Proud and in pain...

Well, I'm very proud of my Vanderbilt Commodores! They are 4-0 and #1 in the East SEC! Hopefully they can bring their A-Game this weekend against the Auburn Tigers. It should be a good game, even though AU is favored like 4+ points. Never know with those Vandy 'Dores! I'm proud of their performance this season and hope they can keep up the good work! (I do try not to talk about it too much, for fear that I'll scare it away! Ha ha) :)

I started my physical therapy yesterday at Eskridge and White over in Homewood. OH MAN am I sore today! Lizzy, my therapist yesterday, worked my body hard. I can't remember the exact description she gave me, but apparently my hip flexors are CRAZY tight and that is causing the right side of my pelvis to tilt, which makes my sacrum bone hit another one.... or something... all of which has apparently made my L4-5 disc protrude and pulls everything out of alignment. Thus, the pain and muscle tightness. Whew! She gave me some exercises/stretches to be doing at home and gave me a lift for my shoe, which should take some pressure off of my painful joint. Hopefully we'll finally be able to get this in check!

Josh and I are house/dog sitting for my aunt and uncle Oct 4-15th. It's going to be interesting. We are basically moving over there because my aunt is worried the dogs will get anxious and lonely with them gone this long, understandably so. Plus, Miley has never met their dogs, Bear-Pomeranian Poodle- and Phoebe-Yorkie. Bear is very old and should be fine temperament-wise, assuming Miley can leave him alone. Phoebe, on the other hand, has had a few occasions of going after my cousin Laura's dog, Macy-Golden Retriever- featured in past play date post (see pics to left and right). My aunt wonders if maybe it won't be a problem with her not there for Phoebe to be protective of.

Miley, bless her sweet heart, is in her "everyone is my best friend and wants to play with me" phase, which, unfortunately for her, is not always the case. LOL. Some dogs are what is called "avoidant." They don't want to cause trouble, but they do want to be left alone. Case-in-point: my niece, Elsie Marie Brannon (pictured in bottom left). She is always the SWEETEST dog with humans, but when it comes to other dogs, she won't bother them, but wants to be left alone. Miley can't really grasp this concept, which might cause her some trouble at the Turner house with Bear and/or Phoebe. I might just try to keep them separated for the most part to avoid trouble for any of the dogs, and I'm going to wish for the best! I am sure everything will be just fine. I am hoping to set up some play dates for Miley soon to let her fill her energetic playing needs and am always looking for new friends for Miley!

Well, now that I have sufficiently procrastinated... I'm off to do some school work! Hope you're all having a lovely day and enjoying this Fall weather :)

Quick visit from the M-I-L

This Thursday, Josh's mom, Regenia (M-I-L), came for a quick visit. It was so great to see her, catch up, and hang out for a few days. I feel like we don't get to see her and Milton nearly enough, so I really value every opportunity we do get to see them. When she got here on Thursday, we went to Cocina Superior at the Brookwood Mall, where M-I-L generously treated us to dinner! After dinner, we went to the Verizon store in the mall to get me a new phone and change our plan around a little to save some money each month. I need to brag on Josh, b/c while it might not seem like a big deal to all of you, I was so proud of him and it meant a lot to me-We've been looking for ways, big or small, to cut some spending each month. Josh had a blackberry that he got for an old job. The internet alone for his blackberry was $30 a month. Josh very easily agreed to switch to my old phone so we could not have to pay the $30 a month for the internet. I know it seems silly... I just think that it was probably hard to switch from such a nice blackberry with internet, etc. to a regular phone again and it means to much to me. That is $360 a year that we will save b/c he was able to sacrifice for our family. Good job, Joshy! :) I was very disappointed to come home to find that the Tivo didn't record Grey's Anatomy, so we caught the last 30 minutes and then hit the sack. (Friday I tried to watch it on abc.com, but it kept freezing up on me. I'm going to try again today!) Friday morning, while I was in class, M-I-L went to see some relatives in town. When she got back, we had the opportunity to visit and play with Miley a bit and then decided to go shop around at the Summit and Target, where M-I-L got Miley some new toys that she really likes! M-I-L loves Vera Bradley, so we went there first and then over to Swoozy's, a store I really like and had previously introduced M-I-L to, to look around and also get some craft/embroidery ideas for M-I-L. While we were in Swoozy's we saw the CUTEST onesies and other baby paraphernalia, including baby socks, which I've included pics of 2 pairs of them! If we have girls, I will NOT be hugely into all the princess stuff, but they'll definitely have a few cute things like these socks or the precious Mary Jane socks :) In general, I'm not into super cutesy and cheesey stuff, especially for babies. I usually go for more sweet and simple stuff, but these onesies are funny, so I like them. I gotta tell ya... just b/c I talk about how I value the time alone with Josh, not ready to have a baby right now, etc. does NOT mean I don't get elated when I think about having one in the near future! Seeing all of the precious baby stuff only fueled that fire. Luckily for me, my darling M-I-L is very crafty. She scrapbooks, is learning to smock, does embroidery, and can monogram with the best of them. I'm going to get her to make our babies, well, lots of cute stuff, but definitely some of these onesies for cheap! They are too cute. I took some pics with my camera phone, so they are not amazing, but you get the picture. Last night, M-I-L treated us to dinner again and a movie. (Thank you M-I-L!) We tried that new place at Vestavia City Center, Giano's, and YUUUUM! It was really good. The Gambles will definitely be back! Josh made me proud again last night. We looked at different movie options and narrowed it down to The Women, Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, My Bestfriend's Girl, and Burn After Reading. We decided to nix My Bestfriend's Girl because Josh and I thought Dane Cook might be a little much for his mama, and she'd told us about a movie that she'd watched recently when visiting one of her sisters that she did not like : Good Luck Chuck, also a Dane Cook movie... So we put The Women, The Family That Preys, and Burn After Reading on slips of paper in a hat and let Josh draw. Hoping for Burn After Reading, the first time he drew The Family That Preys, and the second time he drew The Women. Ha ha... Bless his heart. Josh said he wasn't in the mood for Tyler Perry, so he said we could go to The Women. What a trooper! I was very proud of him because it was selfless. He totally could've fought for Burn After Reading, which probably wouldn't have been much of a fight, since M-I-L and I also thought it looked entertaining, but he didn't even try. What a sweet son/hubby! I know the cell phone and the movie seem like little things... but that is what life is all about. Little things. I love to be proud of my husband, even for the little things :) So, we went to see The Women, which I thought was good, and then headed home, played with Miley for a bit, and then hit the sack. M-I-L left this AM as Josh was pulling out for his Saturday morning bike ride. Here I sit with our sweet Miley, enjoying a lazy Saturday and the fall weather! Hope you have a beautiful day :)

Random question/confession: Does anyone else get super flattered and excited when they see their blog in other people's "blogs I read" list? 'Cause I do! :)

It's fancy.

As you can see, thanks to the lovely Kimmie S., I have found a new template for my blog! I hope that you like it and the color scheme that I've chosen. I do! It was a tough decision...:)

Templates?

Hey, can someone tell me where I can find some cute new templates for my blog? I'd like to make it fancy.

My little snuggle bunny

Miley Jean Gamble is growing up and getting big! She is 17.5 weeks old and pushing 20 lbs (about 18.5) and is playing like crazy! She's losing teeth and growing new ones. It is so fun to continue to watch her discover new things (chasing rabbits in the back yard), meet new people (everyone is her best friend), and have play dates with new friends and old. She seems to looove babies, which bodes well for Josh and me in the future, since we plan on expanding our little family in the next few years. My favorite Miley trick (see pics) is one that I taught her b/c I remembered Ceasar Milan says they should be invited to their food..... or something like that. I will put her food down and she will sit there until I say "Ok!" It makes me so proud! She will also do that with her Kong and some other treats when we put them on the ground. One thing I love about Miss Miley is that she's a snuggle bunny. She also likes to hang out with me in my bathroom while I get ready in the mornings. About a month or so ago, if we'd let her out the back door, she would've gone tearing down the stairs to play in the backyard and we'd usually have trouble getting her to come back in....well, these days, she'll sit at the back door, and when we let her outside, she'll walk out on the porch, look around and come back to the door,usually, only going down to the backyard if we walk down with her. Bizarre. She has also developed a new habit of barking at people/dogs she sees from afar, which I'm trying to teach her is not good manners and probably not something to do. As snuggly/attached as she's been lately, I wonder if it might be her being a little protective of us. It seems that we've just thrown the rules to the wind, apparently, and have been letting her get on the bed and couch if she's going to lie down and be calm, which is usually the case. She also likes to just sit in my lap and love sometimes, which I adore. Her ears are so floppy and have a hard time not flipping inside out haha. Praise the Lord that she is starting to make it longer in the morning before she starts crying/barking to go outside. She's been making it to about 6-6:30 lately, which is a big improvement over 3am and 5am! Enjoy the Miley pics!

Lately with the Gambles....

I haven't really blogged about what we've been up to lately in a while, so I thought I'd do a simple "lately" post. First of all, Josh and I are coming up on 16 months of marital bliss this Friday, September 19th, so that's lovely :)

God has been teaching me so many new things about Josh, myself, and marriage through different ways, but especially the Beth Moore bible study that I'm doing at Dawson. It is called "Living Beyond Yourself" and about the fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22-23) Loving it! Last week's lesson on love touched my heart and made me want to stop from time-to-time to make sure that I am acting out of love, and, like God, "slow to anger and rich in love." (Psalm 145:8) Stopping to ask myself, "Am I being patient? kind? envious? boastful? proud? rude? self-seeking? easily angered? keeping records of wrongs? delighting in evil? rejoicing in the truth? protecting? trusting? hoping? perservering? (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) All good questions to ask. Our goal is the kind of love that God shows us...selflessly and mercifully.

Another recent and not so recent development was my appointment with an Orthopedist last Friday, Sept 12th. I have been experiencing pretty chronic low back pain since the Summer of 2003. I went to the Dr. with the initial pain, and they gave me NSAIDS, muscle relaxers, and physical therapy. When that didn't work, I tried another Dr., but that was basically the same- NSAIDS and muscle relaxers. I guess time has gotten away from me and here I am, 5 years later, tired of the pain. Anyways! Went to the new Dr. and he was so sensitive to the fact that I've been hurting for the past 5 years, offering to "let him relieve my pain this weekend" with some pain killers, muscle relaxers, and a round of steroids. Beautiful. I've never taken pain meds, but can definitely see how people get addicted to just not being in pain anymore! haha.
[I took a typing break for a few days...and finished this blog 9/20/08]
Soooo I went back to the Dr. this Friday and got the results of my MRI that I got on Tuesday: Mild Spinal Stenosis (narrowing that causes nerve pinching) with small central disc protrusion. Whatever it is... he wasn't very concerned and gave me some anti-inflammatories and encouraged Physical Therapy, which I'm betting will strengthening my core muscles to support my back better. I think the physical therapy might be better this time b/c they'll have the MRI results that will help them know exactly what we need to do. I was so grateful to NOT end up with something worse... or with a brace or surgery. Praise the Lord for my healthy body :)

Last weekend, Josh participated in the Pepper Place Criterium race here in Birmingham. He ended up getting 10th, which I thought was really good, b/c he hasn't had the time to train lately that he used to, making him lose some of his stamina, etc. I brought Miley to her first cycling race and she was a BIG fan! Lots of new friends to play with and kiss, and lots of people to l!!! Everyone thought she was SO precious :) I was a proud mama. My sister, Paige, also came to her first cycling race, and it meant so much to Josh and me that she came to support him! :)

Hmm... I'm trying to think of what else is new and exciting... OOOHH! Some of our very good friends, Sarah Cross and Keith Blackwood got engaged! We are THRILLED for them and I'm honored to be a member of the wedding party! It is so fun to talk weddings again! Keith is an absolutely fabulous and fun guy. They are a wonderful couple. He also did a beautiful job on her ring! Cushion cut with diamonds in the band. Stunning. We are going down to Mobile in a little less than a month. I can't wait to see them and hug their necks!

This morning, we went to the Solomon family's house to watch the Alabama game and grill out. I've known Shane for as long as I can remember from Camp Winnataska, and was excited to finally meet his super sweet wife, Kristin, and their precious boys, Bennett and Noah. They have done a fantastic job with those two. It is one thing to have good kids, but they also have sweet, gentle hearts. Definitely will grow up to be the kind of boys you can take home to mama. :)

I started to do a section on Miley....but it started getting long, so I decided to make it a separate post. See above!

The most powerful message...

Last night, I stumbled upon a message that local radio host Rick Burgess gave last Sunday, August 7th, just 7 months after his 2.5 year old son, Bronner, tragically drowned in the family pool. Rick is an incredible man of God and this message, I think, might be the most powerful message that I have ever heard. It is inspiring, convicting, and, I believe, will bless your life. In January, when Bronner died, Rick gave a eulogy "A Father's Heart" that (and I paraphrase), "no earthly father would be strong enough to give. It is his heavenly father speaking through him." I'm including the links to the eulogy, which is awe-inspiring in itself, and below them, I've put the link to his "Why?" message from August 7th. I hope you'll be able to take the time to at least listen to the "Why?" message, which is about what God has taught him in the past 7 months. It is, like I said, one of the most powerful messages I've ever heard and I hope it blesses you, too! God is so good.

Eulogy:
A Father's Heart
A Father's Heart 2
A Father's Heart 3

August 7, 2008 Message:
Why?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY BOY!

For those of you that did not already know, I have the cutest, most wonderful Daddy ever. He is handsome, very generous, caring, a wonderful father, a loving husband, involved, personable, a good friend, funny, smart, a gentleman, fun to spend time with, loyal, a family man, loving, kind to everyone, and loves the Lord. I absolutely adore him and number him as one of my greatest blessings. What a joy to celebrate another birthday with him today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Stephen Klein Adams, Jr.

A big congratulations to Bridget and Steve Adams! They welcomed their 2nd baby, Stephen Klein Adams, Jr. (will go by Klein) to the world Monday September 8th, at 5:19pm in Columbus, GA. He was 8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long. Another healthy baby. Lord, what a blessing. Thank you.
They make beautiful babies! Bethany, their 1st is a doll!

Addison Kay Pavlick

A huge congratulations to our friends, Mattea and Brian Pavlick! Last night, they welcomed Addison Kay Pavlick to the world at 8:20pm, 6 weeks early! She weighed 5.1 lbs and is 18 inches long. Mattea was originally due October 19th, but was experiencing very high blood pressure and, for both of their best interests, the doctors decided Addison needed to come early---a healthy baby 6 weeks early! Mom and baby are doing great. God is so wonderful! Click HERE for the Pavlick blog and what I feel is one of the sweetest blog entries I've ever read: Brian's synopsis of Addison's birthday. Their blog entries in anticipation of Addison's arrival always bring tears to my eyes. Addison is one blessed baby, and I hope that one day she gets to know the magnitude of her parents' excitement awaiting her arrival.

The Chai Story

Meet Chai. Below you will find his owner's blog that tells his story. I felt the need to post this to spread the word about the horrific experience this dog and his owner have been through. At the end of the blog, you will see an e-mail request for boycott. Please help and spread the word! Bless his poor, sweet heart!

Click here for Chai's Story

My fantasy fulfilled.

Ever since I found out that bestie, Eden Keever, was pregnant last Fall, I was determined to do something special for her in celebration of her first child. Sometime around February I decided that I would knit her a receiving blanket. Excited, I got started right away and worked on it sporadically throughout the following months... all the while keeping it a special secret. Josh and I had discussions about my silly fantasy of finishing it... wrapping it up all pretty, and giving it to her. She'd open it and I'd say, "I made it!" and she'd go "Awww, TAY!" lol... Unfortunately, since I would have spurts where I'd put it down for weeks at a time, it was not finished by the day of his actual birth, July 10th. I did, however, finish it once The Keevers got to Birmingham a few weeks later. The night finally came a few weeks ago for me to give it to her at our house. It went great. She asked right away if I'd made it, was so grateful, and even mentioned a few times about how much more special it was b/c I made it. After they left, Josh was adorable and said, "Well, was it like your fantasy?!" hahaha. Love it. It was :) Don't know if the pictures do it justice, but I'm proud of it and most of all love that, unless Wyatt adopts it as his special thing, for years to come, the Keever babies will be wrapped in the TLC and prayers that I put into every stitch.