How to Help

A lot of you have asked how you can help us during this crazy time. Sometimes it’s hard for us to figure out what we need. We are blessed to have a lot of family in Nashville, and they have been invaluable to us. However, we appreciate the offers of help (and the help provided) from the rest of you as well!

Overall we are blessed with an abundance. And speaking of abundance, right now we don’t need much that’s not on this list…several wonderful people have brought me books, DVDs, and fun gifts, and I need to work through those piles before receiving any more. My little bedside command station is rather crowded already. Since we’re also trying to sell our house, we’re trying to keep our intake of “stuff” down to a minimum, so any surprises that we need put somewhere can be challenging.

Here are a few ways you might be able to help, if you feel so moved. No pressure, though!

– Prayer. Please pray not only for the health of baby #2, but also for Paul, me, Ian, and everyone helping us. This can be a tense and stressful time, and we all need extra grace for each other (and extra sleep).


– Blog Comments. I love reading your comments! I am encouraged to keep sharing my experiences whenever you let me know you’ve stopped by. Thank you!

– Food (Sometimes). My mother and Paul’s mom are doing a great job keeping us stocked with groceries and meals, but eventually we may take you up on those offers of home-cooked dinners. No offense if we don’t, though — it just means that our freezer is still full.

– Visits (Sometimes). Sometimes it’s great to have visitors to keep us company, and sometimes it’s not. Having friends stop by for a movie or a good conversation can keep things feeling normal for us. We especially could use visits from people who don’t mind chasing Ian around for 20 or 30 minutes at night or on the weekend. However, sometimes we’ve been so dependent on so much outside help that we crave time with our tiny family unit, just on our own.


– Home Repairs. We’re still hoping to sell our house, either this fall or next summer. Paul and our parents are so busy taking care of, well, everything, that there’s not much time for those extra touches to the house. We could use help cleaning the walls, touching up paint, and replacing door knobs and light switches. For the truly brave (and experienced), we have two bathroom ceilings that need to be mudded and floated (check out the picture). We have most of the supplies, just not the time.

-Lawncare. Right now we are paying someone to mow our lawn (extra important since our house is on the market). However, we definitely welcome volunteers so we can skip that expense once in awhile. You are welcome to use our lawnmower. Weeding our flowerbeds and trimming our hedges would be great, too!


– Doggie Playtime. Poor Cameron. He really doesn’t get any attention these days other than being fed, and he is such a good boy. I would love for someone to come over and play with him. You don’t even have to brave his fenced area — just pet his head through the fence and play fetch with him a few times. If you want to take him for a walk, even better!

– Entertainment Recommendations. Even though I don’t need any of the actual books, movies, or music, I’d love to hear your recommendations for stuff I should check out.

– Stuff. Okay, we really don’t need that much stuff, but some of you love to give gifts, and I won’t stop you! You can check out my Kaboodle lists here. In fact, I made a special list of things that specifically would be helpful or fun while I’m on bed rest, from magazines to housecleaning gift certificates. (And if you want to treat the guys to something, you can see their wishlists here: Paul | Ian.)

Thanks again for all of your love. I feel surrounded by friends right now, and I am grateful.