First of all, y’all are awesome. Thanks for that.

Second of all, this was the first weekend in forever where our schedule wasn’t at the mercy of a practice and/or game schedule. IT WAS DELIGHTFUL. We’re about to be full speed ahead with lacrosse season, so it’s been nice to have a weekend that felt more like an actual pause between weeks. Those are increasingly rare, as evidenced by the backlog of quality TV programming that’s currently hanging out on our DVR. But this past weekend, at least, was utterly refreshing. I got to see a couple of friends who were in town, I got to cook, I got to spend an inordinate amount of time in pajamas, and I got to hang out with my people.

The only tough thing, really, was that I had to say good-bye to the Crawleys.

Let’s talk about that for a second.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

*BEWARE OF MANY SPOILERS*

*SO MANY SPOILERS*

Y’all, it was everything I hoped it would be.

The Dowager Countess had some of her best lines ever, and the sight of her laughing over Spratt’s column brought me untold joy. Plus, at the end, when she affirmed Cora in the kindest, most tender way, it was almost more than my heart could take. Such genuine affection there.

And then – AND THEN – Edith. Oh my goodness. For her to end up as the highest-ranking Crawley, for her to be so completely adored by her new husband, and for her to be courageous enough to shoot straight with her mother-in-law – I was just so proud of her. It was like watching a little sister grow up and come into her own, and it was about time, you know?

More than anything, I think, the final episode made me think that watching six seasons of Downton was absolutely worth it. Barrow was entrusted with what he’d always wanted but hadn’t dared to dream he was capable of doing. Mrs. Crawley took a chance on love – and it paid off. Bates and Anna FINALLY enjoyed some happiness. Mary and Talbot had a whole new life ahead of them in more ways than one. Lord Grantham stepped out of his comfort zone to support and affirm Cora. Even Daisy, Molseley, and Mrs. Patmore seemed to have brighter days in store.

Probably the biggest thing that struck me last night was how the Crawleys and the people who worked for them ultimately became one big family. The lines between the aristocratic class and the service class were much blurrier than in season one. Rose wanted to go downstairs and show the maids pictures of her baby. Mary and Lord Grantham went downstairs to talk to Carson. Anna had her baby upstairs in Mary’s bedroom (and Daisy even snuck upstairs to borrow Mary’s hairdryer – with no repercussions). Tom and Talbot opened a car dealership – which would have been borderline scandalous ten years prior. Lord Grantham shook Barrow’s hand and Carson’s hand (and I cried both times – because Barrow and Carson were so taken aback by it).

(I can’t even talk about the staff singing “Auld Lang Syne” – just suffice it to say that I had to press pause so that I could try to compose myself.)

All in all, it was an utterly satisfying, totally enjoyable end to a series that made Sunday night television fun again.

We’re gonna miss it so much, aren’t we?

Well, I’m writing this blog post while sitting at lacrosse practice. Don’t worry – I haven’t dragged my laptop to the bleachers or anything like that – I’m just sitting in my car, waiting for Alex to finish, and hoping that if I type, then maybe I won’t fall asleep.

Apparently I’ve entered the DREAM BIG phase of life. I basically just want to stay awake while I’m sitting in my car at athletic fields. The 40s are a non-stop adventure, y’all.

The last two weeks have been chock-full-o-activity. There’s been lots going on at work (like when I picked up FORTY-TWO DOZEN DONUTS last Thursday morning), lots going on at home, and lots going on at church.

Oh! That reminds me! I haven’t told y’all my favorite news!

I’ll tell you that first and then relay some additional (and random) info.

Okay. About seven years ago a former student from Baton Rouge emailed me about Daniel Renstrom’s music. He thought that I’d really like it, and sure enough, I did. Since then I’ve blogged about Daniel’s music an obnoxious number of times – his Christmas EP is a Hudson family favorite – and a few years later David and I got to meet Daniel and his wife Danielle when they were visiting our church.

Well.

Late last summer our church leadership began looking for a new worship pastor (our former worship pastor is now our senior pastor), and the weekend they announced they were starting the search, David looked at me and said, “Daniel Renstrom.” I said something like, “Oh my word – I can’t imagine that the Renstroms want to leave North Carolina,” and David said, “Well, he’s my pick.”

I didn’t think much more about it.

In the fall, though, I started to think that Daniel might be in the running, but I tried not to get my hopes up and ultimately decided that I was reading way too much into a situation I didn’t know much about. David, however, was still full of hope, and I wondered if he was setting himself up for disappointment.

We didn’t hear anything about worship pastor stuff over the holidays, and by the beginning of the year, I thought, Well, I guess we’ll know something when we know something.

And then I may have sighed.

So several weeks ago I met one of my senior girls for breakfast, and we’d been sitting in our booth for almost an hour, probably, when out of the corner of my eye I saw some people sit down at the table next to us. I looked over, smiled, and then I did the biggest double take ever because do you know who was sitting down at that table?

Daniel Renstrom. And his wife Danielle. And the student ministry pastor from our church.

I LOST MY MIND.

I mean, what are the odds? So we talked for a few minutes, and then I left them alone because I figured a few minutes of listening to me be ALL WOUND UP was probably plenty, and then after I left the restaurant I called David and pretty much shouted the exciting Renstrom-related news.

Anyway, as of this past Sunday it’s official: Daniel Renstrom is our new worship pastor. And this probably goes without saying, but WE ARE SO EXCITED.

The world is a peanut.

Y’all know how I feel about the wide-legged linen-blend pants from Old Navy. For the last couple of years they have been my very favorite, and I think I have about five pairs of them. They’re so great for work and such a good alternative to jeans on the weekends. I heart them very much.

Well, a few days ago my friend Heather texted me and said, “THEY CHANGED OUR PANTS.” So I looked at the Old Navy website, and sure enough, THEY CHANGED OUR PANTS. They’re now drawstring instead of the yoga pant-ish waistband, but I think this might be a really good change because that yoga pant stuff could bag out at the end of a long day.

I ordered these yesterday.

I will report on the drawstring change just as soon as I can.

Obviously it’s been a very exciting week.

Just FYI: it’s now Thursday night, and I’ve spent the last two hours trying to get someone from Home Depot to help us with the fact that the dryer they delivered to us today does not work. They have bounced us to GE who bounces us right back to them. And everybody blames the delivery service (which, in fairness, used our old dryer cord to install the new dryer – but we didn’t realize that until they were long gone and we pulled the dryer away from the wall and saw our old cord). However comma I believe we finally found an advocate in Cody, who’s an online supervisor with Home Depot, and I’m cautiously optimistic that someone will come to our house and remove the defective dryer over the weekend. FINGERS CROSSED.

Also: our washing machine is doing something weird, and David is now on the phone with the warranty people. BE NEAR, LORD.

Hope y’all have a great weekend!

I am oh-so-happy to tell you that edits are FINISHED. Week before last I did two rounds on my own, and after driving to Nashville last Sunday afternoon, I spent most of Monday at LifeWay going through the new book chapter by chapter with my editor. We tweaked, we deleted, we clarified, and we got that manuscript just like we liked it before I drove back home to Birmingham late Monday afternoon. I was going to write a blog post that Monday night, but I was enjoying not writing so much that I just stuck with that trend for the rest of the week. Plus, I had some real life catch-up that I wanted to do; I cooked supper Tuesday night, went to a baseball game Wednesday night, went to dinner with friends Thursday night, went to dinner with my fellas and one of Alex’s buddies Friday night, and then had some friends over Saturday night. So the week, it was full. And it was good.

Today it was almost 3:00 when we got home from church and Chuy’s, and after a quick nap and some quick TV catch-up, I met some friends from church for a fun fondue supper. It occurred to me on the way home that this has been my consistent pattern with all three books; I cross the deadline off of my list, take a second to breathe, and then I do ALL THE SOCIAL THINGS within a span of several days. This is a sure sign that I will spend the next week making sure I’m in my pajamas by 5 and then watching any programming that Bravo has to offer – with a fair amount of Food Network thrown in for good measure, of course.

Anyway, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had a bunch of stuff I’d been wanting to tell you, so I thought maybe I’d share five of those things tonight in the hopes of not overloading you with 18 very critical pieces of information all at once. So here you go.

– The Hairdryer That Changed My Life

Listen. I was skeptical about a more expensive hairdryer. I told myself that my drugstore version worked just fine. But early in the fall, I decided I was sick and tired of getting so dadgum hot every time I’d dry my hair (so, you know, every morning). I was also tired of my hair being so frizzy. So before Christmas I mentioned that I might like to try this particular model (make? brand? I don’t know the lingo), and y’all, it is a wonder. I dry my hair in half the time, and IT’S NOT FRIZZY. It has made the biggest difference. I love it so much that I’m thinking of naming it. Highly recommend.

– A Night with Big & Boo

So this, apparently, is really happening. It is gonna be laughs-o-plenty, y’all.

We don’t know our final schedule yet, but how excited am I about being on a tour bus with Melanie and Travis the last two weeks of June? Or two-ish weeks? Or two-ish days if Melanie and I experience some sort of claustrophobic event as a result of sleeping in those little bus bunks? GOOD TIMES FOR SURE.

– Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Venom

I’ve been trying to wear more color lipstick-wise, mainly because I’ve been stuck in a very neutral place for the last several years and decided around Christmas that I needed a little punch of color to combat the winter doldrums. I really, really like this Urban Decay lipstick. I also have it in Rapture, which is more of a sheer shade, but Venom is great if you are fair-skinned and blonde with pink undertones to your skin (I know that was specific – but I can’t wear a lot of bright colors because they’re better-suited for yellow undertones). And here’s a sidebar conversation for us: why do make-up shades have to have such edgy names these days? Why all the VENOM and RAPTURE and ANARCHY and LIAR? Why not HAPPY FUN TIMES and CHEERFUL and SUNSHINE? These are the things I think about.

– Shipt

When I was at dinner with friends last Thursday night, the talk turned to Shipt. It’s a grocery delivery service, and while I’d heard of it, I’d never really considered using it because, I don’t know, I just think that going to the grocery store is one of those things that you have to do. I was surprised that I was the only one in our group who wasn’t using Shipt, and by the time everybody finished telling me why they loved it (true story: my friend Andrea ordered all her family’s snacks for a Disney World trip before she even got to Orlando, and within an hour of their arrival at the hotel, Shipt delivered everything TO THEIR ROOM – granola bars, bottled water, etc. – I thought this was genius), I was feeling slightly persuaded.

Anyway, Friday I was trying to figure out how to get everything done that I needed to do before we had company over Saturday night, and I thought, “I’m gonna try Shipt.” David was on board with it, so I downloaded the app, selected everything I needed, picked a delivery time – and y’all, Saturday morning everything showed up at my doorstep around 9:30. LIKE MAGIC. AND I DIDN’T HAVE TO GO TO THE STORE. Right now I’m doing the two-week trial, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that I’m sticking with it. I’ve already got my next order ready to go and am going to schedule it for when I get home from work Tuesday afternoon. So, if Shipt is available in your area and you’d like to give it a try, here’s a link for $10 off your first order. (Disclaimer: I’ll get $10 off, too, if you use that link.) It is delightful.

– Easy Restaurant Style White Queso

I made this queso Saturday night (and seriously, I must have said, “Y’all – I’m making queso IN A SKILLET” at least 12 times), and I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever make the “orange cheese loaf” queso again. This recipe is so good and actually sort of beautiful. I didn’t use nutmeg, though, because I couldn’t convince myself that it would add anything. But everything else? MUY BIEN.

Y’all have a great Monday!

Oh, y’all.

It has been a sweet forever, hasn’t it?

I have been working like crazy to finish the book, and finding writing time can be a tricky proposition considering that I spend the bulk of my weekdays listening to teenage girls talk about The Bachelor and what they want their dorm rooms to look like and that time they, like, got, like, so embarrassed when they were, like, trying to, like, TALK TO THAT, LIKE, BOY, OHMYGOSH.”

Seriously. Someday I’m going to just transcribe a week’s worth of conversations from work (the ones that aren’t confidential, of course) and call it I Couldn’t Make This Up and then see if someone wants to publish it. Or maybe I’ll just make it a series of blog posts. Because have mercy those girls are entertaining.

Anyway, on top of work stuff, Alex has started lacrosse practice, and I don’t really even know what lacrosse is but I know they practice a lot. Thankfully we’re in a practice carpool a couple of nights a week, but to all of you people who have three or four kids playing sports and basically spend every afternoon running practice shuttle, I would just like to say KUDOS TO YOU. You are heroes among us.

And that is all a very ramble-y way trying to tell you that I finished the book last Tuesday night. Since then I have taken a lot of naps. I have cooked a few meals. I have started to catch up on TV. I have watched a movie. I am about to start reading a new book. And I have wondered what in the world has gotten into Mr. Carson and considered telling him that maybe he needs to cook some food himself as opposed to making passive-aggressive comments to Mrs. Hughes, BUT MAYBE THAT’S JUST ME.

I should get edits back in the next couple of days, which means I’ll be back in deadline mode again, but by next week life will be back to almost-normal. I loved writing the book so much and can’t wait to be able to talk to y’all about the specifics of it, but until it comes out I am going to be the happiest homebody you ever did see. I very deliberately kept my speaking schedule to a minimum this spring; I enjoy it, but I want to soak up time with my family and enjoy my last semester with my senior girls. Plus, I am ready to sit in a folding chair at some spring sporting events with a large Chick-fil-A lemonade in the cupholder, amen. No kidding: the writing stuff is fun, but there is nothing better than sitting at a soccer / baseball / softball / lacrosse (granted, it’s new to us, but I’m optimistic since we tend to like all the sports) game and yelling my fool head off for some young’uns – whether those young’uns belong to us or to friends. It is quite possibly my favorite thing in all of life.

Can y’all tell I’ve been looking forward to spring sports? No kidding – they’ve been my light at the end of the tunnel. Well, spring sports and sleep. Sleep has been a very big, very glorious light.

So needless to say, this past weekend was delightful. There was lots of good family time, and there was the Bruno Mars part of the halftime show, which seemed to trigger an 8th grade part of me that liked to learn dance routines. Because no kidding: I sort of want to learn this one. And maybe participate in some sort of dance-off. It was like MC Hammer meets Michael Jackson meets Paula Abdul in that video where she danced with MC Scat Kat – yet somehow it was still very much its own thing. Glorious, Mr. Mars.

Today I actually drove to my hometown and spoke to the girls in my niece’s senior class. I felt super old just knowing that Melissa is four months away from graduation, but I loved being with her and her friends. My sister-in-law Rose and Martha were there, too, and it was just a sweet time all the way around.

A photo posted by Sophie Hudson (@boomama205) on Feb 8, 2016 at 9:41am PST

The trip was so quick that I didn’t even get to see my parents, but I did get to go to lunch with my cousin Paige, so it was still a big family day.

I like those days.

I feel like I have a thousand things I want to mention (new pants from Old Navy that I like, my friend Anne’s book, my newfound commitment to lip color, my new music faves, the hair dryer that has changed my life, etc.), but I probably need to ease back into the blogging before I start throwing lots of lists at you. However, I do want to be sure to share this song since it is all kinds of gorgeous (I mentioned it on Facebook last week, and I’m still listening to it like crazy) and really it’ll just help you relax before you go to sleep.

Happy Monday, y’all. It sure is good to see you again!

Hi. I’m still writing away here in Birmingham. I actually went to a hotel this past weekend so that I could hunker down and put on head phones and write with no distractions, so that was helpful and productive and good and etc. I still have a few more chapters to go, though, so I certainly won’t refuse your prayers. I can already tell that this book is going to be a little trickier editing-wise than the other two, but I am kind of looking forward to that since I am a nerd and all.

And since I still have a little ways to go with Giddy Up, Eunice, I wanted to be sure to tell y’all about a few ALREADY FINISHED books (fancy!), mainly because I think they are special and will enrich your lives in wonderful ways.

1. Bronner by Sherri Burgess



If you live in the southeast and listen to The Rick and Bubba Show, you probably remember when Rick and Sherri Burgess’ son Bronner drowned eight years ago. He was two at the time, and the way Rick and Sherri ministered to others in the midst of their grief was astounding, really – one of those things that could only be explained by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in them. Sherri has spent the last seven years writing down what the Lord has taught her as she’s walked through what many people would call “worst nightmare” circumstances. The result of that writing is Sherri’s new book, Bronner, and y’all, it is stunning. If you’ve ever wrestled with grief and loss – or if you’ve struggled to understand how a good God allows suffering – I really do believe that this book will minister to you. Sherri is a deep thinker, and this is not a fast read. Honestly, I don’t know of a recent book more saturated with Scripture. Sherri is a woman who has clung to the Lord in the darkest of nights and found him so very faithful; this book will stay with you long after you finish reading the final page.

2. Voyage to the Star Kingdom by Anne Riley, illustrated by Amy Grimes



My friend Anne and I taught in side-by-side classrooms for about five years. She’s a fiction writer, and I’m, well, NOT, but we talked about a whole lot of nerdy writing things during our years as teacher neighbors. Anne actually has a new young adult fiction book coming out in February, but in the meantime she and her cousin Amy have created the most beautiful children’s book to support a family that is loved by so many. This particular family has three beautiful girls, and about a year and a half ago, the youngest two girls were diagnosed with Batten Disease. Anne explains the girls’ prognosis in a blog post she wrote a couple of months ago, and when Anne heard that the girls aren’t expected to live past the age of 10, she prayed that God would give her a way to help this precious family.



That prayer resulted in Voyage to the Star Kingdom, and it. will. lay. you. out. Such an incredible picture of God’s loving, healing, providential care for His children. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is actually a great way to talk to kids about Big Topics like illness and death and heaven. The book is a true labor of love. All profits from Voyage go to a trust fund for the family.

3. I Once Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See: My Midsadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling into Love by Stephanie Rische



I will wholeheartedly admit that I am a little partial to Stephanie Rische, and that is because she was my editor on my first two books. It’s a vulnerable thing to put your words in someone else’s hands and say, “Okay. Make all of this better,” but Steph has always been a safe place. Both books are infinitely better thanks to her loving care, and I have to quit talking about that or I’ll start to cry. ANYWAY, I am so thrilled to tell you that Stephanie has just published her first book, and it is DELIGHTFUL. In the the most tender, funny, and honest ways, Stephanie chronicles her adventures as a single girl, and she does so in way that points to God at every step along the road. There’s a whole lot of substance here and loads of perspective about how God sometimes does His very best work when He doesn’t give us what we think we want. This is a story of expectation, disappointment, surrender, and contentment. I think you’ll love it.

Happy Tuesday, everybody – hope y’all are doing great!

So the deal is that I’m about two weeks away from my deadline for book #3, and while I still have a ways to go, I AM IN THE HOME STRETCH. I am so much farther along than I was even two weeks ago, but I’m also still a little bit like Dory in Finding Nemo.

Plus, I go back to work tomorrow after two weeks off, so there will definitely be some adjustment there in terms of carving out writing time. I’m hoping to make the most of staying home for about 14 nights in a row, and then I have every intention of getting back to a normal schedule again. I’ve been writing this book since the early part of the summer, and since reading time and TV time are the things that take the biggest hits when I’m in book mode, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE TV AND THE BOOKS.

I’m still watching Downton tonight, though. And we watched Sherlock Friday night. Some things just can’t wait. And hopefully the blog pace will pick up as life gets back to normal; y’all have been mighty patient, and I am grateful.

Here are a few things in the interest of playing catch-up.

1) If you love Birmingham like I love Birmingham, you for sure need a Picture Birmingham 2016 calendar. They’re only $10 right now. All of the gorgeous photos were taken by the talented Rachel Callahan, and all profits from calendar sales benefit The WellHouse, a local organization that rescues and rehabilitates women out of sex trafficking – all in Jesus’ name.

2) CeCe Winans singing “Blessed Assurance” is rivaling the JT / Chris Stapleton video in terms of how many times I’ve played it.

I am also a little bit in love with CeCe’s dress and shoes.

3) My sister gave my office a 90-minute makeover when she was here Christmas, and it pretty much changed my life. You can’t see the desk and whatnot from this picture, but you can see why she made such an impact on the sofa side of the room.

When Sister was here last week I said, "Hey. I still haven't hung anything on my office walls. IT'S BEEN A YEAR. Can you help?" So we walked back to my office, gathered up prints and paintings that I love a lot, and Sister put together a grouping of some of my favorites over the sofa. She hung a mirror from Martha on another wall and added a big print from the house where we grew up to the top of my storage thingie. Then I remembered some fabric that I bought last year, and y'all, my sister made curtains using straight pins and Scotch tape. No lie. They changed the whole room, and she just pinned and taped until she was satisfied that no rough edges were showing. The whole process cost zero dollars, took 90 minutes, and totally transformed the room. Thanks, Sister! I'm never leaving, which I guess is good since I have a book to finish. So bye. 😊

A photo posted by Sophie Hudson (@boomama205) on Dec 28, 2015 at 4:11pm PST

4) What do you even say about this except STOP IT, AMERICA? :-)

Hot dog-flavored Pringles. Available exclusively at Walgreens. THIS IS A REAL THING.

A photo posted by Sophie Hudson (@boomama205) on Jan 3, 2016 at 11:58am PST

5) If you like to listen to instrumental music when you write / read / study / journal, you should definitely check out The Reveille, Vol. 2 by Austin Stone Worship. It has been my go-to the last week or so – recommended by a friend on Twitter – and it’s GORGEOUS.

6) Did y’all see or read anything good over the holidays? I’m making a list for after this book is finished, with watching Making a Murderer and reading The Short Drop at the top of my lists – plus catching up on Serial episodes.

7) Stay tuned for a podcast – hopefully very soon!

I hope y’all had the merriest Christmas and the happiest new year!

Love,
Me