monday.

Yesterday I was really missing Cora.

I think it might be the anticipation of her birthday coming up.

It is so hard for me to believe that she would be two.

I haven't really been looking forward to this week at all.

I've been fighting back the tears and just feeling sad.

But this little guy helped me start off Monday with a smile.

He went back to sleep this morning and let his mama sleep until nine.

That's right, I said NINE!

What a great way to start off the week.

He must have known his mama needed a few extra hours of sleep today.

And then he woke up with those big bright eyes.

He just cooed and smiled.

So sweet.

After a slow morning we headed into town to pick up Annie from preschool.

We had lots of fun with her.

We drove through Wendy's for lunch.

She thought that was so great.

And then we went back to her house to eat.

Annie gave "Le-bi" lots of love. 

She told me she LOVED babies.

And I think Levi loved her too.

Look at that smile.

She bounced all around him and he just watched and watched.

It made me wonder how things would be different for Levi if Cora was here.

I am so sad for him that he won't get to grow up with his big sister.

Thankfully we are blessed with so many friends to keep him entertained.

Annie came along with us to Walmart too. 

She was very good at checking on Levi to make sure he was okay.

She'll be such a good little mama someday.

Levi had his eyes closed the whole time.

He didn't know he was missing out on all the Walmart fun.

Annie's mom is heading to Africa today.  

I know that she would love it if you would pray for her and her group!

Levi and I ran home for a few hours after hanging out with Annie.

I was hoping to get this posted then...but obviously that didn't happen.

We ended the evening at my brother's basketball game.

They are starting sub-state this week and won tonight!

Way to go Owen!

And that was our Monday.

*************************************

Hopefully you heard that Calla is home!

I got to see her yesterday and she looks great.

Ian and Julie are so glad to have their family together again.

So...this week we are finishing up Cora's for Calla.

I have lots of donated items left, so it is going to be a busy week.

There will be a giveaway each day.

More auctions too.

So keep checking back.

Help me welcome Miss Calla home!

Pray for Calla.

Stop by and encourage the Johnsons.

And if you are interested in leaving a donation for Calla and her family 

you can use the donate button on the sidebar.

Now for today's giveaway...

Corduroy Dress

The Little Sweet Peas

This dress is size 12 months. Isn't that big pink bow adorable?

Flower Onesie

The Little Sweet Peas

Gerber long sleeve onesie size 12 months.

Giveaway participation is free. Anyone can enter by leaving a comment on this post. As you leave your comment please remember to pray for Calla and her family! Comments will close Tuesday at midnight (central standard time). The winner will be randomly selected.

And...Ellen at The Little Sweet Peas has so generously offered to donate 15% of her Etsy sales to Cora's for Calla through the end of the week.  Just mention "The Macs" in the notes to seller.

Kathryn at Creative Glory has also extended sales of the Calla Tutu. She will be setting aside a portion of each Calla Tutu sold to give to Cora's for Calla through the end of the week.

Thanks ladies!

More to come in the morning...

giveaway #4 {winner}

The winner of giveaway #4 is...

Kristin Berghold (February 26 @ 3:50pm)
Congratulations Kristin!
Please e-mail me at contactthemacs@yahoo.com.

Thank you for being so patient with me as I sort everything out. Thank you also for joining me in praying for Calla. It sounds like little Calla should be coming home today or tomorrow. What a blessing! Ian and Julie are so excited to have their family all together again. And Ori will finally get to meet his little sister. What a sweet time that will be. I know the Johnsons would appreciate your continued prayers as they have a big transition ahead of them. 

The original plan was to be done with Cora's for Calla when Calla came home. But with the hold-up last week, I will continue to do the giveaways and auctions until all the donated items are gone. Even though Calla is coming home, the Johnsons still have a long road ahead. Calla will come home with monitors and oxygen. Julie and Ian will still be making lots of trips to Wichita for doctor appointments. I know your donations are such a blessing to them. Thank you!

Remember this cute pillow from the giveaway?

Micah from A Cherry On Top is donating 20% of her Etsy sales to Cora's for Calla. Her pillows are ADORABLE. Just mention "The Macs" in the comments to seller section when you are checking out. Thanks so much Micah!

I am working on the auction posts right now. Check back in a little bit!

a little messy

Sorry about my absence.
Do you ever have weeks where everything feels like a mess?
That has been my week.
My house has been a mess.
My emotions have been a mess.
My spiritual life has been a little messy.
Levi has had a few days where he has been a mess.
And the Cora's for Calla fundraiser...
well, it had turned into a mess.

mess #1
It turns out that my little Levi DOES cry. I know, it is hard to believe. Earlier this week he spent lots of time trying out his lungs. He found out he can scream pretty loud. I think the poor guy has had some belly aches. And maybe a growth spurt. It is hard to know. But every time I started to get frustrated or tired, I just squeezed him a little tighter. I reminded myself of how blessed I am to be able to hold him at all, even if he is screaming. Although sometimes even my exhaustion overtakes my common sense. Thankfully Joel is around to keep me level headed. Oh, and the past few days have been much better. And Levi has started smiling at us all the time (when he is not screaming of course). And cooing too. It is SO sweet.

mess #2
I have been struggling. Struggling to find time to spend in the Word with little Levi around. Things are all of a sudden busy again--life has changed, again. And just like so many times before, I am having a hard time keeping my priorities straight. I remember going through this same thing after Cora was born. But this time I feel the absence so much more. My time with the Lord has been so sweet since we lost Cora. He has been my friend, guide, comforter, and so much more. I needed Him desperately to get through each day. And I still do. I have never longed for time with the Lord like I do now. I miss Him. I can tell a difference in my day and emotions and attitues when I haven't taken time out to talk to Him. Everything else starts feeling like a mess. And I don't want to keep moving forward like this. I am making it a priority from here on to set aside time each day for the Lord. At least I am praying that this would be my priority. My time with the Lord may look a little different now, than what it did before Levi was born. And that is okay. But I still need it. Not just a few passing seconds, but quality time. As my life becomes busy again with being a mom, I don't want to be so distracted by other things that I miss out on what is most important. I need to be solid in my relationship with the Lord so that I can be the best wife for Joel and the best mama for Levi. I need Him.

mess #3
I was getting so frustrated with the Cora's for Calla thing. I have been praying that the Lord would work in this "mess" and that I would be able to continue to love my friend through this fundraiser. Every idea I had or someone else suggested seemed to lead to a closed door. I thought I had everything cleared up with PayPal and then I got another e-mail saying that my account had been restricted again. Really?? I called, sent in more information, wrote several e-mails and then finally resolved the problem yesterday. I found out that they WILL allow me to accept donations as long as it is just a donation, no strings attached. NO RAFFLES. Apparently they are illegal, so I wouldn't suggest hosting one on your blog. And auctions are okay too.  So here is the plan for Cora's for Calla...

I am going to try a combination of giveaways and auctions. I will also be putting up the donations button again. This time we will just be taking donations from anyone who feels led to give, any amount. Even a few dollars, when added up with everyone else, goes a long way. The giveaways WILL NOT be tied to a donation. Although if you want to give and enter the giveaway that would be awesome...but you don't have to. Anyone can enter the giveaways. All I ask is that you would pray for Calla and her family and maybe even hop over to their blog and encourage them. The giveaways will be smaller and more frequent. And then every once in a while I will auction something off too, with the item going to the highest bidder.  Believe me, I have looked into a lot of things, and this just seemed like the least time consuming and best way to finish off Cora's for Calla. I have okayed everything with PayPal, so I think we are good. I know this is different than the original plan, so if you donated an item for Cora's for Calla and have a problem with what I am doing, please e-mail me. Otherwise, Cora's for Calla will resume tomorrow. Yeah! I am so relieved and excited to have this all figured out. I can't wait to see the Lord continue to work through this fundraiser. I am praying that this will be a huge blessing to the Johnsons.

I know that a lot of you think that I have it all together. I don't. My life is...well...a mess sometimes. But I am so thankful that my God can still use the messes in my life to accomplish His purposes. All that He asks is that I draw near to Him and He promises to draw near to me (James 4:8). I am so thankful for the hope and grace we find in Jesus. I am thankful that I don't have to live in fear of failure because of all of my messes.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:28-30

The Message

I read this translation of Matthew at my Bible study a few days ago. I just love it! See you all tomorrow!

auction #2 {calla tutu}

Calla Tutu

Creative Glory

A sweet tutu named after a sweet little girl. This tutu is made from pink, blue, and green tulle. It has an elastic waist.

And guess what? Kathryn at Creative Glory has the Calla tutu listed in her Etsy shop. From now until Calla goes home (which could be very soon), she will be setting aside a portion of each Calla Tutu sold to give to Cora's for Calla.

Auction Rules:

If you want to bid on this colorful tutu...leave a comment.

You can outbid each other by leaving your amount in your comment.

You have to bid at least a dollar higher than the comment before yours.

The bidding will close Sunday, February 28 at midnight (central standard time).

cora's for calla

Meet Calla Jayne.

Last month I asked you to pray for my friend Julie and her family. Their little girl Calla was born at 26 weeks and has been "growing" in the NICU ever since she was born in December. She is so little, but so perfect. Ian and Julie are loving the socks off of this sweet girl. Calla also has a big brother, Ori. Ian and Julie's time is spent split between being home with Ori and spending time at the hospital every day with Calla. Not to mention all of their other normal responsibilities...like work.

I have been praying and praying for Calla. Praying that she would grow strong and healthy. Praying that she would be able to breathe on her own. And praying that she would be able to go home soon to her family. But I wanted to do more.

 

and the winners are...

Giveaways:


Wow! There are so many winners...read carefully so that you don't miss your name! All giveaway winners were randomly selected. If you won something, please e-mail your name, what you won, & shipping address to contactthemacs@yahoo.com  I will get everything in the mail as soon as I can.


March 1
Cordoroy Dress & Flower Onesie - mytwoboys @ 11:31 AM

March 2
Dishwasher Safe Labels - Melissa Abby @ 8:34 AM

March 3
Marble Magnets - Lindsay @ 2:55 PM
Marble Magnets - Kelsey @ 8:08 PM
Spotted Lily Earrings - Jessica Marston @ 2:28 PM
Vintage Rummage Necklace - Tina Coleman @ 10:44 AM
Stellajade Necklace - Kate @ 8:38 PM
Flower Post Earrings - Amanda @ 8:02 AM

March 4
Western Bib - C Golden @ 8:23 AM
Western Bib - Carla @ 11:31 PM
Western Bib - Marsha Hinkle @ 9:40 AM
Farm Swaddle Blanket - Gordon @ 8:37 PM
Farm Swaddle Blanket - Tristan @ 12:01 PM
Flower Clips - Jody @ 10:56 PM
Onesie & Wipes Case - Nancy @ 4:10 PM

March 5
Flower Onesie - Ellen Grant @ 1:18 PM
Flannel Burpies - Merlin @ 10:47 AM
Cutie Crochet Hat - Shannon @ 10:35 AM
Spring Clippie Set - Rachel Vaughn @ 3:32 PM

March 6
Toddler Dress - The Bracks @ 4:59 PM
Felt Clip - Amanda @ 2:06 PM
Felt Clip - Tony & Lindsay @ 4:54 PM
Tag Along - Todd & Courtney @ 2:14 PM
Tag Along - Becki @ 8:10 PM



Auctions:


Thank you so much to all the auction bidders. We were able to raise so much money for Calla and her family. Auction items went to the highest bidder. If you were the highest bidder please make your payments through PayPal.  Go to paypal.com. Under the personal tab there is a send money option. Under send money click on send money online. You can send the money to this address: contactthemacs@yahoo.com  If you have any problems or questions, please e-mail me at the same address. As soon as I get your payment I will put your item in the mail.

#1 Baby Chenille Hat
Susy - $25


#2 Calla Tutu
Jenny Bogunovich - $48


#3 Princess Onesie
Missy Green - $55


#4 Cora Dress
Al Kruse - $110


#5 Fire Engine Pillow
erin.glaser@gmail.com - $60


#6 Monkey Print
Patty - $34


#7 Monster Tee
Nancy - $45


#8 Purse
Deborah - $50


#9 Spotted Lily Earrings
Heather - $22


#10 Faith Necklace
Lori - $38


#11 Stellajade Necklace
Alexa - $25


#12 Stellajade Earrings
Kacie - $25


#13 Flower Post Earrings
MaryBeth - $26


#14 Scarf
JenniferNe - $30


#15 Toddler Apron
Ashley - $44


#16 Tooth Fairy Pillow
Amanda Balzer - $45


#17 Knit Hat
Jenni Lynn - $45


#18 Sleep Sac
Jessica Gramm - $33


#19 Little Star Canvas
Megan J - $46


#20 Hooded Towel
Dina - $32


#21 Crayon Roll-Up
Kristin Stegent - $37


#22 Bow & Beanie
Erin Hutton - $35


#23 Pink Felt Flower Headband
Kristin Stegent - $19


#24 Blue Felt Flower Headband
Kristin Stegent - $19


#25 Southern Baby Boutique
Brandi - $20


#26 Baby Cakes Art & Design
The Farmers - $28


#27 Loafers
Kristin Stegent - $22


#28 Maryjanes
Nancy - $45


#29 Blog Makeover
Audrey - $95

When I get all the payments I will add in the final donations and let you know what the final total is. Thank you so much for helping me with Cora's for Calla. I am still amazed with how many people joined me to help with this project. Please continue to pray for Calla and her family as they adjust to being home.

You might not hear from me as much this week! I promised my husband that I wouldn't be glued to the computer after I finished Cora's for Calla. My Mac and I might need a little break from each other. :o)

birthday & cora's for calla

Yesterday was hard. I think it was even harder than Cora's heavenly anniversary. We just kept thinking of what we should be doing today. Celebrating Cora's two years with us. Buying presents for Cora. Having a fun two year old birthday party. But instead we were going to buy flowers to take to the cemetery. That was not fun. Cora's memorial stone was put in right before Christmas, but we still hadn't gone out to see it. We had drove by to see it from the road, at a distance, but we hadn't actually gone to the cemetery. It was too hard. Too hard to face that stone that had our daughter's name on it. Not that seeing it changes anything. But it is just so hard to actually see your child's name on a memorial stone. So emotional. So final. 

We decided yesterday would be a good day to visit the cemetery. It was finally warm outside and we wouldn't have to tromp through snow to get to it. We picked up some flowers and balloons and tried to be brave. We got there and just wept. We just miss Cora so much. We miss holding her. We miss having her as part of our family day-to-day. We just miss life with her. Levi came along and helped us send two pink balloons up to his sister. Actually, he slept through the whole thing. But we wanted him to be there with us to celebrate his sister's life. 

And we did celebrate Cora. We celebrated the eleven months we had with her. We celebrated how she forever has changed our lives and the lives of so many others. In the afternoon Joel had to go back to work, so my mom and sister came over for a little bit to hang out. Then we spent the evening at my brother's sub-state basketball game. We decided to keep things low-key this year. 

So often on these days I wonder "why" again. Why was loosing Cora part of God's plan for my family. How can something so painful be part of His perfect and good plan? I know I will probably never understand. But it doesn't keep that question from creeping back into my mind. A friend has been reading through the HOPE book too and sent me this reminder of God's sovereignty that I really needed yesterday:

The sovereignty of God is a rock underfoot when the winds blow in our lives. It confronts what seems absurd in our existence. God's sovereignty is our greatest hope as we face an uncertain and unknown future.

"The Lord Almighty has sworn this oath: 'It will all happen as I have planned. It will come about according to my purposes. I have a plan for the whole earth, for my mighty power reaches throughout the world. The Lord Almighty has spoken--who can change his plans? When his hand moves, who can stop him?'" 

Isaiah 14:24, 26-27

So, we made it through the day. Thank you for the many kind comments. There were so many people who remembered Cora's birthday and were praying us through the day and that meant so much. We got cards, e-mails, flowers, and even breakfast from our sweet friends and family. Thank you!

**************************** 

We are wrapping up Cora's for Call today. There are six auctions going on right now. It has been amazing to see all the money raised for Calla this week. I can't wait to tell you all the final numbers. Today will be the last day for auctions and giveaways...ending at midnight tonight. I will try to post all the giveaway winners and more information for the auction winners tomorrow. Then I will get everything in the mail next week!! 

Here are the final giveaways...

One person will receive:

Toddler Dress

Leah LaRae Baby

Two people will receive:

Felt Flower Clip

Festive Frills

Two people will receive:

Tag-Along

Minky & Me

Giveaway participation is free. Anyone can enter by leaving a comment on this post. As you leave your comment please remember to pray for Calla and her family! Comments will close Thursday at midnight (central standard time). The winners will be randomly selected.

Remember today is the last day for Cora's for Calla. Thank you so much to everyone who has participated in supporting Calla and her family. I will be posting all the winners tomorrow!!

grab a calla button

Don't forget the first Cora's for Calla giveaway is open until Friday at noon.
If you are wanting to enter the giveaway make sure to leave your comment here.

Spread the word.

Grab a Calla button and post it on your blog.
The code is on the left sidebar.

Tell everyone you know.

Join us in praying for Calla.

cora's for calla {wrap-up}

What started out as a little idea Grammy and I had...

turned into Cora's for Calla.

Together we were able to raise $4,365.66.

All to encourage the Johnsons.

And to help sweet baby Calla.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It was so fun to be able to give this money to the Johnsons.

They were overwhelmed by the love shown to their family!

I am SO sorry it has taken me this long to get everything wrapped up.

It took me way longer than I thought to track down 

all the auction winners and get payments finalized.

Everything is officially done now.

Yeah!

Thank you to the wonderful vendors

and their generous donations to Cora's for Calla.

I have included a list of links for the vendors who participated.

You can bookmark this post and 

use the list for your shopping in the future!

Festive Frills

The Little Sweet Pea

The Spotted Lily

Leah LaRae Baby

Madivia Designs

Brag Bling & Bows

Hope Springs Designs

Amanda Smith

Southern Baby Boutique

A Cherry On Top

The Cottage Petaler

Creative Glory

Babycakes Art & Design

Gracious May

The Design Girl

Minky & Me

Caroline's Label Shop

LNZart

Stellajade

Vintage Rummage

Stella Ruby Collections

Cleta's Treasures

Cottontail Creations

Sew Happy

The Other Blueberry

Two Little Tots

Ranee Browkaw

The Chica Boutique

I think I got everyone on the list.

but just in case I forgot...because that is possible,

please let me know.

cora's for calla {giveaway #3}

I think the giveaways keep getting better and better.

And Calla is growing, growing, growing.

Thank you for joining me in praying for the Johnsons.

Giveaway #3

This is what you will win:

Cora's Dress - 3 months (long sleeve)

Flannel Baby Blanket

Amanda Smith

Nursing Cover & Burpie

Hope Springs Designs

Layered Bow & Crocheted Hat

Brag Bling & Bows

Baby Girl & Baby Boy Blankets

Madivia Designs

Flower Onesie - 9-12 months

Leah LaRae Baby

Camouflage Bow

Leah LaRae Baby

Pink & Black Bow Set

Leah LaRae Baby

Earrings

The Spotted Lily

Bracelet

The Spotted Lily

(This is my cousin's new shop. She has great jewelry!)

Ruffle Bib

The Little Sweet Pea

Felt Flower Headband

Festive Frills

Thank you to the many people who have donated items for Cora's for Calla.
My mailbox has been overflowing!

more giveaways

I don't have much today. 

It has been busy, busy, busy around here.

Levi was supposed to have his 2 month appointment this morning.

At least I thought he was.

I even called a few days ago to check because I knew it was coming up.

Apparently it is next Wednesday.

Same time.

Oops.

I felt really dumb.

We had gotten ourselves up and around earlier than usual just for the appointment.

Joel had even taken off work to come with me.

I guess we will try again next week.

I hate when I do things like that.

*************************

I will be posting all the giveaway winners soon. Thanks for being patient.

Also, if you were the highest bidder on an auction item I will be getting in touch with you soon. Again...thanks for being patient.

************************

Ashley at Festive Frills is donating 15% of her Etsy sales to Cora's for Calla through the end of this week.  Just mention "The Macs" in the notes to seller. I am also auctioning off an apron from her store today!

Dina at Brag Bling and Bows is also donating 15% of her Etsy sales to Cora's for Calla for the next seven days.  Again, mention "The Macs" in the notes to seller. I will be auctioning off a hat and bow from her shop in the next few days.

Thanks so much ladies!

*************************

And here are today's giveaways...

Three people will receive:

Western Bib

Cleta's Treasures

Two people will recieve:

Farm Swaddle Blanket

Madivia Designs

One person will recieve:

 Four Flower Clips

Leah LaRae Baby

One person will recieve:

Onesie and Wipes Case

Southern Baby Boutique

Giveaway participation is free. Anyone can enter by leaving a comment on this post. As you leave your comment please remember to pray for Calla and her family! Comments will close Thursday at midnight (central standard time). The winners will be randomly selected.

More tomorrow!

cora's for calla {giveaway #4}

Levi and I thought there were way too many girlie things lately.

This one is for the boys...

Here is what you will win:

Airplane Pillow

A Cherry On Top

Space Burpies

The Little Sweet Pea

Pirate Wipe Case and Onesie

Southern Baby Boutique

Giveaway participation is free. Anyone can enter by leaving a comment on this post. As you leave your comment please remember to pray for Calla and her family! Comments will close at midnight (central standard time). The winner will be posted tomorrow morning.

If you are interested in donating to support the Johnson family you can use the donate button on the sidebar.

I am thinking I will auction off a few items this weekend. Check back tomorrow.

Happy Friday!