The Week that Was: Spring Break Edition

It's Spring Break here in Mississippi, which means that half the state is off gallivanting on the beaches of Alabama and Florida. We, however, had no such grand plans. After a whirlwind trip to Atlanta to meet my sweet little niece, we were going to have a staycation. My master plan included an excursion to the children's museum, lunch with my aunt and uncle, and a trip to the salon for Micah to be pampered.

And then life happened.

Specifically, a persistent toothache drove me to the dentist Monday afternoon. She couldn't localize the pain, but suspected an old filling was the culprit. So I headed off to the endodontist yesterday morning for a probable root canal.

Except he couldn't localize the pain either. So he did some more investigating and discovered that my jawbone has somehow pushed its way through my gum, causing extreme pain and sensitivity. Apparently it happens. I just thought there was an ulcer back there. Turns out, it's the source of all my problems. Well, my tooth mouth pain problems anyway.

Fun times, right?

Instead of playing at the children's museum, the girls played in the waiting room at the dentist's office. Instead of lunch with my aunt and uncle, they ate peanut butter sandwiches in the car. Instead of a trip to the salon, we went to Walgreens for my pain medication.

But they also explored the city park with Dennis and built duplo towers and enjoyed lunch with Gran and watched lots of Disney Junior. So as far as they're concerned, it was the best Spring Break ever.

Hopefully, next week will be a return to normality (and regular posting). After the visit to the oral surgeon at the beginning of the week, that is. Such is my crazy life.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Reading Corner: It's National Reading Month, Y'all!

"I Read Past My Bedtime" Chalkboard Art by Peter Farago for NOOK

I don't know who named March national reading month, but I'm glad someone did. It's no secret that I'm a self-proclaimed book nerd. I LOVE reading. Granted, there was a time in my life when books and I quit hanging out for a while, but our separation was short-lived, and as my husband can attest, more often than not, I have my nose stuck in a book (or glued to my Kindle, but it's all the same, right?).

I recently read an article that claimed that readers of fiction are more compassionate and empathetic than our non-fiction-loving peers. Reading fiction helps us see things from someone else's perspective. Through books, we visit places we've never dreamed of and become friends with people who are quite different from ourselves. Reading literature exposes us to a vast array of opinions and mindsets in the form of characters, which has the real-life effect of helping us understand where other people are coming from. That seems like a good reason to read a book this month, don't you think?

National Reading Month has given me the push I needed to introduce a new little section of the blog that I've been thinking about for a while. I thought I'd pop in every now and then and share my recent reads and thoughts on them. I'll tell you if I loved them or hated them or just kind of tolerated them. I'll give you the reasons why you should read them AND the reasons you should avoid them. And we can both pretend that we're having this conversation face-to-face on my couch. Preferably while we're enjoying steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

All of that to say, be on the lookout for book reviews and updates on my recent reads in the Reading Corner. Until that time comes, though, I'd love to hear from you. What have you been reading lately? How has reading affected your understanding of others?

Until next time, grace and peace.

Custom Design: Near and Far Military Family Christmas Cards

I know, it's kind of strange to feature Christmas cards in March, but I promise there's a good reason for it. Just keep reading, you'll see. Last holiday season, Amanda from AYP Photography and I teamed up to make life easier for her clients and offer them a selection of beautifully-designed Christmas cards, but she had one client, Lori, who had more of a custom design in mind. Lori's husband was serving overseas in the military and unable to make any of the family photo sessions, but Lori really wanted to find a way to include him in their Christmas cards. Here's the design we came up with.

It was a tremendous honor to work with a military family on such a special project. I'm so appreciative of the sacrifices military families make for the rest of us. The Davis family is one of many, and I was proud to help their family in some small way.

Last week, I was pleased to hear that far finally came near for the Davis Family. Lt. Col. Davis came home a few days early, surprising his family at an Ole Miss basketball game, and the reunion was priceless.

In case you were wondering, this is the best part about my job. I love making connections with people and getting to be a tiny little part of the special little moments of their lives. I wish I had more time for custom work, but between taking care of two little ladies, filling orders in the etsy shop, and trying to keep the laundry pile at a manageable level, it doesn't always happen. I'm glad it worked out this time around.

Until next time, grace and peace.