Winnie goes to Walmart

After reading the title of this post, you may be wondering, "What? Dogs can go to Walmart now?" Well, yes and no. Yes, dogs can go to Walmart. No, they shouldn't go to Walmart. Ever.

This afternoon Campbell and I decided to stroll to Walmart to get a few items. There is a Walmart about 1/2 mile from our house, located behind our neighborhood. It's an easy stroll there and back.

Of course, Winnie followed me outside because she wanted to go with us. I told her we would be right back and shut her in the back yard. About half way to Walmart, guess who trots up beside me? Well, Winnie Claire of course! I told her to go home and she immediately obeyed as she always does. The End. Oh wait, no she didn't. She doesn't do that. Ever.

At that point I had a decision to make: turn around and take Winnie home and drive to Walmart like a normal, sane person, or keep walking to Walmart with my unleashed dog following me. If this were a movie, you'd be yelling at the screen, "Go home, you idiot!" So I kept strolling to Walmart. Like an idiot.

Winnie weaved in and out of bushes and dodged cars as Campbell and I kept strolling. Campbell was already fussy because the sun was in his eyes and his hat kept turning sideways. Winnie scampered ahead and beat us to Walmart. Upon my arrival, I found her by the carts rustling through the trash and eating pavement Doritos. Naturally.

At this point I devise a (genius) plan: catch Winnie in the Walmart parking lot (easy, right?), beg a stranger to hold her while I run inside and buy a leash, and come back outside to tie her to a tree while I go back into Walmart and get the few items I need.

As I approached Winnie to catch her, a lady walked up. Carol? Kathy? Who remembers? Henceforth she shall be called "guardian angel" (GA).

GA: Is this your dog?

Me: Yes, she's mine. (To Winnie: Come here, Winnie!) She followed me here.

GA: Didn't you see her following you when you were driving here?

Me: Well, I walked...(...mumbling nonsense...she got out of the back yard...Houdini...mumble mumble...)

GA: What are you going to do?

Me: (I grab Winnie's collar) I'm going to go inside and get a leash and tie her up somewhere out here while I go get what I need and then walk back home.

GA: Do you want me to sit with her while you go get a leash?

[Hallelujah chorus]

Me: Oh yes, thank you so much! Are you sure you don't mind? Thank you thank you thank you! Be right back.

Campbell and I hurriedly strolled into Walmart, bought the leash, and came out. Then GA offered to watch my baby while I found a tree to tie Winnie up. She apparently noticed I was hesitant about leaving my baby with a stranger, albeit a guardian angel, and offered to stroll him beside me while I located a shaded tree and tied up Winnie. What a gal!

Campbell started crying again. GA said, "Oh no, she's crying. It's ok, your mommy's right there." It didn't even offend me that she called Campbell (still wearing a cap) a girl because she had helped me so much. Who am I to correct a guardian angel? My response: "It's ok. She'll be fine. The sun's just in her eyes." (Sorry, Campbell.)

After securing Winnie in the shade, I thanked GA profusely and rushed back into Walmart and was out in 10 minutes with the stroller basket filled with bratwursts, baby food, milk, and a new floppy hat for Campbell. I untied Winnie from the tree and wrapped the leash around my hand about 5 times and began the trek out of the parking lot.

By this point, Campbell was fed up. He was hot. He was tired of being in the stroller. His hat wasn't working. (New hat was too big. He couldn't see a thing. But it was darling -- light blue and white checked pattern). He was screaming. I was dragging Winnie on a short-leash while trying to push the stroller and pelting threats of, "if you pull this leash, I will end you" at her. People were staring.

After a cursory "haha...not my best idea" explanation to the staring strangers, I was home in ten minutes. After what shall henceforth be known as my dumbest adventure ever, we made it home in one piece -- minus one sippy cup that I'm guessing we lost on the walk home.

Lesson learned: listen to the people watching your life-movie (voices in your head). They are wise and want the best for you. Heed their warnings. If you think it might not be a good idea to take your unleashed dog to Walmart, it probably isn't.

Happy Easter!

Campbell's first Easter.

Reading

Campbell loves being read to. Here is Kurt reading to him.

Smiley happy baby

Bath time is a favorite around this house! C has a blast splashing in the water. I love this smile.

Teething

Campbell now has 2 teeth! He even chews on his sister sometimes!

Special prayer

I came across this prayer on Twitter recently. It has helped me daily in transitioning to life in Montgomery. I have grown anxious waiting for our house to sell in Tupelo and trying to trust God to take care of us because he always has. Truly he has.

So, when I freak out and feel unsettled because we have experienced 2 major life changes within 6 months (having a baby and moving), I have used this prayer to center myself.

***
A Prayer for Settling and Centering in Times of Restlessness by Scotty Smith

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Ps. 46:10-11

Sovereign Father, whenever I hear the command, “Be still,” I have to remind myself that you’re not telling us to sit still, but to be still; and there’s a world and a gospel of difference between the two. Sometimes I can be sitting perfectly still but my mind and heart race all over the place, and my hands reach for something to hold onto—something to either stabilize or anesthetize me in a world I cannot control.

I can will my way into a seat, but nothing but the gospel can bring my racing thoughts into captivity; nothing but grace can center my wondering and wandering heart; nothing but your love can fill my hands or heart with an anchor of real peace and hope.

When I am still, I remember that you are God and nothing and no one else is. That’s the best news of this or any day. You have no competition—counterfeits, but no competition. There are demigods, semi-gods, wannabe gods, but only you are God.

Kings and nations aren’t god; for one day you will be exalted among all the nations. The nations are like tiny droplets in your big bucket (Isa. 40:15). You laugh real loud when the nations gather against you, to conspire your overthrow and replacement (Psalm 2). Storms and environmental disasters aren’t god; for you will be exalted in the earth. You send the earthquake and harness the hurricane for your purposes. That’s often hard to understand, but comforting to accept.

Neither are my circumstances god, nor are transitions, nor the opinions of others, nor is getting older; neither are the choices of people I love, the mistakes I make and the sins I commit. In fact, the second most comforting news of the day is that I am not God; though at times my attitude, prayerlessness, and unbelief indicate I believe otherwise. Hallelujah several times over. You are God and I am not… I am so very not God.

Father, be exalted in the daily-ness of my today. Help me to see how your hand and heart are at work in everything. I don’t want to be a practical atheist about anything. You are working all things together after the counsel of your will. You are working in all things for the good of those who love you; and that includes me, because you first loved me and gave Jesus for me. By his life, Jesus fulfilled your law for me. By his death, he exhausted your judgment against me. I now stand in grace rather than wallow in guilt; I now swim in oceans of forgiveness, rather than tread water in a sea of shame.

I probably won’t sit still very long today, but because the gospel is true, I can and will be still. With palms up in surrender and praise, I enter this day with fresh perspective and an encouraged heart. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ excellent and exalted name.

One nasty dare

Recently our friend Drew "doo doo" Allison visited for dinner. He goes to Auburn and it's only 45 mins from Montgomery. I made red beans and rice. It was awesome. I cooked the sausage in beer.

Anyway, this blogger app won't let me upload the video, but Kurt dared Drew to chug 9 oz of Campbell's formula. SICK. Kurt offered Drew $5, and Drew said no. (Good choice.) But then Kurt offered Drew $50 (I figured $20 was the next logical ante but whatever), and he took the dare. The video is amazing to watch a grown man (age 22, I think) chug one of Campbell's very expensive and very gross-smelling meals.

I attached the pic of the check we had to write Drew bc we don't carry 50s in cash.

Installation service for Kurt

Here are some photos from Kurt's installation service at Trinity Pres in Montgomery. The church doesn't allow photography in the sanctuary, so naturally I took some pictures.

I put my iPhone on silent and snapped them. In the first picture, Kurt is pronouncing the benediction, not hiling Hitler or whatever.

I'm proud of my husband!

P.S. I like this Blogger app, but I can't choose the order of pics. But you get the idea.

Time out!

I got C this rocking chair at Goodwill for $3 this week. I hope he loves it and will sit in it and "read" to me before he knows how to read.

I also hope it doesn't turn into a time out chair. :)

Teething

Campbell is teething. He is fussy and all out of sorts. I have been letting him chew on my finger and giving him those teething tablets and some gel stuff. And he still loves sucking his thumb. But he just has not felt well. Poor fella. But he still loves bath time!

New app

Ok, I got a new app for my phone so I can better blog from it. Let's see if it works. I have added some more photos of Campbell and also of my hair. Sorry Sarah and Candace, but I joined the dark side even though y'all told me to stay blonde. It's much closer to my natural color, which I'm planning to try out in the future.

I posted an update post under this one that explains what in the world we are up to. Ha.

For Emily

My faithful blog follower Emily from Little Rock asked me to put these fingers back on the keyboard. So I'm doing just that. Writing is my therapeutic outlet anyway. Feels good to be writing -- on here and in general.

My last post was about a month after Campbell was born. That was about 4 months ago.
Since then the Cooper Clubhouse has left its tree in Tupelo and moved to Montgomery, AL. Kurt is the new student minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church. We really like Montgomery and our new church family, although I have shed quite a few tears missing our Lawndale family and others in Tupelo.

Let's see...Campbell is 5 months old now. He's a grinner and loves to "talk" and laugh. He scoots in his crib. Poor fella has reflux, but other than that he's so wonderful. I keep wondering how I got blessed with the perfect baby. Must be like his daddy.

Montgomery is cool. We currently live about a mile from Target. Woot woot! I don't go a lot, but it's nice to have one. Ha. We are staying in a temporary home in Montgomery until our Tupelo house sells. Our awesome realtor Jason Warren has shown it a lot, so I'm praying someone will make an offer soon.

Basically what I'm doing right now is putting lots of stuff in God's hands. My worries, the changes in our lives, our house being on the market, day to day activities, some loneliness, etc. My sweet mother-in-law got me a wonderful devotional book for Christmas called Jesus Calling. I'm sure you've heard of it. It is fantastic. It's like having a therapist talking to me each morning, telling me God's promises and showing me scripture. I love it.

Poor Winnie Claire. She is having a difficult time adjusting to our new home. The laminate floors are so slippery. She slides everywhere. The other day she got down off the couch and slid into the TV stand. I died laughing, but she was so afraid. Now she stands in the bedrooms afraid to walk into the living room for fear of slipping and sliding. She is a VERY CAREFUL stepper now. So funny.

Here are some photos of little fella. Enjoy!

Eating Cereal

Daddy feeding C in Montgomery

Daddy reading to me

Napping on Daddy at the freaking DMV. Gah. (Nap is cute. I hate the DMV.)

Sitting in the stroller in the church nursery.
He loves strolling! And the nursery loves him!

More cereal

Playing and grinning, what he does best. His Pop took this picture.

For the future, I hope to learn to sew on my new sewing machine (props to Bethany and Sarah) and also to keep making some jewelry (nothing fancy). And a fabulous lady at church named Ruthie (http://ruthiecarlson.blogspot.com/) paints beautifully. I want to take some lessons from her, too!

We shall see what the future holds. Meantime, would love some prayers. Change is hard, but it is good. We are happy to be in God's hands and plan.