"would you not like to be, sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free"

-dave mathews

that is from one of my all-time favorite songs. there isn't much to the lyrics, just a few more lines and then five minutes of music. but it is that small number of words that i love so much.

thanksgiving was wonderful. we spent the entire time in macon with my family. while i was there i felt, i think terry and i both felt, life becoming simple. we were able to hang our legs free, in the comfort of home. there was a lot of laughter, a few tears, some beautiful pictures, a little sunshine, tons of rain, and more than anything, the never ending feeling of safety and security. that is what gets me...it is when you feel completely safe and secure you are able to be free...to sit on top of your world and bask in the sweetness of life.

so, this thanksgiving was completely uneventful but thoroughly filling...in every since of the word.

sleep and dream

i love sleep. it is so very important to my well being. and to terry's tolerance of me.. after spending almost 18 months with addison, i realize how incredibly thankful i am that she is a good sleeper. there are many, many things about parenting that i am probably doing completely wrong but for one tiny second in her crazy little life, we did somthing right...we taught her how to sleep.

during her nap today i got the urge to sneak in addison's room and just watch her. watch her breathe in and out. watch her toss a little to and fro. watch her and wonder. what story her dreams are telling her?

i pray for many things for this little soul but alot of the time i pray that she dreams big. huge. never be afraid of an adventure here and there. it is those adventures that teach you the most about yourself. give you the sweetest memories. and mold you into the person you will become.

now i know addison's dream today was probably all about a cupcake or chocolate milk...but someday they will turn into so much more. but in between now and then, i am going to cherish this time and watch my little girl sleep.

generations

finally after many, many attempts, mom got her "generations" picture. and what sweetness it is. my soul needs some family nourishment and come wednesday, nourished it will be. i cannot wait to go home and relax with my parents, laugh with my grandmother, and visit with dear friends. it will be busy - as it always is, and it will pass by quickly - like is always does, and we will leave with smiles and a few tears - like we always do. but it will be sweet...just as it should be.

some nothings

just a few nothings...

i must admit. i have been cheating. on you. with facebook. that thing is crazy! it is a blog on speed. and it's on my iphone. so i am a facebook junkie 24-7. in the car, running off the road, ordering a sweet tea, bathing my child, chasing my dog, you get the picture. but at the end of the day, it is just a quick fix - not a long term companion like you, dear blog.

so i am back. and with much help from friends. and though i know i have so much to say, i cannot for the life of me think of what to write. writer's block. it is an evil, evil thing. so i guess i will write what is on my mind the most these days.

my niece. my soon-to-be neice, annie ruth. i love her already and i don't even know her. this whole holiday season is wrapped in one single being this year...a sweet baby girl. we are all on pins and needles waiting to hear that first cry, hold her while she dreams sweet dreams, and finally, after many months, gives her mommy a chance to breath a deep sigh of relief. i love christmas and all the hype, but this year, all i care about is meeting this little being, this beautiful soul we have prayed hundreds and hundreds of days for. she is a tender touch of god's grace. and i cannot wait to love her to peices!

so to annie ruth, on this night when there is so much to say but no words, just know i cannot wait to be your aunt. and a little heads up - that cousin of yours, she is a rascal...and she bites. i'm just sayin' you might want to watch your back.

sweet love

sweetness. there is nothing more joyful than seeing a little one laugh and giggle. it is funny how this phase of life has us totally wrapped up in our "mini-me's". as i travel through the pages of fellow bloggers, i am reminded that every single parent in this blog world feels exactly the same way. these little versions of ourselves have us completely smitten.

there is so much more i want to write - like why i am desperatly needing your prayers for my next goal in life, but today, tonight, i just want to sit and stare at my mini-me. so, another blog of nothingness but yet a desire to say, here's to you and your mini-me's...may those giggles be sweetness, pure sweetness to you and yours. (can you tell i have been designing christmas cards all night with the "to you and yours"...ha!)

a day in the life

maybe i overreact. maybe.

yesterday was just another day in the life of the tingles. i pick up addison. she is clingy. miss morgan hands her to me. we stop at big lots on our way home. she is still clingy - won't ride in the cart. we finally get home where i carry her to the porch and plop her down. just like every other day....until she won't walk or crawl. i try to pick her up and make her stand but her left leg won't go straight and she won't stand on it. at all. i panic.

for those that don't know, addison was born with hip dysplasia. we go to her orthopedic at every milestone and will continue to go until she is well into elementary school. we haven't gone to her "walking" appointment so i had no idea if her hips are continuing to grow correctly. mom had thought one of her legs was not a swift as the other, but then we didn't know if that was just her legs trying to figure this walking thing out. i digress...

so i am panicking, right? yes. i run to my neighbors house to get her opinion. why? because i overreact and people who overreact need someone to confirm their craziness, right? yes. cara thought the same thing...something is really wrong with addison. i immediately put her in the car, run in and grab stuff (i don't know what kind of stuff, i just grabbed anything because that is what you do when you overreact, you come prepared for surgery or the plague), crank the car and put on my flashers for my 1 mile drive down to urgent care. by this time, and i am not kidding, addison is screaming bloody murder. the nurses send me back immediately. we do the whole triage thing and finally get a room. addison is now uncontrollably crying. the nurse practitioner comes in and takes one look at her and immediately orders x-rays and what had to be 4 tablespoons of motrin. in the meantime, my phone is dying, carrie is trying to get a hold of terry, addison is still crying in agony while waiting 20 minutes for a 2 minute x-ray, and i am pulling all my "stuff" out in hopes of finding 1 thing, just 1 thing that will make addison calm down.

raisins. raisins saved the day. she didn't want to eat the raisins. just hold the raisins. and she did. all the way to x-ray, all during x-ray, and all the way back. all along the way passing out raisins to the doctors, to the nurses and to me. she begins to smile, she starts to be a little silly. and here i am thinking i am mother of the stinking year because i, i have raisins. then it hits me. she was given a quart of motrin 30 minutes ago. it isn't the raisins - little miss is drunk as a skunk.

so, by this point, my daughter is toasted, terry has been pulled off the football field and making his way to me (remember, overreacting mom has addison in surgery and a body cast for 3 months), and the doctor comes in to tell me the x-ray looks perfect. WHAT?!?!?!? she takes a look at her and moves her hip around and nothing. not a cry, not a whimper. heck, addison even stands up and walks across the room. i am mortified! just to be safe, we order one more round of x-rays, a strep test and check her ears all to find out she is fine and dandy. by now terry is with me and we are sitting there, me still not convinced she is ok, when all of the sudden my genius husband says "i bet her leg fell asleep".

silence.

then for the first time in 2 hours, i die laughing. we have no idea if that is what happened but it sure make sense. we grab our survival bags, pick up our loopy child, take all 40 x-rays and head home...without the flashers, without surgery and without a body cast.

tee-tee-hee

Yesterday, sometime between the morning and afternoon, Addison had a nasty and painful diaper rash flare up. Poor little miss was just in misery. As we were playing outside after dinner we decided, in true Alabama fashion, to just strip her down and let that diaper rash air out. So there she was, naked as a jaybird, with her bow in her hair and shoes on her feet toddling to and fro around the porch. Then she stops. Dead in her tracks. Does a semi-squat. And tee-tee’s. Right there. Addison then proceeds to walk inside, grab a towel from the table, walk back outside and clean up her “mess”…we were rolling with laughter!

Funny little girl she is…funny little girl.

7:12

...that is the time in my little world. 7:12. and i am at work. but even worse than that, it is my terry's birthday. but even worse than that, he has been up all night with the same nasty little stomach bug little miss had ast week. so yeah, it's a bummer.

even in the midst of the chaos, i just want to say a little happy birthday to my terry. i love you babe! i promise we will make this birthday right. a good cake, some good food, and good fun.

i love you! happy birthday!

little girl watching

mandy lou

there are some days i just miss my life. today was one of them. wait, so was yesterday. i miss being able to come home without any work. i miss being able to have dinner, around a table, enjoying real conversation. i miss terry. i miss addison. i miss my friends.

i was at work yesterday and while carrie and marc so graciously took my addison to the park to play, mandy called. mandy lou. probably my oldest friendship, and definitely one of my most cherished. i have known her so long i can't remember when we met. or where. or what i was wearing. or if i even liked her at first. we don't have those memories. we have just always been. and i love that. it is the most unique friendship i have. one that has no beginnings and no end.

well, my sweet mandy lou is getting married to her love in two weeks. and as usual, i kinda fret about the dress and how i will look, but to be honest, i really don't care. i am not there is impress. i am there to stand in her honor. to stand there and watch her give her love to her guy. it brings such sweet tears to my eyes to even think about it. i am so thrilled for her that my own heart is overwhelmed. i can't wait to see her beautiful self walk down that isle.

so even though right now, this week, this day, i am missing my life. in two weeks i will get to be such a big part of someones life. it is the light at the end of this tunnel. deadlines will cease, rest will come, and a sweet wedding will take place. and i can't wait.

blue and a box

i am working like a dog these days and poor addison is having to spend a couple hours at work with me in the evenings. today, i gave her a box filled with paper, plastic laminate samples, tupperware, and basically anything i could find laying around the office that wouldn't kill her. well, next thing i knew, she had dumped it all out and replaced the things with herself. and there she sat. watching blue's clues.

little evynne

in the midst of work craziness, i had a chance to photograph little evynne. it was nothing special, just an impromptu, post nap photo shoot in our neighborhood. it was hot and the girls were silly, but we got some good ones and we had fun. this is my absolute favorite. head over to the photo blog to see more.

parenting

Parenting. It has so many different elements that make it so amazing, yet so challenging. Addison has had her moments, but I can safely say that the past 15 months have been so easy…so rewarding. I consider us quite lucky that it has taken 15 months before we have had to face the harsh reality that my child is a sinner. And more explanatory, she is a biter. Though it has only happened twice, it is still wrong. And what hurts even more is that it is so intentional…my little girl intentionally hurts her friends.

Now I know it is that age, just a phase, a daycare thing, learning to share, ect…but it has physically hurt my heart. If I am honest it is probably my guilty emotions ruling this pain. I should be at home. I should be raising her instead of designing stupid buildings. I should be teaching her myself instead of relying on someone else. But I can’t. Not yet. I pray, deeply pray it would happen soon. In the meantime, Terry and I will love our little miss despite her sharp teeth. We will cover her with grace and mercy, and we will point her to Jesus.

tulsa recap

so, alot of you wanted to know how the trip to tulsa was...well, it was a much needed, wonderul adventure! i haven't done bullets in a while, so bullets it is.

• mom, brooke and i did quite a lot of shopping to get annie ruth ready for this world. and eating...we did a lot of that too.
• uncle josh got some good practice in...he made delightful snacks for addison and even got a chance to change a fabulously nasty diaper.
• plane trip friday "c-"...plane trip home monday "a+"
• i have found a whole new respect for people who travel with children, all on their own, with carry-on luggage, carseats and strollers. whew. it took all three of us (mom, jim and myself) to get addison and all her gear on the plane(s) and off the plane(s).
• thank goodness we bought baby annie a bathtub...poor addison wouldn't have had anything to play with.
• addison loved sweet welsie...i think she would have spent the whole time in the kitchen if she didn't have the bathtub to climb in, and out, and back in again...
• brooke looks fabulous pregnant. i am serious...just beautiful.
• it was in tulsa that i fell more in love with my iphone. how sad, right? but seriously, we needed a babies-r-us, the trusty gadget found us a babies-r-us, and icecream, and bbq, and...
• and finally, just a few pics to end the bullets.

october 15

I adore music. Let me rephrase that, I adore good music. And I am an eclectic music lover. Besides my all time Van Morrison love, it is hard for me to nail down a favorite singer, songwriter, or even genre. I like it all. I posted not too long ago about when a song hits me, it gets me.

Ok, so why another music post??? Well, I have another quirk. As much as I like music, I am not a concert fan. I just don’t find joy in spending my money in order to stand around and watch someone sing…until three years ago. Three years ago I experienced the most amazing concert in my entire life. Ladies and gents, can I just say, Michael Buble is not only an amazing vocalist, he is an extraordinary entertainer. Even my Terry, who was not so happy about entering the doors of the BJCC concert hall that fall night a few years ago, loved this concert. Buble was funny, he was entertaining, and his big ole brass band was out of this world.

I know what you are saying, “Whitney, what is your point???” Well, the POINT is…He is coming back. To Birmingham. October 15. And baby, I got seats on row 24. Front and Center. OMG!

bath time in tulsa

we had a blast visiting aunt brooksie and uncle josh this weekend. something about the water in tulsa made bath time so fun!

p.s. if you frequent brooke's blog you will see this pic again but it was just too cute not to post.

do you twitter?

i just have to ask....do you twitter?

i hear more and more about this new way to stay in touch with people by basically posting a short comment on what just happened in their life. twitter. huh.

if you do indeed tweet on twitter, why?

is this just another way to stalk people? i mean, would you really care what i was doing throughout my day? would you really want to know when i was peeing? or changing a diaper? or yelling at my dog to come back home? really?

i just need to know before i get roped into another way to stay connected.

so tell, me, do you twitter?

little jordan fan

coach tingle and the mortimer jordan blue devils had their first "game" last friday and little bit and i decided to go cheer them on...but not until we were properly dressed of course! what better way to show our love for coach than by getting addison her very first pair of nikes. i don't know who loved them more...addison or daddy!

and of coarse mrs robyn did a fabulous job on her little shirt! we gots tons and tons of compliments as people walked by.

i was really proud of addison at the game. she had been fighting a little sickness all week and had been to the doctor that morning...but after a long nap we decided she was up for it. the only problem was she just couldn't understand why daddy was on the other side of this fence, yelling at those boys all night long.

lake day

our office had a family lake day last friday. terry wasn't able to join us but i decided that little bit should come. it was a great time with good friends and lots of fun. addison had two little accidents that day. first, kristin was holding addison while taking her into the water down the ramp and oops, she slipped and fell. kristin's poor tailbone took the hit while she made sure addison was ok. then addison was riding in a wagon with mrs. adrienne pulling her when all of the sudden she tumbled back, on the ramp again, straight onto the concrete. the result was a blow-out cry and a clingy baby for the rest of the day followed by a weekend of being sick and probably a headache! oh the trials of toddler-hood!

a big step...

my weight story

So I feel the need to write this. I have no idea why because it is more than slightly embarrassing. I take that back, I do know why I am writing this…because of Sarah. I don’t know her except through this blog world but I like her. More than just liking her and the words she writes, we share something in common. We both have a weight journey, story, history, whatever you want to call it. But because of her, she has inspired me to open up and write about it. You don’t have to read, but please bear with me as I write.

I have never had the “skinny” gene. In high school I wasn’t the skinniest, but I also didn’t worry about my weight that much because I was so involved in sports everything took care of itself. My freshman year at UGA was a big change. Because Athens is so hilly and I walked to every class, I started noticing that my pants fit differently. Then I noticed they fit a lot differently. I started going to the gym, sometimes twice a day, walking to all my classes, and barely eating 1000 calories. I had never been this person…and now I was.

It didn’t last long. I moved in to the ADPi house and slowly started gaining some of that weight back (I mean, have you had Mr. Fred’s sweet tea???). Though I was never big by society standards, I did get used to that feeling of being small and I wasn’t anymore. I had lost my motivation. After 4 years at UGA I moved to Birmingham where I met Terry. Once we got engaged I was determined to get my 155 pound self into the best shape of my life. And I did. Many say I was too skinny at 135 in my 5’-10” frame, but it felt fabulous. I felt like I could do anything. I felt beautiful.

Then, welcome to marriage my friends. It is so hard to admit that once I got married I let it slide. I had reached my pinnacle, I had my wedding photos to prove it but I was not willing to keep it up. I feel like I lied to Terry. I stood before him and promised him eternity but didn’t promise to keep myself physically in check. Now I know Terry doesn’t love me for what I look like, but it does hurt to think that he saw his wife that day as his eternal partner and now when he sees me, he sees someone different - physically.

So I gained weight. I went from 135 to 160 in a matter of 3 years. Then I got pregnant. The morning before I had Addison, I weighed 231. You do the math. I thought I was going to be embarrassed typing those numbers, but I am sad and in tears. I am truly, truly heartbroken. Heartbroken at the lack of discipline I had. Heartbroken that I could have put my unborn child’s life in danger. Heartbroken that I could not control myself.

In Addison’s first six months of life I went down 231 to 196. Most of that was baby weight and getting over pregnancy, but I least it was under 200. In January, when Addison was 7 months old, I joined weight watchers, reluctant that it would work. But it did, from January to June I went from 196 to 170.

And that is where the story ends. My goal was 145, but here I am, stuck at 171. To me, 171 still seems sooo big, but then, looking at where I have come, I feel so small. See my dilemma? I am comfortable, yet I am not. I am satisfied, but then I am not at all. I am realistic, I know that my wedding weight was not ‘”me”. But then again, this is not the “me” either. So I need your help, or maybe just words of encouragement and prayers. I am joining Sarah as I hit this last homestretch. Feel free to join, or just let me update you on my progress as I weigh in week to week. But more than anything, thank you for letting me share my story.

breathe

it has been a long week and a long weekend. the end result is the burning desire to do nothing but hang my feet up in the air and breathe. not just an in-and-out breathing, but a long, fill your body from head to toe kind of breathing.

addison is doing a lot these days but none of them involve walking. she is talking up a storm, teething like crazy, falling and hitting her head about every other day, and learning and loving to eat with a fork and spoon. she all in all is a mess. a wonderful, eat her up, can’t live without her silly grin, mess! this weekend she ran a huge fever and tried to bite everything in reach to relieve the pain in her teeth. i had to seriously sit back and pray, over and over, for patience. i had to remember all the things she does that make me smile and laugh…for this weekend was not about smiling and laughing. but she is better and that is always a good thing.

my dad came to the rescue this weekend. he and terry did an amazing job building the fence and is 95% done. i am so thankful for all their hard work and long hours…and i hope that they too are able to breathe a breath of satisfaction and a job well done.

so that is all, just waiting for the day to be over. waiting until I can work my way back to my corner of the world, sit outside with some beloved sweet tea, watch my baby girl play in her pool…and of course, hang my feet high up in the air and breathe.

sticky situation

i have said it before and still say it with my own child - i don't like sticky kids. and i have one. at least i did this week. i have avoided and i mean seriously ran-for-the-hills avoided giving up the spoon for addison's control. but i did. and it wasn't pretty. it was sticky...and i cringed the entire time.

just like kids, sometimes this life is sticky. but i have found that often times in order to get the sweet stuff, you have to get messy - you have to get "sticky". in order for addison to taste the yummy yogurt she had to wear it from head to toe. in order for us to enjoy our yard and new fence, terry has to dig 22 holes in rock hard dirt. in order for me to stand in pride at a completed project i have to work long days and late nights. but in every single one of these instances the rewards are so so sweet...despite the sticky-ness.

so on this gorgeous friday, i hope your week of sticky-ness ends and a sweetness begins. have a weekend of sleeping late and being lazy. a weekend of laughter and good memories. a weekend of relaxation and rest. and more than anything, have a weekend of just good ole fun.

season of compassion

Terry is an analytical thinker. I am a fluffy feeler. It physical wears me out to talk deep and swim in the sea of endless philosophy and theology when all I want to do is just laugh. But sometimes even I am gripped with the inability to laugh and the desire to analyze.

In addition to my inability to ponder endlessly about nothingness, it is equally difficult for me to read quotes and lyrics and be touched by them and their meaning. It takes quite a bit to move me. But when I am moved, I am truly affected, truly convicted and truly in love. In love with the words, the rhythm, the truth, and the profoundness that envelopes my soul in a matter of minutes. And it honestly only happens a couple times a year. This might seem sad to some, but I like it. I like it that is takes that long for something to stop me in my tracks, awaken my mind and stir my heart.

It happened this week…my bi-annual kick in the pants. This time it was a song by Brandon Heath. I am guilty of lack of compassion, especially for the “world.” It seems too big. Too daunting. Last week one of our associate pastors spoke on missions. He is the most passionate person I have ever met in regards to missions. And though I, we, do not feel a call to the mission field, I cannot ignore the impact Phil’s preaching had on me. The “world” is in my own back yard, in my workplace, in this small town. And although it still seems daunting and intimidating, I have been awakened to a new compassion for this place. This place that god created and made for us, his children.

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

So, when I heard these words, this song, I was gripped. I am learning, I am pondering, and I am swimming in this deep sea of compassion and what it means and how it feels. It is refreshing to be in a season of learning. Even if it does mean being a little terry – for a season.

i heart silly

silliness. it can give even a grown man a sense of innocence. children teach us so many things but my favorite is silliness. it means a daddy can go to work and run a stressful company but can come home and dance in his daughters tutu for a heart-melting giggle. it means a mom can feel the weight of the world trying to keep an orderly house but break down in laughter when she glances at her toddler drenched head to toe in underwear. silliness. it makes your heart smile.

addison is silly. she spends hours getting in her chair...and getting out of her chair. opening up the cabinet door...and then closing the cabinet door. moving from one end of the wagon...to the other end of the wagon. just silly. she dances...well, more like bobs to music. she giggles and collapses when being chased because she can't handle the excitement. she reads books upside down. she tries to get in the refrigerator and close the door on herself. just plain silly. but i love it.

i love all these little moments. little moments of sillies that wipe away all the cares of the world. these little fits of giggles that give this tired mom a glimpse of heaven. those sweet, silly addi-isms that make her, well, her.

just in case you didn't know...

we miss you aunt brooksie!

whew

i just put addison down and can i get an amen! whew. sigh. sheesh. it was a night let me tell you. it has been awhile since she has had "a night" but tonight made up for all those we missed along the way. and worst of all i was alone (terry had football), it was raining (no wagon ride which cures every mood), and no next door neighbors to entertain us (don't they know to come home on nights like this?). the funny thing about it all is that i feel, physically feel, like i have been exercising all day. i picked her up, i put her down. i climbed up the stairs, and back down the stairs. i fixed dinner, she threw the dinner, i picked up the dinner. you get the picture. but finally, there was bedtime...finally, there was peace.

thank you operator, mommy got a break.

learning to climb...

...but refusing to walk.

that is the story of little miss at 13 months. she loves to climb the stairs...loves it. sometimes we just let her climb up, up and up to wear herself out. then we let her climb so she will tire of it and learn to walk. but she doesn't budge. she isn't ready.

we have been home owners for almost three years now. for three years we have climbed our own "stairs". and now we are sitting at the top looking at the past and have nothing to show for it. well, we do have something...we have dead grass and stained carpet. but we weren't ready. we weren't ready to walk through this life of home ownership. until now. now we are ready. terry and i are going to be the comeback kids. our yard (thanks to many words from my dad) is already greener. amazing what water and a little fertilizer will do. amazing. we (by this i mean myself) painted the kitchen - no more red (what was i thinking). next is the fence. then some landscaping in september. and maybe a little carpet clean here and some fun decorating touches there. but it will take time. and i am learning to wait, and walk...with patience.

addison is taking her time, too. she will walk. she just has to be ready. just because i am ready doesn't mean she is. a lesson in parenting i am sure i will repeat to myself many, many times. for now, i will just sit back and watch her climb.

mothers and their children

children. i will be honest – i never really liked them. they were sticky. they were chaotic. they were loud. basically, they were not my cup of tea.

until now. now i melt when i see a newborn. i smile and nod in understanding when i see a toddler not enjoying their ride in the shopping cart. i laugh when i see a one year old covered in icing from their big milestone celebration. i dream when i see 7 year olds play soccer, running around not really knowing what to do…just being happy running. now i am a mother and i get the secret joy that children bring.

along with the secret joy there is weeping. i weep when i see mothers longing, fighting, and hoping. there are three mothers, three stories, three amazing women whose daily walks in this life have tugged at my heart and keep me in constant prayer for them every day.

meet hope. wife to an old friend of terry’s and mother to four children until the Lord took their 4 year old daughter three weeks ago. an adorable little girl they call lew. my heart cries to the Lord for hope and billy as they long to just hold their little Lew one more time. as they strive to walk in the light of gospel every day. as they continue to make life seem normal for their family. I pray for peace for them. grace and peace to overwhelm their souls.

meet katherine. a samford graduate who is a mother to baby james. katherine suffered a brain aneurism a couple months ago. a mother, a young beautiful mother, fighting with everything she has to heal her body to fullness. a mother who signs her hand in a squeeze to say she wants her little boy to come and visit so she can love on his baby rolls. a mother using every ounce of energy in hopes of one day being able to run to her little boy, scoop him up, and kiss him from head to toe. i pray for this mother’s fight.

and finally, meet jessica. mom to mckaylee. mckaylee is 13 months old and suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. 13 months old. the age of my addison. this could be my story. even though it isn’t i sure have been carrying this burden like it is. i am standing in the gap for this precious soul, this tired little body, and this hoping mother. hoping for a miracle, praying for healing, and resting in the gospel every day.

three mothers. three strangers to me and each other. but all three taking this life day by day with the strength of a mighty Savior. if any of you read this, know that you have touched my soul with your strength, your hope, your prayers, and your openness.

i write this not to be sad or dreary but because i am so deeply touched – so deeply moved by these women, these mothers. i honestly have no idea who all reads this blog, but if you do, pray for these mothers. pray without ceasing. read their blogs to hear their hearts - they are so open and honest. they will tell you how to pray for them. they will tell you how to love on them.

starbucks

starbucks just released it's list of 600 plus stores that will be closing and for some reason i just thought birmingham would be exempt...i mean, us southerns just love a pricey cup of joe, right? well, i am sad, sad, sad to admit that they are closing four stores right here in birmingham...one of them is brand spanking new. oh, the sadness. i know a lot of people prefer the local coffee shop or just the idea of boycotting something so "commercial" - but i love a little sbux. i love the smell that drowns you the moment you walk in the door. i love that in room of coffee you can order something so unique and personal. i love that i can treat my taste buds to a grande nonfat peppermint mocha no whip in the middle of july and instantly i hear christmas music and salvation army bells and the excitement that comes every december. i love that when i come home for thanksgiving and christmas i meet some of my oldest friends on bass road for hours while we talk and laugh in our little corner (and of course ashely and i are 15 minutes late while mandy is already finishing her muffin).

oh well. there is always the hoover starbucks which is really closer to my house. there is still the forsyth sbux in macon we can change our holiday gatherings to. and i have to remember, the grande nonfat peppermint mocha no whip is not extinct...it just isn't available at every corner i pass along the way home.

whitney tingle photography

it's been awhile since i have posted...sorry about that. things have been kind of busy...sister moving, yard and house makeover, work, work and more work. you get the picture. so, here is something to show for my absence. i am stealing my sister's business. it is a complement i promise. i am starting out slow. just a little blog will be what gets me going for now. someday i will get fancy like brooke, but for now please tell all your friends about the blog and about me!! and check back to the blog often...there will be more and more pictures added soon!

click here to go to whitney tingle photography

sweet love

i am seriously, down right, crazy, silly in love with this little girl. we both are. there are times we cherish her naps so we may find rest, but then there are times where we race up the stairs to be the one to get her out of the crib because we missed her so much. silly tingles we are. we just love our little girl. she makes my heart smile. that is all. happy monday.

saying goodbye (but not really)

i am not going there. if i go there, then my face will be big and swollen and puffy from endless minutes, and hours, and days of tears. so i am not going there.

but this picture will.

we love you brooke and josh. we love with our whole heart. now we will just start loving through our new mac. (hint, hint hubby).

be content

prayers. answers. heart's longing. god's desire. selfish wants. these are all the things us tingles are pondering lately. well, maybe not addison, but terry and i. this picture portrays this year so perfectly. me (again, not addison), constantly looking to god for his answers. constantly waiting for the "future" - for our house to sell, for time to slow down, for traveling to cease. when all the while if i would have stopped looking up, stopped badgering God for answers, i might have had a moment to look right in front of. i might have seen, heard the answer all along.

be content.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." I Timothy 6: 6-8

ha. i have been anything but content. my dad told terry not too long ago that he would be fine living in a brown box. as long as he had food and shelter he would be fine.

be content.

so we are staying. we aren't moving. at least not right now. we are going to sit and enjoy the life we have. enjoy the neighbors we have grown to love. enjoy the home we bought with dreams abundant. God has blessed us with what we have. we are now going to bask in our blessings. embrace contentment. and be good stewards if what God has given us.

be content.

happy birthday

firsts

firsts. we all have them. first bike ride. first ice cream (yeah evynne!). first smile. first kiss. first love. first child. all of them bringing anticipation, worry, excitement and memories. sweet memories that are embedded in our minds, plastered in pictures, and told in stories for years to come.

this week has been filled with firsts...and memories. mostly firsts for addison and memories for me. but it has been fun. it continues to be fun. maybe sometime i will write them all down but right now i am just going to lay here. just rest right here on the couch, with my husband sleeping on the other end, little miss napping in the bedroom, and nothing but the sound of typing on the laptop enveloping my mind. this my dear friends, this is vacation. the first tingle vacation.

vacation poem no. 2

since my first vacation poem got such an amazing response, i thought a second one was much needed...haha...

day two of vacation has been more than fun...

it has been laughs and cute giggles and tons of sun.

we have eaten till we're sick, and played till we're pooped,

and been on many a bike rides around the loop.

i am sure day three will be as sweet as a peach...

no worries, no problems, just us and the beach!

a vacation poem

it's been a long time, we've been a waitin'

the tingles are at the beach...don't be hatin'

the sky is so blue and sun so shiny

and loads of sand all up in our hineys

yep, it's beach vacation 2008

if i burn to a crisp it will be still be great!

holla, the tingles

birthday party. round 2.

addison and cayley are best buddies and kindred spirits...they share the same birthday. and today we celebrated the two pumkins at daycare. it was too cute. miss beth and miss stephanie were so sweet to shower these girls with love. and i have to say that little miss redeemed herself with this cake...she endulged in it from head to toe...literally.

big picture

what is happening with these crazy big pictures?!?!?! well, it is a long story but i will give you the short version.

addison was born.
dad took a new job.
mom found a new daycare close to dad's new job.
mom and dad commute like crazy.
house goes up for sale.
football season comes and goes.
addison has an ear infection.
deadlines wrap up for one major project.
wrestling season about does mom in.
another ear infection.
still commuting.
spring...a little rest. just a little.
launch label business big time.
brooke and josh decide to move to tulsa. crap.
spring football begins.
back to commuting.
another ear infection...again.
brooke gets pregnant. yeah. but still moving. crap.
start making invitations. what am i thinking?
house not sold.
ear infection. can we say tubes?
daddy daycare begins.
mom overcome with jealousy (i want to be at home with addison).
mom overcome with sadness (my sister is moving).
mom overcome with stress, stress and stress (work is not fun right now).
birthday party. check.
tubes. check.
1-year checkup. check.
assist brooke with wedding. check.
natalie's pics. check.
deadline for project i hate. ch...wait. no check.

this is the news i get this morning as i walk into work expecting to pull a long day and a long night. stop working. project is on hold. what? hold? after pulling my hair out for three weeks doing architectural drawings (when i am not even an architect) now they tell me it is on hold? so basically here i am spending the morning playing on the computer. and it is fabulous. i have been trying to figure out how to make big pictures on my blog...but don't have time (see above list). i have been trying to post about addison's tubes and how fabulous they are...but i don't have time (see above list). i have been trying to get out of this funk i am in...but can't seem to find the answer (see above list...especially the part where brooke is moving...to tulsa). i have been trying to just be thankful and content with where God has us...but can't seem to stop and just smell the roses (again see the list). but today, this morning, i have had four hours to play. to gaze at pictures of family, babies, weddings, smiles...pictures that show me, teach me that this funk, this place, it will end. and even if it doesn't, even if we don't sell our house, even if i never get over the ache of missing my sister, even then... it will all be ok. one day i will see the big picture.

back to the pictures...so yeah, i figured out how to do it. i probably won't go to that trouble every time but today it was needed. today is a big picture day.

the five muses

not only did i get to take natalie's pictures on sunday, i took some of the five muses. five generations of incredible women. five women who will all walk a different walk, live a different life, experience different joys and pains. but also five women who share the same name - muse. each one passed on the name "muse" to allow for the next to create their own meaning, their own self...their own muse.

big ma "muse" sat there at 99 years old, in the 99 degree weather all the while radiating beauty with a smile that pierces your heart. grandma "muse" looked around admiring her family while keeping stock that everyone was cared for. at one point she handed me the best glass of ice water that quenched my thirst for so many things...she took care of me. the newest grandmother of the bunch is gam "muse" and she radiated love and joy over her new role in life. her purpose in life has once again been made anew in being a grandmother - making nat laugh, giggle and smile...and oh she does. then kel "muse" - the new mom. kel encompasses "muse" to a level that in unearthly. she has big ma's smile that shines through you, she takes care of us when we are around just like grandma, and she laughs and giggles and makes you feel so special just like gam does....she is all three in one and so much more. she sings like an angel, cries with you from the tips of her toes, listens forever with complete understanding. she so much of a muse to us all. lastly we have baby "muse". little natalie who is only beginning on this journey of finding her self. but she will. and she will do it grace and charm. just like a muse.

sweetness

my precious kel graced me with the honor of taking little natalie's pictures today. maybe i should rephrase that - she was brave enough to let me take natalie's pictures. in the downtime i was able to snap a few of our two girls together. it was a miracle that addison didn't try to crawl over her, instead she laid there and drank natalie in. it was precious and so sweet. kel fell into my heart ten years ago and today natalie fell into addison's. it was priceless. i will forever cherish these few pictures and what it will mean in the years to come. it will mean providence, trust, solitude, secrets, giggles, peace, and i pray home. a home in a friendship that only god can ordain.

hair makeover

...and much needed if i say so myself....

birthday party

it came and it went. and it was a great fun. addison's big party was sunday and it was indeed big. the theme was polkadots and lollipops. we began with an invitation (sent out a little late of course but that didn't seem to stop anyone from coming)...

then some little touches of fun...

(invitation deleted after genius mom realized she had just posted her address to the entire world...oh man...)

of course there was cake...

and some little party favors aunt carrie and uncle marc helped me make. i love music and wanted something playing in the background so marc helped make my wish happen. we made a cd of some of our favorites, some oldies, some songs from the year, some that remind us of addison, and then just some just because...

and finally, the birthday girl...

she was silly with her cake...but oh-so-cute!

and man were there presents...thank you everyone for your sweet gifts. we felt truly blessed to be given so much. addison is already loving all of them!

and as usual, little miss needed a break. whew. being the birthday girl is hard work.

all i can say is it was fabulous...absolutely fabulous. thank you to everyone for being apart of such an amazing day with us. it will forever be remembered because of the precious people we were able to spend it with. from the bottom of the tingles hearts, we thank you.