Something Greater

The day I decided I didn’t like fishing was the day my dad took me fishing for the first time. I was three years old. I was so excited to be going on this special trip, just he and I. I can’t remember where we went or whose boat we borrowed. All I know is we were at a lake surrounded by the tallest of trees that offered a nice reprieve from the summer sun beating down on the water. (Not that my little three-year-old self cared about such things. I was of the age when the heat would plaster my ringlets to my face, sweat dripping in my eyes, and I wouldn’t mind one bit.) I remember looking down at the boat from the dock. It was small, just your typical rowboat. I stood on the dock waiting for my dad to put all the fishing gear onto our tiny boat. After settling everything in its spot he took me into his arms and placed me on the wooden seat across from him. I mustered all my strength to hold on to one side of the boat as he rowed away from the shore, my body engulfed by my life preserver. But I didn’t mind, the anticipation of catching my first fish was killing me. I had no idea though that most of fishing is waiting.

Not Your Typical DIY Father's Day Gift

Before I begin I have two disclaimers:

1. I'm sharing this before Father's Day incase all you slackers last minute gifters still have yet to get your father anything for his big day and need a suggestion. Plus my dad is rarely ever on social media so he won't read this. And if by chance he does happen to see this before Father's Day he already knows what he's getting.

2. I did this same thing for my mother for Mother's Day and when my dad saw her gift he said he wanted the same thing (they don't live together), making my life so much easier! 

3. We're not sure what's wrong with our camera but it's not focusing so this is why these pictures seem to be so out of focus. It's disheartening really.

Now that we got those out of the way, let's continue...

I think my love language is gifts. I love receiving gifts but more than that I love giving gifts! Gifts that are thoughtful, sentimental, mean something. When I give someone a gift that I put a lot of energy and thought into I feel like I'm loving them with everything I have. My hope is that when they open their gift they feel my love. This is why for every holiday and birthday I try to find something that I can give or make that says "I love you". If I absolutely can't find something I get paralyzed and I end up being the worst gift giver and I wallow in self pity for days. This could've happened this Father's Day for my dad because he's super hard to shop for and like most men isn't keen on the sentimental items (not that he doesn't enjoy them, he just doesn't know what to do with them). But when my dad saw the gift I made my mom he said "oh wow, I like these!" And I thought "score! that's what you're getting for Father's Day!" (It's not technically "re-gifting", right?)

So here it is folks: DIY PHOTO COASTERS

 Materials:

I'm missing my stickies here because I hadn't bought them yet. 

*4 1/2" squared tiles--I bought mine at Lowe's in a box of 12 for $7

*modge podge

*sealing clear coat spray paints

*felt, cork, foam, or cardboard stickies for the bottom--I used felt

*foam brush

*photos--print them from your computer using standard printing paper, much cheaper and works better with the modge podge. You may have to downsize them to fit your tile. So I made mine 3 1/2x3 1/2". Also, they are Instagram photos which made it a whole lot easier since they were already squared.

Instructions:

1. Cut your pictures. Paint one "light" layer of modge podge onto the coasters and lay on the pictures making sure they are centered. Smooth out the prints several times to remove any bubbles. I used a credit card to smooth them. 

2. Keep layering on the modge podge, making sure it's really dry in between coats. I did this about 5-6 times per coaster.

3. Once everything is dry spray on the clear spray paint. Spray about 2-3 coats per coaster to make sure everything is super smooth and glossy.

4. Stick on the felt, cork, foam, or cardboard stickies to the bottom. You can superglue them but since mine were already pretty sticky I skipped the superglue. The stickies keep the coasters from scratching glass or wood surfaces.

And that's it folks! Pretty simple, pretty cheap, and pretty sentimental! I mean who doesn't want to be reminded of loved ones as their sipping on some sweet tea? 

For all you Father's out there, I hope your Father's Day is pretty awesome! You Dads are what keep us families together and without you there would be no tickle fights, couch wrestling, fort building and just plain 'ole goofiness going on. Plus big bear dad hugs are the best!

And if by chance my dad does get on here: I love you, Dad. You are the man and I'm so blessed to call you mine! 

Travis' post on his Father's day gift is to come!!! (since he actually reads my posts I can't blog about it before I give him his gift!)

Handmade Gifts

Aren't they the best? I've been a sucker for handmade gifts from the beginning--way before our little one made her appearance. I guess it's the teacher in me. Nothing says "I love you" more than a hand drawn picture of stick figures, hearts, and flowers. Anna can't even draw yet but our refrigerator is full of pictures our little neighbor friends have given us. We even have a pile on top of the fridge waiting for their turn to be displayed. But here's the thing, okay? ... Travis isn't so much a sucker for handmade gifts. Don't get me wrong, he does love them, he just doesn't know what to do with them. He's a very minimalist guy, he hates clutter, and therefore, has no where to display such marvelous work except in a box he only looks through whenever we move. So what does a wife do when Father's Day rolls around and the only acceptable gift is a handmade one? I thought of the perfect gift a few days before as I was biting my nails, petrified I wasn't going to come up with a thing. Travis loves to read, and what better gift than a bookmark that reminds him of Anna every time he opens his book?

 

On one side I added pictures of Anna and Daddy and on the other side I typed the word "father" in a few different languages plus the saying "To a child's ear, 'father" is magic in any language!". Oh, and of course added Anna's footprint--which took me 30 minutes and 5 pages to get it right. I then had it laminated at Office Depot and Voila! The perfect bookmark for Daddy! He absolutely loved it which makes me feel like I won't find it in some random box when we go to move again. It'll be right where it's supposed to be: in the book he is currently reading!

Amazing book by the way! Every parent should read this like NOW!

Any suggestions for sentimental yet practical handmade Father's Day gifts? I should start thinking about next year already!

A Daddy and his Daughter: A Father's Day Post

Speaking for Travis (even though he has no idea), this first Father's Day was very special. Not only did we celebrate Travis for the amazing father he already is to Anna, we were able to dedicate Anna to our Heavenly Father, plus Grandma Terri visited for the weekend.

Can I just say that I am the most blessed mother to have such a father for my daughter? I may just be a little biased. Travis loves this little girl of ours so much and I know that he just can't get enough of her. She has captured his heart and has got him around her little baby pinky finger. Besides the fact that he loves her to pieces, I just know what a wonderful, wise, and loving father he is and will be as she grows older. Working with youth, the topic of discipline, training, teaching, you name it, comes up a lot. I am amazed with the wisdom he already has and every discussion we have I think to myself, wow, what a lucky woman I am to have this guy as the father of my daughter! I tell him that and he says yeah, but I'm scared! I'm afraid to have a daughter. Aren't we all?! That's why God's grace is so amazing. Plus he gives us the wisdom we need to get through these next 18 years. And I believe Travis has already received a lot of that wisdom. I am so thankful to have him as my companion as we raise our daughter and train her up to also be a daughter of our Heavenly Father. 

As we were getting ready for church I realized if Travis didn't help get Anna ready we were going to be late (this seems to happen a lot). In between drying and straightening my hair I looked into her room and found this precious moment:

Oop, she caught me!

Anna loves her Daddy so much. Her face lights up whenever she sees him and it just makes my heart implode every time! Seriously. I don't know how much more my heart can take.

What a blessing it was to be able to dedicate Anna on Travis' first Father's Day! While Anna was a little sleepy and the worship music scared her (she hates loud noises) it was a beautiful dedication and the words Pastor Jonathan spoke and prayed over Anna were perfect.

We've got a friendly girl on our hands. Anna's always making friends.

Not so sure about this big guy, Mama.

Anna tried with all her might to come back to us. Pastor Jonathan didn't resist, he was quick to hand her off before any tears were shed.

Prayer and dedication. Such a special moment.

Taking a few shots after the dedication was a must!

Anna loves Grandma Terri!

Can you see her top teeth coming in?! Ahhh, I love them!

(Speaking for Travis again) I couldn't think of a better first father's day, although he might add fishing and going to see a movie in there somewhere. I know this was only the beginning of many more father's days where Travis knows and feels just how much his daughter loves him. Even though she can't say it yet, her face, her smiles, and her babbles definitely express the great love she has for her daddy.

Ruta-whata? and Father's Day Surprises

Have I mentioned that my sister, Emily, will be attending college at UNC-Charlotte come this fall, which is less than 20 minutes away from us?! This is such exciting news! Besides the fact that she'll be so close to us while the rest of my family lives 7 hours away, I now get to have another sister live by me while she attends college--Stefanie lived less than a mile from me while she attended Anderson University in Indiana. This makes my heart so happy! And having a very special aunt who will love her and spoil her makes Juice Drop very happy too :) I'm so excited that my family is here in Charlotte this week while Emily attends orientation! On Thursday we'll all head down to our old vacation spot in Ft. Myers, Florida for some much needed family time and sprucing up Grandma's house to rent out. Here's to hoping 11 hours in a car will all be worth it!

How far along? 27 weeks 

Total weight gain: last week's appointment was 19 lbs but I'm SURE I've gained a few more pounds since then

Maternity clothes? Most of the time

Stretch marks? No :)

Sleep: Good, not great 

Best moment this week: Celebrating Father's Day with my baby's Daddy :) even though it led to major Braxton Hicks--see below, and my family getting into town and being able to feel Juice Drop!

Miss Anything? Being able to hike 5 miles with ease

Movement: Yep! And she did this crazy move the other day where I felt like my stomach was having a seizure--read that it was hiccups :)

Food cravings: Junk, junk, and more junk!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: Crazy Braxton Hicks! see below

Symptoms: Rib pain after eating and when sitting too long, heartburn, back pain started up this week and it's not fun at all, have I mentioned Braxton Hicks? 

Belly Button in or out? Outie 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very Happy! 

Looking forward to: Spending the week with my family in Florida! This will be the first time I've visited where I grew up going on vacation in 8 years and I'm so happy Travis gets to go and experience the Vinsel family traditions :)

Father's Day was very special this year. Even though our Juice Drop isn't here just yet, we still celebrated Travis being a first time Daddy. I planned out the whole day full of surprises complete with a french toast breakfast, a hike at Crowders Mountain State Park, and finally a fancy dinner at Basil Thai Cuisine--Travis' new love is pad thai :)

Eye spy with my little eye something camouflaged with the branch! Do you see it?

Let me just say, going on a 5 mile hike at 6 1/2 months pregnant is probably not the best idea. I thought I would be fine, you know, drink plenty of water, take my time, stop to pee if I had to--there was no chance of that with all the traffic along the trails, so I ended up having to hold my pee for 4 hours!

About half way through we took another trail back because we heard it was about a mile shorter--thank God!

Above: this is my face when I had to go to pee within the first mile of the hike
Below: this is my face when I thought about all the steps I was going to have to climb at our half way point--about 3 hours in

Can we just talk for a minute about Braxton Hicks and the fact that I thought I was going to go into pre-term labor right there in the middle of the forest? So after researching I learned that I pretty much did everything I could to bring on these wonderful false labor contractions. This is what I found from thebump.com:

How did I get Braxton Hicks contractions?

They’re just a normal part of pregnancy. The tightness you feel in your uterus during a Braxton Hicks contraction comes from the tensing of the muscles in your uterus. Being really active, a full bladder, sex and dehydration can all trigger Braxton Hicks contractions.

Ok, so check, check, check, and uh, yep, check...I wasn't too concerned until I was still having these quite frequently on Monday as well. I thought about calling my doctor but after I took a chill pill, put my feet up, and drank about a gallon of water the contractions started to mellow out. I would have to say I learned my lesson and will not be taking any strenuous hikes until after Juice Drop arrives! Phew!

We were almost too pooped after the hike to go to dinner. Travis later told me if it wouldn't have been a surprise he would've rather stayed home but after finding out where we were going and that this restaurant offered his new favorite delicacy he was all in. What a great ending to a perfect rousing day!  

Next week I venture into the 3rd Trimester!!!

P.S. What's a rutabega?! ;)