It's different. Festive and sad should not go together, but this year they do. I love Christmas, but this year will be abnormal.
After 29 years of spending Christmas morning at Grandma and Grandpa's house, this year it is only Grandpa's house. This year is...unexplainable. How do you describe pain during a joyful time? I'm happy and sad, when those two things don't seem to go together.
Every Christmas song I hear, I can hear Grandma's voice singing it too. They all remind me of her. Her house, her decorations, her little stockings, her clapping and playing with the babies, her.
I remember a Christmas time about four years ago when she stopped talking and shushed me because a new Christmas song came on that she wanted me to hear. It is called "A baby changes everything." Melanie had just been born when that song came out. I now find such solace in that special memory. And when I hear that song now, I cry and remember my grandma. She always shared songs with me that carried a special meaning to her. She loved music..and dancing.. and singing.
Melanie remembers her great grandma the best out of all my kids. She recently told me she wished God would let great grandma come visit for a little while and then bring her back to heaven. I wish it worked that way too.
She is celebrating in heaven and oh how much more fun she is having now. I'm sure Christmas is beautiful there.
Listen to the song here:
A baby changes everything
kids: the reason for moms
Friday, December 21, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
5 years of better or worse
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but somehow through all the times we have stayed together. In our 5 long yet short years together I've learned one thing over and over: marriage is hard, REALLY hard. The difficult kind of hard you don't understand until you've experienced it.
Before getting married I used to think it looked so easy and fun. All you had to do was be in love and life would be grand. From the outside marriage can look easy and wonderful, and it can be both of those things, but it isn't those things all the time unless you really work at it all the time. Yes, love makes marriage good but it is not the only ingredient to a great married life.
I find that when I'm not willing to forgive like Jesus forgives me, when I'm not willing to listen like Jesus listens to me, and when I'm not willing to be like Jesus is to me in my relationship with my husband, our marriage goes through the worst of times. When I do the opposite, and I treat my marriage as Jesus expects me to treat it, we have the best of times.
The truth is, it is so much easier to walk away when tough times come than it is to stay and figure things out. During a fight, I am way more likely to shut down and leave the conversation than to talk until things are resolved. What can I say, I like to be right. Unfortunately, liking to be right all of the time is really wrong. Still working on that. It's been a 5 year project.
Even though it's been hard, it has also been really good to us. 3 kids in less than 4 years type of good. We've built a nice little family. Good things have come from our sometimes dysfunctional marriage.
So happy 5 years honey! Let's work on 70 more!
Cheers to finding the good stuff in marriage!
Before getting married I used to think it looked so easy and fun. All you had to do was be in love and life would be grand. From the outside marriage can look easy and wonderful, and it can be both of those things, but it isn't those things all the time unless you really work at it all the time. Yes, love makes marriage good but it is not the only ingredient to a great married life.
I find that when I'm not willing to forgive like Jesus forgives me, when I'm not willing to listen like Jesus listens to me, and when I'm not willing to be like Jesus is to me in my relationship with my husband, our marriage goes through the worst of times. When I do the opposite, and I treat my marriage as Jesus expects me to treat it, we have the best of times.
The truth is, it is so much easier to walk away when tough times come than it is to stay and figure things out. During a fight, I am way more likely to shut down and leave the conversation than to talk until things are resolved. What can I say, I like to be right. Unfortunately, liking to be right all of the time is really wrong. Still working on that. It's been a 5 year project.
Even though it's been hard, it has also been really good to us. 3 kids in less than 4 years type of good. We've built a nice little family. Good things have come from our sometimes dysfunctional marriage.
So happy 5 years honey! Let's work on 70 more!
Cheers to finding the good stuff in marriage!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Oh goody, I'm thirty...
When you tell someone you are turning thirty the first thing that usually comes out of their mouth is, "how do you feel about it?" Huh? Am I supposed to feel something? Am I supposed to be happy, mad, sad, jealous of my lost twenties? To be honest, I don't feel any different than I did yesterday when I was still 29. I don't feel a thing!
My friend Skyelynn told me her view on turning thirty:
There is something special about turning thirty that many seem to overlook. This is the first time in your life you have had a complete decade of being an adult. You can look back on ten full years of pure adulthood. It is surprising how much is accomplished, how many mistakes are made, and how much one is grown in the span of just 10 years.
Reflecting on the things I've done in the last ten years has been amazing and kind of embarrassing. (Who hasn't done embarrassing things in their twenties?) I've accomplished a lot, but I also made a few mistakes with whom I would not like to reminisce. Therefore, I choose to focus on the good of my twenties.
At 20 I was only in my second year of college and just starting a new job at a bank with which I would stay until 28 years old. That's a long time! At 22 I began my short 4 year teaching career and at 25 I became a wife. I birthed a child at 26 years old and got my masters degree. Years 27 and 28 followed suit with year 26 by bringing me 2 more babies. Yes, I had a baby at 26, 27 and 28 years old! Best decisions ever made. And it was in my twenties that I made my most treasured and best friends. Big stuff happened in my twenties! Big stuff that I am big proud of!
Now I'm thirty. Young enough to start a new career or a new chapter in life if I wished, yet mature enough to choose those things wisely. Thirty still sounds somewhat young, but it also means I am headed to forty!
People jokingly say that thirty is the new twenty. I may feel as young as twenty, but if given the chance to go back a decade...no, I would say no! My life at thirty is way to good to leave.
The one thing I am going to truly miss tremendously about my twenties is a phone call. This will be the first year I will not be hearing happy birthday from my grandma. If I could go back to the last birthday phone call, one year ago, I would have kept her on the phone longer, said I love you a few more times and visited her way more often that year. Sometimes reflection, as good as it is for the soul, can bring heartache of loved ones gone from us.
Well now, I guess I do have some feelings about the completion of my twenties. Feelings of attainment, capability, and joy. God brought me here and I better take this next decade exactly where He tells me to take it!
Ok, now that I've taken time to return to the last ten years and remember some major points in my life, thirty is looking me in the face saying, "so ya, I'm kind of a big deal". Yes, you are, and it is no wonder you are called "The big 3-0." Bring on the next decade! Here I come forty!
If I went back a decade, this is what would be missing from my life. My family's feet...hahah Well, not just their feet, but you get what I mean. I just love this picture.
My friend Skyelynn told me her view on turning thirty:
There is something special about turning thirty that many seem to overlook. This is the first time in your life you have had a complete decade of being an adult. You can look back on ten full years of pure adulthood. It is surprising how much is accomplished, how many mistakes are made, and how much one is grown in the span of just 10 years.
Reflecting on the things I've done in the last ten years has been amazing and kind of embarrassing. (Who hasn't done embarrassing things in their twenties?) I've accomplished a lot, but I also made a few mistakes with whom I would not like to reminisce. Therefore, I choose to focus on the good of my twenties.
At 20 I was only in my second year of college and just starting a new job at a bank with which I would stay until 28 years old. That's a long time! At 22 I began my short 4 year teaching career and at 25 I became a wife. I birthed a child at 26 years old and got my masters degree. Years 27 and 28 followed suit with year 26 by bringing me 2 more babies. Yes, I had a baby at 26, 27 and 28 years old! Best decisions ever made. And it was in my twenties that I made my most treasured and best friends. Big stuff happened in my twenties! Big stuff that I am big proud of!
Now I'm thirty. Young enough to start a new career or a new chapter in life if I wished, yet mature enough to choose those things wisely. Thirty still sounds somewhat young, but it also means I am headed to forty!
People jokingly say that thirty is the new twenty. I may feel as young as twenty, but if given the chance to go back a decade...no, I would say no! My life at thirty is way to good to leave.
The one thing I am going to truly miss tremendously about my twenties is a phone call. This will be the first year I will not be hearing happy birthday from my grandma. If I could go back to the last birthday phone call, one year ago, I would have kept her on the phone longer, said I love you a few more times and visited her way more often that year. Sometimes reflection, as good as it is for the soul, can bring heartache of loved ones gone from us.
Well now, I guess I do have some feelings about the completion of my twenties. Feelings of attainment, capability, and joy. God brought me here and I better take this next decade exactly where He tells me to take it!
Ok, now that I've taken time to return to the last ten years and remember some major points in my life, thirty is looking me in the face saying, "so ya, I'm kind of a big deal". Yes, you are, and it is no wonder you are called "The big 3-0." Bring on the next decade! Here I come forty!
If I went back a decade, this is what would be missing from my life. My family's feet...hahah Well, not just their feet, but you get what I mean. I just love this picture.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Better tomorrow...
This morning was a bright one, filled with the sounds of the coffee perking, kids laughing, and my husband making eggs, hash browns, and bacon for breakfast. This is the way Saturdays are supposed to feel.
A very stark contrast to yesterday morning when I woke up to a chewed up diaper in the laundry room, (courtesy of Guapo) and a car that had the check engine light lit up. Oh well, life moves on and there are still the little things that keep it happy and worthwhile...
Like this little girl's pig tails....they make me happy!
And these feet, (not mine) the little ones. She sure does love her shoes and she loves my shoes too!
And these things of fall....I have a renewed love for Oreos...Bought them the other day and was reminded of how good they are! The bonus is they are cuter during fall!
Star stands and pumpkins on a string found in the dollar spot at Target, except they were on the $2.50 side, so they were a little more than just $1, but still a good deal!
And I pulled this out for a little whiff of autumn. Forgot I even had it!
These were made at ten at night the other day, because it took us 2 hours to get our teething one year old to sleep! We needed a treat.
That sums up a little of the happiness around here lately...it would take a lot longer to show you everything!
Grab a sundae, smell a pumpkin candle, decorate with a little bit of autumn colors, do something happy!
A very stark contrast to yesterday morning when I woke up to a chewed up diaper in the laundry room, (courtesy of Guapo) and a car that had the check engine light lit up. Oh well, life moves on and there are still the little things that keep it happy and worthwhile...
Like this little girl's pig tails....they make me happy!
And these feet, (not mine) the little ones. She sure does love her shoes and she loves my shoes too!
And these things of fall....I have a renewed love for Oreos...Bought them the other day and was reminded of how good they are! The bonus is they are cuter during fall!
Star stands and pumpkins on a string found in the dollar spot at Target, except they were on the $2.50 side, so they were a little more than just $1, but still a good deal!
And I pulled this out for a little whiff of autumn. Forgot I even had it!
These were made at ten at night the other day, because it took us 2 hours to get our teething one year old to sleep! We needed a treat.
That sums up a little of the happiness around here lately...it would take a lot longer to show you everything!
Grab a sundae, smell a pumpkin candle, decorate with a little bit of autumn colors, do something happy!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The memory of friendship...
There is something so intriguing about childhood friendships...
1.) ...because they are beautiful.
2.) ...because there are no grudges or talking behind backs.
3.) ...because they make being friends look so easy!
Exhibit A: The two on the right are arguing, yet I'm 100% sure when everything was resolved no one thought about it later or talked about it again...ever. Oh to be a child and forget the faults of others.
Hugs are without discrimination, smiles are often, and everyone, no matter the age difference are friends.
How did we stray so far away from this perfect and loving type of friendship as we grew up?
Once upon a time when our friendships almost mirrored the way Jesus befriends us.
Back when sharing a little chair wasn't uncomfortable, it was fun.
Back when it wasn't embarrassing to have food on your face, or be extra bundled up in a stroller.
Back when your cousins were your best friends...
Whatever memories you have of childhood friendships, compare it to your friendships of today. Are they as much fun and as true?
My friend Skyelynn quotes the verse below to me and compares it to our friendship. I love it that she feels this way because it truly describes our bond.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
She sharpens me, I sharpen her. In other words, we encourage each other. Make your friendships iron worthy!
1.) ...because they are beautiful.
2.) ...because there are no grudges or talking behind backs.
3.) ...because they make being friends look so easy!
Exhibit A: The two on the right are arguing, yet I'm 100% sure when everything was resolved no one thought about it later or talked about it again...ever. Oh to be a child and forget the faults of others.
Hugs are without discrimination, smiles are often, and everyone, no matter the age difference are friends.
How did we stray so far away from this perfect and loving type of friendship as we grew up?
Once upon a time when our friendships almost mirrored the way Jesus befriends us.
Whatever memories you have of childhood friendships, compare it to your friendships of today. Are they as much fun and as true?
My friend Skyelynn quotes the verse below to me and compares it to our friendship. I love it that she feels this way because it truly describes our bond.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
She sharpens me, I sharpen her. In other words, we encourage each other. Make your friendships iron worthy!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Hello Monday...
Well hello sweet Monday...
Coming from a weekend of ocean and sand, we welcome you with a grain of salt...
Hello family fun...
Hello sisters...oh no we didn't..yes, yes we did...we tried a jumping picture and failed, multiple times..
Hello cousin time...
Good bye weekend we didn't want to leave...
On our way out we saw this...zebra or horse painted like it?
Either way, it's pretty cool. Don't forget Skyelynn's birthday party (zebra themed) August 26, 3pm Our house!
Helllloooo Monday!
Coming from a weekend of ocean and sand, we welcome you with a grain of salt...
Hello family fun...
Hello sisters...oh no we didn't..yes, yes we did...we tried a jumping picture and failed, multiple times..
Hello cousin time...
Good bye weekend we didn't want to leave...
On our way out we saw this...zebra or horse painted like it?
Either way, it's pretty cool. Don't forget Skyelynn's birthday party (zebra themed) August 26, 3pm Our house!
Helllloooo Monday!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Hello Monday...
Hello Monday you've come again...
 |
Yes Monday, I'm talking to you. You and your alarm clocks and schedules that steal away our relaxing weekend of lake side fun.
|
 |
The weekend gave us parks and bubbles and cake and lots of memories...
Run away kids, food, cousins, jet skis and boat rides... we love you weekend.
.
Hello Monday, you once again brought us back to reality. We look forward to what you have in store for us this week. Thank you weekend for the break. Until we meet again!
Linked up with this blog.
|
Monday, July 9, 2012
Hello Monday..
Hello Monday, oh how I did not miss you this 4th of July week/weekend.
I miss kids and babies and hot weather at the lake!
Hello daddy who took a day off work!
Hello brightest moon ever at 5:30 am July 5th
Hello Grammy and Melanie on the boat!
Hello little Ashlyn in the oversized life jacket.
Hello good times on the boat!
Hello Pirate Island..thanks Grandpa for boating us over there!
Good bye 4th of July through the weekend fun and hello Monday.
I linked up with this blog for my hello Monday post.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
If I could..
I would go back to the day I broke my ankle in her backyard (both times) just to hear her voice again. I would give birth all over again to my first born daughter just to see her visiting me in the hospital telling me my baby is beautiful. I would do pretty much anything...if I could turn back time for one more hug, one more piece of advice, one more book to borrow or share with her, one last phone call, one more visit so my kids could get to know their great grandma more.
She made me feel special. Always thinking of me. Forever taking time to do things just for me because she knew I was coming over. A homemade custard, a coin with an angel on it set aside for my daughter who was having bad dreams at night, digging out a bag of marshmallows from her freezer just because my kids asked for them while at her house, special books and toys ordered just for our visits.
Jeopardy, Star Trek, fruit snacks and cartoons, Safeway's Homestyle Vanilla ice cream, slippers, and her cozy red chair...all reminders of a grandma that cared.
"I love you Marts, more than you know" she would tell me. What I wouldn't give to hear her say that to me one more time. These memories make me smile through the tears and with blurry vision I look at my kids and think about how much she adored them. Oh, how she loved my kids. And they sure loved being around her.
Thinking about how very special she made me feel, it makes me wonder how she did it? Four daughters, eight grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren and somehow she managed to make us each feel special, as if we were the only one that mattered to her in the whole world. It came natural to her.
She never drove a car, she didn't vote, but she sure knew how to be loving, understanding, and how to sneak my sister and I fruit snacks even when my mom told us no.
As much as I want to turn back time, I know she is up in heaven wanting to fast forward to the time when her family comes to join her in Paradise.
What I'm feeling now is a conglomeration of sadness and joy, the bittersweet realization that although I'm without my grandma, heaven has gained another citizen and she is basking in the bright light of our great God.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Take ten for your pet!
The other day at Target the kids and I decided to splurge on our dog, Guapo. And by splurge I mean we spent 2 dollars on new plastic food and water dishes with rubber bottoms to keep them from spilling. He has been needing new food and water bowls for a while now, because the mismatched tupper ware we were using were always being kicked over and spilled by accident.
Take ten to take care of your pet! The kids will love it!
1.) Find something for your pet, nothing expensive, but something to show you care.
2.) Let the kids be in charge of putting to good use whatever it is you buy for your special friend.
3.) Talk to the kids about taking good care of pets.
Take Ten!
Take ten to take care of your pet! The kids will love it!
1.) Find something for your pet, nothing expensive, but something to show you care.
2.) Let the kids be in charge of putting to good use whatever it is you buy for your special friend.
3.) Talk to the kids about taking good care of pets.
Take Ten!
Cold toes and popsicle stained faces...
Cold toes on my leg really bother me and this morning is no exception. My daughter keeps lightly touching me with her cold toe just to bug me and I have been pushing it away for the past half hour.
There is a song that says "you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back" and as much as the cold foot bugs me now I can't help but think someday I really will want this back. When she is a teenager or maybe even before that she won't want to play those silly cold toe games.
Then I think about other things that bother me. Will I truly want the messy meal times back? The dirty diapers? The melt downs and embarrassing fits? Probably. These are the things that make us mothers.I guess I know I better start treasuring even the inconvenient and annoying nuggets of life so I don't look back and regret anything.
Popsicle stained faces, cereal on the floor, a change of clothes right after getting dressed, and cold toes poking my leg...the good stuff in life for the moment..in a blink it'll be gone.
The only thing I want to regret is any of my bad reactions to the things I consider to be irritating now.
Cheers to even the irritating things that will be missed when they're gone!
There is a song that says "you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back" and as much as the cold foot bugs me now I can't help but think someday I really will want this back. When she is a teenager or maybe even before that she won't want to play those silly cold toe games.
Then I think about other things that bother me. Will I truly want the messy meal times back? The dirty diapers? The melt downs and embarrassing fits? Probably. These are the things that make us mothers.
Popsicle stained faces, cereal on the floor, a change of clothes right after getting dressed, and cold toes poking my leg...the good stuff in life for the moment..in a blink it'll be gone.
The only thing I want to regret is any of my bad reactions to the things I consider to be irritating now.
Cheers to even the irritating things that will be missed when they're gone!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Finding the good stuff in gluten free!
Peek a boo, we're gluten free!
In an effort to find a more filling breakfast for my now gluten and dairy free kiddo, I made up this oatmeal breakfast cookie recipe. I was not expecting anything great, because I've never really made up a cookie recipe before, but my kids loved them!
Here you go:
1.5 cups oat flour (I just blended oats in a blender to make this)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbs coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbs almond butter
1 dash salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal (not ground)
1 cup raisins
Mix the coconut oil and sugar together, then add the egg, applesauce and almond butter. Add the rest of the ingredients one by one until everything is well blended. Lastly add oatmeal and raisins.
Bake @ 350 for 14-15 min. (Unless you flatten these out and shape them into a cookie like shape before baking they will stay in little round lumps, but they taste good either way)
We have been introduced to many new things on our adventures in this new diet. Some of our favorites have been coconut milk ice cream, rice milk ice cream, almond milk on our gluten free cereal and for drinking, gluten free noodles, almond flour for baking, and most recently rice flour for baking.
The hardest things about going gluten and dairy free are thinking of meals and keeping grocery costs down. It's expensive to buy the different kinds of flours and of course the special ice creams are not cheap either. But I have found that doing things homemade and from scratch keeps it on the cheaper side. It just takes prep and time.
My son's eczema seems to be subsiding since going on this diet, he also does not wake up with a runny nose every morning. However, after being around cats, his eczema inflamed again and his nose and eyes became runny and watery once again. So, now we know it is not just diet, but other environmental and animal allergies too. Poor kid.
We are on our 12th day of the diet. My plan is to go 20 days and slowly introduce some of things he is allergic to and see how it affects him.
Wish us luck! And pray for healing! We would love for him to grow out of all of this!
Here you go:
1.5 cups oat flour (I just blended oats in a blender to make this)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbs coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbs almond butter
1 dash salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal (not ground)
1 cup raisins
Mix the coconut oil and sugar together, then add the egg, applesauce and almond butter. Add the rest of the ingredients one by one until everything is well blended. Lastly add oatmeal and raisins.
Bake @ 350 for 14-15 min. (Unless you flatten these out and shape them into a cookie like shape before baking they will stay in little round lumps, but they taste good either way)
We have been introduced to many new things on our adventures in this new diet. Some of our favorites have been coconut milk ice cream, rice milk ice cream, almond milk on our gluten free cereal and for drinking, gluten free noodles, almond flour for baking, and most recently rice flour for baking.
The hardest things about going gluten and dairy free are thinking of meals and keeping grocery costs down. It's expensive to buy the different kinds of flours and of course the special ice creams are not cheap either. But I have found that doing things homemade and from scratch keeps it on the cheaper side. It just takes prep and time.
My son's eczema seems to be subsiding since going on this diet, he also does not wake up with a runny nose every morning. However, after being around cats, his eczema inflamed again and his nose and eyes became runny and watery once again. So, now we know it is not just diet, but other environmental and animal allergies too. Poor kid.
We are on our 12th day of the diet. My plan is to go 20 days and slowly introduce some of things he is allergic to and see how it affects him.
Wish us luck! And pray for healing! We would love for him to grow out of all of this!
Monday, March 19, 2012
How connected is too connected?
I do not have internet on my phone, but if I did I'm sure I would check my Facebook in the middle of a dinner date with my husband if I could. This would annoy him to no end, which I understand, but I have to admit, I am a little addicted to social networking.
I'm not alone, I know there are others out there more addicted to it than I am. This leads me to some questions. How connected is too connected? Do my friends truly need to know where I'm at, what I'm eating, and see a picture of it? My logical self says no, but my Facebook self says YES, post it, and then check your comments and likes every ten minutes thereafter.
It's fun seeing your friends, what they are doing and being able to "talk" to them without actually leaving to see them. It is especially nice for a stay at home mom like me, who sometimes gets stuck in the house with 3 sick kids and no adult to converse with until my husband gets home.
I know I use Facebook too much. I sometimes ignore the real world in favor of the computer world. The world where we can be whoever we want, say whatever we want, make our lives look perfect, or create drama with someone without seeing their face. It's not a good thing. My husband says it's a big platform for everyone to have a chance to post something stupid. I have to agree. I've said a few stupid things, read a few stupid things, and seen things I didn't need or want to see.
So where does it stop? I see people talking to others in a restaurant at the same table, while only half paying attention to real life because they are more caught up with internet life on their phone. It bugs me, yet it draws me and sucks me in.
I can't say that anything I've posted on Facebook has been real. It's more general or unnecessary information about my life posted in hopes my friends will like it and write a comment back to me. Not that I plan to stop using Facebook, but it is good to think about these things and rearrange our priorities in life.
I believe true relationships should be based on real things. Can anything be truly real on Facebook? Maybe, but I know the stuff I only want my true friends to know wouldn't be posted online.
This is what it comes down to...
I think maybe the problem is we're not too CONNECTED we're too DISconnected.
What do you think and how are we going to change it so we don't raise distracted and fake kids?
I'm not alone, I know there are others out there more addicted to it than I am. This leads me to some questions. How connected is too connected? Do my friends truly need to know where I'm at, what I'm eating, and see a picture of it? My logical self says no, but my Facebook self says YES, post it, and then check your comments and likes every ten minutes thereafter.
It's fun seeing your friends, what they are doing and being able to "talk" to them without actually leaving to see them. It is especially nice for a stay at home mom like me, who sometimes gets stuck in the house with 3 sick kids and no adult to converse with until my husband gets home.
I know I use Facebook too much. I sometimes ignore the real world in favor of the computer world. The world where we can be whoever we want, say whatever we want, make our lives look perfect, or create drama with someone without seeing their face. It's not a good thing. My husband says it's a big platform for everyone to have a chance to post something stupid. I have to agree. I've said a few stupid things, read a few stupid things, and seen things I didn't need or want to see.
So where does it stop? I see people talking to others in a restaurant at the same table, while only half paying attention to real life because they are more caught up with internet life on their phone. It bugs me, yet it draws me and sucks me in.
I can't say that anything I've posted on Facebook has been real. It's more general or unnecessary information about my life posted in hopes my friends will like it and write a comment back to me. Not that I plan to stop using Facebook, but it is good to think about these things and rearrange our priorities in life.
I believe true relationships should be based on real things. Can anything be truly real on Facebook? Maybe, but I know the stuff I only want my true friends to know wouldn't be posted online.
This is what it comes down to...
I think maybe the problem is we're not too CONNECTED we're too DISconnected.
What do you think and how are we going to change it so we don't raise distracted and fake kids?
Monday, February 20, 2012
Convictions...
Have you ever read the book of James in the Bible in one sitting? I read it the other morning not thinking I would be convicted. I was actually looking to be uplifted and encouraged, which I was, but not in the way I thought it was going to happen.
I decided on James because I was thinking the verse that says "ask and you shall receive" was in James. I was wrong. But God had another message in mind for me that morning.
You see, I've been struggling to see what God is doing in our lives right now. We've been trying to get renters while paying 2 mortgages for the past 3 months and it is getting very nerve racking. And, although I know God provides and does not let us down, it is really hard to keep that in focus.
This is what God reminded me to do last week.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Wow! What I was expecting from this reading and what God wanted me to learn and remember from this reading were 2 very different things.
So, now I pray and wait, while being joyful that my faith is being tested. I know I can use a little more faith. Okay, A LOT more faith.
Obviously God has something for me to learn, and my goal is to be patient enough to trust Him enough to strengthen my faith.
I decided on James because I was thinking the verse that says "ask and you shall receive" was in James. I was wrong. But God had another message in mind for me that morning.
You see, I've been struggling to see what God is doing in our lives right now. We've been trying to get renters while paying 2 mortgages for the past 3 months and it is getting very nerve racking. And, although I know God provides and does not let us down, it is really hard to keep that in focus.
This is what God reminded me to do last week.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Wow! What I was expecting from this reading and what God wanted me to learn and remember from this reading were 2 very different things.
So, now I pray and wait, while being joyful that my faith is being tested. I know I can use a little more faith. Okay, A LOT more faith.
Obviously God has something for me to learn, and my goal is to be patient enough to trust Him enough to strengthen my faith.
Monday, February 6, 2012
The heart remodel...
Kids decorate everything..including their mothers' hearts. I know that my heart has been completely remodeled since having kids. The things that used take up big sections of my heart are now evicted to smaller chambers because the kids have moved in. My heart is prettier and way more giving with these 3 decorations.
They can be sunshine, they can be rain, but they are always on my heart and mind. That is why I am constantly thinking of ways to help them learn while having fun. It is said that years 0-5 are the most crucial to teach your child. They are like sponges, so take advantage and teach them something good!
I started a new blog to document the activities I do with them. They are all activities that are easy to do, really fun for the kids, and can be prepared for and done in 10 minutes.
I named it Take Ten. If you want to check it out go here: www.taketenagain.blogspot.com (so sorry.. you'll have to copy and paste the website...I don't know how to make it a link)
Tell all your friends who have kids to take a look at it too...and start "Taking Ten" with your kids. Also, if you have any cool project ideas, share them!
P.S. Make sure you go to taketenAGAIN.blogspot.com--if you don't put in the "again" part you'll be taken to some guy's weird blog-not mine...although, if you want a chuckle you can check his out too.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Stating the obvious...
Stating the obvious can be really rude sometimes. It sounds like this:"Wow! You're eating MORE cake!" Or a little like this: "Your shirt is bright yellow." These kind of statements make people uncomfortable, uneasy, and just feel plain bad.
Other times stating the obvious can be completely neutral, like stating a fact. Example: "It smells like coffee", or "It's windy out here!" Not necessary to say these things, hence that is why we call it stating the obvious.
However, there is one statement that we often times consider to be so obvious that we do not say it enough. As long as it is considered to be an obvious statement, or "stating the obvious" we will never start saying it more. Try it. Say it. See what happens. Pretend like you've never said it before.
"I love you." Never can that be said enough. It is why in the middle of playing with my kids I'll randomly say "hey guys, I love you." Guess what, they always say it back (except for Skyelynn, she says it with her smile!) I say it to my husband everyday, every time we get off the phone with each other, every morning as he leaves for work, and sometimes just at random, yet still probably it's not enough. I even say it to Guapo sometimes...I think he likes it. :)
It's still the start of a new year, try stating the obvious!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Hop on...
You know you want to! Get on the sugar free train. My sister told me she'd join me if I made her some sugar free brownies, so I did. I've lost 3 pounds since cutting out sugar. Pretty good, I'd say! Now, if I'd just add in some exercise... ;) I will, SOON.
Since becoming a mom, I've gradually started learning more about food. The things I've grown up loving to eat are really bad for us! Sugar, white flour, McDonalds (any fast food, really)...ALL VERY UNHEALTHY. I want my kids to learn to love food from scratch and grow up eating it. Unfortunately, cooking from scratch takes time, and a lot of it. Thus, I've made goals to stock our freezer full of home made meals so we don't feel the need to "grab a pizza" or go through a drive thru for dinner. One stop shop in our freezer makes live easier! Kinda rhymes, doesn't it?
Last week was great for my freezer cooking goals. On lasagna night, I made two lasagnas, one for dinner and one for the freezer.
Another day, I took out some leftover, frozen taco meat and some leftover taco soup, and mixed it together with some sour cream and cheese. I filled tortillas with the mixture to make burritos to freeze for lunches.
So easy to pull one of these out and microwave it for a quick lunch and even easier to send in my husband's lunch for him to heat up and eat at work!
I also made meatloaf on another night (4 small loaves) and I froze two of those and we ate the other two for dinner. The green stuff? Not pickles...frozen broccoli. My family ate it without commenting on the broccoli..Darrell didn't even notice!
Our freezer is getting stocked up with meals and it feels good! The best part is that it is all home-cooked.
Last night, I made vegetable beef soup, almost all from leftovers from dinner the night before. I shredded the pot roast, added in leftover noodles and broccoli, chopped up carrots and onion, put it all in a pot of water and tossed in a beef bullion cube and some spices and there was dinner! I also made italian bread sticks and froze some of the dough from the batch so we'd have some to pull out and bake for other meals. I'm getting better and better at this!
I find that if I take a few extra minutes in the kitchen, I can always find a way to make something to throw in the freezer for the days that are too crazy to make dinner. This was the best New Year resolution I've made. Now my biggest debate is whether or not to keep up the no sugar thing after January 31st passes. I'm not going to lie, I miss having a cinnamon roll for breakfast once in a while. :)
Today I tried a new sugar free recipe--it's for oatmeal cookies. The verdict? Pretty good! My kids have been asking for cookies, and because I haven't been eating sugar, neither have they. So, today I told them I'd have cookies for them after nap.
The recipe below is what I used, but I altered it a little. I used closer to a cup of honey rather than just a 1/2 cup, I added extra cinnamon, a dash of ground cloves, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of molasses. Enjoy!
New no sugar recipe (uses honey instead of sugar)
Since becoming a mom, I've gradually started learning more about food. The things I've grown up loving to eat are really bad for us! Sugar, white flour, McDonalds (any fast food, really)...ALL VERY UNHEALTHY. I want my kids to learn to love food from scratch and grow up eating it. Unfortunately, cooking from scratch takes time, and a lot of it. Thus, I've made goals to stock our freezer full of home made meals so we don't feel the need to "grab a pizza" or go through a drive thru for dinner. One stop shop in our freezer makes live easier! Kinda rhymes, doesn't it?
Last week was great for my freezer cooking goals. On lasagna night, I made two lasagnas, one for dinner and one for the freezer.
Another day, I took out some leftover, frozen taco meat and some leftover taco soup, and mixed it together with some sour cream and cheese. I filled tortillas with the mixture to make burritos to freeze for lunches.
Our freezer is getting stocked up with meals and it feels good! The best part is that it is all home-cooked.
Last night, I made vegetable beef soup, almost all from leftovers from dinner the night before. I shredded the pot roast, added in leftover noodles and broccoli, chopped up carrots and onion, put it all in a pot of water and tossed in a beef bullion cube and some spices and there was dinner! I also made italian bread sticks and froze some of the dough from the batch so we'd have some to pull out and bake for other meals. I'm getting better and better at this!
I find that if I take a few extra minutes in the kitchen, I can always find a way to make something to throw in the freezer for the days that are too crazy to make dinner. This was the best New Year resolution I've made. Now my biggest debate is whether or not to keep up the no sugar thing after January 31st passes. I'm not going to lie, I miss having a cinnamon roll for breakfast once in a while. :)
Today I tried a new sugar free recipe--it's for oatmeal cookies. The verdict? Pretty good! My kids have been asking for cookies, and because I haven't been eating sugar, neither have they. So, today I told them I'd have cookies for them after nap.
The recipe below is what I used, but I altered it a little. I used closer to a cup of honey rather than just a 1/2 cup, I added extra cinnamon, a dash of ground cloves, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of molasses. Enjoy!
New no sugar recipe (uses honey instead of sugar)
Raisin Oatmeal Cookies (makes 3 dozen)
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Large Egg, room temperature
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Cup Dried Raisins
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Large Egg, room temperature
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Cup Dried Raisins
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place the butter and honey in a bowl or standing mixer and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for another minute on medium speed or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, mix to combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Stir in the raisins then drop 1 tbsp of dough for each cookie onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.
2. Place the butter and honey in a bowl or standing mixer and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for another minute on medium speed or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, mix to combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Stir in the raisins then drop 1 tbsp of dough for each cookie onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Au naturel...
When I'm really craving a sugar fix, I wonder what I got myself into saying yes to my cousin's challenge. Giving up sugar is hard, January 31st can't come fast enough...but I've found ways to have sweet snacks that are sugar free and that do not use fake sweeteners. I hate fake sweeteners, so bad for you.
I've gone the all natural route. I have been cutting up apples and sprinkling them with cinnamon. REALLY yummy! I also made brownies sweetened with applesauce and honey. They took some getting used to, but now I actually like them, and want them as my after dinner treat! The kids loved them from the beginning and beg to have some "cakes" as Easton calls it.
It's been 7 days without sweets, besides my morning coffee. Do I miss them? Yes. But to be completely honest, it's getting easier day by day to not want desserts. I've been tempted. The other day there was a fun sized Milky Way in our pantry taunting me, but I held strong! I think it really helps that I wrote my sugar free plans on Facebook and in this blog. If I don't follow through, a lot of people will know!
Another bonus to this is my kids are eating less sugar too, because mommy isn't baking, isn't buying it, and isn't eating it!
Ever given up sugar before? If you have, tell me what helped you keep away from it! What snacks did you find to eat to keep from giving in to sugar? And, any all natural, sugar free cookie recipes out there that taste good???
I've gone the all natural route. I have been cutting up apples and sprinkling them with cinnamon. REALLY yummy! I also made brownies sweetened with applesauce and honey. They took some getting used to, but now I actually like them, and want them as my after dinner treat! The kids loved them from the beginning and beg to have some "cakes" as Easton calls it.
It's been 7 days without sweets, besides my morning coffee. Do I miss them? Yes. But to be completely honest, it's getting easier day by day to not want desserts. I've been tempted. The other day there was a fun sized Milky Way in our pantry taunting me, but I held strong! I think it really helps that I wrote my sugar free plans on Facebook and in this blog. If I don't follow through, a lot of people will know!
Another bonus to this is my kids are eating less sugar too, because mommy isn't baking, isn't buying it, and isn't eating it!
Ever given up sugar before? If you have, tell me what helped you keep away from it! What snacks did you find to eat to keep from giving in to sugar? And, any all natural, sugar free cookie recipes out there that taste good???
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)