Stocking Full of Coal

The title of this post is not what I recieved but exactly what I did not. This year I was full of thanksgiving and joy and peace. I had a renewed sense of what hope the birth of Jesus brought to our world over 2,000 years ago since we ourselves had a little one crawling (yes, crawling at 6 months) around. I cry each time I hear the song "Strange Way to Save the World" because, if you really and truly think about the story of Jesus' birth it makes absolutely NO sense that He arrived the way He did. The second verse of Silent Night totally sums it up for me too..."Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. He was, is and will be that redeeming grace that we all long to find at some point in our lives.
So, this Christmas I made a point to not think about what I wanted or 'needed' but really think about what God has continued to bless all of of us with even though we are not at all worthy of any of it. Now, for picture overload.....

My precious maternal grandparents, Baba and Bupper. They have loved on each other for over 60 years and continue to demonstrate commitment and a marriage as God intended. She was holding his hand as he held her.

Tripp and Jay in a 50 year old plus tree house that used to stand at my grandmother, Puddie's house. It was built by hand by my dad's cousin who was an only child and came to Puddie's house to play with my dad and his brother and sisters. This tree house has been a fort, a kitchen a foxhole and quiet place for dozens of Ruff cousins, 12 grandchildren and God only knows how many swim students that graced the grounds of the 'Ruff Lawn' in Tupelo.....let the next generation of imaginations begin!

This is a painful picture for me, a strange girl football fan that LOVES her Rebels! But, like father, like son and it does look pretty cute on this little man. He has taken it off all of 5 times since Christmas night.

Perfect Form

Where's Tripp?? Still riding his bike in the garage....with a football jersey and bike helmet on! Safety First is his new bike motto (thanks to me)

Don't call Child Services. We don't let our 6 month old watch TV....this close anyway! At least she was watching a team that wins games on a regular basis!

Priceless...and worth EVERY penny and painstaking minute of putting it together. I have 3 words, TWO RIGHT PEDALS!

My precious nephew who obviously believes sticking his tongue out just right will make his decorating skills perfect

Sums everything up from this Christmas! oh, if she only knew.....

FALLing in love

I don't know what it is about the beginning of fall and the beginning of Spring but both seasons seems to do something to people. People are nicer, fresher in a sense. You go to the grocery store greeted by huge mums and vibrant apples and a smile can't help but creep itself across your face.
I have several fall memories that I hold as close to me as a cup of hot cider. One is being at my grandmother's house in Tupelo during football season. She lived off an old gravel road lined with a dairy barn, a silo and huge ancient oaks. I can still hear the sound of the gravel underneath her Buick hatchback Skylark (which of course we were allowed to drive at 10 years of age!!). Being a family of 14 cousins we were never shorted for imagination and games outside. My cousin, Blair, and I would always rake all the leaves into the shape of our 'dream house' complete with rooms, hallways and anything else we could come up with in our 7 year old heads. Then the boys would come out and those hallways quickly turned into football boundary markers. We would play two-hand touch (TACKLE for siblings) football until the fireflies came out to be caught in glass jars.
I love fall. I love the smells, the football, the food and the family that goes effortlessly with fall. I cannot wait to start traditions with my 2 and can only pray the world of movies, video games and iPads never takes the place of fallen leaves and imagintation!
"Grandma's house is where cousins go to become best friends"
Caramel Stuffed Apple-Cider Cookies-I mean, YUMMMM!!!!

The GREATEST place to tailgate!!! okay, I might be a little biased but I do believe you have to go at LEAST once. You won't see beautiful girls in dresses and heels for a football game anywhere else in this world.

a brand new look

I love change. Call me strange, odd, weird, whatever but I love it. I was raised as the only daughter with three brothers to a naval officer father so moving was bred into me at birth. I was born in Hawaii and moved 3 times before I was even 5. SEVERAL moves later I found myself at Ole Miss for 4 years and realized that was the longest I had ever "lived" anywhere. I don't have a house that I 'grew up in' per say, I don't go home and hang out with friends I've known since kindergarten or see teachers that taught me in 4th grade. Rather, I have compiled a laundry list of memories from places and people here and there that has shaped my childhood and much of who I am today.
I wasn't allowed to meet a stranger or be shy. When you're a navy 'brat' you have to be willing to "make new friends but keep the old" as the ancient saying tells you so. This happens to be something I value in myself and carry around as 'my thing'.
So, I've decided to change the name of this blog since SO many people read it {insert chuckle here} and were probably tired of seeing Jay, Emily, Tripp and baby sister on the way on my header being that she's 15 weeks old now!
I have had the name 'Ruffled Wishes' on the brain now for some time and since I can't really change the name of my business I decided I could always change the name of this blog. Ruffled is a combination of my maiden name, Ruff, and how I feel most days these days. Most of us like others to think we have it all together, no ruffles or ripples, and deep down realize that this is very far from the truth behind closed doors. I on the other hand wear my heart, life and faith on my sleeve....with or without ruffles on it. With God, we are not called to be fearful but trusting and confident that with Him we are safe, cared for and loved. I don't fear what ruffles God chooses to cast our way because I know that WITH Him it will create a stronger woman, mother, wife, daughter and friend out of me. Just like the quote from my favorite movie, Steel Magnolia's {such oscar winning material;)} "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".....
Wishes is from my married name, Witcher, and how I actually go about my life....wishfully thinking and trusting God beyond my husband's understanding. Not much bothers me and that really bothers him sometimes! I have wishes for my marriage, wishes for my son and daughter and my own life. Wishes are something we are told to make on stars and believe in at a very young age and I'm a firm believer that it's wishes that allow some to take one more step, smile during dark times or even live one more day.
So, here we have Ruffled Wishes.
Ruffled Wishes is what I have and I'm proud of it!

2 months 2 fast

When you say something is 2 months away it feels like a lifetime. When that thing has passed it seems that it came and went too fast and you long for the time BEFORE it happened. I read a survey on happiness the other day and research showed that people are happiest up to 8 weeks BEFORE a vacation or fun event is occuring and this made me stop and think about our family and me 8 weeks ago....
We were headed towards the hospital in anticipation of our sweet little girl to arrive. Tripp was not yet a big brother and we were still a family of three. That was BEFORE it happened and needless to say we were thrilled beyond words. But now, 8 weeks has passed and she's 2 months old just like that! Tripp is a precious, protective and proud big brother and we are now a family of four (and happy to stay that way;)!
We had the chance to finally get out to Jay's family cabin in north Mississippi this weekend. Jay deserved some downtime and we deserved some time to get down with Jay;). Sunday it was just us four for the first time in 8 WEEKS!!! Tripp drove the boat and Sophie had her very first ride, pure blessed bliss is all I can say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's Hear It for the Boy!

I was inspired today by my sweet friend Cat at Contant in Chaos to pray for my husband(more than normal anyway)and hope that he knows how much I love him. I know we, as mothers, sacrifice a lot for our spouses and children but that sacrifice would be twice as hard (at least in my life) if my husband didn't sacrifice in return for his family.
Anyone that knows Jay personally will giggle when you mention his name due largely to the fact that he does just that, makes you giggle! It was what drew me to him from the first meeting and it's honestly the main trait that has kept me coming back through all the ups and downs. I'm not sure he realizes that when he's not trying to be funny is when he's truly the funniest and I love this about him.
-He is one of the hardest workers and most self-determined and self-disciplined (unless it comes to sweets) men I know next to my dad. He is gifted at what he does on a daily basis and those that come in to contact with him on a work level sense this immediately.
-He's an amazing athlete and I can only pray (believe me there is nothing too small) that Tripp has an iota of his ability.
*on a sidenote, I consider myself pretty athletic too so Sophie does have that going for her too*
-He's loyal to a fault but if he has to have one, I don't mind it being loyalty at all!
-Of course he's a fabulous father and I know Tripp already admires him and Sophie will soon have him wrapped around her finger.

Sunday we will celebrate our SEVENTH anniversary and although this doesn't sound very long to most of you out there (since I have like 3 readers:), we dated for 5 years LONG DISTANCE before we even got engaged so really that 7 should have an asteric alongside it when we celebrate...not to mention I'm a Rebel and he's a bulldog. Making that work alone is a test from God!
He is still the love of my life and when I look back at all we've been through together I grin a little wider every time knowing that we made it and will continue to make it as long as God allows us on this earth....together.
He never reads our blog but if he just so happens to-
I LOVE YOU, JAY WITCHER!!!!
Our family and I am better because of you and I honestly thank my God every time I remember you and all He's walked us through with His guidance and never ending grace!

Our first dance, so young

Typical photo of Jay when we try to take a picture

The day Tripp was born. He was so proud it was a boy that would carry hi namesake.

Plus One

Well, we are officially plus ONE, one month later. Sophie is the "fweetest" (tripp language) and we already can't imagine our family without her here.
Sophie Ann
June 14th, 2011
6 pounds, 10 ounces
8:29 am

A Party to Remember

Tripp's Birthday party was Saturday and we celebrated with a sports theme. He kept telling Jay and me that all he wanted was "hard balls" at his party and we weren't really sure what to make of that until we realized he meant REAL balls that he could throw, not the plastic ones we let him use inside! So, it went off without a hitch
(8 days out from having little girl)and he is still saying that he loved his birthday!
The main table-
Baseball cupcakes (made by me), strawberry cake with the goal post topper, game dogs, peanut 'putter' and jelly sandwiches, chip shots (chips) and peanuts

The cake which was DELICIOUS!!!!


Cookie pops made by Sugarbaby's

I did the stickers and they are waterproof and removable-29:11 Creations


He wouldn't blow out his own candle so Jay and I took charge

LOVED his jersey shirt made by my sweet friend Jamie at Goochie by Jamie.