Baby Names, Hair, & Vacation

I bet a have a record number of readers from this post soley because of the "baby names" in the title!

The answer to your question..."Right now, I don't know...I'll let ya know in a week or so" ha!

Before I get started on my post coming from Kelly's Korner I wanted to say I am so thankful for you all, my readers. Your messages and comments mean so much to me. I know I am not alone in any part of my journey because I know God is with me and I know some of you struggle with the same things I struggle(d) with. Know that I appreciate each and every comment and prayer you send my way and I don't take any of it for granted!!!


Baby Names 

So when I was younger, I would only come up with girl names because I just KNEW I was going to have a little girl one day...but when I got pregnant I picked a boy name. I love Baker Sley. "Baker" was Sley's mom's maiden name and "Sley" for obvious reasons...At first Sley wasn't thrilled but it grew on him. I still worry about when I get pregnant again and find out it's a boy, can I still use Baker since I had a miscarraige? What do yall think?

I have so many girls names I like that if we ever have a girl, I'm going to have a hard time choosing.

Marilyn (my grandmothers 1st name, me & my mom's middle name)

Catherine (Sley's mom's name and my paternal great grandmother's name)

Elizabeth (my paternal grandmother's name) (unfortunately this name has left a bad taste in my mouth seeing as this is the name of the 16 year old my ex husband cheated on me with...)

Correnna (my materal great great grandfather's middle name)

I like a lot more girl names but I'm a huge fan of family names, especially since I found out my first name came from a character on General Hospital in the 80's...thanks Mom. I am also a fan of names from the Bible, especially for boys...Noah, Jonah & Luke if I have triplets (because that's the only way I will be having 3 lol)

What are some of your faves?

Hair

So let me be real for a sec...I get my hair done about twice a year, cut & color...my color does a pretty good job staying fresh for the most part for 6 months and after getting my hair cut, in 6 months it's unmanagable. I know some of you go religiously every 4-6 weeks and thats great! but I feel guilty throwing $100 in my hair more than 2 times a year and I'm not brave enough to color it myself!

Girls Vacations

If I could go anywhere for a "girl's only vacation" I would go on a cruise to the Bahamas! Don't think Paige and I havent already thought of that!! Paige and I try to go atleast once a year on a girl's weekend trip to the mountains or beach so that's fun too but a cruise would be AMAZING! Maybe next year lol

Feel free to join in!!! Happy Monday! :)

Finally!

Before I get to the meat of my post let me start out by saying:

Sorry for the delay of posts! It's been busy around the "Whitley Household" as my husband refers to our humble abode.

For example: I'll have an attitude about God knows what...like running out of cereal...and I'll bite Sley's head off about it because I shouldve gone to the grocery the night before (yea I know...Wife of the year award RIGHT HERE!) any way, he will just laugh at me and say, "NUH UH We dont be having attitudes in the Whitley Household!"

It's the simple things.

Our calendar has been FULL and anything life altering you've basically seen on Facebook already!

One thing that has changed that I havent really elaborated about recently is my change in occupations! May 13 I start a new job!

I love my coworkers...most of us get together outside of work so to say that I'm going to miss them will truly be an understatement. I have been at the branch where I am now for almost 5 years so I'm a little nervous about moving intermal. Where I am going there are no members coming in...but I will have my own cubicle!

I have been praying about a change for a while. I have looked for new jobs and asked God countless time PLEASEEEEEE!! Where I am now, I am not being challenged the way that I would like to. I take on as many responsibilities as I can, in and outside of work, but it's still not enough. I didn't think I would actually get this job because I have no experience, whatsoever, except working with the program as a teller. Now I will be coming up with new updates for our system and testing them! They showed me some of the stuff I will be doing and OMG its complicated but I am so excited for the challenge. Everyone there is SUPER sweet and I have already made a friend! There are only about 4 or 5 of us on our team and I love that!

So I didn't have a business suit for my interview so Paige and I spent the Sunday before shopping...ugh. Don't get me wrong, I'm a girl. I love to spend money and shop. I LOATHE shopping for myself, especially when I am looking for something specific. Paige enjoyed herself...I enjoyed the Mexican lunch before and icecream afterwards.

The night before the interview I had an awful headache. I had bible study that night but I had 30 minutes to rest at home before I left. Sley was frying fish as I left and it smelt so good because I hadn't eaten anything since lunch 7 hours before. Anyway, the next morning I text Paige:

"I smell like fried fish. ugh."

I oversprayed perfume and still smelt it. I stopped by my grandparents house on the way and they didn't smell it...but then again, they don't smell much these days. I prayed it was just in my nose...oh well, must have not been that bad, I got the job lol

Although I begged and pleaded God, things are finally falling into place. Have you ever had a child beg and beg and beg and you feel like OMG PLEASE STOP! HAVE PATIENCE! I KNOW BEST!...yea I am TOTALLY sure that's what God was screaming to me these past few months.

I've also been BEGGING God for a baby. I pretty much have control of what I do but pray I do God's will. I don't have control of having a baby. I won't lie, it hurts some times, especially when more and more of my friends are posting baby bump pics. I know the timing is not good, with Sley out of a job (and no insurance) and me moving to a new job, but I am hard headed and am a spoiled brat who wants it RIGHT NOW! We "have but havent" been trying and I am learning through all of this, God really does know best. I finally have a peace about it all.

Last  month I was late...I mean like REALLY late, and I just KNEW I was pregnant! I was at work and wanted to take a test right then so I ran to the drug store really quick. I spotted a bathroom but let's face it, I am a married woman and I felt like if I took it at the store then the clerk at the front would think I was pregnant with another man's baby and I was hiding it so I sucked up my pride and snuck to the bathroom at work with test in hand.

Five minutes later, NEGATIVE. So we all know 1 test is NEVER enough so I took one the next morning (no really I should absolutely consider getting stock in pregnancy tests...its ridiculous) and it was negative again. When normally I would be sad, I had peace was over me. I pray everytime I take a test that only if it's God's will...and I, myself, know it's not a good time much less God and with everything falling into place with my job, I have no doubt in my mind if Sley and I are to have a child, it will be in HIS timing.

If we arent meant to have a baby then I have come to have peace with that too! Sley and I have set goals on where we want to be at a certain time and if that involves children then we will be SO HAPPY but if not, we will be SO HAPPY with each other too! We both love my best friend's little girl Claire like our own child and we already spoil her so much and Sley has a little neice on the way so we will have plenty of chances to spend time with these precious little girls!

So yea, it's all good in the hood! I just feel so full and so thankful for God's presence in my life! I am doing a bible study on Jonah. I never thought I would EVER be able to compare myself to Jonah but God has used his story to teach me A LOT about myself and Him. If anyone is looking to join a small group let me know! In a few weeks we (Paige, myself, and one other girl) are going to start a study on "Ruth" I believe. We take turns meeting different places, eat dinner, chit chat, and talk about our studies. I love it because I can really lay out what is on my heart and not get judged. Any one is more than welcome!

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week! Tomorrow is FRIDAY! :)

Over load!

So it's April. It was almost 80 degrees this past weekend. People wore shorts, sleeveless tops, sandals...and today, you know, it's sleeting? Seriously ya'll?

I have to say, I am very thankful for the rain with my crazy allergies. One day my eye is watering like a leaking faucet, one day my ear hurts like someone jabbed a letter opener into my ear drum, then the next my throat hurts like someone took a lice scraper to the back of my throat (I know the last one was quite a bit disgusting...yikes! but you catch my drift)...And the weird part of it all, all of the pain is on the left side...I guess it could be worse!

Most everyone knows I'm a nerd. I tried to surpress it in highschool to "fit it" but now that I'm finally at the age where I just don't care and my peers don't spend every waking hour trying to pick on someone for the clothes they wear and the zits on their face (good thing I didn't get acne until a year ago), I've learned to embrace my inner nerd because let's face it, it sure does come in handy! Everyone going back to school at work comes to me for homework help and it's so much fun! I always say it's a win win for us both; they get the help they need and I get to "go back to school" for free!

Anyway, I love to read. No really. LOVE. In school, meh, I had too much other stuff to do like write notes in cute color crayola markers to stick in my very best friend's lockers and honestly, I wasn't interested in reading when I HAD to. I only remember reading 2 books throughout my whole schooling career:
--"Fahrenheit 451" only because I learned they burned books and I was totally a wanna be rebel in 6th grade
--"The Count of Monte Cristo" because my 10th grade hippie teacher said it was the closest thing to reading a soap opera and at the time I was infatuated with Guiding Light and Young & Restless.

Growing up, in the summers, my youngest cousin and I would always coax my great grandma into taking us to the local public library after she went to bank up the road with the yummy green lolipops. My cousin and I would get countless Goosebumps books and just sit and read and read to each other while my great grandma would nap listening to us.

My love for books has continued into adulthood. I get so engulfed in them. It's like I'm part of the story! In 6th grade, my language arts teacher was batty. Bless her heart, she needed to retire about 10 years prior to teaching me. BUT she loved reading to us (which meant we didnt have the responsibility of doing it on our own...and loved giving out candy--and this girl loves me some sour gummy worms) (whats a good strory without candy?) (please tell me I'm not the only one that wants a hershey with almonds everytime you watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). We read (I believe it was this one?) "Where the Red Fern Grows" and when one of the dogs die (sorry if I just ruined it for you), my teacher cried...I mean in front of the class, needing tissues, couldnt get herself together, blubbering like it was HER dog that just died! I didn't get it. Neither did any of the other immature creatures in my class.

I get it now. I love a good book that makes me cry, laugh out loud, smile like I'm watching a show...

So without further a-do, here is a list of some good reads (because I know atleast ONE of my readers like to read too!):

-"Sisters" - Danielle Steel
           My mom has always been a Danielle Steel fan and I was heading on a long road trip and happened to see this book and I'm so glad I got it. It's about this family where something happens and it brings the family closer...it's so much more to it than this but I don't want to ruin anything for ya'll!

-"I Will Carry You" - Angie Smith
          Angie is married to a singer from the Christian band "Selah". I follow her blog. She is they type of person where you feel like you know her but have never met her. She is real. I know everyone struggles with different things. I read this after I had the miscarriage. I've never cried so hard in my life. She put into words exactly how I was feeling. If you have ever struggled with infertility or miscarriage or even not...read this book. Seriously. You will be blessed beyond words.

-"Sparkly Green Earrings" - Melanie Shankle
          Melanie, better known as "Big Mama" from her blog, just published this book. I havent finished reading it but ya'll...it's so good. She is so down to earth and if you have kids (even if you don't...I don't yet...) it is just hilarious.


Those are my top picks so far! I'll keep ya'll updated!

Happy Friday-eve!

On the outs

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've lacked time and motivation...mainly time, well, and motivation. To be honest, I've been sort of in the dumps lately! ugh...

So I was almost finished with my bible study by Beth Moore about David when the bestie recommended us start our own small group and study together. We invited one more outsider, planned a date night good for all of us, ate yummy food and headed to Lifeway to choose a study. We ended up picking Jonah. We were all so excited and couldn't wait to dive into our new study! We chose a day to meet the next week and decided to rotate houses every week. The next week things came up for all of us so today is the day we have our first gathering.

While doing the Beth Moore study I really felt God's presence in my life. I was happy. I knew God was there and saw things a little different...well that really must have pissed Satan off because he came toward me full fledge and if it weren't for my husbands encouragement and a random date night with the strongest gal I know, I would've lost it...I mean padded room, straight jacket, drooling on myself while rocking in the fetal position. Everything came down on me that is going on. It's like Satan was whispering, "look what's happened in your life...your marriage failed, you had a miscarriage, your husband lost his job, work is stressful, you don't have any money to do the things you want to do no matter how hard you work...etc etc." I quit in the middle of my bible study one night and just wrote out a letter to God about my frustrations about everything going on. I teared up talking to Sley one night, "you know how God is like our Daddy? Well how can He see his little girl in so much pain and not doing anything???" and my wise hubby just said, "He's here Andrea...He sees us...It's going to be ok!"

Isn't it funny how Satan knows just what buttons to push to get us down? Lots and lots of tears, screams to God, and heart to hearts later, I am coming around!

The thing is, Sley and I really haven't gone without what we needed...Satan knows me, he knows it doesn't take much for me to worry about the "what ifs" but MY GOD is bigger than all of it!

So I'm back...I have a story to finish telling!!! I hope everyone had a great Easter!!!

Thank God my Savior LIVES!!