Thursday, January 21, 2010

Can You Feel the Bloggy Love?

Last summer I emailed Missy at It's Almost Naptime to see if she wanted to host a get together for Houston bloggers. She said yes and we were both excited about it, then one of us flaked. I'll let you guess who it was. Me! Totally me! Thanks to Missy and her bloggy friend Amy, a little meetup happened on Tuesday night. We had a great time over Mexican food. Debra even came and brought baby Jude! He was so adorable, y'all. It made me sad about my baby getting so big.

Lindsee Lou called called our blog meetup a "blogup," which is brilliant. I met Lindsee when she came to our LIT Bible study a while back and I've loved getting to know her in person. She has such an amazing heart for the Lord and for ministering to younger girls. She is an absolute jewel.

Bueno, aqui esta el grupo:



Top row:
Julie/Elisharose News, Amy/Mom's Toolbox, Beth/Not a Bow in Sight, Ashley/Life Beyond the Pink, Lindsee/Lindsee Lou, Missy/Barefoot Family, Me, Kristy/Kiki's Crowd

Bottom row:
Missy/It's Almost Naptime, Callie/Smith Live, Heather/Step Inside, Debra/One Girl, Kristen/We Are THAT Family, Leslie/The Late Bloomers, Allison/ It Feels Like Chaos, Michelle/ Usr/bin/mom.

(I just ripped that off Missy's blog. Missy, I'll buy you a Coke tomorrow.)

When we moved back to Houston two years ago, the Lord surprised me with a handful of new and very dear friends through blogging. The first one was Missy B.. She recognized me from the blog and introduced herself after our step aerobics class one night. We had gone to the same college and had volunteered for the same ministry there, but we'd never known each other. We endured many nights of aerobics together before I got pregnant with Annabeth, then wimpy me set out for the next 9 months. Not long after that, Missy was expecting too and we both had girls! It's been a lot of fun to share that. I have loved getting to know Missy and she is one of my favorite people on earth. I can't tell you how many times she's texted me in the morning and told me to look on my doorstep for some yummy baked goods that she dropped off on the way to work. Everyone needs friends like that.

Six months after we moved here, I was sitting at our church's women's retreat with some girls from my Sunday school class. There was one extra seat at our table and a girl named Kristy came and sat with us. We didn't talk much and I had no idea how much that tall, beautiful pregnant lady would mean to me in the coming months. She and her husband started coming to Curt's Wednesday night Bible study at our church and we became close friends. Baby Levi was born that November and Annabeth came a few months later. Jackson loves her older boys, Sage and Kolby, to pieces. Kristy is a wise, fun, thoughtful, godly friend who makes me feel like I might be able to make it through this motherhood thing. She was also my moral support when we went to Monster Jam last year and I worried that my water might break and begin the most embarrassing birth story of all time.

Last spring I met Heather through the MOPS group we were both attending. Heather had just moved to the area from Nashville. Get this, she found out they were moving while she was still in the hospital after having her third baby. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE? I have loved getting to know Heather for the last year. She is so easy to talk to and to laugh with. We have had some fun girl outings around town and even today we were emailing back and forth about a little spa day in our future. Heather might not think this about herself, but she is a strong person and I really admire her. Annabeth is very blessed to be about a year younger than Heather's baby girl, Mollie Kate. Some of AB's cutest clothes have come straight out of her closet.

When you're a busy mom you don't exactly have time to meet up with each one of your friends every week or talk on the phone forever, it's neat to be able to connect with them through their blogs. I felt like I knew each of these ladies really well before we had really hung out enough for that. Instant intimacy in a relationship can be a warning sign, so I'm not saying that. What I am saying is that it's cool to get to read what's on your friends' hearts on a regular basis.

Now let's talk about something completely vain. I had possibly the worst hair day of my life on Tuesday. I let it air dry too long before fixing it and it was hideous. It was a bummer because I knew pictures would be taken at the blogup. However, the last blogup I went to was at the Proverbs 31 Ministries/KSBJ Girls Night Out last January. (That's when I met Missy@It's Almost Naptime and thought she was the cutest thing ever.) I had closely guarded any pictures of me in my third trimester and very few appeared on my blog. Ironically, about A WEEK BEFORE I GAVE BIRTH TO MY CHILD, I met all of these wonderful bloggers and my huge pregnant face appeared in group pictures on multiple blogs. Awesome, right? No bad hair day could possibly be worse than that.

This weekend is the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration for our LPM bloggers. I will be helping host this along with my mom and sister. I absolutely cannot wait! We had a great time at the Siesta Fiesta in San Antonio and this one may be even better because we'll have more time with our girls.

Can you feel the bloggy love? It's all over the place!

31 comments:

debra parker said...

Umm, Spa Day, count me in girls. :)

Katie said...

You know, that sounds like a great idea. I think I would like to do something like that for the Williamsburg/Hampton Roads area. I'm glad you all has such a great time. Super fun.

Praise and Coffee said...

What a beautiful group of girls!!! Wish I could have been there :)

Girlfriends are the bestest.
Sue

Mocha with Linda said...

Blogging is such fun! And have you seen the Texas Blogging Gals site?! The button is in my sidebar.

Mary H. said...

I wish I could be there to meet you. Just not possible. God bless the event!

Missy said...

Nothin' but love! Have a great weekend. Can't wait to hear about it.

Unknown said...

It looks like so much fun! I told Missy to let me know next time y'all do it because I would love to go too! Can't wait!

It Feels Like Chaos said...

Somehow I did not get to actually meet you the other night, it was such a big group of us! So sorry but looking forward to another chance soon! Your blog is precious and from what you've said about your Jackson, he reminds me a lot of my firstborn, a bit strong-willed? Someday we'll have to swap stories.

Michelle said...

Oh what a fun time! I would love to do something like that in my area...maybe, ah...one day? LOL

Kelly @ Love Well said...

We moved shortly after I started my blog three years ago. I immediately lost my day-to-day friends, and being a busy mom to three, I lack the resources to build new friendships. But thanks to the miracle of the blogosphere, I haven't felt lonely. I have a community, friendships, sisters. What a gift.

Bev Brandon @ The Fray said...

I leave for Houston in 5 minutes so why am I on the computer? Something caught my eye. Blogging has meant much to me as I moved to Austin just about the time I started and it so jump started me into lifelong friendships. You've been the fragrance of Jesus to all of us 2Cor 2:14 and I hope I get to say that to your face tonight...if not---YOU ARE!!! Thanks Amanda! Bev

Julie said...

We didn't get to talk Tuesday, but I saw you across the room! Maybe next time. It WAS fun!

Michelle at usr-bin-mom.com said...

What a blessing that you have been able to make such good friends through blogging!

Ashley McWhorter said...

So great meeting you! Yes!! Spa Day...count me in, too!!! :)

Dionna said...

Okay. I think the "Blog-Ups" should travel. The next one should be in the Northwest. I'm just sayin.

Lindsee said...

I can feel the love! Amanda, you have such a tremendous gift of encouraging others. Your kind words are such a blessing! Had SO much fun the other night. Can't wait to do it again. See you in a few short hours!

Missy said...

Diet Coke, please.

Can't wait to see you in just a couple hours!!

Angela said...

I told Debra it must be only for the cool Houston bloggers! ha
Looked like you guys had a blast!

Pitsch Family said...

What fun that you can meet and hang with other bloggers. I would totally invite myself except I live in Montana and that is a hugs logistical problem. Thank you so much for your heart for our Lord and the light thoughts you share.
I have had so much fun with blogging and truly enjoy reading your thoughts.

Kiki said...

You are so sweet.

And I'm so in on the Spa Day!

Leslie Maddox said...

Amanda, you looked great Tuesday. And I'll tell you what's worse than a bad hair day - having a 6-month-old and still looking like you're six months pregnant. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to be in the front row of that blog picture. Unfortunately for me, my shortness pushed me to the front. Next time I'll have to carry a big purse - or maybe even a suitcase - to hide behind, like they do on TV.

Lauren said...

Sooo fun!!! Wish I lived in Houston :(

Heather said...

It was so much fun and must a do again soon. You are too sweet and what a blessing you are to others.
Your sweet words made me tear up, your such a dear friend. Hope you are able to rest some this weekend!

annalee said...

oh i can totally see the bloggy love in that picture! so sad to miss the fun, but just don't have my act quite together enough yet to make it. please say we can have another one soon?!? and i'm there!

Lauren said...

Dang, y'all! Wish I could have been there. :)

Sandy said...

Amanda, Thank you so very much for all you do the LPM blog, ministry, and for this past weekend. It was absolutely wonderful. . .just wish it had been just a little longer.
I also came over to your blog tonight, to ask you if you would want to link up with my friend who made a blog site just for Texas blogging gals to connect.
It is Texas-blogginggals.blogspot.com
If you would join, it would put the list up to 60, and if you got all your Houston friends to join, it would really make the list grow!
It's great if you want others to see this blog.

Mitzi said...

So sorry that I missed meeting you over the fun weekend, but you looked so darn cute!! I'm glad that it wasn't all work for you and that you got to enjoy it too. God Bless.

katiegfromtennessee said...

Hey Little Momma, I liked being able to put names with blogger faces:) I have seen posts from Lindsee Lou and Debra and Missy B on your blog and the LPM blog before, it's cool to see them in person even if it is in a pic:):) That is cool how the Lord orchestrated those times where you were able to get to know Lindsee, Debra, Kristy, Heather, and others! I see what you are saying about instant intimacy in any rela possibly being a warning sign. We can't be ignorant of the enemy's schemes. I'm think having discernment and being in tune with the Spirit should safeguard our hearts and our minds? I pray so! You did get to meet my older sis at the Houston event this past weekend!!:) She said she ran into you and Marla T in one of the meeting rooms there!:) That is such a blessing to me, I actually prayed that my older sis would get to meet you at this event. I thought you and her would be blessed to meet each other. I also prayed that she could meet Melissa or Beth too:). That is an answer to prayer-too funny!:) Love it:) He amazes me:)

Blessings, ((HUGS)), Love in HIM,

katiegfromtennessee

Brayden and Bodie's Mama said...

Amanda-
I was so bummed that I didn't get to meet you this weekend at the Siesta SMT! Of course I wanted to meet your mom because she is the rock star, and your sister because I have doctrinal questions for her, but you seem like the one I have the most in common with! I would just like to hang out and have "girlfriend" time with you!!! I know that sounds weird from someone you have never met, but I have kids about the same age as you, and the day to day "stuff" you talk about CRACKS me up because you are just talking about my life!!!!! anyway, I wish we had been able to visit. This weekend was such a blessing to me, and I feel renewed in my spirit. I hope next time we can meet and I can tell you all about how adorable Annabeth is and I can tell you about how I woke up Saturday morning at the hotel in Houston and discovered that my 4 year old, Bodie had unpacked all of my underwear because he was "playing a trick on Mommy". Kids are awesome!!
Praise God for you and your Family!!!

Sara@www.tablegrace.net said...

So this comment really has nothing to do with this post, but I thought that you would get a kick out of it.
Elena is my 8 year old and this is what happened Sunday:


On our way back from church Sunday morning, I looked back to see Elena reading her bible.

How sweet, I thought, and turned my attention back toward the road.

Then she says, “Mama, what is semen?”

Thinking I surely had not heard correctly, I asked her to repeat it.

Which she did.

So still hoping against hope she was just mispronouncing something else, I asked her to read the sentence to me.

And straight out of Genesis, Elena read the following verse.

May you be blessed by it as we were.

But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. Genesis 38:9

As you can imagine, this required some explanation on our part.

And here I’ve been worried about what they might see on the Disney channel. When all along I should have been worried about the Old Testament.

I told her that perhaps she should turn to another passage.

When I looked back again, she had her bible open to Leviticus.

Great.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I so wish I could have been at both gatherings!

I told Missy to let me know when y'all get together again. I would LOVE to meet some fellow Christian mommy bloggers from Houston.

Also, I'm sad that I missed the SMT Celebration. My husband's cousin's wife flew in from Georgia to go and I soooo wanted to tag a long with her. Did you meet her? She is a teen-tiny thing and her name is Raines. She looks a lot like Reese Witherspoon. And she's sooo sweet!! You wouldn't forget her accent.

Anyway, I actually DID memorize 24 verses, but I didn't ever comment on the blog, nor did I keep a notebook. So I just wouldn't have felt right about going. Plus, I was working on verses with my kids, which I needed to learn as well, but I'm sure everyone would have laughed if I tried to recite, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Ephesians 6:1".

But if this comes around again, I am DEFINITELY doing it!! I'll make the commitment now to be faithful in my commenting and journaling.

Hope to see you soon at the next blogup!