Author: Andi Meade

I’m going to attempt to write a blog while the babies are up and running around like the little maniacs they are (I mean that in a good, loving way, of course). I’m doing this because I’m in the middle of an excellent novel, and I know as soon the kids do go to bed, I will be lured away from anything productive to figuring out what the characters in my book are looking for in Scotland. That being said, I’m certain this blog will be interrupted many times with a play-by-play of what the kids are doing. For example, Callie Grace just found the salt shaker and made a little mound of salt in the kitchen. Lovely.

So the first non-fiction book I picked to read is called “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream”, by David Platt. Philip pointed out the irony of the title, since on the very top of the cover it says “New York Times Bestseller”. I will save my review until I’m finished with the book, but so far I’m enjoying it greatly, with the exception of his obsession with cushioned chairs. You’ll have to read it to understand what I mean.

(Justus is pushing Callie Grace around in her baby stroller, while she’s waving like a princess.)

So far I’m doing well with my resolutions. Naturally, the ones on exercising and drinking water will take awhile to work up to (say, a year or so), but other than that, I’m doing well. And one of the great things about my daily bible reading is that I always know the date now. I’m not going to lie, at times I’ve been in the wrong month, much less day of the week, so this is a real bonus for me!

As for personal hygiene, I have been brushing my teeth at least twice a day, but what I want to know is, do I still need to wash my face at night if I don’t put on make-up that day? I’m thinking no, but is that cheating? I’m a rule-follower to the extreme, you know.

(There was a pause that you were unaware of due to having to go get Justus out of the bathtub. He loves to climb in, and gets stuck.)

Callie Grace can say her ABC’s all by herself, which I find amazing and kinda creepy. Also, she forgets nothing, so if you tell her at night that you’re going to make pancakes in the morning, you must keep to your word because she won’t forget. Justus has for the most part stopped crawling and is walking everywhere, making him quite proud of himself, judging from the look on his face. I’m happy to say that he also likes his alone time, which has come in handy for Callie, because he was driving her batty with his constant presence. Unfortunately his love for all things electrical, including outlets, has not wavered, and his ability to pop off the safety caps has increased. What a boy he is! Both of them think we have two homes now, one here and one at church. Callie walks around the church as if she owns it. Really, they should put her on the greeting committee.

Our Christmas decorations will officially come down tomorrow, as Philip has picked January 5th as the date for that occasion. See his blog on the 12 Days of Christmas to understand. But not to worry, all of my Valentine stuff goes up on January 14, giving me exactly a month to enjoy them. See how much fun it is when you just go ahead and embrace your own eccentricity? 🙂

Now I really must go rescue Justus, since Callie is trying to put make-up on him.

So it is January 1st, and I’m, as usual, bizarrely excited about my resolutions. I love goals. I love making lists just so I can cross things off that I’ve accomplished. (This, by the way, is why I want an actual planner, not the planner that comes on my phone. Philip.) I have my list written on a clean, crisp white piece of paper. Philip had his emailed to himself on his phone. We shared them with each other at midnight last night, after attempting to decipher what in heaven’s name Dick Clark was saying. I digress.

My Resolutions:
1. Daily Bible reading. I love doing this. I have no idea why I struggle to keep up with it. My ESV bible comes with a reading plan that is easy, interesting, doesn’t leave you stuck in Deuteronomy for weeks, and takes about 15 minutes. This one is very important to me.

2. Read through at least one non-fiction book every two weeks. This should be easy. I can rip through a 500 page novel in less than a day, but novels are easy to read, take no thought, and I don’t have to process what it means in regards to my life. So I’m going to write on my blog what book I’m reading, when I start and when I finish it. Sort of an accountability thing. Which leads me to…

3. Blog at least 4 times a week. Every year I put journaling (is that not a word? My spell check is telling me it’s not. I’m certain it is. Am I smarter than Microsoft Word?) on my list. Every year I fail within the first week. I hate journaling. I love buying journals. I love the idea. But blogging seems to come easier to me, and it really is a journal for me.

4. Write a book. I have no idea which subject, fiction, non-fiction, for children, for women, etc. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head, they collide in a spectacular fashion, and I’ve decided this will be the year that I write a book.

5 and 6 go together. Exercise 4 times a week, drink 8 glasses of water. Blah. But it’s a must.

7. Personal hygiene has dropped far down on my list of priorities since having children. I have a voice nagging in my ear every night (who said this?) that if I don’t wash my make-up off it adds seven years to my life. Does that mean every night? Does that mean I’ll live seven years longer? Does that mean I’ll look 60 when I’m 35? Regardless, I plan to do this. And floss. Again, blah.

8. Create a keep a schedule for a well-ordered home. I read a book once that was written for busy moms, to create a schedule for cleaning. That way, everything doesn’t pile up and have to been done in one day. I did this for awhile before I got sick this summer, and I really liked it.

9. Return phone calls or texts within 12 hours. Really, I’m going to do this, so I promise if you call and leave a message, I will return your call (Erin, Jen, the U.S. Department of Education, etc).

10. Memorize one scripture a week.

11. Daily remind myself what my purpose here on earth is, and live it. This may seem silly, but it’s easy for me to start thinking that my purpose is to make sure the bottles are clean, the kids eat more than just macaroni and cheese, and that people like me. But I’m here to glorify God and to know Him. I have to remind myself of that every day.

12. Daily try to find a way to make Philip’s life easier and happier. This is a fun one. He’s always doing little things for me, thoughtful things that show me he treasures me and loves me. I want to make sure I’m doing this as well. The life of a pastor is hectic, stressful, filled with temptation and struggles. I’m here to help him, encourage him, love on him, make him laugh, and someday, cook for him. 🙂

13. Try daily not to complain. I don’t mean just the complaining that I do out-loud, but the thoughts in my head. This is definitely where the memorizing of scripture will come in handy.

14. Continue to have daily family worship. Since Callie Grace and Justus assume now that this is a part of life, as much as eating and bathing and going to church, this is not a hard one at all. Getting Callie Grace off of one particular hymn that she’s taking a liking to is much more difficult.

15. Twice a week send an encouraging card or email. Again, this is something I love doing. I just want to do it more regularly.

So there is my list. Now, is anybody going to share theirs?

With only a few days left of 2010, it’s time to make New Year’s resolutions. I love doing this, and I’m pretty sure I started at around the age of 3, when it was my resolution to collect as many stuffed animals as possible. In my excitement, I assumed everyone did this, and was a little shocked to learn over the years that a great many people do not.

The reason so many people don’t make resolutions is a valid one, I suppose. They assume that they won’t keep them and will just be disappointed in themselves. Or they assume it will just be too much work. However, this has not slowed me down one bit. And I usually go for bold, outrageous resolutions, as well as smaller things I really must do, like taking my make-up off every night (what a chore!).

The thing is, the year is going to pass, whether I’m aiming for something or not. And I love the idea of the impossible, and I’m surrounded by the impossible actually occurring. The forgiveness of sins, the ability to start each day new, the fact that I’m married to Philip, the fact that two children like Callie and Justus not only exist, but they are mine.

So many things about being a Christian should be impossible, but by the grace of God they are not. That’s why I love the idea of the magical, the unattainable, the ridiculous. With this in mind, no day could possibly be boring. Just the fact that God is revealing Himself to us daily, in so many places, is miraculous and confounding, and worth getting out of bed for.

So I’m compiling my list of resolutions carefully, with great excitement over what 2011 will hold. My list will be posted shortly.

What about you? What are you going to aim for this year?

Tonight Philip and I were able to go Christmas shopping for the babies, while Callie Grace got to spend time with her best friend, Charleston, and Justus got to hang out with his best friend, Uncle Pete, who spoils him with peanut butter cups.

Christmas shopping for the kids is possibly the most fun I can imagine. Philip and I went down every toy aisle, so excited to find toys they would like. Maybe it seems like we waited a little late to do our shopping, but even now, having to wait until Saturday for them to open their presents, is killing me!

Here is something that puzzles me. So many people I know find Christmas to be a hassle. I considered that maybe it’s a money issue for some, but again, we are living on one income with two babies, and the one income is a pastor’s income. So I can’t think that money is what makes it a hassle. Of course, I love Christmas to the point of an obsession, so I’m no judge of the frustrations that apparently come with it, but I’m also married to a man who is so excited to make Christmas fun, and holy, and memorable.

So am I missing something? Is there some part of Christmas in particular that causes so much stress, leading people to sigh loudly in the middle of Safeway and say, “I can’t wait until Christmas is over” (blasphemy, in my world!).

Along the same lines, I tried to explain to Callie Grace that Santa comes down the chimney. She looked appalled. I don’t think she’s ready for all the particulars yet. Also, Santa is going to have to bring her, and now me, a new spin toothbrush. She found my new one that I had thankfully not used yet, and brushed her teeth for about 2 hours today.

As for Justus, he keeps trying to follow in his sister’s footprints and steal ornaments off the tree. Also he will climb anything he can find. And eat anything he can find. To say I love my babies is such an understatement! I try to imagine the fact that God loves them more than I do, but my mind can’t wrap around that.

Sorry for the randomness of this post. It’s almost 10pm, which is at least 2 hours past my bedtime. I do love my babies, but keeping up with them is exhausting! 🙂

Today I reconnected with a dear friend, possibly the friend I’ve known for the longest time. We went to daycare together before first grade. We roomed together in college. She’s more like family to me, as I have few memories of my life when I didn’t know her. The sad thing is, she has tried multiple times to get in touch with me. Luckily, she knows me well enough to not be offended and not give up. (I once told a friend I’d call her right back. That was in August. I called her back in October. True story.)

This is a weakness of mine. I’d blame it on having two babies and being super busy, but I’ve struggled with this weakness long before I had children. I’m not sure if it’s laziness, a dislike of the phone, or some weird phobia, but the problem is that the longer you go without talking to someone, the more you have to catch up on, and just the idea of that wears me out. So yeah, it must be laziness.

Somehow, certainly because the Lord knew me before I was formed, He has blessed me with these amazing friends who don’t give up on me. I have no idea why, unless it’s for my sparkling personality, which I seriously doubt, since I consider myself rather boring with a weird sense of humor that pops up at the most inappropriate times.

So to all my dear friends who call me and often wait in vain for a return call, despite my good intentions (today I checked my voicemail. I had 15 messages. For shame, Andi, for shame.), my plan is to work on this weakness of mine, and to show you all how much I truly love you. Just don’t be surprised if I answer the phone with “Buddy the elf, what’s your favorite color?”. Elf is permanently etched in my brain, due to a certain two-year-old.

I had to take a brief hiatus from blogging, due to the insanity that has been the last few weeks. Mostly the insanity was of my own making, until we left town for over a week. However, I’m back with lots of stories, Christmas excitement to share, and of course, the newest installment of Twilight to watch while I blog. Life is good.

Things I learned on our vacation:

1. I have amazing, well-behaved children. We were constantly in awe of how they just kept adapting to new situations. I mean, they did have their moments and their occasional breakdowns, but then so did I!

2. I have learned that Callie Grace has the most random thoughts in the morning when she wakes up. A few nights she slept on an air mattress next to our bed, and one morning she woke me up by saying, “Santa brings presents?”.

3. Once you open up the world of Santa Claus to a 2 year old, there’s no going back.

4. One must be careful when introducing all the characters involved in Christmas, as it can get confusing to small children. Callie keeps calling Santa Joseph. She also tends to mistake anyone wearing a Santa hat for Santa Claus himself.

5. As proof that Philip cares way more for his babies than any earthly things, he left his diploma on the top of the car while getting the babies in their car seats. Twice.

6. As proof that the world is still full of good people, both times his diploma flew away, a Good Samaritan found it. One time we were in a parking lot and he was able to hand it to us. The second time it flew off the car as his mom drove away from the airport. Amazingly, someone found it, called the seminary and gave them his information to give to Philip. So many Christmas miracles!

7. No matter how well-behaved your children are, you will still leave a path of destruction everywhere you go. It’s inevitable.

8. People on planes are almost always kind and sympathetic when there is a crying baby sitting near them. At least, if they are thinking mean thoughts, they keep them to themselves. My guess is almost everyone has been in the same situation.

9. Traveling with Philip is awesome. He is so very calm, so laid-back, and so certain that any change of plans (like missing flights) all falls under the category of the providence of God, completely taking the stress and worry out of unexpected events.

10. My children are allergic to the South. Justus has never been sick a day in his life, and both he and Callie Grace struggled with allergies.

11. When you have relationships with people that are firmly grounded in Christ, then no matter how much time has passed, they are still your family in Christ.

12. Callie Grace is obsessed with the movie “Elf”. Not sure what that has to do with traveling, except I’ve watched it in multiple states now.

13. When your luggage makes it to your destination a day before you do, improvising can be fun. As long as you have extra diapers.

14. Even on trips, Callie Grace still needs her alone time, shutting herself in a room by herself, and saying “bye bye mommy”. I totally respect that.

15. Waiting in the airport for five hours with two small children is not bad at all when the airport has a play ground in it and a Starbucks.

16. The Bible Belt is a wonderful place. When we got to the airport in Kentucky, they were playing Christian music over the intercom. Weird, but fantastic.

17. Callie Grace can now sing Silent Night all by herself. I discovered that she sings herself to sleep.

18. Also, Callie Grace will play Ring Around the Rosie with anyone who volunteers. Only she says “mashes, mashes, we all fall down.”

19. Justus is grandpa’s boy. Unfortunately he’s so big that my dad’s back will never be the same from carrying him, but grandpa said it was well worth it.

20. Lastly, there is nothing, absolutely nothing as wonderful as coming home.

So now I need some feedback. I want to hear what your favorite Christmas movie, desert, and songs are. Really. If for some reason you can’t leave a comment, email it to me at andimeade@hotmail.com. Also, I totally need some recipes. Spelled out clearly. As in, start with, take the pans out of the cabinet. 🙂

I feel that I must do the obligatory blog on Thanksgiving, not that it’s hard to do, but it can get rather sentimental and dull.  Regardless, here is my attempt at expressing my thankfulness.

There are so many things I’m thankful for, some more serious than others.  I’m thankful that last night, when Callie Grace went to bed at 7pm, Philip suggested we lay down for a few minutes.  I slept until 7:30 this morning, with the exception of a brief hour interlude where I ate oreo cookies and milk and watched a Sherlock Holmes episode with Philip at 3am.

I’m thankful for my wonderful, beautiful, bizarre children.  I’m thankful that I love the Michael W. Smith version of Jingles Bells, and therefore did not want to bash my head against the window when I was forced to listen to it about 20 times in a row in the car today on the way to Philip’s brother’s house.  Well, I wasn’t forced, but who could resist Callie’s enthusiastic singing and her loud proclamation of “Once again!” when the song is over?  Not I, and certainly not Philip!  Callie played so well with her little cousin Logan, except for the one time when he tried to take her hockey stick from her, and she made an illegal hockey move by hitting him in the head.  In all fairness, his was an illegal hockey move too.  Obviously she did not get her sports skills from me.

Justus smiled and played, tumbled around, ate and babbled, and when he had enough, he spread himself out on the carpet and just laid there for a good 15 minutes, wide awake, just chillin.  He totally got that from me.

And then of course there’s Philip to be thankful for, but no words could sum up what I’m thankful for regarding him and our marriage.  I try and try, and fail, to express my love and adoration for him.

And in random order, here are some other things I’m so very thankful for: family – both the fairly normal and the crazy ones,  music, books, Starbucks, gift cards for books and Starbucks, the kind of laughter where you think you might completely make a fool of yourself, making a fool of yourself, friends that really get you, pie, chocolate, forgiveness, Christmas Vacation, being spoiled by Philip, emails, the fact that I’ve accepted that I live in a place where there is actually a lion season, watching Sherlock Holmes at 3am, breakfast pastries, sleeping, sleeping babies, my DVR, finally recognizing and embracing my own eccentricity, Philip’s dance moves, Callie’s dance moves, Justus laughing himself to sleep, those rare moments when you really, really get the mystery and majesty of God and you want to cry and laugh at the same time.  This list could get long and boring (some of you are saying “It could?” sarcastically.  I know who you are.)  ((Not really)).  There are just so many things to give thanks for, even the things that bring pain.  I’m trying to be more intentional in giving thanks for what I have, and in teaching my children to do the same. Which means I have to cut back on the whining and self-pity, and I must say I’m getting better at that.  Today when I discovered that Starbucks was closed, I had a very brief meltdown and reminded myself it will be open tomorrow.  See, progress.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve decided to do another random post today. Too many random thoughts bouncing around in my head to keep to myself.

1. I got the sweetest email from Philip today. Seriously. How can he be so amazing?
2. Faith and I made a pie today. From scratch. I’m totally not joking. And it’s awesome!
3. My addictive personality comes to life during Christmas. If one strand of Christmas lights is awesome, 10 will be legendary!
4. Callie Grace likes to throw little wooden trains at Justus. Justus doesn’t like it at all. Any thoughts on this?
5. It’s sort of miraculous that a person can watch A Wiggly Christmas at least 10 times a day, and not go crazy. Well, it’s always been my theory that no crazy person thinks they’re crazy, so really I’m no judge on my own level of craziness.
6. I was thinking today that it’s a good thing I had already forced Nita to be my bosom buddy before she told me she had all three of her children without an epidural. Otherwise I would still be praying for wisdom regarding our friendship.
7. Philip has some awesome dance moves, and my new favorite thing is sneaking up on him while he’s in the kitchen practicing his moves. On the same note, Callie also enjoys Philip’s dancing.
8. After having a day on the mountaintop with God, the next day usually sucks. This has proved true for most of my life, and I’m learning how to fight it off.
9. People who think staying at home with kids makes for predictable days obviously do not have kids like mine.
10. Callie has become obsessed with make-up, especially lipstick, only she has a hard time understanding it ONLY goes on your lips.
11. the Lord is so awesome and miraculous, knocking me to my knees when I need it. It takes true love to do this, as all parents know. Discipline is way harder on the parent than the child.