Annalyn was an angel for my parents on the flight down. And I am so thankful. Honestly, I really had to pray myself down from overwhelming anxiety about the whole leaving my daughter and she's going to fly without me thing.

But my, oh my, I probably should have spent some of that time praying for our flight home. Because the first hour of the first flight? Complete torture - for Annalyn, for us, for the other passengers and for the kind flight attendant.

It was so bad the flight attendant moved us from the back of the plane to the front. It was so bad that not only was my body covered in sweat (I get sick when flying and did I mention the turbulence?), but I also ended up sobbing myself. It was so bad that the pilots could hear her through the door and sent ear plugs back for the other passengers.

It was bad.

But we survived. And I promise you, we will nev-er fly with a toddler again, barring any life and death emergencies, of course.

And that, is the end of my vacation photo show. Hope you enjoyed it. I know I did!

And now that I see Jill is saying she loves vacation (as I do, obviously), I'm linking up to her. Go check out Things I Love Thursday!

Hi, may I help you?

Here in Kansas City, we have a chain of BBQ restaurants that is famous for the greeting each customer receives. As you walk up to the counter, the energetic folks at Gates BBQ will shout, “Hi! May I help you?”

Although, to be honest, it sounds a tad bit like, “Hahmehaheppyou!”

Last week, we spent several days in the South. And I lost count of the times I was asked, “May I help you?” The difference down there? It wasn’t followed up with some smoked meat and fries tossed onto a platter and pushed down the cafeteria line. No, what came next was outstanding customer service and, more often than not, amazing food.

(Not that I’m complaining about Gates by any means. I’m just saying that our Southern eating experiences were something completely different.)

I’m so accustomed to mediocre or even lousy service that for the first couple of days, I honestly thought we were “lucking out.” It actually took me about four days to realize we weren’t just reaping the rewards of some good restaurant karma; we were experiencing that wonder we hear about, but rarely get to see firsthand up here in the, ahem, North.

We were experiencing Southern hospitality.

And ooooh, I loved it! Southern hospitality – from the friendly waiter at Chevy’s and the apologetic waitress at Flipper’s who gave us a discount after the cook put sausage on the sausage-free pizza we ordered to the helpful hotel desk guy who drew me a map of (wrong) driving directions from Orlando to Tallahassee and my Aunt Roz who welcomed us into her home and offered “something cold to drink,” which meant apple juice or Coke – works for me.

For more tips on what works, visit We Are THAT Family.

And for a few vacation photos, check out my Flickr albums.

Here's the thing: I like muffins.

But I don't like baking. Well, that's not true. I don't mind baking. It's just that it takes so much time. And measuring. And ingredients.

Okay, I don't like baking. Cooking, yes. Baking, not so much.

I manage just fine, though. Don't be feeling sorry for me. Brownies from a box mix are delicious enough to be my specialty (quit laughing!), and rice krispy treats don't require me to turn on the oven at all. Neither do chocolate pudding pies.

But there's something about a muffin. Or a biscuit. Or a roll. Really, any bread will do.

My dad is a big fan of bread. So growing up, our meals were never complete without some sort of bread. My mom taught me how to make biscuits from scratch, several kinds of muffins, garlic bread, banana bread and more.

But, sadly, I've abandoned my cook from scratch ways.

Thankfully, I'm obviously not the only cook who prefers convenience over scratchiness. Because you can get a mix for just about anything.

And my favorite is the muffin mix. Specifically, the one that says "just add water." At less than a dollar per mix, it's easy to stock up and have them on hand.


I was glad I'd done just that last night. Mark had the night off, so I actually had to got to cook dinner for us. And a packet of muffin mix was quick and easy - and rounded out our meal.

Please, don't ask about a vegetable. Surely the onions in the cheesy chicken count?

Do you like to bake? What's your favorite type of bread? Or you a non-carb type of person?

For more kitchen and cooking stuff, check out A Southern Fairytale and Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.

Me, Myself & Lies, Week 3 Recap

I missed you all on tonight's chat! Here are some questions. Let's discuss in the comments.

• Do you have issues? (I sure do!)
• Does your issue define you or refine you?
• How can your relationship with or your understanding of God make a difference in your self-talk, when it comes to your issue?

In the video for this week, Jennifer talked about a survey she took of her 3,000 newsletter readers. Those women responded about their various issues, and the top two were self-image and rejection (or a desire to be accepted). Can you relate to that? (I sure can!)

Tell me what you thought about these last two weeks of the study. I'll be honest: I haven't finished the homework for Week 3. But I really want to hear about what God's been teaching you over these last couple of weeks. Please chat with us in the comments!

I'm back.

And a teensy bit tired. But that's nothing a night in my own bed won't cure. I can't guarantee I'll be up to my blogging norm around here this week, but we will have our Bible study chat tonight.

So, please, if you're interested in talking (or reading) about Weeks 2 and 3 of Me, Myself & Lies, join me here at 8 p.m. CST.

Chat with you tonight!

Have I mentioned that Lee Greenwood makes me cry?

A few years ago, my good friend Triple's husband was sent to Iraq with the Army National Guard. I'm not sure I really breathed the whole time he was gone, so I'm not sure how she managed it.

He came home safely. And he came home a hero.

I didn't have a blog back then, or believe you me, I'd have told you all about it. So I'm telling you today: My friend Cory served our country, and he is a hero. Thank you, Cory, from the bottom of my heart.

And thank you to all the men and women who serve, and everyone who waits for them at home. When I think about the sacrifices that are made every day, well, I just can't get over it. And really, I shouldn't get over it. Our armed forces and their families are incredible, and I'm so very thankful for what they do.

Which explains why I tear up every time I hear those words ("If tomorrow all the things were gone, I'd worked for all my life. And I had to start again, with just my children and my wife . . .").

Indeed, Lee Greenwood, God bless the USA. And happy 4th of July!

When it rains, it pours.

I expected to see rain every day in Florida; that's just how it is in the summer. But I didn't expect it to pour on the day we went to the beach.

Which it did.

But the good news is that we went again today and it was bright and sunny. (Of course, that means my back is now fried, but that's what happens when you forget to have someone put sunscreen on those parts you can't see...)

I'll have pictures of Annalyn on the beach for the first time sometime next week. Until then, you'll have to settle for our feet:

Is that a weird picture? I couldn't decide. I promise I'll share better ones soon. Have a good Friday, everyone!

In our house, we rock . . . softly . . .

When my daughter was a newborn, my mom gave me several classical music CDs.

But we didn’t need them. No, we were all set – with Chicago’s Greatest Hits and a Chris Tomlin/Matt Redman mix tape. (Okay, technically it was a mix CD, but that doesn’t really have the same ring to it.)

See, I’d read in one of the many parenting books that graced my nightstand during those early months that babies need loud sounds in order to be soothed. In essence, my baby needed to rock out.

So Chicago it was. And…I have to admit…Air Supply. Don’t laugh! They rock…softly…

The thing is that cheesy as it might be, there was something special about singing my daughter to sleep with the words, “Even the nights are better now that we’re here together. Even the nights are better since I found you.”

It got me through some late nights, that’s all I’m saying.

Music has been a part of our bond since the beginning. (And yes, it’s likely that my daughter will blame me for her secret love of Air Supply, just as I blame my own mother. It’s a cycle and it will not be broken.) I’m happy to report, though, that our special songs have evolved from elevator music.

There was the counting song, making diaper changes bearable. And then we had the Veggie Tales song, which made my daughter smile so big I was able to stuff one more spoonful of cereal into her mouth. Recently, though, we’ve officially graduated to Children’s Music.

These days, my daughter doesn’t just listen to music or smile at her favorite songs. No, that funny girl dances to her tunes and even tries to sing along. And as she learns her words, I’m so thankful we’ve moved on to uplifting choruses and praise songs like those found on Praise Baby CDs and DVDs.

Although I’m not gonna lie. I’m sure we’ll be “Lost in Love” and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” at some point – I just think I’ll save that for her less formative years.

Originally posted on February 26, 2009, at Praise Baby Blog.

How do you avoid drowning in the ocean of social media?

“Of course!” “I’d love to!” “Sure, no problem.” “Absolutely, yeah, I’ll do it.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve said or written these words, only to realize days, weeks or months later that either I have completely dropped the ball on whatever project I agreed to do or I am overwhelmed with the stress involved in completing said task by its deadline.

How about an example, you say? Well, let’s take this blog post for one.

Writing a blog post for Chicks Who Click seemed like a simple request. And I didn’t even consider saying no, for two reasons. One, I’m always looking for ways to promote my personal blog, and guest posting is a well-documented method to do this. And two, I had the opportunity to attend Chicks Who Click in Kansas City thanks to a kind scholarship from Metzger & Associates. So I could hardly turn down their request for a blog post.

But when I turned the page on my calendar to June . . . and remembered that I had yet to write for the Chicks Who Click blog . . . my heart just sank. I frantically opened my e-mail and realized I’d gotten the request for a post almost three weeks ago. In today’s social media world of immediacy and urgency, I’m pretty sure that’s about two and a half weeks too long.

Am I the only one who’s done this sort of thing? Or are you finding yourself in deeper social media water every day, too?

Chicks Who Click was the third social media conference I’ve attended in the past four months, and with each meeting, I find more blogs to read, more people to follow, more tools to use and more topics to write about. During the classes and panel discussions, I feel my head swimming with ideas and energy and motivation.

But to continue the water analogy (because these things never get old), I arrive home feeling as if I’ve spent all day at the pool. You know what I mean, right? Drained, sleepy and, most likely, hungry.

Because the thought of actually doing all these things? Using the tools? Connecting with the people? Well, it’s utterly exhausting! And when you add them to an already busy life – filled with work, family, friends and hobbies – it can really seem like too much to handle.

So my question for you is this: How do you manage to stay afloat?

Obviously, if I’m forgetting guest blog posts and putting off work projects to clear out my Google Reader (Oh, I didn’t mention that one? Well, please ignore that should you happen to be the person who signs my paycheck!), then I am not your role model for a balanced life.

However, I have been doing this long enough that I know a little bit about what works for me and what other people have said works for them. Here are a few tips and ideas:

• Have a designated time for each online task. For instance, only comment on blogs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
• Similarly, have a time limit for online tasks. For me, this means closing out my Google Reader at 9 a.m. and moving on to “real” work for the day. I also limit my Facebook sessions to once in the morning (before 9 a.m., of course) and once again after my daughter goes to bed in the evening.
• Take advantage of planning tools, such as TweetLater.com or Blogger’s ability to schedule posts for any time you choose.
• Only read blogs you really like. This is a tough one for me, because I feel there are certain blogs I must read to be current and relevant in both my professional and my personal life. My solution? Continue to subscribe to these “obligatory” blogs but just skim them. That’s all.
• Be brave enough to try new things . . . but also brave enough to decide when they’re not for you. Or when it’s time to take a break. I’ve seen more and more bloggers talk about taking a break or getting back to basics lately. And I think that’s great. For me, I only Twitter every other day or so.
• Consider instituting an Internet-free day. In order to keep the peace and my sanity, Sunday is my [mostly] computer-free day. That makes getting a Monday post up difficult, but having the mental and physical energy to give my family all my attention more than makes up for it.

What about you?

Do you write blog posts weeks in advance or every morning as soon as you get your coffee? Do you have a computer-free day, or do you go into withdrawal after just a couple hours away from a screen? How do you balance an active online life with an active offline life?

Originally posted on June 5, 2009, at Chicks Who Click.