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Local news report featuring Chase's practice...

Local Clinic Offers Free Dental Care for the Holidays

Cue the Christmas Music

As I was just about to share some of the new Christmas music I'm really loving this year (courtesy of Summit's worship team) I stumbled on a recent post from "Stuff Christians Like". If you're a Christian and you've never read the blog before, please approach it with a sense of humility. It's painfully truthful and almost always entertaining.

Read the Post

Having said that, I really like several of the songs on the new Chris Tomlin Christmas CD. Unfortunately for itunes, I would much rather buy the version our worship band plays than the Tomlin album cut. Kudos to our ridiculously talented worship band who lead us into worship each week. What a blessing. And can someone get me a recorded copy from one of the services? Thank.you.very.much.

And if you're like me and ready to pull your hair out if you hear one more version of "Christmas Shoes", check these out......

Chris Tomlin's "My Soul Magnifies the Lord" from the album Glory in the Highest
Chris Tomlin's "Glory in the Highest"
Relient K "I Celebrate the Day" 
Chris Tomlin's "Light of the World"

Go Ahead and Say It......

This post is dedicated to my mother, who I am officially giving permission to say a big fat, "I TOLD YOU SO".

It's not that I didn't believe her. It's just the thought of the process sounded too weird to me.

The commercials made me uncomfortable to watch.

And then, in a moment of desperation, I caved.

I used a Neti-pot.

And let me tell ya'll, that thing worked.

Quiet, Soft, and Slow

It has been snowing here all day, and although the temperatures are frigid, I love watching it fall. Coincidence or not, this song was sung at church today. L.o.v.e this song, and so I'm sharing it. Enjoy.

Could’ve come like a mighty storm
with all the strength of a hurricane
You could’ve come like a forrest fire
with the power of heaven in your flame

But you came like a winter snow
quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
to the earth below

Could’ve swept in like a tidal wave
or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
to wipe away the things we’ve scarred

But you came like a winter snow
quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
to the earth below

No, your voice wasn’t in a bush burning
No, your voice wasn’t in a rushing wind
It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Orphan Sunday

This Sunday, our church joined in celebrating "Orphan Sunday". The topic is dear to our heart as we know several families that have adopted or are currently in the process. We've also had the opportunity to love on several children that have been a part of our extended family while in the care of Chase's parents (who serve as foster parents). The video below was used in today's service and features home videos from families in our church body (absolutely precious).

Orphan Sunday 2010 from Matthew Wilson on Vimeo.

I.Cried.At.Work.

Lately, and with increasing frequency, I stumble upon a blog post that just ruins my day. Immediately I'm convicted. How foolish of me to be consumed with the unfinished laundry. I'm ashamed at the ridiculousness of my frustration about our belongings being stored and scattered between houses; houses that belong to parents who have so graciously allowed our junk to take up their space. How ungrateful I am to have the problem of owning too many things. Every day I am reminded how ephemeral this life is. Every day I am reminded of how God loves us so extraordinarily. His mercy. His grace, in our time of greatest weakness. He never fails.  I can't continue with my day until I share this story with you. Take the next 10 minutes to read  about Nella Cordelia. Please.

.Nella Cordelia: A Birth Story

Baby Food

I mentioned before that when we lived in Birmingham our group of friends had developed an unintentional 'New Baby Routine' involving a trip to our favorite little deli, Momma Goldberg's, on our way to the hospital. The routine turned in to a tradition of sorts and is one of my favorite memories from our time in the 'magic city'.

Shortly after moving to Huntsville our sweet college friends, Tabitha and Cameron, welcomed their first little one. Though we were both thrilled for them, Chase and I had joked about breaking our 'new baby routine'.

And then, my friends, a miracle happened.

Momma Goldberg's opened in Huntsville the day before sweet Rylan arrived. (cue the Hallelujah chorus - our 'new baby routine' lives!)

Needless to say, we made a little stop at the deli before proceeding to the hospital. In case you haven't had the pleasure of enjoying Momma G's, allow me to introduce you to....

You don't want to know how many of their cups reside in our kitchen cabinets. Redneck china.

Back to the whole reason for this post, Rylan Josiah. He looks just like Cameron, red hair and all. 

Reality Check

Hi. My name is Anna, and I'm addicted to home design. Specifically anything remodeled, refurbished, upholstered, or freshly painted. It's a problem. I am confident, that if left alone in Barnes & Noble, I could spend days looking at all of the Home magazines. I'm ashamed to say I've seen every episode of Sarah's House (every season). I'm a sucker for a magazine-worthy, staged room.

My addiction has taken on other forms as well, recently involving MLS (real estate) listings. It started when we were thinking about selling our home in Birmingham. I wanted to see what else was on the market in our area......and then I discovered that I could get a sneak peek into the most adorable craftsman homes in Homewood (= expensive, highly desired neighborhood). I was hooked.

And then one day I made another discovery. The homes featured in the pages of my last issue of Southern Living starting appearing in the MLS listings. Light bulb. It makes perfect sense that a struggling magazine company headquartered in Birmingham would find local houses to showcase. I'm ashamed to admit that one of my favorite things about seeing these homes was how they looked when they were really being 'lived in' and not just photographed.

Exhibit A: The bedroom below, skillfully photographed for the pages of Southern Living.

And now, the MLS photo. This is what life really looks like. Apparently they had a baby....

 

On the bright side.....

The second time they cut it, it was free. And shorter.

And I don't have an 'after' picture from the second cut - sorry.

I smell a bargain...

There's nothing better than a bargain. Our nest is chock full of Pottery Barn floor samples and Craigslist finds. Don't even get me started on my new favorite place (Nadeau). When I saw this ad, I really wished we still lived in Birmingham.....

Layla and her husband have done an unbelievable job renovating their builder-grade house into what they lovingly call "The Lettered Cottage". Her blog, by the same name, is a must-read. She's constantly posting before/after pictures and inspiration.


Birmingham friends. Please go and buy something. I'll be there in spirit, ha.

Chick Food

I've had my eye on a recipe from Annie's Eats for a long time. Chase would classify this as 'chick food', and it's definitely perfect for a baby or bridal shower. I tried explaining it to a few friends when we were at the beach (more on that trip later). I don't think my explanation came close to describing the deliciousness, so I'll let the picture do the talking.

Fruit Bruschetta

Someone please give me a reason to make this. Or just make this and invite me over.



*Photo Credit* Annie's Eats

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

In case you haven't noticed, it has been one H-O-T summer here in Alabama. I kid you not. We've all been celebrating temperatures in the high 80's as "fall weather".

Chase and I have enjoyed our fair share of ice cream and limeades, but we were craving something a little spicy. One Saturday night we followed our craving to Cricket's, a hole-in-the-wall that has been voted 'Best Wings' in Madison for a few years now.

I'm not much of a wings girl (unless they're boneless), but I do like the flavor. That's where these little beauties come in. They're super easy -- and I can never have too many CrockPot recipes.


Slow Cooker Buffalo Sandwiches

• 4 whole Frozen Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
• 1 bottle (15 Oz.) Frank's Red Hot Sauce, Divided
• ½ envelopes (1 Oz. Packet) Dry Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 10 pieces Sister Schubert Rolls

1. Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the rolls, and splash with the remaining Frank’s sauce to serve. 

You really can't go wrong with this recipe. The first time we made these, they were spicy H-O-T. I started using less sauce and adding some water to make sure there was plenty of liquid at the end of the day when I returned home. Adjust the sauce according to your taste.

We also like adding some shredded cheese to the sliders. I would definitely recommend using the small yeast rolls, but Hawaiian rolls are good too (just make sure to toast them first so the liquid doesn't make the sliders soggy).

Lastly, as if it were possible to make this easier, Frank's sells Wing Sauce (eliminating the extra ingredient Ranch Dressing powder).

These are great game-day food for a crowd! (Roll Tide)

Did Someone Say Party?

I can hardly believe that this little guy is turning ONE soon! One of Henry's favorite things is Elmo. We will pretend that it wasn't his first word. Since my Aunt Crissy and Uncle David also operate Open Gait, Henry has lots of animal friends on the farm. I think we have officially entered party planning mode, and of course I want to get in on the action. So....this post goes out to my sweet Aunt Crissy, who recently told me she was thinking of a 'Cowboy Elmo' theme.

Henry already has an adorable cowboy outfit thanks to his sweet cousin Rachel, but this little applique' is too cute.

Our family has recently developed a love for GiGi's cupcakes, thanks in no small part to G-Daddy's notorious sweet tooth. I think these cupcakes are pretty cute, but doubt I would give all the kids a chance to run around my house with red icing on their hands and faces....

This cake....well......just wow.

Clicking on any of the pictures should take you to the website they were featured on. I also have a mile long list of websites I regularly visit for inspiration. Happy planning!

If you have a minute to spare today....

Most of you do not personally know my friend Maggie. But we know her as Chase's classmate in Dental School and we know she and her husband Grant as neighbors, sweet friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't normally post these things on my blog, but I'd like to ask you to say a special prayer for Chase Lusk (Maggie's soon to be brother-in-law).

Background information from Chase's CaringBridge site (which I encourage you to visit).

In January 2008, Chase was diagnosed with Orbital Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant tumor located in a muscle behind Chase's left eye.  In April 2009, he relapsed at the same site.  In July 2010, a second relapse was confirmed in the same site. Chase recently underwent surgery to remove his eye and everything from behind his eye, all the way to the bone. He was readmitted to UAB on Monday due to a throat infection that is causing him severe pain. 

I encourage you to read through the journal on the CaringBridge website. Please take a moment today to lift Chase up in prayer.

(Because it always helps to put a face with a name, here's a recent picture of Chase and Lizzie).

*photo credit* Eternal Reflections Photography by Alyson*

"...it's a bittersweet symphony, this life..."

This weekend we’ll be traveling back to Birmingham to spend some much needed time with some dearly missed friends. We’ll also be traveling back to attend our home church’s first service in their newly constructed building. I am certain that the completion of the new facility is an answered prayer and the realization of a dream for many members of Gardendale First Baptist Church. To God be the glory, the church has completely outgrown its current facilities – buying up every adjacent building they could, including the old city hall. Last Sunday the church held its final 3 worship services in the old facilities (which will still be used and repurposed, for a time).

Although Chase and I have only been members since we married and moved to Birmingham, the people of GFBC hold a special place in our hearts. It was the first church we joined together as a married couple. It was the church we earnestly gave our meager tithes to. It was the church that provided us with a community of believers and the opportunity to participate in a great Young-Married ministry (where we established life-long relationships.) It was the church where numerous games of basketball and softball were played and sunflower seeds, crazy stories from the week, walks on the track, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat were shared.  Going back for the first service, and probably our last service before we become members of a new church in Madison, will certainly be bittersweet.

We were there for the first ‘groundbreaking’ service where we celebrated the opportunity to finally build on the land that God had given GFBC. It was a sweet prayer service, followed by impromptu singing. A Bible was also buried into the foundation directly under where the pulpit would eventually be, reemphasizing the church’s commitment to God’s word.

We were there several months later when the church was invited to walk through the new property and write verses of scripture on the floors before the final coverings were installed. Another sweet impromptu service of singing, prayer, and scripture would follow.

And so, it only seems right that we would be at the first service in the new facility to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter at GFBC and the end of our time there.

(If you'd like to see pictures of the completed facility, visit the GFBC website.)

Really?

Ever see something that makes you look twice?

On a recent trip to the park in Chattanooga, we saw this sign on the pink port-a-potty in the middle.

Now, I am not a mother, but I'm pretty sure I'd change my baby on the grass before I'd climb into that thing.

Galations Chapter 5

a) Because God has provided more than a few recent opportunities for me to practice humility, why not add another?

b) Because we're still poor enough to get excited about dressing like a cow for Chik-fil-a's annual "Cow Appreciation Day". (And we scored free combo meals.)

Uno, Dos, Tres

If I am correct,
the traditional gift for a three year anniversary is leather.

This might come as a shock to many of you
who know and appreciate my frugality, but

Happy 3^rd Anniversary Chase!

 (Chase in his brand spankin' new truck. He's so proud.)

Sew Sweet

Being the true Southern girl that I am, I can't resist a great monogram. 

Monograms are classic. 

Timeless.

They're great for baby gifts

bags 

jewelry

and dish towels

But my new absolute favorite monogram happens to be this one.

How sweet it is.

(All photo credits are Etsy - click the picture to take you to each product.)

Cooking School

After finalizing the sale of our house, we began the tedious process of packing...ugh. With less than 3 years of marital bliss, we still managed to accumulate what seemed like 10 years of 'stuff'. While in the process of packing the entire house, we still wanted to spend as much time as possible with our friends...which meant several sweet dinners at some of our favorite restaurants (i.e. Full Moon BBQ) . Eating out, in combination with the cesation of grocery store trips, resulted in a change from cooking 5 nights a week to 2 at most. Sad.


When we finally moved into our humble little apartment, it took at least a day to locate, unpack, wash, and store all of our kitchen pots/pans. I feel a little like I'm learning to cook all over again. I'm slowly getting used to our new appliances (which are MUCH more energy efficient...and apparently have the capability to burn something on 'Medium').


With all of the changes, I needed some good ol' comfort food.  And nothing says comfort food to me like breakfast. This recipe is so easy. I apologize for not knowing the original source, since it has been passed from one friend to the next.

Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
1/2 loaf French bread
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 T. vanilla
4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Cinnamon Sugar
4 T. butter, melted

Cut or tear the french bread into 1 or 2 inch cubes and place them in a casserole dish.  The recipe calls for a 13x9, but I think it tastes better when the bread pieces are all smushed together in a smaller dish. Combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt in a bowl. Pour over the bread pieces, coating them all.

The next step is my favorite. Cover and place in the fridge for 6 to 36 hours. This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast. I digress. Moving on...

When you take it out of the fridge, bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 45 minutes. Take it out when the top is golden brown. Pour the melted butter all over the bread, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

Put the dish back into the oven for 10 minutes. When it's done and your kitchen smells delightful, top it with sliced strawberries and powdered sugar. If you're feeling particularly carefree, drizzle with syrup after putting a portion on your plate.

His Hand (numero dos)

Alternate Title: Can You Believe Our House Sold in 3 Weeks?

I mentioned in this previous post that we had placed our house on the market. With the economy and real estate market still recovering, we were prepared to go through a lengthy process and hoped that we wouldn't lose a large amount of money on our investment. I'd like to give credit to our cute little realtor, who was a huge help to us during the process, but I really have to give all the glory to God. We accepted an offer on our little cottage home after just 3 weeks on the market. 3 Weeks Ya'll! 

Thank you so much to all of you who interceded daily on our behalf to ask that God sell this house at the right time, to the right person, and for the right price. Many students in Chase's class had placed their homes on the market and weren't having any success selling them. When we told friends, classmates, and co-workers how fast our home had sold (and at full asking price) they were amazed. Frankly, we were equally amazed and humbled.

Clearly His Hand.

Also of note: After receiving an offer, we did a little 'apartment shopping' on a trip back home to see family. We were a little disappointed to find such small apartments at such large prices. The last place we went (our favorite) turned out to be very expensive. However, they offered us a $2500 credit (to be applied as we decided) if we signed a lease within a week. All of the sudden the most expensive apartment became the most affordable we'd seen. It's now our home, and we love it.

Clearly His Hand.

We never got an official "SOLD" sign, so just use your imagination :)

Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

I can hardly believe it, but it has been almost a year since I started this blog with the intentions of following 'His hand' through what we knew would be an eventful 12 months. I revisited the original post, which contains the verse in Psalms that we adopted as a motto, encouragement, and prayer to guide us through the decisions that would come. I can assure you that God has revealed His hand and his plan very clearly to us over the last year. There have been periods of time and events that were difficult - times that beg the question, "why?". But through it all, God has been faithful (no surprise there).  More recently, His hand has been clearly visible in our transition from Birmingham to Huntsville. Allow me to elaborate in a series of posts....

In order for Chase to graduate, he needed to pass a series of board exams - a series of expensive board exams that also involve paying individuals to act as 'patients' so an official grader can examine his work. Not just any patient will suffice. Each student needed 3 patients - each with a very,very specific type of dental need. It can be pretty difficult to find patients, particularly when 50 other students are also on the hunt. It can also get very costly, as it is the standard to compensate each patient quite nicely for their time. 

Chase had been searching for his patients for quite a while and found 2 (I was one of them), but he still needed a 3rd candidate.  We were running short on time and money. It seemed like Chase screened all of our relatives living close enough to make the drive to Birmingham...no luck. We shared our hearts with our Young Married group at church one Sunday morning. They not only joined us in praying for the exam, but several also came to the school to be screened. As it turned out, one of Chase's closest friends at church had exactly what he needed for the board exam.

Clearly His Hand.

"Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O LORD, have done it."
 -Psalm 109:27

....I know, I know...it's been months

To say that things have been busy in the Tyson house would definitely be an understatement. In an effort to record all of the things that have taken place since the last time I wrote in........April....it's going to take a series of posts.  We've sold a house, moved more than once, left a good job, completed a doctorate degree, started a new job, did some major furniture shopping, and traveled, traveled, traveled. Although none of the posts to come will be news to those of you who are closest to us, I feel that they are still "blog-worthy". I'm ashamed that I've gone so long without recording these big changes, so I promise to blog more frequently in the coming weeks.

Supper Club

Since we've lived in Birmingham, Chase and I have been absolutely blessed with some incredible friends. More specifically, friends who love to eat as much as we do! Seems that most of our time together is spent sharing food...perhaps it's a Southern thing?  Here are a few shots I managed to grab at our favorite Mexican spot before I was told to put the camera up....

 Sweet Madelyn crunching up a bunch of chips, ha.

Josh holding lil Barrett so Maggie can eat :)

And here are a few of one of our most recent and most meaningful dinners....a pizza 'picnic' on the day that Jonathan and Kristie closed on their LOOOOONG awaited new house!

While You Weren't Watching......

While downloading some pictures from my camera, I found these (snapped when everyone else was watching Alabama win the National Championship). Mischievous lil cuties. Love them!

Link Love

I love blogs. My love borders on addiction. I never loved cooking so much until I began to read blogs, or more specifically blogs with beautiful pictures of food. Because I love so many blogs that it would take the whole right side of this page to list them all, I'll highlight a few of my faves each week.

One of my most recent favorites is Knock Off Wood.   Written by a stay-at-home-mom, the blog features plans and step-by-step instructions on how to build your own copycat version of some of the most loved pieces of brand name furniture. Each week, she also has a 'brag board' where readers send in projects they've completed using her plans (see below).

I have vivid memories of my Dad doing quite a bit of woodworking when I was younger - the result of which produced the most beautiful, humongous Barbie doll house you've ever seen. Now I'm hoping I can talk him into digging those tools out again and building something for me from one of these plans!

And while I"m at it, Copy Cat Chic is also a good site to use when you've had your eye on an expensive item that you can't bear to pay that much for. The site regularly posts more affordable 'look-alike' options for those of us who are poor on a budget.

A Real Fixer Upper

A little less than a month ago Chase and I placed our house on the market. We knew we needed to sell the house, but listing the house in such a low market was really hard to swallow. Chase had purchased the house the summer before he started dental school....and at the height of the housing market (read $$$). 

For some reason, I felt really frustrated when we listed the house. I think it was because I have a healthy obsession with real estate. I could look at MLS listings for hours, I love watching staging shows on HGTV, pouring over Pottery Barn catalogs, and a good 'before & after' renovation. Chase and I had agreed when we got married that we wouldn't put much any money into the house - knowing that we would not likely see a return on our investment. Still, seeing the pictures on the real estate website made we wish that I had painted this wall, or hung that picture, etc.

And then I came across this passage from the book "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist.

"On my worst days, I start to believe that what God wants is perfection. That God is a new-house God. That everything has to work just right, with no cracks in the plaster and no loose tiles. That I need to be completely fixed up. I think that God's kind of people are squeaky-clean people whose garages don't leak, but really a lot of the people God uses to do amazing things are people who don't necessarily have it all together. A lot of the best stories in the Bible, the ones where God does sacred, magical things through people, have a cast of characters with kind of shady pasts, some serious fixer-uppers.

On my very best days, as an act of solidarity with my house, since we're both kind of odd, mismatched, screwed-up things, I practice letting it be an old not-fixed-up house, while I practice being a not-fixed-up person. I wear my ugly pants, the saggy yellow terry-cloth ones with the permanently dirty hems, and I walk around my house, looking at all the things that I should fix someday, but I don't fix them just yet, and I imagine God noticing all the things about me that should get fixed up one day, and loving me anyway and being okay with the mess for the time being."

A friend recently reminded me that our house has come a long way from its beginnings. Here are a few shots of what the house looked like when Chase bought it (with the previous owner's belongings).

And for all who care to see, here's the link to our MLS listing: www.3049SummitDrive.BestHomeAround.com 

Musical Musings

There's nothing I love more than a good praise and worship session. That's one of the reasons Chase and I adore our church home. Neither of us came from churches with a big choir, but you wouldn't believe the energy and passion that they add to our Sunday morning services - it's a blessing just to witness their worship. I think it's so amazing that God can be glorified through any genre of music - though it's not surprising; He did create all things.

One of the artists I love to worship with is Kari Jobe. Her music and voice take me back to the days when I worshiped at Discovery Church. She doesn't make very many trips to our area, but she's coming to Church of the Highlands on April 7th, and I"m dragging Chase with me. I can't wait!

If you've never heard any of Kari Jobe's music, listen here (for my Mother, who always asks me "Is it on YouTube?" ha).

Leave of Absence

I'm back. I know all 3 of you missed my infrequent posts :)

Truth is, we Tysons have been busy since the last time I wrote! We spent most of our weekends in February and March on the road.

We went to Gatlinburg with Chase's family for a nice little weekend getaway - whole family in tow(National Lampoon style, ha). It snowed while we were there, but not enough to stick. I wish I had taken pictures....

Speaking of snow, we finally got more than a dusting here in Birmingham. It was lovely!

We celebrated Dad's birthday with the Walker grandparents(again, I didn't take any pictures). But here's one of my favorites of Dad and I from my wedding.

We also said goodbye to a dear friend and loved pastor. If you never got a chance to hear him share the Word, you sincerely missed out. He was a true example of faith, and will be greatly missed.