That "L" Word

I'm going to get to day 3, but first, this short announcement:

I HATE BEING SICK!!! I know, nobody LIKES to be sick, but I really HATE it! It just makes me mad. I feel like there is so much more I could be doing. Blah! Hopefully this antibiotic will help soon. Shout out to my most wonderfullest sister ever for taking me to the doctor. :)

Ok, here we go:

Day 3: My First Love

Alright, so I've been staring at the screen for 20 minutes trying to decide what to write. Do I want to be serious? Or do I want to make light of that "L" word? I mean, I could talk about my love of chocolate:



I mean, seriously, who didn't see that one coming?

I could talk about loving my mom and dad. I mean, honestly, they're probably the first people in my life that I loved.

Do I want to share my love of cheerleading? Yep, that's right folks, I was a cheerleader! In fact, I LOVED it! It was so much fun. :)

Or do I want to say my first love was God? That's true, He was.

You all know I love my son more than life itself. That's love, true love. :) But is he my "first love"???

As I type all of this, I realize I'm hiding from (what I believe to be) the true meaning of this post. I told myself I was going to be 100% honest in this blog, and I plan to stick to that!

I have been blessed to truly be in love twice in my life. My first love was such a large part of my high school and first college year that I feel like I need/want to tell you about him. :) I think most of you know his name, but I'm going to call him "Joe" just for kicks. :)

Joe and I were together pretty much all through high-school. We had one of those on-again, off-again relationships that drove everybody in our lives CRAZY! Haha. We also shared a year in college together. I will admit it, I was in love. I'm not going to say "Looking back, I realize it wasn't real love", because I truly believe it was. I like to think we learned a lot from each other about what we wanted in future relationships and out of life in general. He was and is an amazing person. He just wasn't the person for me. He is in a long-term realationship with a wonderful woman whom I just love to pieces. It makes me so happy to see them happy. I believe that's what love is, wanting to see people happy no matter what that means for you.

And what does it mean for me that he is happy with somebody else? It means I was able to find my one TRUE "meant for me" love of my life! By the time I met Jeffrey, I knew what (and who) I was looking for in a marriage partner. I still remember telling my mom several months into our friendship, "I'm going to marry this man. I'm just not ready to admit that to him yet". :) I knew. I just knew. Jeffrey will tell you he knew, too. I had always heard that, "You'll just know", but I thought I "knew" with Joe. Then I met Jeffrey, and I realized what all those people meant. He is my soul-mate.

I truly believe God put him on this earth for me, and as long as I'm alive, he will be my first true and first forever love.

Thankful Thursday

Ok, I know, 2 posts in one day...wow! :) But I really want to do this, so I figured I might as well start today!

I'm going to (attempt to) do a Thankful Thursday post every Thursday. I've always thought Thanksgiving should be a year-round holiday, so this is my way of making it one for me and my readers! :)

Today, I am thankful for my super-supportive family. As you may or may not know, my mother-in-law (MIL), Jackie, keeps Levi pretty much every day of the week. I can not BEGIN to tell you how much we appreciate this. Not only does it save us a ton of money, it also saves us (well, me!) a ton of stress! I know that he is loved and taken care of every day. She is so good at balancing grandmother and caregiver. I don't know what we'd do without her!

Something came up both Monday and Tuesday that she couldn't keep him (which by the way, she HATES!). :) My mom (Grammy) and sister (Aunt Cece), both had off work on Monday. The put aside their plans of a movie to keep him that day. They went to the Murfreesboro mall where he got to play on the playground and make new friends. It just meant so much to me that they changed their plans to help us out (not that they didn't LOVE to spend the day with him). :) They are both always willing to jump in and help me in any way possible. You know how people say "It takes a village to raise a child"? They are both crucial members of my village. :)

Tuesday was the same situation. I called Jeffrey's Grandmother (Mama) to see if she could keep him, and she did not hesitate to say yes! I mean, he's a bundle of energy, and I know it's not an easy task to keep up with him all day. Then Courtney picked him up that afternoon. How awesome is it that I didn't have to worry one single minute if he was ok?!

I know several people that don't have the luxury of family nearby to help out. I hope that I never take for granted the fact that we're blessed with close and willing family members!

Day 2: What's it mean?

Well hello again my friends! Thanks for coming back. I am having WAY to much fun with this blog! I have been so excited for this day of the challenge because I just love my blog name and the reason behind it. Now I get to share it with you!

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

Ok, so for all you country music fans, you probably already know where this came from. It's a Kenny Chesney song called (yep, you got it) "The Woman With You". Here are the lyrics (I cut out a chorus or 2):

She hit the door 6:55 sack full of groceries split down the side.
Can goods scattered all the way to the curb.
Look on her face saying don't say a word.
So, it's me and her and a can of beans sitting there on the front porch swing.
Western sky all turning red.
Head on my shoulder she sighed and said:

Been gopherin, chauffeuring, company chairman.
Coffee maker, Copy repairman.
Anymore there ain't nothing I swear man that I don't do.
Been juggling, struggling, closing big deals.
Dancing backwards in high heels.
Just when it feels like i can't make it through.
She said it sure is nice to just be the woman with you

She said the girl I was with the business degree probally wouldn't recognize me.
I was gonna run the bank.
I was gonna run the math.
Now all I want to run is a bubble bath.
Back then you know I had this plan.
Before all of this reality set in.
Here comes life boy ready or not.
Hey I wanted it all and that's what I got.

Cause I'm gopherin, chauffeuring, company chairman.
Coffee maker, Copy repairman.
Anymore there ain't nothing I swear man that
I don't do.
Been juggling, struggling, closing big deals.
Dancing backwards in high heels.
Just when it feels like I can't make it through.
She said it sure is nice to just be the woman with you.


I've always loved this song just because I love Kenny. Lately though, this song has taken on new meaning to me. When I heard it the other day, I thought, "Yep, that's me!". Then I thought, "Yep, that's my blog name!". :)

I have a lot going on in my life, a LOT. I have a full-time job on top of running my event planning business. I am part of 2 Bible groups. I have a husband and a son. I am a daughter, sister and aunt. I am the housecleaner, the grocery shopper, the clothes-buyer, the dishwasher, the cook, the bill-payer, the nurse. I'm a couponing princess (not quite to the queen-level yet). :)

But you know what, at the end of the day, I am Meredith. When I crawl in the bed exhausted and worn out, I am Jeffrey's wife, his "woman" (oh he'd love to hear me say that!). I can lay my head on his shoulder and know that all is well with the world. I have the love of my life beside me, and the most amazing little boy sleeping in his crib.

And that, my friends, sure is nice! :)

Day 1: This is me!

First off, thanks for the positive feedback on this everybody! I wasn't sure anybody would care, so it makes me feel good to know at least SOMEBODY is reading this. :)

Ok, Day 1 of the Blog Challenge: Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Introduce
Hi, I'm Meredith! :) Oh, that's not enough? Rats! ;)

Alright, my name is Meredith Nicole Sellars Davenport (yes, the whole thing is my legal name). Why? Well, when I was a wee little tike (actually, before I was even born), my Daddy wanted to name me Nicole, but my mom liked Meredith. They eventually decided (aka: Mom put her foot down) that I would be Meredith Nicole instead of Nicole Meredith (thank you Mom!). Because my Daddy loved it so, I've always loved Nicole as well. So I couldn't give it up when I got married, but I couldn't give up Sellars either. See, Courtney (my sister) and I are it for the Sellars line. I really wanted to carry it with me somehow, so I became "the woman with the extremely long legal name that annoys anybody that has to fill out forms for me". :)

Wow, a whole paragraph just about my name...this might be a long post!

I am married to the most wonderful man in the world, Jeffrey. :) He is truly my best friend. In fact, that's how we started-best friends. We spent 9 months building a beautiful friendship that on November 24th, 2004, became a little something more! He is, what some people would say, my "complete opposite". I'm loud, he's quiet. I'm outgoing, he's shy. I'm tightly wound, he's laid back. I like to shop, he'd rather be in a tree stand. :) Despite all of our differences, or perhaps BECAUSE of our differences, we work! We bring out different sides of each other. He's given me the love of shooting and riding 4-wheelers, and I've given him the love of travelling. He is so supportive of me in everything I do, but is always the first to point out when I'm overdoing it. I love that about him! I'm sure, if you continue to follow this blog, you'll get to know a lot more about my sweet hubby. He is, after all, the most important person in my life!

Many years ago!

The other most important person in my life is our son, Levi. I just can't say enough about this amazing little boy that has changed our lives for the better. People say you can never understand the love you feel for a child until you're holding them in your arms, and I completely agree! My life changed tremendously on February 11, 2010, when they placed that sweet baby in my arms. He is just the most wonderful blessing from God! He's so full of energy and happiness. He is constantly making me smile and laugh with the funny faces or sounds he makes. I love watching him discover something for the 1st, or 20th, time. :) We just celebrated his 1st birthday, and it was so much fun! That's a whole other post of it's own!

Love this smile!

Ok, gotta shorten this up...

I have an amazing mother and sister whom I love very much. I can't imagine my life without either of them. You'll hear more about them later in this challenge. I have a half-sister and brother-in-law who have blessed me with an amazing niece and nephew. I've also been blessed with a large in-law family who are just wonderful to me! :) I couldn't get through life without my bestest girlfriends! There'll be a post about them all too!

Moving on...

Recent Picture

Do you know how hard it is to find a picture of just me?! I'm usually the one with the camera, so it's almost impossible! I did find this, and oh look, it goes right along with my #1 interesting fact! :)

15 Interesting (or boring) Facts

1: I LOVE PENGUINS!!

2: I have never been a morning person until I had Levi. Now, I love waking up in the morning (as long as it's not too early) to him talking in his crib. :)

3: I pick the skin on my thumbs. It's a nervous habit that I don't even know I'm doing half the time.

4: I have had 2 rhinoplasties (nose surgeries). Yep, 2. My nose has been broken 3 times. Not fun.

5: Now, for those of you who have known me for years, prepare yourselves, this might be a shock...my favorite dessert is no longer chocolate...it's RED VELVET CAKE! Yummy!

6: I love taking pictures or having pictures taken. I'm so afraid of forgetting things, and pictures are excellent reminders!

7: I could not live (ok, maybe I could live) I could not COOK without my Pampered Chef

Deep Covered Baker! This thing is phenomenal!

8: I try to only eat chicken, turkey or fish. I started a diet last year that cut out red meat and pork, and I've just enjoyed it so much, I kept it going!

9: Jeffrey and I have 2 dream vacations: Austrailia and Yellowstone.

10: My all-time favorite ice-cream is TCBY White Chocolate Mousse yogurt. I cried the day they shut our

Lebanon store down. :(

11: Ok, I'll admit it, I love the Twilight series. I'm not a huge fan of the movies, but I've read the books 4 times. Yeah, all of them, 4 times.

12: I have a secret love for "Party in the USA". Yes, the Miley Cyrus song.

13: I actually think snakes are pretty cool. In fact, when I was younger, I had a 7ft python draped around my neck. Now, I don't want them in my house or anything, but they're interesting to look at in a box or other enclosed space. :)

14: I am a couponer! I'm sure I'll talk about that again at some point.

15:  Lastly, and most definitely the most important, I am a Christian. Now, I know that might not be interesting to some folks, but it is who I am. I don't think I can tell you facts about myself without including that one! :) God has blessed me tremendously! Why would I not want to share that with the world?!

Whew! I'm done! Thanks for reading this (if you made it this far). Until next time... 

Whew...deep breath...

Alright alright, I'm going to blog. Don't ask me why, because I don't know myself yet! :) Maybe I need a place to keep up with everything that's going on in my life. Yeah, that's it. It'll be good to write it all down, because the way things are going, I'm VERY likely to forget it all! I don't know if anybody else will read it, but at least I'm documenting my life in some way. Now, somehow, I've got to find time to blog in between:

Working
Running a business
Running a home
Being a wife
Being a mom
Being a sister, aunt, daughter, etc.
Spending time with friends
Studying the Word
Attending 2 Bible groups and church
Grocery shopping (and couponing!)

The list could go on and on...See, I already feel better. At least I know what I'm doing now (so do you-sorry for that)!

Where does one start when blogging? I'm sure I could tell you several things, like:

Jeffrey and I started P90X last night. Yes, that hardcore, "you must be crazy", home workout program. You want to know how many pull-ups I did? Guess, just guess...

That's right...ZERO! ZILCH! NADA! How can I carry 26lbs of baby around all the time, but I can't manage to pull myself up one time?! Argh! It's ok...as the guy says on the video: "Don't say you can't do pull-ups, say you're presently struggling with pull-ups". Ok Mr. Muscle Man with veins popping out of your neck, "I'M PRESENTLY STRUGGLING WITH PULL-UPS!". There, I feel better now.

I, of course, feel the need to throw in a Levi story:

Saturday night, he picked up a box and hurled it across the room. Seriously, hurled! So, I started calling him muscle man and asking him to show me his muscles while I made this ridiculous sound and face. In between laughing at me, he actually did it! He puts his arms out behind him, gets a serious face, and "shows me his muscles". It was so stinking cute! Video you ask? Negatory-it was in the car of course. Great place for that! I've tried several times to get it on video, but he gets too excited by the camera and forgets what he's supposed to do. Come on kid! Perform!

One last thing (see, this blogging thing's going to be easy!):

The business is booming! We have been so blessed lately to receive calls and emails from several brides. There are several Saturdays this year that Jaime and I both will have a wedding! Woo hoo! I'm so excited to have this. It is just so much fun to be a part of that special day. As I told Jaime when she started with me, it's like getting married all over again every weekend. To see the love a newly married couple has, it just reminds me to go home and kiss my wonderful husband. Oh, and I get to eat cake-every Saturday-yeah, I so picked the right business to go into! :)

Ok, I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. As you can see, this blog is going to be about a random assortmant of things because, well, that's my life!

Tomorrow, I'm going to start the 30 day blog challenge in hopes it will help me get off to a good start. Thanks for reading, and we'll see you soon!