for the hard things: giveaway winner!

Well folks, we have a giveaway winner.

You might remember...for the hard things, a book I made to be a help in trials...a sort of handbook in hard times... I wanted to give one away.

And because I want you to share in the excitement of WHO won...

and because I am SO organized and technologically advanced...

I took pictures of the EVENT.

yes... I said EVENT (in all caps) so you would get all excited and hopefully get a tingly feeling run up and down your spine...

Did it work?

no?

No worries, we shall proceed anyway.

First I laboriously and painstakingly counted and labled each comment by number...

with a purple crayon.

Then, I carefully and evenly folded wadded up each cut out number...

Next, it threw them in one of the boys hats,

and had Rigg choose...

He had no idea what was going on, but he was super excited to participate...

and he chose....

can you stand it?

#

Congratsulations Boyka! Email me (carichastain@yahoo.com) with your info so I can mail you your book!

Didn't win? Super bummed? Want one anyway?

Click here to buy one.

my grief story

I have needed to do it for awhile.

It was just time consuming...and work... and time...

and I have no time.

 ever

I have children...not time.

BUT

It is important.

So.

I worked on it.

and now it is done (enough)

I have felt for some time now that my blog needed to be easier to navigate.

Specifically for those directed here to read about Caden... and loss... and grief.

Because my life looks dramatically different now then it did 2 or 3 years ago. And a sad, heart-sick mama who comes here to read about Caden gets smacked in the face with 2 adorable, smiley and very alive little boys... which could be a bit unhelpful to her.

SO.

I needed a one-stop place where all my God-praisin', question askin', soul-searchin', heart-wrenchin', laughin', cryin' and sometimes completely undirected posts could sit all cozy together and wait. Wait for a person in need of a story. One they can relate to... one they can cry with... one they can be sad with... and hopefully laugh along with...

A place for my grief story.

Just that.

No tumor.

No pregnancy tales.

No Rigg stories... no Ryder stories.

Just posts about Caden and God bringing us through the fire.

So here it is... it is over on my sidebar.

If you want to just read about Caden...this is the place.

If you ever direct anyone to my blog because they have experienced a loss... make sure you tell them about the link on the side. Right under Our Story.

My Grief Story.

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Less then a day left for the giveaway!

ENTER!!!

a couple of things...

He WOULD NOT sit or stand next to thing 2...

He would not leave his "name sign"alone...

Getting them to keep their "hair" on was next to impossible

butt  ahem...but when they did

Thing 1 and

Thing 2

were SUPER cute.

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Don't forget about the

for the hard things giveaway!

for the hard things {giveaway}

It was a long, strange, sad and beautiful week.

My heart hurts... but I am reminded of HOPE.

I was able to spend time with my friend Lauren, who said goodbye to her sweet baby boy last week.

I remember what it felt like those first few days after Caden died.

The quiet.

The tears.

The ache.

The overwhelming saddness.

How the world kept turning, clocks kept ticking by seconds, minutes, hours... like nothing had changed.  How could that be when my whole world, my whole life, Lauren's whole life, had stopped...crashed and broken into a million pieces... how?

I remember.

And I think, this past week, when I was able to talk to Lauren... to my friend Ashley (who said goodbye to her son Jonah last week), God answered a prayer.

After Caden died I asked God to show me small glimpses of why. Why her, why me, why this...

God has so overwhelmingly comforted, encouraged and strengthened me. He has given, and given and given. He has shown mercy and grace and love beyond measure. I have been humbled and brought low... and I have seen God in a way I never knew before.

He has, in a way, prepared me.

To proclaim his goodness to those who hurt.

To comfort those in pain.

To encourage those bent low under the weight of life.

To stand as an example of God's abundant faithfulness and love.

What an awesome gift... to share about God with others in the hard things.

One of the hardest things for me when going through difficult times is remembering truth when my emotions take off. When I am sad...it is hard to remember God is good. When I am hurt, it is hard to remember God and His comfort. When I am so tired and drained, it is hard to remember God is, and provides strength.

So what remindes me of truth? ... truth itself.

Scripture.

God's word.

The Bible.

I was thinking of this earlier this week and how it is hard to remember...and that you almost need a hand book for hard things. Something you can use for yourself, or give away to those in need.

*lightbulb*

why not make one...

so I did.

and I want to share, because we all go through hard things... and we need reminders of what is true.

and, because I strive to make my life as cute as possible...

 I added color and birds and a massive cute factor.

It is a small, soft cover Blurb book.

and you can purchase one here.

for the hard things

by Cari Chastain

I also want to give one away.

You can keep it... or pass it on to a friend.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite go-to scripture for hard times or what you would use the book for.

The giveaway will be open until noon on Friday (November 4th)

I cannot wait to keep these on hand to give to people who need encouragement and comfort from God's word. It is my hope that this little book can be used for God's Glory in all the hard things of life.

a while away

I feel like I have said these words so often lately.

Pray for my friends.

They are hurting... deep, gut-wrenching, can't stop crying kind of hurt.

Lauren and Scott said goodbye to baby Michael late last night.

He is with Jesus.

and my Caden.

I have cried all day long today. Can't stop.

I told a friend earlier today,that although I have been where Lauren is, I still have no words.  Only hugs, prayers and Jesus gets you through.

But mostly Jesus.

I hurt for Lauren and Scott. I remember the hurt... the ache of loss.  The Caden shaped void in my life.

Now they have a Michael shaped void.

The only thing that fills a void like that is HOPE.

I will see Caden again..I just have to wait awhile.

Michael is just a while away now too.

Maybe they are together... giggling at their silly mama's who  have no idea the wonderfulness that is their life.

Because they are alive...

SO alive.

just little a while away.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

{1 Thess 4:16-17}

Please pray for Lauren and Scott... they are in desperate need of your prayers. Leave a comment here or better yet... hop on over to Lauren's blog... see pictures of her precious son, Michael...and and leave a comment there.

out of the mouth of mommy

do not stand on mickey, you will break him.

DO NOT FLUSH THAT!

no climbing on the tv.

put the pizza roll down first, then climb up the chair.

we do not use chalk on the funiture, the wall, or our brother.

yes, i know we share, but just not popcorn with the baby.

i know we put diapers in the trash can, but only dirty ones, ok? clean ones stay in the bins, ok?

it is not ok to sit on his face.

please do not drive over your brother.

rigg, let ryder drive the train now.

i know, mommy is funny.

i love you too, precious boy!

bath time!

Just recently (as in the past month or so) we have been able to bathe the kiddos at the same time...

in the same tub...

saving time and energy...

and what's left of Mama's ever-so-elusive sanity.

Bath time has always been enjoyable.

Now it it double the pleasure, double the fun...

Rigg LOVES the water. He could stay in the bath for hours getting his fingers and pigs (or toes as most would call them) all wrinkly and prune-y. He makes his boats go on tours and sinks them. He puts the letters and numbers on the walls and sings his ABC's and counts (most of the time in the right order... or at least some of the time). He names his body parts when we soap him down. Rigg is a tame bather.

Ryder lives his whole life wildly... including bath time. He splashes always, crawls all over, and chews on everything in reach. He takes up 87.4% of the tub leaving Rigg a small space in which to play. Rigg never complains... So Ryder continues to expand his territory until a strong parental figure moves him back to "his side" giving his brother room to breathe.

and by the end of bath time not only are the children wet from head to toe... but Mama and Daddy are too... and the floor... possibly the dog.

But Clean! Everyone is clean and smells of that warm, cozy baby smell...

For at least 5 minutes.

They are boys, remember!

an update and a reminder

UPDATE:

Remember when I told you about my close friend Lauren?

and her super precious son Michael?

Her super precious, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, born at 24 weeks son?

He is a strong one.

He is a fighter.

He is loved, loved, loved.

I was going to write an update...

but I think it would be better, and nicer, and oh-so lovely if you clicked on over to Lauren's blog and read her words about her son.

AND

left her a sweet message about Michael, about your praying for him, about how mighty Our God is, about how cute Michael looks in his pumpkin hat...

about anything... comments (and prayers) are coveted from those in trials...

So let's encourage and edify Lauren and Scott...

Go on..

Click here...

encourage...

GO!

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REMINDER:

While we are in "encourage" mode, please do not forget about K and S and their heartache over the loss of their sweet, sweet boy, Judah.

They need prayer... and love and comfort...

and comments to show them that they are not forgotten...that Judah is not forgotten... that God is BIG,  and Mighty and doing an awesome work through them and their sweet boy's short life...

So click here and encourage them today with a comment...

Go on...

Click here...

GO!

enamored

Enamored describes it perfectly.

Fascinated is also a good word.

Smitten.

Awe.

All over a garbage truck...

Ryder ~ 8 months ~

Ryder is 8 months old!

well, actually... Ryder turned 8 months old about 3 weeks ago...

but still..

8 months old!!!

and he is messy (as usual)

Ryder is rarely like this:

he is usually like this:

and LOUD!

and

now he does this:



sometimes, when he pauses and looks at me all quiet and sweet, he is so beautiful and he reminds me so much of Caden...

 

but then he breaks out in a wicked grin and squeals loud and strong... just to remind me of his boy-ness..

  

as if I would ever forget how "boy" this precious boy is!