Happy Birthday, Layla Grace!

I can't believe it! Today, my other BBF (Best Baby Friend) becomes a great big one-year-old! It feels like only yesterday when we were visiting her in the hospital and starting to fall completely in love. Now, she's waddling walking all over the place, jabbering constantly, and blowing kisses to her favorite "aunt" and "uncle." Oh my goodness, this little girl makes my heart fall apart!

{Photos from Layla's 1 year photo session by Shannon Payne Photography}

Happy Birthday, Layla Grace! Aunt Mindy loves you very much!!

Doggy competition is Ruff

Naturally, I have always thought Chester to be the greatest dog in the world. I mean, just look at him...

However, my feelings may have recently changed. Even though he's talented enough to ring a bell to tell me when he needs to go outside, he still rudely leaves the door wide open after he charges back into the house. Furthermore, he expects me to open and close the blinds all by myself every day; and he never ever helps load the dishwasher. Honestly, he calls himself a dog...

But Jesse sure has upped the ante for all pups everywhere. Behold:

Seriously, Jesse may as well be Wishbone, himself. That dog can do everything!! Looks like Chester's got some 'splainin to do!

Family visit

A couple of weekends ago, my brother's family came to visit Aunt Mindy and Uncle Brad. (Actually, Clinton calls him Aunt Brad. Ha!) I absolutely loved getting to spend time with TJ and Jennie, and especially their children, Rachel and Clinton. But since Aunt Mindy's house isn't necessarily kid-friendly (except for the random toys I hurriedly bought in the dollar aisle at Target before they arrived), we spent most of the rainy Saturday at the Discovery Center.

Because his dad is a firefighter, Clinton is completely obsessed with all things fire department. Before we had even finished acquiring admission, he had noticed a fire engine and sprinted right to it. We had to pry him away from the driver's seat to get him to explore anything else. And if, at any time, he got bored with something or we looked away, he'd beeline it straight back to the truck. Like father, like son, I suppose.

Rachel and Aunt Uncle Brad spent a lot of time looking at all of the turtles. She loved them so much that she even named one of them Rachel. She's nice enough to share her name like that.

Then they spent some time "working on the car." Clinton loves to "fix" things, so he was in heaven replacing that velcro muffler and refilling the engine fluids. Rachel felt right at home, too, changing those tires like a pro.

There was seriously so much to do at this place. They played in water making waves and dams, mined for toy coal, shopped at a pretty believable toy grocery store, climbed into a treehouse, engineered a train, constructed working gears, played instruments, and made crafts in the art department, among other awesome things.

They each manned separate construction machines while we were waiting for the main event...

The Discovery Center has an entire toy train room, but they only run them a couple times a day for twenty minute periods. Everything the kids did up to this point was just a time filler as they waited for the trains to go. Once they started, the kids were both enthralled. Rachel chased them around the room, and every time one went into a tunnel, Clint would ask where it went, only to get really excited, point, and exclaim, "There it is!!" when it reemerged.

  

We only get to visit with them a few times a year, but every time we do, I love them even more. I'm so grateful for a great family with wonderful siblings and an awesome niece and nephew. And I'm also glad for a super cool place so close that we can go to in order to entertain kids for a whole day!

Parks & Rec

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Brad and I have recently started watching reruns of Parks and Recreation, which is to say that Brad and I have recently fallen in love with Parks and Recreation. Seriously, we laugh at every single episode. These characters are awesome, and it really is generally an innocent show with an overall positive outlook on life...

If you love the show, too, then you'll totally love these clips from NBC. If you've never watched it before, then consider these clips introductions to a couple of the best characters currently on TV. Period.

I can't wait for new episodes to restart, next month!

Damsel in Distress

Seriously, does this ever really happen?

{Taken with my cell phone as soon as it happened}

I thought it only happened in the movies or in commercials, but I legitimately broke the heel of my shoes the other day! And I wasn't even doing anything awesome! Just boringly walking through the building of my lobby to my car after work. What a lame story. I wish I had been running in the rain after a moving train containing my long lost love or something. Anything more dramatic, romantic, or climactic than going home. Womp, womp. Oh well, it is what it is.

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They were a Christmas gift from my husband this past year, and I basically wore them every single day, either to work or to church. I guess eight solid months of weight on the same quarter inch of heel will finally take its toll on a shoe.

RIP perfect, comfy, cute, stylish, just-right-size-5, wear-with-anything, black heels. You meant a lot to me during your heydey, and you will be greatly missed.

Sparks Fly

Taylor just released the video for her most recent single, Sparks Fly. Get ready for a prime seat to her show!

Sparks Fly from Taylor Swift on Vimeo.

Am I lame to admit that I legitimately got goosebumps as the fireworks went off as well as when she was playing in the rain. (That really happened, people. Love her!)

Oh, this makes me even more excited for the concert next month! EEEE!!!! ♥

kisses blown from Heaven

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I feel like God blows me kisses sometimes; various little reminders of His love for me that He sneakily plants right in plain sight throughout nature.

Every morning, on my way to work, I pass multiple locations with vines of Morning Glory welcoming me to the new day. At first, I didn't realize what they were, and I was so disappointed in the evenings when I couldn't show Brad the beautiful flowers God had given me. My first explanation was that these specific gifts must be intended for only me. Upon some further research, I learned that morning glories only last the few hours of the morning, why is why I can only spot them during my morning commute. (However, I still like to believe they're for only me, regardless.)

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Brad did finally witness this particular display of His glory on our way to church this past Sunday Morning. How cool of God to bless us with some beauty to make the start of each day even better!? He totally knows that I need some pick-me-ups in the mornings.

Another random gift that He sends my way on a regular basis is turkeys. Now, I know this is really weird, but there is this rafter (that's actually what you call them) of turkeys that seem to live in the back yard of a house located along my route to and from work. They aren't visible every day, but it has become a sort of treasure hunt for me to find them, making my daily commute much more exciting.

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Some days I only see one or two, and some days I see the entire rafter! (Seriously, such a weird word.) I've even seen the big Toms spreading out their big feathers to impress the ladies, I've enjoyd observing the babies getting bigger. I know this seems silly, but every time I see one, a couple, or a whole lot of them, I always thank God for sending little treasures into my path.

Butterflies are something that are very specific to my personal relationship with God. I don't get them (technically, see them, but I feel like they're a gift, so I consider it receiving them) very often, but the times that I do are precisely when I need them the most. God sends a butterfly my way when I'm especially sad or lonely or scared or distracted with worldly things. They are kisses that He blows my direction in order to let me know He's here with me and He loves me and everything will be fine. To me, they serve as the most obvious physical reminder of God's presence in my life.

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For my husband, that Brad-specific nudge from God comes in the form of a deer. He has some awesome stories of spending time in prayer during hikes and having a deer walk right up to him and stay there for a long time, just staring at him and then just hanging out right around him. There are so many times when God has sent Brad a deer when he most needs a heavenly reminder.

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The other day, Brad and I were heading to a nearby state park to go for a walk/jog on the paved, shaded, 2-mile trail around the lake. This is one of our favorite places to exercise together. This particular evening, on the way there, we saw a whole field of deer, followed by a ton of turkeys, then a bunch of ducks on the water's edge. I took all of those gifts as blessings upon our time spent together and upon our work out. (For some reason, Satan really attacks me in this area, and I genuinely pray for protection from his lies when I'm about to enter into a time of exercise.)

Brad and I enjoyed wonderful, meaningful conversation during the first mile, but as soon as we passed the half-way point, a siren sounded signalling that the park would close soon. In order to make it out in time, we had to jog the remainder of the distance. It was an entire mile either way we went, and up to this point, I had never ran that far of a distance but once or twice on a treadmill. However, I absolutely did not want to get locked into the park. So I did the only thing I coudl do; I ran alongside my husband; and alongside my Creator.

I finally understood why He gave me so many bold signals of His presence in the beginning of the evening, and I used that awareness to motivate me to run. It was as we crossed over the bridge about a half-mile in that I thought I couldn't go anymore, and He sent a crane to swoop over the water at that exact minute. As I was jogging into the final quarter mile, I sang children's Bible songs in my head to keep pace as well as distract me from the pain in my lungs and the nasty sweat dripping down my face. (We had just taught 2-year-olds at Bible class the night before, so they were fresh in my mind.)

We finally made it back to the entrance, and do you know what God gave me?? Right there, in the middle of the walkway was a little doe just sauntering around. Through my huffs and puffs, I panted to Brad, "That's for me! Most deer He sends are for you, but that baby one right there is for me! He knew I'd need one after that!" (By the way, we made it back to the car with only three minutes to spare!)

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God definitely knows me. Afterall, He created me. I truly believe that He speaks to all of us in our own personal ways. We just have to allow ourselves to be receptive to His unique form of communication in our lives.

What form do the kisses that He blows your way take?

Until the Very End

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In part, JK Rowling dedicated the final book in her Harry Potter series to me, a devoted fan who has stuck with Harry until the very end.

The 7th book was published in 2007, and Harry Potter's story was officially complete, but it has never felt so final as it does now, with the release of the last film in the franchise. Of course, we went to see the movie the minute it opened, but instead of providing a sense of wholeness with the conclusion, it instead left me with a giant gaping void, longing to be filled again.

You see, Harry Potter and his world have been a distinct part of mine for over a decade. I was first introduced to Harry (yes, we're on a first name basis by now) in 2000 by my smarter, younger brother, Richard. Naturally, I balked at the boy wizard's childish story; anything that my nerdy little brother was into was way below me. Since I was already a sophomore in high school, I was much too mature for a "kid's book." Thankfully, my mom continued to prompt me to pick up the Hero's Journey with anecdotes of a "funny house elf" and a flying car, as well as deeper lessons in friendship, courage, loyalty, and love. I finally conceded to quiet my scoffing long enough to "try just one."

To my surprise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone truly was a cute, entertaining, easy-to-read book with deep underlying meaning. It wasn't long until I stepped a little deeper into the Potterworld with The Chamber of Secrets, which I found that I enjoyed even more than the first. From that moment on, I dove headfirst into this magical world of wands and chocolate frogs.

I anxiously awaited the release of each subsequent novel. Every time Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express, I was right alongside him on his journey into the wizarding world. And at the end of each book, when he was sent back to live with the Durselys for the summer, I, too, was stuck in the muggle world waiting for the next book to be published.

Over the last ten years, the limits of JK Rowling's imagination have become mine, as well. I genuinely felt like I was there when Harry, Ron, and Hermione lulled Fluffy to sleep in order to save the Sorcerer's Stone from the man who murdered his parents; when they ventured deep inside the Chamber of Secrets to encounter the first of many parts of Voldemort's soul stored within a horcrux; when they helped free the Prisoner of Azkaban who would become one of my favorite characters; when his name was spit from the Goblet of Fire and he competed in the Tri-Wizard Tournemant, only to be portkeyed to his arch nemesis; when they fought Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic with the Order of the Phoenix and he finally discovered his true destiny; when he was (seemingly) betrayed by the Half-Blood Prince after studying the history, and final downfall, of his rival; and when they tracked down the Deathly Hallows and finally destroyed all of the horcruxes, so they could save the entire wizarding world from the most evil wizard who ever lived.

I remember drinking butterbeer and learning the rules of Quidditch as if I was truly part of the story. I have legitimate memories of traveling to Hogsmeade and visiting Honeyduke's and Zonko's Joke Shop. I felt like I actually wrote feet of parchment worth of essays for Snape, only to have Hermione correct it all, and that I really wandered the castle in the darkness under the invisibility cloak's protection. I felt the pain when loved ones died along the way. I felt the betrayal when nobody believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned. I felt the loneliness of being the Chosen One and the fear of having to go on an impossible mission to defeat the scariest, meanest, evilest wizard ever. I felt the resolution of knowing what must be done in order to finally conquer, and I felt the courage it took to make that final journey, as well as the love that it took to get there.

I know I probably sound like a total freak to those who haven't been properly introduced to Harry Potter, and maybe even to some of you who have met him, but haven't gotten to know him like I do. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as Neville, Luna, Fred, George, Sirius, Lupin, Dobby, Hagrid, Ginny, and so many others have truly been my friends over the years. They were a safe place to go to when I needed an escape. They truly provided me with comfort, peace, familiarity and a sense of belonging, direction, and identity through their fictional lives.

Over the last ten years, Harry and Co. have taught me many things. They've taught me the value of friendship and loyalty and bravery and courage; of believing in yourself even when you're the only one who does; of trusting in the good of others; of working hard and not giving up; of choices being far more important than abilities or lineage, and choosing what is right may not always be what is easy; of the power of love, and the greatest of which is one who lays down his life for others.

If I ever wrote a personal letter to Jo, I imagine it would look very similar to this hypothetical one written by an author/songwriter I admire:

Dear Ms. Rowling,

I think it’s remarkable what you’ve done. I love your imagination. I love your characterization and your sense of humor. I love that you’re telling a story about choosing the right thing, even when it’s hard. I love that you’re telling a story that is full of wisdom, a story that reminds me how evil Evil is. Most of all, I love that your story reminds me that light is stronger than darkness, that the best way to love is to lay your life down, and that Death will not have the final say. By the way, I’m a follower of Christ, and I see him in your story. I don’t know if that’s intentional or not, but you should know that he’s in there. In fact, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to say that reading your books has helped me to praise him even more for his courage, his sacrifice, and his strength to conquer the hosts of hell to save us.

Sincerely,

Andrew Peterson

That about sums it all up for me. I really don't know how to feel right now. With the release of the final film marking the true end to Harry's (and my) magical journey, I genuinely feel like I'm mourning the loss of my childhood; like I just graduated and the real (muggle) world is looming in my too-near future.

The Mehaffey siblings taking part in the last moments of world-wide Harry Potter fandom. We waited in line for four hours, and Brad and I made custom shirts to commemorate the occasion.

Waiting for the conclusion to finally begin, ten years in the making.

I will surely miss the anticipation of the next book or movie installment. I'll miss the excitement of midnight premieres. I'll miss the mystery of the unknown and the journey. I'll miss the reign this phenomenon has had on our culture. But, no matter what, I'll always be part of the Harry Potter generation, and I'll luckily never have to truly miss the wizarding world, because this is not the end, not really. Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

Thank you, Jo Rowling, for so many things, I can't even express. Thanks to you, and the Boy Who Lived, all is well.

HP "Friday" parody

This about sums up my excitement today!

(Seriously, parodies of "Friday" never get old!)

It All Ends. Tonight.

The countdown consists of mere hours!

For the last week, I've been enjoying a week long Potterthon, watching a movie a day in preparation for this final installment. (Each one gets so much better than the one before! This last one is going to be absolutely epic!) However, if you haven't had the opportunity to take part in your own Potterfest, here's a quick recap of all the films up to this point. Time to brush up on your horcuxes and hallows!

EEEE!!! I.am.so.excited.for.this! I can hardly stand it! This is it! This is the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort; the final showdown between good and evil; the final moments of simultaneous Pottermania worldwide. This is it. It all ends tonight. I'm so ready! (With a full package of kleenex...)