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jennifer i had such a nice time with your family. the winner of the flea market style magazine….that will get mailed next week… is COURTNEY who wrote:
Hand writen recipes from my grandmother. She has past away and these are so precious now. so…email me your address courtney. thank you for your prayers already. thank you for buying ad space, buying etsy goodies, donating money and praying for us.
(ps: i have blogs set to post all week…from the archives!) I was at the store today and saw things with polka dots and I did think of you. I hope you are safe and doing wonderful work right now. I really admire your bravery! Praying! It’s a great picture…that will be a treasure for you, I think. What an adventure you are going to have, and although you will bless many, you will be blessed in abundance. You know that, I’m sure. 🙂 Have a wonderful safe trip! You are an amazing woman, Meg!! I laughed out loud at the 26 kids left with dads & needing a blanket of prayer! You are so witty. It is amazing how many polka dots I’ve seen since you asked us to say a little prayer for you!! You are blanketed in prayer and wishes for your safe return. what a nice family photo and guess what i saw annie in Walmart today with your friend and i told annie i was amy d mother that lived in her neighborhood she’s so cute (: love and prayers and my church is praying for you all. It is going to be such a great trip- I can just sense it! Have a great, safe, and happy trip. What you are doing is amazing. I will think of you, there, when I see polka dots. Safe travels, my friend. Um, not tears of you for you. More like tears of joy 😉 Tears of you for you, Meg. I pray that God would use you in a mighty way during this trip & that you would draw ever closer to Him through your service. God, keep Meg safe in your arms as she travels, show her incredible things, use her talent in an awesome way, and please Lord, bring her home safely to her sweet family next week. Safe travels! Have a wonderful trip – we can’t wait to hear all about it!!! Bye! I know you will have an amazing time, but you will be in my prayers nonetheless! Have a safe trip!! Can’t wait to see your pictures :). It’s going to be an amazing trip. Blessings sweet Meg. I keep seeing polka dots everywhere!!! So you know you are in my thoughts and prayers:) Best of luck! I’ll be praying for you! Praying for you! And for all the husbands and kiddos! best wishes for a safe journey and for your family at home who will I think miss you so. this is living dreaming and using all your strengths in the best way, with courage and bravery and generosity. best of luck meg! Praying for you time in Africa! Journey Mercies The hoodie is adorable! the family is beuatiful! and the prayers are headed your way! Have a wonderful trip – can’t wait to hear all about it! safe travels and prayers to you all 🙂 Safe travels and I hope and pray for an eye opening and life changing experience. Life changing is good – Ellie’s cancer taught us that and we are so in appreciation of it all now. Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip! Every time I see polka dots this week (and that will be often! :)) I’ll pray for you! I can’t wait to hear all about it! God bless you on your trip and your safe return. Will be thinking/praying about you…have a safe trip! I am so excited for you! You and your family look wonderful, I can’t wait to hear how everything went, and I will pray for you! Bless you Meg. All the best to you and your lovely family. I can’t wait to read about your travels. I’m all vaclemmpt now!! 🙂 Prayers a plenty! And the shoes are CUTE!!! See you in Chicago! I’ll look for the polka-dots… i’ll keep praying…..be safe. look forward to your return. susan Blessings, Meg, for you, your family and the children of Sierra Leone! :o) May God bless you and yours. Safe travels! I will definitely be praying for you, meg! Safe travel, amazing strength and most of all…peace. He will carry you through! Godspeed! Prayers comin’ your way. Will definitely keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers. Please know that you are an inspiration to many and May God continue to use you. Love you! Can not wait to hear all about it! You will be in our prayers the whole time.
carissa you are so awesome! it is a really great magazine! the best thing i ever got in the mail was…………..a Pure NRG CD ..letters from my brother, who is incarcerated. He is a good hearted man and has made mistakes. When he writes, I can hear his laugh and his voice. We laugh the same and find the same things funny..Siblings are the closest to you in the world, according to our DNA..I know him and I have a cosmic bond, its just different than any other bond Ive had in my whole life. Love letters from my first boyfriend when I went back home after summer vacation. “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Now that I’m an old married lady with a teenager it’s important to remember that intensity (and try to STOP it! haha) ooh I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of that!! The best thing I ever got in the mail was a letter from a boy i liked at camp in high school, letting me know he liked me too. Fast forward exactly 6 years from that day are we got married! Letters from my grandpa when I was a freshman in college. He sent the sweetest notes just telling me what he was up to and telling me he was proud of me. One time he included a $20 and wrote “shh! don’t tell anyone.” I could picture him winking at me. He was a great man, so glad I kept his letters. I hope I’m not too late for this!! I saw the magazine in the store a couple of days ago and had to pass it up ($10) ’cause we’re kinda going through some hard times right now. That is too cool that you’re in it. The best thing I’ve ever gotten in the mail…um… I guess when I order a book from amazon…I never get anything in the mail! I think the best thing I got in the mail was in 1997, I was a senior in high school and my acceptance letter to Penn State University arrived. My Mom brought it to me at school. She didn’t open it but she knew it was the right size to be the acceptance letter. I don’t know about the best thing…but I do like it IF we get a tax refund and we get notification by mail! One year for my birthday a friend’s mother sent me a package (it was a bit odd since I’d never gotten a gift from her before!) & she sent the bridesmaid dress that her daughter wore in my wedding – the note siad I would enjoy it hanging in my closet more than she would, it being in her closet. It is wonderful to have that dress in my life!!! any magazine …i love magazines! I just got a travelling pad in the mail last week! that was pretty cool. I am just in awe of you and your life. I know that is weird to hear from people but seriously, you’re amazing and I hope that I am as great of a mother as you are someday. My whole life I just wanted to be a mom. You’re inspiring. best mail would be a letter from a little girl (my cousin) just learning to write. my sister-in-law sent me a package with a cross necklace in it that had belonged to my dad. he never took it off. i thought he had been buried with it, but there it was in this little box, like it had finally come home. it was better than winning the lottery. 🙂 any letters from friends & loved ones are always the very best! We used to get homemade cookies and divinity from family in Florida each year at Christmas time. That divinity was the best thing my tongue has ever tasted! Best thing I ever got in the mail… probably my wedding gifts! My husband and I live in Oregon, but we got married in NY (we are both from NY and our families were all there, so it was easier for us to go to them). After the wedding, we came back to Oregon. My Mom packed up all our gifts and a few favors from the wedding and shipped them out to us. So we got to open our wedding presents twice!! I was on a mission for my church and we couldn’t really call home very often, so letters it was. I was gone during Christmas and it was especially hard to be away from home at that time. We also didn’t have any money so my friends and I couldn’t get any decorations for our apartment. My sweet sisters and mom found a place that could send little potted decorated Christmas trees. So, one day I came home and there was this Christmas tree, just for me! I felt so blessed! Definitely the best thing I’ve ever received in the mail. The best thing I ever got in the mail was from my friend and old roommate who was living in New York. It was autumn, and she sent me an envelope of leaves–red, yellow, green, brown, orange, and golden ones of all different shapes and sizes. There was no note. Just leaves. And they smelled so good. 🙂 The best thing I ever receievd in the mail was a letter from my grandma, which included seeds to plant a peanut bush! a small note to our first daughter (when I was 6 months pregnant with her) from her daddy who was away at war…tellin’ her how sweet she was and that he couldn’t wait to meet her when he came back to us. 🙂 What just popped into my head was happy mail last week – finally, 3 years after Tara Whitney took our family pictures, I got enlargements. And in anticipation, I had the empty frames on the wall, waiting for them. Yay! Meg – hope your trip is safe and fulfilling for you!!! the best thing i got in the mail was JIF peanut butter for my kids when we lived in England!!! enjoy every moment of your trip!!!! My favorite thing to come in the mail would be my UGG boots….I basically live in them!!! My favorite thing that I ever get in the mail is to receive Christmas cards especially newsletters and family pictures. It was great to hear from them based on what they do during these years. love letters from my (at the time) boyfriend… The best thing I got in the mail was the new lego catalogue with legos from the kids lego club for my 6 year old. Keeps him busy for hours. Letters sent to me from my Grandmother while I was in college. A loooooong time ago but I still have them even though I don’t have her. a jury summons, i had a ball. that and any handwritten letter or card! Love Letters….oh yes! The best thing I ever got in the mail: When I was turning 13, the big teenage year, my cousin was in Namibia, Africa for two years teaching. She couldn’t come home and I hadn’t seen her since she had left two years before. For my big birthday she had gone into one of the bigger cities. To get there she had to get in a taxi with 10 other people and drive on a dirt road. When she got there she payed her few dollars for internet access and ordered my birthday present. She timed it perfectly so the present arrived on my birthday. It was an Edna St. Vincent Milly poem book, with a poem about seperation marked for me. It was single handely the best most heartfelt peice on mail I have ever recived. Some great pieces of mail have been my children’s birth certificates. I also love getting birthday cards and Christmas cards too. our passports! 🙂 Letters from a long distance friend all through high school. I always looked forward to those letters! the best thing I ever got in the mail was the brand new limited edition 8 quart kitchen aid mixer sent to me for Christmas from someone who reads my blog!! can you say BLOWN AWAY??????????????????? Pictures! I love it when I recieve unexpected pictures in the mail from friends that come visit and without my asking mail me pictures from the time they spent with us… that just makes me smile 🙂 LOVE IT everytime… Letters from my husband when he was deployed on a submarine and out at sea for months at a time. The Best. The best thing I still get in the mail is the Kodak albums of our family that I make when I’m too busy to scrapbook! My mom still sends “care packages” for our family like she did when I was in college. I love seeing my girls’ faces when we open the boxes. I have to admit that I am always excited to see what she picked out to send for us! I love getting prints in the mail that I have ordered online. So exciting! We received a “Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.” Basically, it told us we were approved to adopt a little girl from China.THAT WAS FOUR YEARS AND TWO BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN AGO. We are still waiting. Hand writen recipes from my grandmother. She has past away and these are so precious now. Best thing I’ve gotten in the mail lately – my order from Everyday Minerals. Spent $44.00 that included shipping and handling and I got two brushes, one full size concealer and 24 trial sizes of various concealers, make up bases and eye shadows. The trial sizes last a long time, the makeup doesn’t hurt my skin like most other makeups do (I have rosacea), it covers well and heck it is just fun to play with new pretties. Have a rewarding trip! 28 days after I moved from California to Tennessee it was my birthday and my amazing friend sent me a to go container of my two favorite salsas from the taqueria I ate at all the time back home. I can’t put into words how it made me feel to have that familiar smell and taste in a place that was still so unfamiliar to me. Best mail ever!!! Hmmm, scrapbook supplies? The best thing I ever got in the mail was…an incredibly sweet card from my fiance {now husband}! 🙂 The best thing I’ve ever gotten in the mail was the oh, so- providentially-timed-by-God money after we were first married. We still don’t know who the sender was, but it blessed us immensely, especially in those tough first months-year. One of the best things I’ve gotten in the mail was a friend from a pen pal from Slovakia. I live in Arizona, and my brother is on a mission in Slovakia. He told a friend to write a letter to his family, she happened to know a little English, and so I wrote her back. I love getting her letters! The best thing I ever got in the mail was a hula dancer get up from my daddy when I was 5…he was stationed in Hawaii without us for 8 months…I played and played with that set…I still have the skirt and now my sweet little girls spend hours hula-ing just like their mama did as a gilr 🙂 The best thing I ever got in the mail was a hula dancer get up from my daddy when I was 5…he was stationed in Hawaii without us for 8 months…I played and played with that set…I still have the skirt and now my sweet little girls spend hours hula-ing just like their mama did as a gilr 🙂 I love mail from my best friend. She always sends the sweetest things that just tell me that she knows me like no one else does. Growing up we always looked forward to getting this amazing tin of chocolates at Christmas from my mom’s best friend. One year when I was in college my mom sent me a tin of my very own. It was the best ever!! The best thing ever was receiving a package in the mail for Valentine’s 2008. It was a package from my husband who was currently deployed. If you knew him, you would know that communication from him when he is deployed is very slim. He hates computers, email, writing letters, etc. But he also is not big on gifts. So for him to actually send something that he personally ordered & picked out along with a sweet message was huge! I don’t recall one specific package or letter, but letters from friends and family are always my favorite! Best Mail Ever: A few years ago we got a letter from our mortgage company saying that our payment was going down and oh here’s a check for too much money that was in the escrow account. Loved that and of course has never happened again!! First of all Meg, I love your blog and DON’T miss it…EVER! The best thing I got in the mail are my wonderful Crocs boots. I have recess duty everyday at school, and in the winter, these boots are my life! We get a lot of snow in Indiana, and these keep my feet warm and toasty! That’s a hard one. I would have to say in recent years it was a birthday card (one of those music ones) from an old friend who I don’t hear from much. If I remember tight it was one of those birthdays that I would’ve rather not have done anything on. (We have three b-days back to back, mine being the last.) When I opened the card “Walking on Sunshine” played. Totally made my day! I have held onto to the card to this day. When I need a sunny smile I open the card. Easy, The day I day I got my referral information about my oldest daughter Maggie. The adoption agency sent it to my office and I had to wait for 3 long hours for my husband to get back from a meeting to open it. As soon as he got to my office we were pushed into an empty room to take a first look at our beautiful girl. I still have the fed ex envelope. She just turned 12. How fast time goes! A card from my friends:) The best things I’ve received in the mail were probably the letters from my husband (then fiance) when I was in Ghana for a semester in college. Oh, Meg. How I love your blog 🙂 You brighten my days & I just love being welcomed into your home. My favorite thing I have ever gotten in the mail? Letters from my little brother (well, I guess 21 is not so little anymore…) who is in the ARMY. An unexpected box filled with goods from a Kate Spade sample sale (a girlfriend works for Kate Spade). i was in college and away from home living in the dorm…my mom sent me the most random package…birthday plates, birthday napkins, forks, party hats, candles, icing…and…pringles and planters party peanuts …hmmm…i thought it was so random all day until i opened the pringles…inside were homemake cupcakes stacking on top of each other (uniced of course), sprinkles and decorations in the planters tin…it was a birthday party in a box…:) That is so cool that you’re in the magazine!! The best thing I ever got in the mail has to be a large chocolate hamper, I was in heaven for days (yes sadly it was so yummy it didn’t last long!). Hey Waffle, you never call. How ’bout sneaking that magazine my way? And maybe we could spend a little time together? I can run you ragged! The best thing I ever get in the mail is hands down just a note from a friend out of the blue. “Just because” Best thing I ever got in the mail.. One of my best friends sent me a couple of pages telling me her life story. Letters and Christmas cards/pix from friends. Also, I remember when I was little (before email and text messaging) and looking forward to letters from my pen pal! Letters from my husband while he was deployed overseas the first time. It was before the internet was really going and you had to pay for AOL by the hour and so we didn’t get to call or email like we do these days. Letters from him were the one thing that I would carry around with me everywhere until he came back home!! Just got my picture of Annie in the googly-google glasses. Love it. Best mail: The best thing I ever got in the mail was years ago we had ordered my daughter a My Twinn doll for Christmas- in September. It was all she wanted and at 7 years old she was becomming a big sister for the first time and I knew big changes were ahead. All the clothes arrived but come December the doll still hadn’t shipped. When it finally did ship, it stopped tracking somewhere in the middle of the US- lost! I called My Twinn, in tears, a week before Christmas. They were no help and I set out in search of some other doll to take its place. All of a sudden, late on the 23rd, the doll miraculously appeared! Best mail day ever! Congrats on being in the magazine! I would love to win a copy. the best thing i ever got in the mail was the letters i would get from sister when she was away from college and i was a small girl, they were filled with colored pencil sketches and ideas to help me improve in my dance lessons, then we would write back and report. good good memories My best mail came recently…Valentine’s Day…my favorite holiday! Well, we have had some bumps and bruises recently (like the last 3 years), but God is good and helping us take one day at a time. So, hubs was out of town on Valentine’s Day and her remembered to send me (and our daughter) very, very sweet cards. Meg, this is a BIG deal because he doesn’t do mushy stuff! This card had it all, mush, hearts, kisses, hugs and everything!!! I LOVED IT!!! Best mail ever! Well, I am not famous like you so noone sends me anything. So, so sad, PEOPLE! I think the most coveted thing I have received in the mail is letters from my husband when he was serving in Desert Storm. He couldn’t tell me where he was and did not have access to phones, and email wasn’t invented yet so I began to chase the mailman each day. No, not because he was hot! Because he was bringing me a part of my husband. So, does that count? Okay, this might be silly but, I love it when I get my magazines in the mail :P. Those are good days! The best thing I ever got were love letters from a college boy I was dating in High School…He was a total romantic, and I treasured every letter:) Best thing in the mail…long-distance love letters in the days before all the new communication technology. Birthday cards with money inside!! Always unexpected and wonderful!! Love the 5! A check in the mail for $500 from an anonymous giver at our church. It was so unexpected and really needed; I had a stack of bills that were due but couldn’t be paid until my husband got paid almost a week later. I didn’t think these things really happened to people — especially not us! God is good 🙂 when I was at camp and my grandmother wrote me letters…I’m so glad I still have them. A hand knit scarf that one of my best friends sent me for my birthday a few years ago! a norah jones cd with a check to cover my massive phone bill after a 7 hour phone to my future husband-met,talked 7 hours, married exactly 3 months later! 🙂 I love the photos! You do yoga/stretching on a QUILT? What an awesome idea. Ooh please pick me! 😀 The best thing that i ever got in the mail was actually just recently…a letter (an actual 3 1/2 paged letter) from my Grandpa who never writes! 😀 an old friend (i haven’t seen in five years and only spoke to a few times in that period) recently surprised me with a large box full of fabric – she works for a high-end distributor, was cleaning out her samples and said sher thought of me. i was about eight months pregnant and it totally made me cry i was so happy to dig through the treasures. Letters from my husband or kids when they are away. My husband goes out of town for work, sometimes 3 or 4 weeks at a time. We talk every day most of the time, several times a day, but I love to get mail from him. Last week I got a handmade postcard from my son in college. We see him often, but this was just to say he was thinking of us, and that is special for a 22 year old boy!. If I win the magazine will go to my daughter. She will love it! Jackie What a cool magazine! I love getting FREE things in the mail from food to makeup to magazines and coupons for FREE items. Who says there’s nothing in life for FREE! It didn’t happen to me, but to my Nana: She went to a fortune teller, who said she was going to get a diamond watch in the mail. Nana said that was absurd. And then sure enough, she got one! It was sent by her fiance. Wow, have a GREAT trip, be safe, and yes, wear that sunscreen! anytime i get shoes!! sigh… that magazine would be the best thing I ever got in the mail… looks like a fun one!! I’ve never gotten anything that awesome in the mail, but I was pretty excited for my curtains to arrive from Urban outfitters! The magazine looks awesome. Dying over the yellow shoes. And LOVE the 5! When I first went off to college I was feeling a little homesick for my grandparents (they are in AZ and I’m in IL going to school)–one day I had gotten a small package from them. I opened it up and inside was a green apple (which was one of my favorite foods when I was a kid). They had shipped a green Granny Smith apple all the way from Phoenix and my Ota (Gpa) to this day thinks it one of the funniest things ever. Little does he know it’s what got me through my first semester away from home:) Best thing in the mail=a surprise necklace from Vintage Pearl, purchased by my amazing sister…wear it every.single.day. I love reading all these! The best thing I ever got in the mail was a letter from my husband in Ranger School (where we couldn’t communicate except by letter) telling me he couldn’t wait for our wedding in a couple days….telling me all the reasons why he wanted to be with me forever! A Christams package with all my favorites one year when I was far away from home. My childrens’ birth certificates. My best friend who moved away to Georgia, sent me the most darling sign,from http://www.fairyfreckles.com, it was such a sweet surprise! I miss her! I love your blog Meg, I follow several, but yours is one that I go to first and never miss. You always seem to encourage and inspire me in my walk with Jesus, thank you! Cards and Letters from my almost 90 year Grandmother. She NEVER forgets a birthday or a Holiday (unlike me) She ALWAYS takes the time to write in everything she sends, always including a memory. I will always cherish her cards and letters! Just yesterday I received a care package from my best friend. I had told her that I’d been dreaming about painting our study the perfect shade of blue. She sent paint chips, her favorite paint brush, putty knives, great advice, a cute card and chocolate…and wishes that all my dreams would come true! 🙂 How cute are you in those shoes? Love the springy happiness. Best thing in the mail? Right now I am waiting for the new bathtub to arrive. Random that I am getting a bathtub in the mail, right? But it will be the first time in 8 years that we actually have one that is big enough for a grown up to lounge in. Now to carve out time for actual lounging. My Master’s Degree – The day the mail lady pulled up to our house I saw her pull the package out of the truck. I told her that was probably the most expensive piece of mail I will ever receive. It took me about 4 years to complete while staying at home but I did it! I would have to say a Church Cookbook from my Aunt Audrey, she mailed it to me our first Christmas after we got married! she has since passed on and every time i use that cookbook i think of her! Hope you have a safe trip, enjoy every moment! the best mail I ever got was a mix tape (when they actually existed) from a boy I had a crush on. I was a freshman in college and oh so giddy! Best mail ever was a recent package from my bloggy BFF Michelle. It had an adorable picture frame she made, yummy chocolate, a bottle of Framboise, lovely smell goods for body and hair, and her incredibly witty greeting cards. I love her so much! Isn’t the Internetz great? This is kind of funny, but the only thing that comes to mind. Once, when my heat pump was broken and my house was freezing and our one space heater was dedicated to the office (where I was doing homework)… I complained on facebook that my toilet seat was freezing and I wished it was heated. Two days later I got a package in the mail from my sister in law. It was a Toilet seat cover, and while every one else thinks that is weird, they don’t have to sit on the 30 degree toilet seat. It was such a thoughtful, random gift. 🙂 The best thing I can ever remember getting in the mail was a letter from our priest, telling us, after premarital counseling, he felt we would have a very successful marriage. 26 years later I still have that letter! The letter with the official date and time to go to court to FINALLY adopt our 2 little ones. Have fun in Africa! I would have to say my necklace from the Vintage Pearl. My hubby got me a gift certificate for Christmas and I absolutely love it!! the official birth certificates for our kids had to be a major-mail-highlight! Meg, Safe travels! Stay hydrated on the plane- will help with jet lag! And no naps once you get there- like you’ll even have time for them 🙂 I am so excited for what you are doing. You are definitely on my prayer list! Best mail I ever got goes back a few years…letters from my now husband. We were separated by 3,000 miles for 1 1/2 years prior to the e-mail boom! I love to look through this generous sized box of hand-written letters…sigh. A dear friend of mine made me the most beautiful and elegant pillow to match my bedding. I wasn’t expecting it at all and it made me feel so special to know she worked so hard on something for me. BEST MAIL EVER: when i was gone for a year studying abroad in the u.s. ten years ago, i really missed a certain kind of cheese and also knew by the time christmas is around i would miss my very favorit: grandma’s christmas bread. so my mom asked my grandma to make a bread just for me so she could ship it to me. bless her heart with her 88 years of age she made one early so i could have it by december (it needs some time to sit and “ripe”). also my mom bought a really big chunk of cheese and by that i mean big. she wrapped and packed both goodies carefully and send it on its way from germany to chicago. i didn’t know my mom planned this and when i got the package – was really surprised – unpacked it and saw what was sitting inside, i was so touched i started crying. that was really something! love love love the big ol’ number 5. About 15 years ago, I got a silly little note in the mail and it wasn’t signed. It was also typed (before typewriter fonts were available/popular) on a typewriter. I still haven’t figured out who sent it and noone will fess up. So fun. Special caramel apples from my mother-in-law we get every fall. They are from a little candy shop in her small town. Hubby and I know fall has begun as soon as we bite into one of these sweet delicacies. Who knew you could mail caramel apples!? They always arrive in great condition. post cards! i love getting post cards in the mail because it means the sender was gracious enough to think of little ole me while soaking up sunshine somewhere fabulous. 🙂 …thinking of you as you get ready for your trip! Safe travels! I love this give away. I read all the comments…so sweet! The best thing I got in the mail was for my high school graduation…in 1987. My grandmother had passed away several years prior, my parents divorced, and we moved out of state away from our family, so needless to say it was a sad time in life. However, my aunt mailed me a beautiful necklace and on it was my charm from my grandmother’s charm bracelet and a beautiful card. It was a day I will never forget. I am very sentimental. One of my favorite pieces of mail was the letter I got from my daughter the first time she went away to summer camp for a week. I had been so worried that she would be too homesick to have fun. Not so! My diploma! I skipped graduation to go to the zoo and it was so fun to get my diploma in the mail. I have never enjoyed getting mail more than I did from the age of 13-15. I was dating a boy from 45 minutes away, and wrote letters almost every other day. I remember that feeling of butterflies in my stomach as I was hoping and wishing there would be one of his handwritten notes in my mailbox. It was just the best feeling. A pillow I bought from YOU…..! The best thing in my mailbox… anything addressed to me that doesn’t fit in my mailbox (: I moved across the country when I was pregnant and was bummed out that I couldn’t travel back for a baby shower with my family and friends. My sister threw a shower anyway and mailed me all of the gifts and pictures from the party. She is the sweetest 🙂 Getting unexpected checks in the mail!! It’s always a nice surprise! africa on monday…whoa! best thing in the mail, hmmmmm? love letters from my hubby (then fiance) when he was in amsterdam the week after we got engaged (10 years ago!). ah, young love ; ) Can I have two answers? My best friend moved far away when we were 16, and she sent me a scrapbook full of our childhood memories for my next birthday. I passed it back to her last year and we laughed and laughed (31 years of friendship will do that)! A birthday package from my parents when I was living in England. I love mail in general. I check it all day til it gets here. A long distance friend and I recently starting writing each other. We both write on vintage stationary. I really look forward to those letters. The best thing I ever got in the mail was my marriage certificate. It made the start of our family feel so official 🙂 I loooove all my fun Etsy packages, but I really miss letters. There have been a few charming boys in my past that used to send me really fun/unique/amusing/cute letters. I ended up marrying one of them — so it’s all good. But I still smile when I think of how exciting it was to find one of their letters in my mailbox! …hmmmm, tough question, recently, a pillow from Meg. My mom always sends me singing cards on holidays since I am away at college. The post office always squished them, so i have to perform some surgeries to make them work, but they always make me smile. The best thing I ever got in the mail…. was a birthday card from my oldest son. It was a big deal for me because he had graduated high school a few months before and immediately moved to a completely different town to attend college. I never hinted to him when my birthday was… he remembered on his own. And it arrived in time for me to enjoy it for several days. And it was big. And glittery. And signed with love. And I still have it. well the coolest thing recently was this great picture of some sunflowers that I do believe you just might know the photographer! 🙂 any real mail is wonderful from someone is the best. I save ALL of the cards, notes, letters that I receive! Perfect timing – the best thing I’ve ever received in the mail just happened this week! I’m a bit of a finance geek, and one of my favorite financial newspaper columnists, Michelle Singletary, was giving away a copy of Thomas J Stanley’s new book “Stop Acting Rich: …And Start Living Like A Real Millionaire.” I sent an email entry a couple of weeks ago, and didn’t think anything more about it. When I saw a package in the mailbox this week from her, it was like a scene straight out of the movie “A Christmas Story” – I had won a “major award.” According to my 10 year old, I shrieked like a teenager when I realized what it was. None of my friends get my love of finance, so they weren’t very impressed with my “major award”. But, I teach a finance class at church, and I’m always looking for new material, so this was pretty exciting stuff to me. Love letters from my now husband…going on almost 17 years and I couldn’t be happier. Best mail I ever got. Safe travels and have FUN! Oh, and congrats on being featured in a magazine….of course you’re so cool that it’s well deserved! May God continue to bless you and your sweet family! One of the sweetest gifts I received was in college my freshman year. My dad was doing a lot of traveling and he sent me a huge box full of all the travel size shampoos, lotions and mouth washes. He knows I love little things. It meant the world to me! Anything besides bills is good mail to me! PASSPORT! Just in time for a mission trip to India. Praying for your trip…may God prepare you wholly, protect you completely, and bless you eternally for your obedience to go and share the love of Jesus! Flowers from my mother-in-law. The flowers are your basic variety – you can pick them up anywhere – but having a mother-in-law who sends them to you just because is really awesome! Don’t think I can pick one. In general it would be gifts from my Mema. Packages for every holiday or no holiday at all. So fun. Have already started praying. Can’t wait to hear about the trip! Wow such beautiful stuff!! the gifts for you kids are so thoughtful (: that will really help them while your away doing something helpful in another country!! The best thing I ever received in the mail were care packages from my Mom when I was away at college. LOVE stuff from Mom. I bet your kids will love what you left them. 🙂 The best thing I ever got in the mail… a gift from a friend, just because, not for a birthday, or christmas, but just because she was thinking about me. The best kind of gift. The best thing I ever got in the mail was my acceptance to University. It was not my first choice, the first choice had declined the pleasure of accepting me. (Only sixteen spots available in the program.) The second letter from another university was like a balm of goodness. It all worked out and thanks for a 23yr old memory. When I lived in East Asia, my mom would send me cards. They ALWAYS came when I was about to burst into tears from frustration or loneliness! Moms are the best!! When I was in middle school, my Grandparents would mail me Cathy and Garfield cartoons every week since my hometown paper didn’t carry them at the time. Isn’t that the sweetest? Have a great trip Meg! xoxo oh my goodness! how cool is that? hmm, my favorite mail is any mail . . . except bills. i love getting packages in the mail! i would love to find that magazine in my mailbox one day! I remembered what I wanted to tell you. It was to be sure to take the journal Lorel made you for Christmas and write everything about your trip in it. I see someone else gave you some too. You will be very glad to have it journaled. A postcard written on a Frisbee! My baby sister (in eigth grade, not so much a baby) wrote a poem and sent it to us – snail mail! What 13 year-old does that??? My mom always sends me the best mail- cards, letters, and packages. There have been great ones from summer camp, college days, etc. I’ve been living about 800 miles from my hometown the past couple of years and last year celebrated my Birthday away from home for the first time. My mom sent “a Birthday party in a box” so that my 3 year old could celebrate the day with me. It was full of cupcakes, frosting, sprinkles, candles, balloons, paper plates, napkins, and gifts. It was such fun! i had a secret admirer one year with my small group. i would get occasional “love packages” just dropped into my mailbox. kitchen towels one time, fun little decorative cocktail napkins another time. and flowers another time. so fun to get a little random funness. a letter that changed our lives, My favorite mail was all the letters I got while I was in basic training for the Air Force. A letter from home, especialy from my Dad, just made the time there more bearable. DVD’s, my two sisters do this thing…”the sisterhood of the traveling dvd’s. we each put a dvd in and watch the two from the other to sisters and write letters about the movies we watched and are sending. It is an endless cycle. I love my sisters and sharing our love for movies with each other. Referral pics for our two international adoptions. Hands down! Those shoes are SO cute! We do quite a bit of online shopping, so I get some neat stuff in the mail. I guess one of the best has been my clogging shoes! I have been clogging now for 2 years and LOVE it. I will have to look for the magazine locally (if my name isn’t drawn!) little notes and cards from my Ma & Pops that say they love me “always & all ways”. And this year for my birthday they surprised me with a package that ended up being 25 pink roses (my dad bought them for my mom when she had me) and they wanted to do something for my big 1/4 century. They’re so sweet! 🙂 Love letters from my husband — when I was in college — and the only other means of communication was the dorm payphone! and boy did people get annoyed if you hogged that. It was a long time ago 😉 Letters of encouragement from my granny while I was in college. She always knew just what to say to make my days brighter and even though she was new in her faith, she still seemed to be full of godly wisdom to impart to me when I was struggling with something. I’ll always hold onto those precious words. The best thing I get in the mail is “the box”. A long distance friend and I decided to forgo birthday and Christmas gifts and just send a shoe box back and forth throughout the year. There’s no rhyme or reason as to when it may arrive but I am always guaranteed sweet surprises. It may be a new magazine, some wonderfully smelly tea lights, a little seasonal decoration, basically whatever strikes our fancy. The best thing? There is almost always dark chocolate stashed in there somewhere! I LOVE to get mail … (almost) all kinds of mail! I religiously check my mailbox every Monday-Saturday. I love to find something with a handwritten address on it. Lately, my favorite mail has been from my sister/niece. My sister got the idea to send thank you notes from my niece (now 14 months) that are a picture of her playing/wearing/holding a the gift you gave. I LOVE to get these new pictures! I am new to the blog world… this year I took part in a blog secret santa swap. The best thing I have every gotten in the mail had to be my gift from my secret blog sants. She sent me so many things that make me happy … it was amazing that she doesn’t even know me but took the time to read my blog and send me things that she knew had to make me happy. It was such a great idea and such an amazing gift!! PS. Also glad to see someone sent sunscreen, cause if I hadn’t found the pretty journals I would have sent that for you;) I get lots of fun mail because my husband is awesome and sends me stuff all the time. Even just cards. And he times them to get here when he knows we have a busy day or week. He’s pretty good. But my most favorite thing I’ve ever gotten was from my dad. When I was a poor struggling college student going to a very expensive Christian college he sent me $100 and told me it was our little secret and I had to use it to have fun. I still have the card he sent it in and it makes me happy. I have picked up that magazine in every store I’ve been in recently and never flipped all the way through, I’m sad I didn’t know you were in it. I would have bought it right up immediately! But, maybe I will win your extra copy instead?!! My boys’ birth certificates. It was the joy of them being born all over again! A letter stating that my student loan was paid in full!! Have a safe trip! Handwritten letters from my brother who was a Marine in active combat during the Persian Gulf Wars. Back in the day when e-mail and internet were not as accessible as they are today, those letters were HUGE for us. My mattress 🙂 lol hahaha Have a safe and wonderful trip! Can’t wait until you get back so we can read and see your pictures! Being in Nashville, TN, I’m just a little far away from my hometown & family in Newton, KS. So when I was pregnant with my first child, my Aunt organized a baby shower in a box for me, having so many of my family members pitching in. It had confetti and everything!! I remember feeling so loved even though I was so far away! When I was about 6 my mom went on a mission trip to Jamaica and she left little notes and gifts for my brother and me to open every day while she was gone. I still remember how fun that was for me, though I don’t recall what any of the presents were. 🙂 My parents have been career missionaries in West Africa for 20 years, now. I will be praying for you as you go. Post cards from my brother in jail. I like hearing from him when he is sober… which sadly only seems to happen when he is in jail or rehab =( My husband and I dated long distance for a while. During that time he wrote me the most amazing love letters. Best mail ever. Oh wow, love that you are in that magazine! And please, please, please tell us where you found those awesome ruffle shoes. My first semester of undergrad, a group of nuns I didn’t know sent me a big box of stuff including food, a frisbee, a yoyo, and $20. It was awesome. a package of scrapbook do-dads from…..YOU!!!!! Letters. I love letters! HELLO…pick me!!! I have looked everywhere for this. Please, please, please….I beg and have no pride:-) A postcard from an old friend with a picture of him and his son. That was nice!! Care packages from my mom when I went to camp! I hope you have a wonderful trip! Letters from my Grandma. We’ve been penpals eversince I can remember and I always look forward to an envelope with her bubbley handwriting on it. Have a wonderful and more importantly,SAFE trip Meg! It was college and a boy — a wandering boy without much money. We became friends during his stopover in my hometown out west, and then he moved on. A few weeks later I got a big box on my doorsgtep. I couldn’t imagine what it was since he was living hand to mouth at that time. He had made it to New England and had sent me a box full of autumn leaves in blazing reds and oranges and yellows. He wished I was there to see it with him. It was amazing. I still have them, even though they are dusty and faded… Handwritten letters from my best friend. Meg, I will be praying for you and your group while you are away. Mr. sends me love letters from the office. It is always unexpected and delightful. Pick me, I could use some inspiration on the recession budget! Safe, safe, safe travels. My best friend sent me popcorn balls a couple of weeks ago…no joke they were so happy and fun and colorful… it was definitely a good mail day! 🙂 Gosh the best thing I got in the mail. Probably cards from my frined from California. We send each other cards. she sends me die cuts and pics. We keep in thouch that way. Have a safe trip. Birthday cards with loving messages from my dad (still and I turned 44 last Sunday). i'm going to make you do some work to find out more…. here are some pictures of what we may see. i was afraid when i said yes to pam and jody last fall. no. WILL YOU PRAY FOR OUR GROUP? [url=”http://www.nfljerseysleague.com/specials”] nfl jersey wholesale[/url] you are awesome, you will come back a different person. You will have a new look at life to say the least. Take it in and enjoy all that this trip has to offer. You will have such a great transformative trip. I will pray for you all…more encouragement from the word, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called the oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Is. 61 meg, i’m praying for you & your team. so wonderful god has called you to do this. I will pray for you dear Meg. All will be WELL. You are AMAZING. Good luck… Meg, I’ve been blog-stalking you for awhile. You will be in my prayers along with your team. This will be a life changing experience. My sister-in-law lived in Uganda for a year and we went to visit her there. The people are amazing. For the most part they are so thankful and content in their situation. It really is what impacted me the most. Someone told me “once you get the dirt of Africa on your feet you never get it off.” Literally for about a month you will wonder if the dirt will ever completely come out of your toenails. Mentally your mind will wonder back to Africa and you’ll be ready to pack your bags and go back at anytime. May God bless you greatly!!! Yes. meg, you are amazing and an inpiration really. i will keep you all in my prayers. what you are doing is so beautiful and selfless. wishing you all a safe and blessed trip. susan Have a safe and wonderful trip! I can’t wait to see all the amazing pictures you will come home with. Strength, Love, & Peace be with you. God says He will never leave you or forsake you. I am praying for you Meg. I know the Lord has great plans for you and you will be changed by giving a cup of water in Jesus’ name. Blessings! I will be praying for you guys! Safe travels – can’t wait to hear all about it. no fear girl. what you are doing is AWESOME! you guys will be in my prayers daily. The article made me cry. Thank you for helping these people and this community. You’ll be in my prayers. If we can help in some small way, please let us know. And I’ll miss your blog while you’re gone! God called my family to China and that is where we are living right now. You’re life will never be the same after this trip! I will pray for you and your group and cannot wait to hear about it when you return!! I will be praying! Thanks for the scripture and also the visual on polka dots…I will not be able to pass up on dots without thinking and praying for you! You got it. My prayers will be with you and your friends. I am so excited for you! What date do you leave? And for the record…YOUR home is gorgeous and I hope I get to take some photos when I come through this summer;-) Meg…. I WILL BE praying for you. I know all of those feelings and I KNOW that God is so faithful. Those are some of my fav verses. I clung to Psalm 91 when I went to Africa and I still do….just for life and for my family! I’ll try to keep polka dots in front as reminder to pray for you all! Can’t wait to hear all about it. I know your life will be changed forever! Meg, I will carry a piece of polka dot fabric in my uniform pocket the entire time you are gone. Each time I reach into the pocket and touch that fabric, it will remind me of where you are and what God is leading you to do. Each time I feel the fabric, I will pray for you and the group that is with you. God Bless you and many prayers come your way. I will anxiously await your stories and pictures. was thinking of you today i was in the “Creation Station” at the Mall and they had a christmas bowl w/polka dots it was very small even 1/2 price to expensive or i would of got it for you(: merry christmas in thoughts.(: Count me in as one of your many prayer warriors! Meg- I WILL pray for your group! I love polka dots so I will praying for all of you a LOT! Kim I will pray for you and the group you are going with…A LOT!!! You are going to have the time of your life. Life changing. And you are going to be helping people! Wow! God is so good. After living in Cairo, Egypt for over two years I never looked at a grocery store the same again. God Bless You! XO Ann I think the fact that you are going on this trip shows that you are listening to God’s voice and will He will be faithful to you and your journey. Enjoy every moment. I can’t wait to read about it when you get back. So proud of your Megs, have fun be safe!! I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get home. Love Ya! The most common phrase in the Bible, said by God, Jesus, prophets, apostles… “Do not be afraid” You are such an inspiration and you and the team will be in my thoughts and prayers daily! Just remember, “faith of a mustard seed” Matt 17:20-21. How great to be a tool to spread the love of the Lord! I look forward to news of your trip. You will do amazing, and be amazing, because you are amazing! You light up my life everyday with you sentiments and faith in the Lord. I will pray for you everyday and wish you well on your journey. You can ship Waffle here while you are gone if you want….but I can’t promise you will get him back 🙂 lol Meg, I have been reading your blog for some time now. Every time an unread message pops up in my GReader, I am filled with joy, because your blog inspires me and makes me happy. i will be praying. my best friend and her husband are missionaries with WMF overseeing lima, peru. i had the opportunity to do a month long trip with them thru WMF to india several years ago and it truly was life changing. you are definitely going to an area where you will see and be among the poorest of the poor. God will open your eyes to so many things … including yourself. remember that God’s LOVE is so BIG that it crosses ALL parts of the world and ALL of us in it .. including you and me and the people you will meet. I am praying my sweet friend 🙂 I am praying!!!! Have a safe trip! You will be amazing!!! Praying for you. God has what you need to pack. He will be with you from here to there and back, each and every moment. You are not the “wrong girl”… God doesn’t make mistakes. They are people like you and me… just different circumstances. God has a Good Work just for you to do in His Name while you are there. Everything is going to be wonderful! You’re in TONS of prayers! oh my. my hear feels so heavy right now. Blessings from Singapore … take care! Meg ~ As a missionary kid and video missionary documentor, I’ll pass along a tip an old-timer missionary photographer gave me. lemon drops. Stuff your camera bag and pockets full of them! Give them to those you take pictures of, or who help you climb a tree to get a “perfect shot.” Its a perfect ending to awkward picture moments. It gives you something to give all the beggar children you will see. I’ve even seen a tribal chief pop one in his mouth and smother a grin. Everybody likes lemon drops. God bless your travel and may your life be transformed with the goodness of God even in dark places. My kids did a Vacation Bible school this past summer called Crocodile Dock. There was catchy song on that soundtrack to memorize Joshua 1:9 and whenever things get iffy, that song pops into my mind. You . are. amazing.! I LOVE this post! And, what a great idea! I will pray for all of you every time I click on your blog and see polka dots! Love your faith. You’re an inspiration to us all! Travel safe. Have fun. Be the glory of the Lord. Smiles, Jen God is doing great things through you and your group. You are a warrior of his. I am praying for all of you. Thank you so much for sharing this and for being transparent on your blog. The Lord chose Meg because he will use you in big ways there as well as when you return and even as silly as it might sound but to reach many hearts through your blog. Your life will be changed by this experience, this is a fact. I can’t wait to hear how God moves. I will be praying for you every time I see a polka dot and that means a lot of prayers for Africa as I have a little girl and polka dots are the norm around here. Dear Meg, You are so brave Amen! I am praying with all these wonderful ladies for your safety and blessings on this trip! I think that ya’ll are doing something amazing that some would not even consider. I think that God gave you your talent of photography for things like this trip so that youcan bring back to us what is going on there. Just know that you and the entire group will be in my prayers. I am definitely praying! God made you in his image for such a time as this! Believe it! Oh and if I were you I would take a little roll-on cologne or something to keep in my pocket. I am sure the stinch will be overwhelming. If you are anything like me it may make you a little sick to your stomach. I am teary Meg. Those pictures are unbelievable. It’s so hard to wrap my mind around images like that…that people are out there in that filth. You have been chosen and God will equipt you. Meg, Have a wonderful safe trip! I can’t wait to hear all about it when you return. The world needs more people like you. what an amazing opportunity! you will be in my prayers! I am so proud of you for being so brave. Keep an open mind and an open heart, the experience will no doubt be one that you remember forever. It is very hard to be that far away from everything you know and everything that is familiar…be strong and know that I will be thinking of you!!!!! I must have prayed for you 5 or 6 times yesterday. And the two biggest things that I prayed for were 1) Rest and 2) No worry. When I have big stuff going on, it causes me to not sleep well, so I’m praying that the fear flees and you are left cozy in your bed, sleeping soundly, for these next couple of nights. Your family will be cared for while you are gone and you will be returned safely to them before you know it. So, be at peace, be fully rested and go do God’s work! How amazing. It is going to be amazing. So much love, prayers and positive thoughts are going with you Meg. Have a great, life changing experience & soak it all in. I think about the post you did with the man who was holding the log to make a point. Remember that one? YOU are letting go of the log and letting HIM guide you. You are being prayed for. The Lord has been bringing you to mind in the past few days and I have been praying. This is going to be such a life-changing experience. I am praying that you will be able to see not only their physical needs; but more importantly, their spiritual needs. God will be with you every step of the way, as well as with your family at home. I can’t wait to see the pictures and hear all about it when you return! I’ll be praying as God brings you to mind. Oh, I forgot to say that I received my photograph purchase in the mail yesterday. So cool! Thanks. Meg, the pictures made me tear up and feel humbled by our many blessings we have in this country. And you are the EXACTLY RIGHT person to go on this trip!! God knew what he was doing when he placed this oppotunity in your lap. You are so very capable (you mentioned sewing and taking photos, no one could do it better!). You are so nurturing (lots of experience with 5 kids and a husband!). You are so warm and accepting. Reading the comments on your blog it is obvious that people feel comfortable around you. And yet, you are barely aware of these positive attributes. And of course, you are willing! And that is mostly what God needs, cause he will do the rest through you! What a beautiful post, Meg, and a wonderful reminder to us all. To pray and not to fear. It’s something we can all remember, whether we’re at home and hoping not to lose power or heat in a storm or flying for hours to help others in a country foreign to us. Prayers are with you. Have a wonderful and safe trip. We look forward to all you will share with us when you return. I will raise your group up in prayer, Meg. God bless you all in your travels and as you do His work. I pray his angels will wrap their arms around you and protect you as you make this incredible journey! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you return. God is faithful! Thanks for being open to His leading!! prayers for you and your group, meg. i’m sure it will be an awesome experience! i look forward to reading all about it when you return. I promise you will not regret this trip! It will be life changing and amazing!!! praying. How long are you going for? you will be missed. your blog and your photos that clearly show how much you love your family is an inspiration. Those verses are an amazing encouragement! Thank you. Megan… I’m sitting here on friday morning ready your post I just want you to know my heart goes out to you and your friends. I will pray and have other pray too! My Mom passed 6 weeks ago, you know she had aline right up to heaven, but know she is there, I miss her so much so could you also pray for me/us… I cared for her 9yrs and 3 weeks before she passed 24/7 I wouldn’t give that time back for nothing… You all have my prayer’s, have you girls named your group yet? I think you should you truely are a gift thats for sure! Have a safe trip… Just remember God is sitting right next to YOU!!! blessing’s I’ll be praying! I am praying and I will continue to pray. just bought a red polka dotted cat collar You and everyone there will be covered in prayer! Everything you do will be covered in prayer! Best of BLESSINGS on your journey.. You are doing something that will fill your heart with memories and JOY for many years to come… I read another blog mckmama at mycharmingkids.net she is going to Africa very soon too. Wondering if your going to be in the same place? You definitely have my prayers. “DO NOT FEAR” GOD told you that! awesome. Perfect Love. I will be praying for you and the team! my head is full. then another bag will be full of cake mixes and frosting.
do you know that i LOOOOOOOOOOOVE the show LOST? and one more thing. I wonder what the children would do if you made and cut into a rainbow cake (if someone were to have a birthday while you are there). Oh, to see their reactions to such fun! Enjoy hugging and loving on all those littles. Meg, I LOVE Lost too! I can’t wait until the series is over (don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss it) because I want to have a Lost marathon this summer where I watch the whole series from start to finish. Such a great person! Bringing dresses and foods over for those kids! Great to know we still have good caring people out there! I’m so jealous you are going to Africa. I would love love love to be apart of something like that! Monday?? I will be praying for you while you are gone…You, the people you encounter, and your family at home!!!! I love list makers and I love LOST. I cry inside every time it’s over for the week. 🙂 Can’t wait for my pics either. Have a wonderful time! Have a safe and wonderful trip!! All the best to you Meg. I can’t wait to hear your story. I also can’t wait to get my bubblegum pic. I know my girls will love it. SOoooo exciting…well, the trip….not the prep and the lists!!!! I am praying for you….that you are able to complete all those things on your list and stay somewhat sane 🙂 You are SUCH an amazing person Meg!!! (And I love the pic….I have that same look…except I am THE QUEEN at rolling my eyes too!!!! So if you can just imagine an eye roll with that look…….) What a great cause and how lucky you are to be able to experience them receiving the items you are taking. Beautiful dresses too. God bless you on your amazing journey. Can’t wait to hear all about it 🙂 Meg, good luck in Africa! you are amazing!!!!! well done to you for doing this, i cant wait to see all the photos when you get back. Your going to love it!!!! xxx Excited for your trip! I’ve been on a few missions trips and they are life changing! I’ll be praying….. On a totally unrelated topic I read an article about ‘Why big families are easier’ and I thought you’d enjoy it since you have 5 kids. I have 4 kids and totally related to this article. Plus it just made me laugh! Here’s the link… Enjoy! I’ve been sewing dresses just like that for my granddaughters! They are SEW easy to make. 😀 I saw a cute passport holder at tjmaxx the other day! Have fun on your trip! Best of wishes for a time that is unforgettable.. Hope you get it ALL done.. ha ha ha! I just laughed out loud at “and i look a little cross eyed.” you’re a hoot! love annie’s expression! I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you – for peace, safe travel, and fun! meg-so excited for you! i know you’re probably scared/excited/nervous/freaking out. i’m freaking out too–for you–i’m a nut, i know. can’t wait to learn more about your trip! The dresses…wow! What a wonderful thing. I’m so happy I read this today!! I’ve was packing up my linen closet today and came across 20 or so pillow cases that I will never use. I was going to give them away but now I’m going to make these. I love this idea! Thanks so much for posting it. I am so glad that someone else still follows LOST! I agree with you completely and it is one of those shows that really makes me think!! I am so sad that it is coming to an end:( Have a wonderful trip!! I’ve been a few places overseas and just can’t imagine that it won’t be very challenging (in a good way) and somewhat life altering. My trips made me feel much smaller, and made God feel much bigger. Puts things in perspective. You’ve got some eyelashes. Well, some eyes – all around, beautiful eyes. Not veiny eyes sans lashes, like some unfortunate souls might have. (Can you tell I know that of which I speak?) I looked at your list and thought, “Wow, I did’t know Meg was writing a book!” have a wonderful trip and stay safe…i will be getting home just as you leave…so go bless those people in africa! I love your scarf too! And that box of cake goodies will be SO dang fun! I mean, seriously wouldn’t YOU love to open a box full of CAKE goodies? 🙂 I love your to do list! It’s organized yet fun! I’m sure things are crazy for you, but God will let it all come together and it will perfect in His will! Have a most wonderful trip & experience!!! 🙂 Oooohhh! It’s getting close! So exciting! And you look pretty darn cute in that picture, btw. I don’t know why I thought you were leaving in April. No wonder you have had so much to do. March 1ST!!! Sooo excited for you. Sending some prayers that you will have peace and comfort as you finalize everything. Ok cutie…love the hair, how you make lists and that darn cute pillow case dress. My post is coming on Friday…just for you:-) Hi Meg. I’m sure you don’t need to add “read another blog comment” to your list…but I’ve been reading your blog for a log time and been dying to tell you…that my boss is Sierra Leonian! He has a non-profit ministry (that I am also involved with) to “Rebuild Sierra Leone”. We help support an orphanage there and bring school supplies to local schools in Free Town! I’m SO excited you’re able to go! Our church has sent 3 teams in the last 12 months and is sending 2 more in the next 12 months! What an exciting time! I can’t wait to see all the amazing pictures you’re sure to take! I’ll be praying for you as you prepare to go and for your people while you’re going! Eeeek! I am so excited for you! What an amazing thing you’re doing and all of those cakes and sprinkles look so happy. I hope the prep goes quickly for you. You have amazing eyes!! I am so excited for you 🙂 Hope someday I can do what you are doing. What an example! Oh wow! I can’t wait to hear about this trip! And the pictures and the experience … sounds so totally amazing!! Oh Meg…what an amazing adventure. I will be praying you and your team on your travels. What a great collection of gifts! I would love to hear what you’re going to say at customs… “Anything to declare Ma’am?”. Oh, not much, just 300 pounds of sugar and the cutest little dresses ever!! Hope you make it through your list. Don’t freak out. I will put safe travels on my prayer list!!! I hope to be able to go to Rwanda someday to help build houses. I have a friend from there who has the most amazing story ever. blessings and fun om your trip! how exciting! and yea, isn’t it amazing when it gets so hectic before and after a trip….like needing a vacation after the vacation… Good luck on your trip. Oh, I so, do not envy the packing. Love the little pillow case dresses. I’m sure there must be a tutorial out there. My eldest wants to start sewing and what a great first project for her, for her youngest sister. Love the way you organize. That is my kind of “things to do: list. I should try it, as it looks like it might work for my self diagnosed domestic ADHD. i can’t wait for you to go…and come back….and tell us all about it! can’t wait to hear what God has in store! passport holder: zoe by sherpani. i got mine on sale at rei. red. I want to come with you to Africa!! Maybe next time you go!! can you add “send cassie a copy of my list” to your list? You hair looks so cute! 🙂 I am praying for strength, peace, rest and health as the next few days fly by. I am so excited to see how mightily God will use you and your team. oh, nice list. I should make one of those. Wow, I didn’t realize the trip was coming so quickly!! Love those pillowcase dresses. wow. that list overwhelms me just looking at it!! maybe you should add “pack multiple boxes of kleenex” to it. i know you will need them! yesterday. my sister's birthday was yesterday and i forgot to send her birthday greetings on the blog! well, lorel i went searching for a picture of you to use. i miss you. my sister is an art teacher. how fun to have a sister. one of life’s most precious gifts. i heart mine, too. she’s 9 years older and one of my best friends, even though we live 700 miles apart. :'( Hey, I love you blog, and was kind of bummed because when I clicked on your most recent entry its a dead link. Maybe it’s just me, I’m using blogger. I totally knew those pee wee’s were for Lorel, I cracked up and could hear it in my head. hee hee. Oh, you guys are so cute! Meg, you look beautiful in that pic!! you and your sister have beautiful smiles. Having a sister is the best, a built-in best friend for life! The bubble picture is my favorite, too…makes me think of warm, lazy summer nights. Yay for big sisters and happy birthdays and blurry nights of having fun! I have two girls…they are fun loving sisters like you two. I hope she was spoiled on her birthday and I know she’ll love your post. ~Heather R. Happy Birthday to your sister! I especially like the bubbles pic! Kelly Hey totally random but would it be okay if I used some of your 365 pictures in my new blog header. Not like of your children or anything just like the polka dot rain boots and that colorful quilt. I tried to find your email address but my computer didn’t do anything when I clicked on your email me link. Your pictures are always so beautiful! Just let me know! Thanks! What a nice present for your sis…sistes are the best! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOREL! Oh! And happy birthday Lorel!! I’m an art teacher too 🙂 I think I told you this before, but my older sister and I went on a trip together to Canada for her 50th birthday. It was so much fun. You should definitely go on a trip with her, just the two of you. I wish there WAS video footage of those pictures of you dancing. Looks like too much fun! how sweet! great pics 🙂 happy birthday to you sister! so sweet. I seriously miss my sister since she moved to Georgia. I was thinking the other night that I never laugh–like truly, really, belly laugh with anyone else! Happy Birthday Lorel! Aww… happy birthday to your sister and what great pictures! I miss my sister too but she’s my “baby” sister. Thanks for sharing! :o) Such fun pictures and such kind words.. Any sister would be tickled over to have someone say such nice things (and mean them)…. Made me wish I had a sister for sure.. Oh Meg. Thanks so much. I can’t tell you how this just made my day. You are a great sister. I am so lucky to have you. Thank you thank you thank you! Ahhh 🙂 What a sweet post for your sister 😉 Happy Birthday Lorel 🙂 You guys are way cute! Awww you guys have the same smile. You look great in that pic of the two of you Meg:) Sisters are a great thing, aren’t they? My big sis was 9 yrs older than me but I thought the sun rose and set with her…still do!! Happy Tuesday Meg! How fun!!! This is why I always wanted a sister! i would think you are tired of hearing me talk about sugar. but bunches of you keep asking me questions so i am going to try to answer some. january 3, my friend jeanne suggested trying to give up sugar completely and i decided to go for it. my mom told me in the fall "you have a very stressful life!" i realized that whenever i have an emotion that is remotely strong…bad OR good….
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I have been an emotional eater since middle school. Frustration really set in this week as I went to buy clothes, and my “normal” size is now too small. My weakness is sugar. Of every kind. I have never thought of it as truly being out of control like you described. But you’re right. It’s a part of my life I haven’t given to God. I realize this post is a few months old, but if you are reading this, can you tell me how it’s going now? Do you avoid eating anything made with sugar? Cake? Muffins? Everything? Just found this post, and being an Emotional Eater, I totally relate. Thanks for sharing this post. It fit in perfectly with one of my Lenten exercise of creating a small paper sculpture each day. Thank you for sharing! I need to go back there (no sugar). Life is even better without it! I’m new to your blog. I read this post nad had the light turn on for me. I am an emtional eater. Thank you for being brave and sharing. I am going to work on a new resolve. Thank you For some reason I thought it would be a GREAT idea to bake during one of the many snowstorms we’ve had this year. Thankfully, my dog unintentionally “saved” me as well. They’re amazing creatures, aren’t they? Good luck in Africa. I’ll be thinking about you and your family. Hello! I found you via Sarah’s post. I’m with you on the not-necessarily-feeling-better but feeling-something-and-in-control thing. It will be nice to keep up with some else on this journey:-). Oh, just found you. We are sisters, fo sho! I am sugar-free 4 years now. And, like you it was a God-thing. At 50.5, 4 years ago, I had the very same “aha.” It is absolutely remarkable that HE can wipe out a stronghold of mine that I thought impossible to wipe out. Well…it was for me. Ha! BTW, Waffle is just about as cute as my two. Come for a visit. I’ll be sure to return to your wonderful blog! This post made me cry… I think because if I ever stop trying to block the thought from fully forming in my brain, I will come to realize that I am exactly the same way about food and emotions. I HATE how I look right now, and I keep telling myself that I can’t watch what I eat because I’m always famished when I first start breastfeeding. But honestly, I think it’s less the breastfeeding and more the emotions I’m feeling right now that are making me eat like a pig. UGH. I’m going to ignore it for a little while longer, but I think I’ll come back and read this post in a few weeks and be inspired! I completely understand and relate to this post…I went vegan a few months ago and am still haunted by Gouda cheese in my dreams. I promise I am reading everything you are saying but all I can keep thinking about is how much I <3 the name Waffle! How perfect is that?! I may have to name my next dog after a favorite breakfast food.... other than Benedict. I gave up sugar this year for lent and realized many of the exact same things. On the first day, as soon as the kids were down for their naps, I stood in the kitchen and said “I need something.” I realized sugar was my cigarette that I used as a release. It’s only been a week but my husband said he thought I was loosing weight already and I will add that other foods seem to taste much better. I think all the sugar desensitized my tongue. Meg, Your dog is precious! Is he a labradoodle? hi…i just wanted to say Congratulations! may this time help prepare your heart for what you will experience in Africa. with kindness, Emily It is a new day and so after 24 hrs of pondering your emotional eating comments and thinking that they make total sense, I prepare to feel my feelings, to deal with them. I am excited, no more sugar salve for me, just me, my feelings and God. You go girl. I am drinking 2 cokes a day and that use to NEVER happen. Moving from Florida to KY. has been stressful and I guess it is my comfort. I switched to coke since they don’t know what sweet tea is up here:) Okay, I’m on board with the no sugar, but no coffee…now that’s just plain crazy talk! 🙂 good for you! i had to give up sugar and carbs because I am prediabetic (though I still eat berries, vegetables= good carbs, just not refined ones) Good for you! I too, am an emotional eating sugaraholic. I cut out sugar awhile back and now only eat about 15grams per day and the improvement in my mood, my waistline, and my energy are above and beyond what they used to be! Keep it up. You are very inspiring! Sugar is truly an addiction and I know I need to get rid of it. I’ll come back & read this often for encouragement. Thanks so much for sharing! Timely! My hubby and I just had this conversation at the B-fast table. Not sure we can give up all sugar, but I’m not sure it can work if we don’t give it all up. Thanks for the inspiration! I’m glad you are having success with this. 🙂 giving up sugar is a constant struggle because it is always lurking around…waiting to tempt us. it sounds like you are doing an amazing job…and for all the right reasons. If you have never tried agave nectar, you should! You can probably get it at Prairie Harvest. It is a great sweetener with a low glycemic index which means our bodies don’t absorb it well(which is good). Are you still making all the sweets for your family or have you cut down on that too? And, finally, if you think Waffle is naughty you need to read A Good Dog, by Jon Katz. It is a wonderful book thatI recommend for all dog lovers. Have a great day! Reading this post is really helping me try to let go of sugar as well…the BIG problem, I LOVE dt. coke and I don’t know if I can give that up…I am trying to cut back on it…1 in the morning, 1 at lunch or at nap time and that is it…I just ate the last of the brownies in the house and I am going to try not to get more sweets…or at least cut back. Thank YOU! You’re inspiring. I’m also an emotional eater and I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to Starbucks. I need to have God fill me up, not sugar or coffee. Great post! What a very powerful message! We all have our ways of distracting ourselves from life, whether it be conscious or unconscious. My husband and I recently gave up alcohol. Even though we didnt’ think we had a problem with drinking, the absence of it from our lives made us realize how much it was a crutch for “relieving” stress. It’s only been two months and while we’ve had a sip or two during this time, we don’t crave it anymore and feel so much more FREE. I’ll stop rambling and summarize with a big “Thank you” for this post! tee. tee hee. hee hee. your dog makes me giggle like NO OTHER. oh my word. will you write a book with him as a character & your photos of him for the pictures? he needs one. llllllllllllllllove the photo of his bod laying down. chunky scruffy paws. love him. he’s just so FUNNY! Wow…I am so impressed with how well you have done with cutting out sugar. I just wanted to let you know that I made your crescent chicken the other night. My husband and I LOVED it! It is definitely going to be one of our new favorites. Thanks for sharing. What a wonderful POST.. I have had a terribly trying week, and all I wanted was something chocolate.. Such fine words to hear.. That’s my favorite part of BLOg world… it reminds us that we are not alone… Blessings your way this week. I got to the part about having encouraging friends and proud husband and started crying. That feeling like you are in control…so elusive here. I relate to what you’re saying about eating because of emotions…it’s almost not even enjoying it-just put something in there. You’re doing so great. You should feel good about it. Even when it’s hard! I love everything you said in the beginning-about eating instead of going to God. What good insights, and so convicting for me. Thank you for sharing. Last year, before my wedding, I decided to get a trainer and eat well. That included only eating carbs after I worked out and eating healthy during the rest of the day. This meant less sugar, too. I noticed that my stomach didn’t look pregnant all the time! I thought this happened because of eating less carbs. Well, then that routine went downhill and at the beginning of the year, I gave up sugar (candy candy candy yum yum yum) for 2 weeks, and the same thing happened. SO, have you noticed a difference in your stomach? THAT is motivation! Sometimes, I’ll do a double take in the mirror and think I’m 4 months along. Except I’M NOT! SO, way to go on making it this far! And it’s OK to cheat every once in awhile. After all, God made sugar, so He wants us to enjoy it when it’s the right time. Just not every second of the day. 🙁 too bad, huh? Excellent post. Really, really great. Thanks for sharing. Good job! Try Lara Bars…they are all natural, no added sugars – only fruits, nuts, etc. and they totally satisfy my sugar cravings. My favorite is Cherry Pie, but they have tons of other flavors (and they give you a good protein boost to boot!). I’m trying to cut back on sugar as well; I’m having a hard time giving up my Diet Cokes! I just read this post while eating a bag of chocolate covered almonds – my “reward” for peace and quiet after the kids are in bed……maybe I should rethink things a little… I am an emotional eater too! Thanks so much for writing it all for us. Kelly Oh my gosh! I posted such a similar post for Thursday! A little more about the addiction part…but the emotion part too! You learn so much when you let go of what you are stuffing down with WHATEVER you are stuffing down with! And really, the one way to recognize that is to work through it and feel it…and oh, isn’t that hard sometimes. You know you have inspired me and now I feel so good…thank you so much! My emotional crutch food is Pepsi. When I’m stressed, or sad, or angry, or whatever, that’s what I reach for. Thank you for being honest about what you’ve gone through. I’d love to give it up, but I don’t have a very good relationship with my oldest daughter and our interactions are very stressful. She will be heading to college in the fall so I’m hoping that then I can get myself off the Pepsi habit. My three yr old just walked in here and saw the picture of waffle licking his lips and said “OOO Weee he likes bacon. Bacon Bacon Bacon! You need to call and book waffle for the next beggin strips commercial. Has nothing to do with the blog, just thought you might get a kick. I had to print waffle’s picture for him. Now he is running around the house introducing waffle to the family.:)LOL Great post Meg! What a great mom you are! Just think of the good eating habits you are showing your children! 🙂 I feel your pain…I could give up sugar, except for the chocolate. Instead I run as much as possible, which allows me to eat more chocolate. It is, indeed, a vicious cycle… Sweetie- it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that anyone with a husband, five kids and a big dog, has a stressful life! (And yes, I was happy!!!) But I’m really happy that you are eating healthy and exercising. That’s what God wants for all of us. Ok. I could’ve written this post myself. I gave up sugar about four weeks ago. The issue for me is that I gained three pounds since doing so. I am now in a major hormone battle which totally stinks, but I have to tell you…when I don’t eat the sugar, I don’t think about the food. I don’t eat when I’m angry. I let myself get angry. I take it to God. I always felt like it wasn’t proper for me to get angry…but anger is a part of what God wants me to feel, right?? So, you’ve inspired me and I ventured out to begin my own blog. It was much easier than I thought. On it I share the musings of a mother of five further down the road of life than you and probably most of your readers. If interested you can check it out at: That is amazing! Keep up the awesome work! I completely relate to emotional eating… it’s how i fix lonely and how i celebrate…. Its not like your over weight by any means ….Dont think too hard about it….(the sugar thing). Sometimes it is just what the doctor ordered you have to do what works for you. Good for you! You go girl and God will reward your efforts because you are doing it to please HIM. We are his vessels so we must take care of them. I am sooooo proud of you. You are on my Yahoo reader and I read your blog everyday. As a matter of fact, I am making hte crescent chicken dinner right now!!! YUMMO! But, noooo sweets for me tonight either! Hugs! I admire you determination. I cut out most sugar just by simply drinking plain black coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I usually do really well and don’t have sugar any other time unless it involves hormones and then my husband begs me to eat sugar and brings home Hershey bars or World Class Chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robins. Good luck sweetie, I only have 3 boys and I can so relate to stress eating. there is nothing bad about sugar, it’s just the kind of sugar you eat. Refined sugars are terrible for you, but you can substitute refined sugars in a lot of recipes with evaporated cane juice, fruit syrup, brown rice syrup, agavae syrup…all of this is natural and good for you. Hi Meg, Love your blog. Love this post. Need to know, what do you put in your coffee now? I think that will be my one and only struggle. I am going to do it! Thanks for inspiring me! Also, I adore Waffle! That was so encouraging for me to read. . . I am an emotional eater too. . . and I know Jesus has better for me. Good job waffle!!! I love being saved from myself! You are awesome!! This is an amazingly hard thing to do. And after reading your experience with emotional eating..i think i do it too. Meg, Oprah is too busy talking about “the secret” to talk about God. If she only knew that God IS the secret. Silly, Oprah. Meg, so weird and wonderful to hear you talk about all of that. Sugar will make you crazy, crazy for sugar! I have cut down all the way to one teaspoon for my morning coffee cuz I just have to have it. I am also having honey – GOOD honey. Good luck, you have been doing GREAT!!!!!!!! Hi Meg – Can I come live with you so you can inspire me from “anear” rather than from “afar”?!??! You go girl! Good for you! I find myself thinking that everyone ELSE is an emotional eater, but when I was reading this, I thought for a moment that I should go get some desert from last night… um, hello self? SO, I’m heading for an apple or orange instead 🙂 I think its funny how all the ladies complimented Waffle & Craig said the dog was going down, when he gets home! made me chuckle! This post really spoke to me. I have a feeling I need to desugar… Actually I know I need to but your post makes actually want to take the dreaded step!!! I AM PROUD OF YOU, MEG!! Waffle eating the cheesecake made me laugh. My parents’ cats at the tater tots off their leftover tater tot casserole last week- crazy pets! You are my hero- I’m not to the point where I could give up sugar. AND you inspired me to start my own blog! http://www.theiheartblog.com hoping scratch that going to TRY giving up soda and junk food for March. Reading this was realistic. I already know I eat- for good or bad feelings- I just haven’t cared enough to do anything to try and change it lately. (And by lately I mean the last almost 8 years!) I’m going to now, so thanks for the post! if you’re about to give into temptation….spray windex on it!!! ha!! I am right there with you, though I didn’t give up sugar. A friend made a comment (a very nice one, I should add) back in January and something clicked inside me, and I wanted to exercise. WANTED to. I wanted to start paying attention more to what I was eating (not that I was eating badly before, but you know what I mean). Something just clicked. Like you just mentioned it did for you. People can say things until they’re blue in the face, but until that moment, the moment when it clicks for you, none of it matters. If anything, it makes you run the other way. It’s been about six weeks since the comment was made, and I’ve lost 15 lbs so far. As corny as it sounds, it is like I can finally see in color. Everything is different. My attitude, my outlook, the way I carry myself. Everything. The last time that happened, when it all clicked for me, was 3 months before I got married, twelve years ago. I owe him. Big time. Kudos to you on all your success – you can do it, whatever “it” is for you! thank you for this post. i needed to hear how hard it is because i started today. i’m cutting out sweets and sugar in my latte – which is huge. i’ve had vanilla lattes since i can remember! no pastries with my latte. no more sweets. i’m going to continue eating fruit though…i love it too much! i know i can do this…it’s time. thank you again! I am so proud of you!!! Way to go on putting everything together and understanding what it all means for you. I’m pretty sure we’re twins seperated at birth! This post could have so easily been written by me…..right down to your broccoli comment! Ok, except for the fact that I’m not on a sugar fast and I’m not losing weight and I’m not going to Africa and I probably would have killed myself a dog for inhaling my cheesecake! 😉 Umm…You just described me. But I don’t think I realized that I was like that…AT ALL. Wow! You were like just in my head! kuddos to you, my bloggy friend. i know what a challenge this is. personally, i can’t even bring sweets into my house. it literally calls my name. everyone needs a waffle in their life. just sayin’. he is just precious, by the way!! (((hugs))) I’m a total emotional eater too and I know it every time I eat something. It isn’t always sugar for me. Sometimes it’s salty stuff or sometimes it’s boxed mac ‘n’ cheese.. Ugh! wow. such an encouragement. i am day four into no sugar. my new friend is lite yogurt. and fruit, my new “candy.” i’m a crack addict around sugar. uggh — i know i have the problem of emotional eating but i just am not willing to deal with it right now. thanks for sharing your journey thus far – its very encouraging! God does want us to feel those emotions – even if oprah hasn’t told us so 🙂 I am so proud of you. Thank you for your honesty! Good for yOU! 1st of all- Craig’s comment made me laugh out loud! I love your personality and perserverence. I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar and have been experiencing exactly what you have. I never put it together, however, that God wants me to feel those emotions so that I can respond, rely and grow in my faith in Him. Giving God the glory! My pastor said this past Sunday that “just because it feels good does not mean it is a blessing.” That struck me right in my sugary sweet tooth. Thanks for the extra boost. I am going to throw out the Sprite and get a water now. 🙂 Good for you!! Stay strong. Thank you Meg for your honesty! I’ve been bloggin about my healthy eating kick. First went the meat…and then out went dairy this Summer. My sinus infections that were becoming regular and serious are a thing of the past. I am so happy to not have the roller coaster of medications to kick out the infections! Now I’m on the kick out the sugar phase. I did it before Christmas, and felt incredible. Here I am again, after a long Winter, and too many cookie baking sessions with the kids. I’ve had a few setbacks this week, but am doing it…and feel so much better not being in a sugar- induced coma all day with my 4 kids! Work it girl! I’m way impressed. And I know what you mean about making the husband proud. I feel that same way about things. If I can make him laugh, I’m golden. 🙂 I’m sooo excited for you!!! I gave up sugary things for Lent…..but really, I need this to last more than 40 days 🙂 I am ADDICTED to all things sweet 🙁 I.LOVE.SUGAR!!! And I think it’s the Devil I tell ya 🙁 (That might’ve been something I heard on The Waterboy??!) heeheee!!! So far, I’m hanging in there….but my bd and my 4 yr old’s bd…and that’s gonna be tough 🙁 But, I figure if Jesus could die on the cross for me…I could NOT have cake on my bd 🙂 I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!! Way to go Meg!! I hope you can keep it up!!! And man oh man I love that Waffle Dog 🙂 Way to go Waffle! Another good reason for a new dog in our house. :o) Recognizing what’s behind the overeating is good but the real kicker…wanting it for myself. Thanks for sharing! I gave up sugar last January 1, 2009 for my resolution. I too have 5 kids ( boys), so I know what you are going through. I stuck to it and within 3 weeks didn’t crave sugar at all. I now am able to treat myself occasionally, but to be honest, when I eat anything with sugar in it, I think it is kinda gross (meaning : too sugary). I lost over 25 pounds! I now feel better, look better, have a TON more energy and eat super healthy ex. fruits, vegtables, limited whole grains and seafood and chicken with occasional red meat ~LOVE my hamburgers. My appetite has been been cut in half because I am not on that darn sugar roller coaster I was on. CONGRATUALTIONS to you~ you CAN and WILL be able to stick to it. And Waffle will be looking out for you~ he is your divine intervention to remind you and guide you Good luck~ 🙂 Inspiring, convicting, though-provoking post. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m not ready to take the plunge yet, but it sure will get me thinking each time I want to grab a cookie after yelling at one of my boys. (not that i do that often…) 🙂 I love to hear about what other people are doing to be healthy. It gives me hope for America! (Ooooh, that was a dramatic statement.) I started a Healthy Lifestyle Challenge this year with some friends, called Game On. (There’s a book, which I didn’t read, just followed the rules and the do/don’t food lists.) It taught me a lot about the way I eat (or don’t eat). I rarely ever buy junk, but somehow managed to stuff myself with carbs thru the day. I was always “too busy” to pay attention to what I was eating during the day….until I had to. Part of the motivation for this particular method was that I earned points for my team by making healthy choices. Strange that not letting the team down was more motivating for me than the possibility of weight loss. Apparently, guilt motivates me well. I’m definitely an emotional eater. In the fall I cut back considerably on my sugar intake and gave up my daily Diet Cokes. I started losing weight pretty quickly. A few weeks ago I started drinking Diet Coke again. Last week I was stressed and craving sweets, so I bought candy and have been munching all weekend. Today I have no energy and am so tired! Hmmmm – light bulb! i love waffle!! Way to go!! I am one week in with no sugar…I gave it up for Lent. I too have experienced the emotional attachment to my sugary foods. I want something sweet when I’m happy (to celebrate) and when I’m sad or angry (to comfort). I am working on dealing with these feeling through prayer, not food! 🙂 That dog is going down when I get home. you know, i just decided a few days ago to give sugar up. just now, i was thinking how great ice cream sounded and almost headed right in the kitchen to get it. is it THAT big of a habit, that i almost completely forgot i wasn’t having sugar?! then i was thinking, “who cares, i’ll just have a little and it will be fine.” i decided to get online first and here i am. THANK YOU for posting this, it motivated me to continue on, without giving up in the first few days! Partly inspired by you and partly because I just KNOW, I, too, have given up sugar. Aside from a couple of cheats, I am a little over two weeks in. Thank you so much for this post today. It is most inspiring and I’m going to keep on keeping on. I, too, have always brushed off the suggestion of emotional eating and must admit that I do the same as you. My name is Sarah and I’m a sugar addict. It has/had a major hold on me and so this year for Lent I gave it up. Can I just say the last six days have been terrible? Yes. Terrible. But, reading your post makes me think there is light in this tunnel. I have purpose in giving it up and will hopefully break the death grip sugar has had on me for the last 31 years. I don’t eat sugar either…….much. My doc said my blood sugar was too high for me, so I cut it out along with all refined carbs. So hard. I love me a scone. i am with you – big time emotional eater!! big time! i hate it too. its probably the biggest thing about myself that i hate – i blame my butt and thighs on it! ha! Read this great post while licking the frosting off a large spoon….I am so happy for you with your progress. I hope I want it enough, someday, to change too. I hope you know that not only are your real-life friends and husband proud of you, but your faithful readers are, too! It makes so much sense that you eat because you want to cover the emotions. I have never thought of it that way, but it makes so much sense – and I love the way you look at it that God wants us to feel those feelings. What a true connection! You’ll be in my prayers – you’ve done such a great job already! You are so honest; I love that about you. You are learning, and sharing what you are learning with us – how generous of you. I can see what you are saying: so many of us eat, or drink, or play, to “stuff” or stifle our feelings. Sometimes we aren’t aware that we have a choice, or we aren’t aware enough to stop.breathe.and.choose. You are doing a good thing for yourself, your family and your readers. God bless you! and I’m proud of you too! Bless Waffle- he saved the day and really he thinks he just got a big ole yummy treat! 🙂 Love that dog! I am so inspired by what you are doing. When you first announced that you were giving up sugar, you inspired me to do the same. I am one week off of sugar, and it is very tough. Like you, I am realizing how much my emotions have to do with eating and just how much sugar I eat everyday without even thinking about it. I love how you said that God wants you to feel those things so that you can continually give yourself up to Him, over and over. That is so awesome, and I am going to use that as my mantra when the cravings really kick in. I think you are a very strong and awesome lady! Glad to have found your blog! even DARK chocolate. Wow you’ve given me an “AHA” moment today. (Another Oprah-ism). 🙂 I never thought about how when we turn to food because of emotions we are stealing the opportunity from ourselves to take the emotion to the Lord and really feel it and deal with it in a way that can bring change. I’m a total sugar addict too but I never thought about it in this way. Thanks for sharing your journey! I gave up refined sugars for Lent, so I haven’t had any since Wednesday. I didn’t do it for weight loss, only because I know I am addicted to it too. I wanted to even out my energy levels and now I am seeing that I turned to it for comfort A LOT! I gave up sugar once… I am like you in I like to eat, especially sugar 🙂 and I am probably an emotional eater too, but have not had the light bulb moment yet! Do you put anything in your coffee? I just started the sugar free diet too and I am having a problem with fixing my coffee. After my first child, I started drinking coffee…black. After my second child, I started drinking it with slenda, and milk. It was after my second child I also started making some kind of cake or a batch of cookies every week. Hi Meg! Thanks so much for sharing. I shared a similar post a few weeks ago. I think the emotional eating issue is more common than we think. I have A LOT of emotions I have yet to deal with and by conciously trying to feel things instead of cover them up with food, I am finding a few ugly truths. HOWEVER, it is an awesome feeling to actually feel instead of being numb. It is AWSOME to for me to let God be there for me the way He always intended. I’m visiting your blog after just posting my “points” on the weight watchers website. Your words on sugar and willpower echo loudly with me. I am so glad you were able to find the willpower to forego those tempting goodies(at least until the cheesecake incident!!), it is so hard to do!! I too am trying to become healthier and lose weight, but it is a daily challenge. Willpower comes from within. Good luck to you. You have inspired me! I just had to comment (I usually stalk from Google Reader LOL), I’ve had the same problem for years. Tried every kind of diet till I just gave up. But still not feeling so hot about myself. You have the cutest dog EVER! I love your posts-you always make me smile. |
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Staci Danford - Those pictures were just precious.. What fabulous shots..
Staci
Whitney R. - Okay- I think I recognize this girl- crazy! Maybe from college. lol.
Newborn Clothing - Amazing!
gina - So fun and yes, I’m BEYOND ready for summer!
Diana - These are awesome! Ohhhhhh, yeah…. gimme warm weather!
Thinking of you and praying for you while you’re in Africa! Hope all is going well!
Hey! It might just be warm when you get back here…. temps predicted to be in the upper 50s, some 60s next week!
*woot*
♥
jennifer - Beautiful!
the blue muse(kelly) - love that last peekaboo shot!
Amber Zimmerman - Love dad’s yellow shoestrings! What beautiful pics. . .they will love! =)
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Those were beautiful Meg. Love the look she gave him and that last one was precious!
jennifer - Thanks Megan! we would love to see you again this year with the addition on another little princess. you are amazing! jennifer
Thea - I am soooo ready for summer!!!! Call me crazy, but sunshine makes a difference for me! 🙂
Sharla - Hey, I think I recognize this location. 🙂 Great pics!