Fab Fun Friday!!!

Because its Friday...

And because the last posts were "heavy"...

Today's post is going to be light and fresh and fun!!!!

Enjoy!!! :D

What I'm Crushing On: Interior Design Blogs and all things Interior Design. Do I have the time or the cash to buy most of these products and do most of these projects?!? No. But it's crazy fun building up ideas ;)

Exhibit A: "Garden Stools"

Although I'm crazy in love with everything about this entryway that the girls at sadie + stella put together -that little white stool on the bottom totally caught my eye. Turns out the stool is called a "Garden Stool" - and I cannot wait to get my hands on one!

And here's another Garden Stool! I will own one. Also loving the desk, lemon-filled apothecary jar, and the botanical print.

Exhibit B: "Porch Day Beds"

What I would GIVE to be able to plop down on one of these and sleep study on a sweet Southern afternoon!

I love the thick cable rope on this swing and how the frame is painted red.

Really liking the thick frame on this one...

Maybe Hubby and Daddy could build me one? Because they love me? And because I study so hard? And because they love me?

What we're Eating:

After returning from my parent's house a few weeks ago, I noticed a strange baggie in the back of my car. Little lumps of dirt-covered thingies... It didn't take me long to figure out...

New potatoes, fresh out of the soil.

As a doctor's daughter in a rural Southern town, hardly a week passed without one of Daddy's precious patients giving us farm eggs, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, cakes, pies, etc, etc, etc.

I cannot wait until I myself am practicing medicine and receiving these heartfelt, home-grown goodies from my patients ;)

Sooo what to do with these darlings??? I just happened to stumble upon the GREATEST recipe over at White on Rice Couple.

Brace yourselves.......

"Holy Debauchery! Cowboy Bacon Chili Cheese Fries"

It was... beyond aweseome...

Instead of frying the potato wedges, I tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted them in the oven. Mmm, I could've eaten them all just like that.

You serve it with homemade chili, scalions, and grated cheese.

Did it EVER do those lil farm potatoes some justice...

What I'm Reading:

Back to childhood!!! For my birthday on March 18th (which you already knew) Grayson got me the Chronicles of Narnia book set.

I desparately needed a light, easy break from all the intense school books I'd been in. Though I was somewhat wrong in thinking this would be a "light" read...

The last time I read this, I was a little girl. Mama would read a chapter or so to me at night. My memories of these books were purely romantic and fairy-tale like (which is ok!!!) but...

Fast-forward 15 years. Years of walking, and falling, and getting back up, and learning with Christ. This C. S. Lewis read has taken on entire new meaning. I cry over the simplest circumstances in this book and the wealth of meaning behind them. But I won't even scratch the surface of that here, because I promised this would be a "light" post ;D  But if you've never read (not watched, READ) this series- Go. Now. And get these books.

Also reading -

The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge. I'm only on the third chapter, but it has been such a beautiful book. It takes you pretty deep...

And finally Where We've Been:

My husband and I, along with my whole family, just got back from a week-long, wonderful, MOST NEEDED trip to Grand Cayman. Here is a sneak preview... I am most daunted by the fact that there are 1054 (repeat 1054) photos/videos on my camera and I don't know where to BEGIN sharing!

So I'll begin here ;)

We stayed here...
All week...

And snorkled...

And ate...

And snorkled some more...

And ate some more...

The End

Ha! I'll put up MUCH more later :)

"My soul magnifies the Lord.And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name... He has helped His servant. God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus."

Luke 1: 46, 47, 49, 54; Galatians 6:14



Blessings - Katie ;)

Dodgie Update

Thank you so much for your texts, messages, and even unspoken support.

Spent a while in Scripture and prayer this morning; it was all such a wild blurr.

The Lord heard our prayers this morning:

1. For Dodgie's Appointment Today - The results were as positive as they could be, Praise God. It did confirm that Dodgie has a Porto-systemic Shunt (which in itself is good to know what it is and thus that it is treatable). Dodgie has an extrahepatic shunt (the vessel goes around the liver before it enters the liver) which is much more favorable than an intrahepatic shunt (where the vessel enters the liver and leaves when it shouldn't). The surgical treatment is also much, much safer now than it used to be (they slowly close the vessel instead of clamping it off suddenly), and complications are much, much rarer than I realized.

"Exhale"

2. For my heart - I got to spend a lot of time with the Lord and in His Word this morning, and though I was in pain it was a very good thing. Lots of re-discovered treasures in His Word:

"Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?  His understanding is inscrutable."  Isaiah 40: 13, 14, 28b

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-35

By the time I pulled in the vet's office to pick up Dodgie after his ultrasound and before I heard the vet's report, the Lord had brought my heart to a new place. "Lord if You need to hurt me to bring us closer together or others closer to You, so be it. You've always known and done what is best for me, even when its suffering."

It was a morning of answered prayer. Praise God that He is a Lord of listening and action, seen and unseen.

"When all that is good falls apart,

what can good people do?

The LORD is in his holy temple;

the LORD sits on his throne in heaven.

Your ways, O God are holy."

Psalm 11:3-4; 77:13

Stay tuned for Cayman preview pics, and let me know if I can be lifting anything before God for you.

Blessings - Katie

Pray for Dodgie

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24

I love how living scripture is. I’d seen this verse before. Yet about a month ago when I discovered the Mac’s blog, this scripture was their banner – and it was like I was looking at it for the first time…

Two weeks ago (one week before we left for Cayman) a “this could develop” nightmare from last winter suddenly became a painful reality: our little Dodgie has a congenital defect with his liver that will require surgery. The defect is called a Porto-systemic Shunt, where a vessel is bypassing his liver and going straight to his heart, so that blood isn’t getting filtered by the liver and all those toxins now flow through his system.

I was so terrified and deeply hurt that rainy, awful day when I found out, more than I know how to describe.

The surgery Dodger needs will slowly cut off the blood supply from the vessel that is shunting blood from the liver. The procedure has advanced a lot, but I know that if the dogs become hypertensive (if their blood pressure skyrockets) in the hours after the surgery, it means their body can’t handle having that vessel closed. I don’t know how often this happens, I’m sure it all depends on the dog. But when it happens, they die.
Period.

It was all I could think about that day. And I’d just cry.

Today we go in to get an Ultrasound for Dodgie, to actually look at the shunt (because up until now we’ve only done lab work and don’t know much about the extent of the shunt). I wanted you to pray:

1. For Dodgie’s appointment today. We have no idea what to expect. I’m terrified. What we could hear will run the range from “Oh, it’s not so bad at all and surgery should go smoothly” or “I’m so sorry, it’s more severe/pronounced than we thought and surgery won’t even be possible.” Please pray that Dodgie’s Ultrasound results are favorable.

2. For my heart. I’m terrified. I’m fearful. I feel out of control (because I am out of control of this). A part of me knows that the Lord may need to lead me through a season of deep pain as we go through this with Dodger, or even a season of grief as He calls Dodger from me altogether. As I realize this, a part of me wants to crumple in a scared ball and just cry. But another part of me knows (confidently, if not quietly) that with great pain will come great growth in my Lord. Always. It has been a defining part of my relationship with Him.

“I have seen great beauty of character in some who were great sufferers.” – C.S. Lewis

So I can’t really sum up what I want you to pray over my heart. You know where I am. Pray over me as the Spirit leads you. Your prayers mean more than you can imagine.

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a great high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

“…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5-6

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24

Blessings - Katie