Finally! Summer! Well I guess the official start to summer has not happened yet, but that is okay! We are still enjoying it like it is here.
It does make me laugh though... So many people complain all winter because it is too cold. Yet, quite often, those are the same ones complaining all summer that it is too hot. Is there no pleasing these people?
Personally- I am not a big fan of the winter. I do not like putting on so many layers just to run out & check the mail. (Which, unlike the summer, I wait until I KNOW the mail has come before I go out to see what is in there!) I would much rather be able to at least go out to the mailbox in whatever I have on for the day. [Lately that is yoga capris pants & a tank top -- my everyday outfit of choice for chasing after 2 toddlers & 3 dogs! Haha]
Why am I talking about this? Well, my kids wanted to come outside this morning. It was 9am so I figured why not. Holy Batman was it already so hot! I mean, walking from the door to my chair caused me to swear so bad! And I like summer! But this is crazy! I have had to bring my kiddos inside to cool off every hour. Was not expecting this in May after practically no winter to really speak of this year.
This is still my favorite time of year. It reminds of the Scriptures in Ecclesiastes where it talks about "to everything there is a season".... Think about it. Life is so new this time of year. Between birdie eggs hatching, flowers blooming and the sun staying out longer - it is such a wonderful time of year.
I try to not take the sounds of birds chirping or bees buzzing for granted. It is proof that there is new life. There is still the wonderment of newness happening all around us each and every day.
So take a minute. Breathe in the fresh air. Listen for the birds. Watch for the frogs. Smell the flowers. Just try and enjoy this life that we were given by our Creator. He thought of everything! And them some! There is no way any human being could have thought of all these little details of life the way God has.
Do not take it for granted. Enjoy the little things that make this day what it is.
And let us not complain about the heat - for just a few months ago, this is what everyone wanted!
Sincerely,
A Mom Enjoying This Day
Friday, May 27, 2016
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
The moving has started
Well, the packing has started... Such a tedious task to do, but the reason for doing it is a fun one.
When you know you are moving to a better place, it is so refreshing to start boxing things up & getting ready for the move. But it also makes you realize how much junk you have! I have been throwing tons of stuff away already & we have just barely started! I am glad for the chance to purge all the stuff we are just holding onto for no reason.
The house we are moving to is much smaller than we currently have (although thanks to the floor plan it feels so much bigger). Which leads me to want to get rid of as much as possible.
I am so thankful for family to be able to help with the process. From getting us some boxes to watching the girls so I can pack... It has been so nice to be able to get stuff done so it actually feels like we are starting to move.
But I do not want to pack too much since we are still living here. For now. Well, only a few more days. However when you have kids, there are just some things that you cannot pack up early. I think we have a good plan in mind for how we plan to tackle the actual move when the day comes. Hopefully it results in an easy move.
For now, I am just happy to have the process underway & boxes being filled up!
Sincerely,
A Mom On The Move
When you know you are moving to a better place, it is so refreshing to start boxing things up & getting ready for the move. But it also makes you realize how much junk you have! I have been throwing tons of stuff away already & we have just barely started! I am glad for the chance to purge all the stuff we are just holding onto for no reason.
The house we are moving to is much smaller than we currently have (although thanks to the floor plan it feels so much bigger). Which leads me to want to get rid of as much as possible.
I am so thankful for family to be able to help with the process. From getting us some boxes to watching the girls so I can pack... It has been so nice to be able to get stuff done so it actually feels like we are starting to move.
But I do not want to pack too much since we are still living here. For now. Well, only a few more days. However when you have kids, there are just some things that you cannot pack up early. I think we have a good plan in mind for how we plan to tackle the actual move when the day comes. Hopefully it results in an easy move.
For now, I am just happy to have the process underway & boxes being filled up!
Sincerely,
A Mom On The Move
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Book Review:: "It's Not Okay" by Andi Dorfman
Early last week I saw that there was an advertisement for Andi Dorfman's book that was coming out. Like many other stars of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" she too had written a book and even though I have yet to read any of the other books, I was intrigued by this one. Enough that I bought it. Yup, I waited until Tuesday and got online and instantly had it on my iPad to start reading.
I was so excited. I had watched both seasons with her and felt like she was a very strong woman, who was set in her career and looking for Mr. Right to spend her nights with. I knew that she had broken up with Josh, whom she chose as her final suitor at the end. He even proposed to her! But, I knew that by the time the book came out, they were no longer a couple.
So when I saw the book, I thought "oh great - here are her behind the scenes information of what happened" which led me to purchase the book.
Boy oh boy was I wrong! WoW!
First of all, please forgive me for this Andi, but how did you ever graduate from Law School without being able to write? Now, I know I am not perfect. I know my writing is mostly just rambling on about this or that. I also am doing it on a blog. Not in a published book. She would jump from one subject to the next. Half the time I did not know where she was going or how she would get to the point. It was basically like reading a teenagers diary... {Sorry - the truth hurts...}
Next, she seemed like a very classy lady on her show. She stood up for herself and really seemed to have her life together [despite the fact that she had taken to a reality show in Hollywood to find "true love"]. But the amount of cussing and revenge in this book is just appalling. I mean, she uses cuss words just to use them sometimes. It was almost like she realized she did not have one on that page yet and had to throw one in! I was disgusted by her mouth. And the revenge.. Oh my. I mean, I have been through breakups before. They are not fun. They suck. But I have never ever BURNED an old flames stuff! Nor would I ever suggest that it was actually a healthy thing to do! Leave it in a box on his doorstep; have a friend take it to him; something, anything is better than burning it! This is a man she once agreed to marry, a man she was sharing a home with {before they were married.... do not get me started on that} and all she can think to do is to burn his stuff?
Another area that really bothers me was she acted as though she had a degree in psychology, not law. I was really put off by the fact that she was giving step by step guidelines on what to do next or how to go from one phase of the breakup to the next. I know, I know. I was not in her shoes. It has been years since my last breakup (thanks to the fact that I am happily married) so maybe I just do not get it. But when I went through breakups, and friends went through breakups, we both healed in different ways. So while yes, this was her story, she should have kept it as her story. Not a self-help guide to moving on. //Just my two cents - take it or leave it.//
One phrase she used was talking about how you should always "test drive a car before buying it"... Now if you understand that she was NOT talking about cars in the phrase, continue reading. This is what is wrong with the world today! God says that sex is for a MAN and WIFE! Not boyfriend and girlfriend; fiancés; friends; neighbors; who ever. It is for marriage. The fact that she tells people that they should basically sleep around until they are committed is crazy! Pure crazy.
I really thought this book would be more about her journey through both seasons of the hit show; but I was left very disappointed. She never even called Josh by name - I mean, come on girl, he was your fiancée and you cannot even use his name?
Why did I spend this time telling you about this book that you should by no means buy, read, contemplate renting, borrowing... none of that. It should never have been published. Harsh? Maybe, but I am so glad that I did not buy a hard copy of the book because I would not want it on my shelves.
I say all of that to say this... Ladies, we need to protect ourselves. There is so much trash out there in this world. So just that is trying to lead us in the ways of the world. If a non-Christian girl had read this, and thought this was the proper way to go through a breakup or the best way to act or carry yourself, then I would feel bad that they took Andi's poor advice. We need to be examples to other girls out there. Show them the way of the Lord. Do not let them go to girls like this for advice on how to live and react to situations that come our way.
Andi - if you ever read this - I hope you understand why I said what I did. I thought of you as sort of a roll model to girls until I read your book. I was so excited to see a career woman on this show and thought that it was a great example of how you can follow your dreams and still find love. But really, now I feel bad for you. I have been praying a lot for you. And I hope that you find what you are looking for in this life to be truly happy. {However - that true happiness will only come from knowing God and a personal relationship with Him....}
Please be cautious what you let your daughters watch and read. Please guard their hearts, minds, eyes, ears from the ways of the world. Do not let them fall into the trap that this world is laying and the lies that are being spread to look like truths. Keep them surrounded by God and His words so that when something contradicts God's truths, they know which is real.
Sincerely,
A Girl Who Will Choose Her Reading Material A Little More Cautiously Next Time
I was so excited. I had watched both seasons with her and felt like she was a very strong woman, who was set in her career and looking for Mr. Right to spend her nights with. I knew that she had broken up with Josh, whom she chose as her final suitor at the end. He even proposed to her! But, I knew that by the time the book came out, they were no longer a couple.
So when I saw the book, I thought "oh great - here are her behind the scenes information of what happened" which led me to purchase the book.
Boy oh boy was I wrong! WoW!
First of all, please forgive me for this Andi, but how did you ever graduate from Law School without being able to write? Now, I know I am not perfect. I know my writing is mostly just rambling on about this or that. I also am doing it on a blog. Not in a published book. She would jump from one subject to the next. Half the time I did not know where she was going or how she would get to the point. It was basically like reading a teenagers diary... {Sorry - the truth hurts...}
Next, she seemed like a very classy lady on her show. She stood up for herself and really seemed to have her life together [despite the fact that she had taken to a reality show in Hollywood to find "true love"]. But the amount of cussing and revenge in this book is just appalling. I mean, she uses cuss words just to use them sometimes. It was almost like she realized she did not have one on that page yet and had to throw one in! I was disgusted by her mouth. And the revenge.. Oh my. I mean, I have been through breakups before. They are not fun. They suck. But I have never ever BURNED an old flames stuff! Nor would I ever suggest that it was actually a healthy thing to do! Leave it in a box on his doorstep; have a friend take it to him; something, anything is better than burning it! This is a man she once agreed to marry, a man she was sharing a home with {before they were married.... do not get me started on that} and all she can think to do is to burn his stuff?
Another area that really bothers me was she acted as though she had a degree in psychology, not law. I was really put off by the fact that she was giving step by step guidelines on what to do next or how to go from one phase of the breakup to the next. I know, I know. I was not in her shoes. It has been years since my last breakup (thanks to the fact that I am happily married) so maybe I just do not get it. But when I went through breakups, and friends went through breakups, we both healed in different ways. So while yes, this was her story, she should have kept it as her story. Not a self-help guide to moving on. //Just my two cents - take it or leave it.//
One phrase she used was talking about how you should always "test drive a car before buying it"... Now if you understand that she was NOT talking about cars in the phrase, continue reading. This is what is wrong with the world today! God says that sex is for a MAN and WIFE! Not boyfriend and girlfriend; fiancés; friends; neighbors; who ever. It is for marriage. The fact that she tells people that they should basically sleep around until they are committed is crazy! Pure crazy.
I really thought this book would be more about her journey through both seasons of the hit show; but I was left very disappointed. She never even called Josh by name - I mean, come on girl, he was your fiancée and you cannot even use his name?
Why did I spend this time telling you about this book that you should by no means buy, read, contemplate renting, borrowing... none of that. It should never have been published. Harsh? Maybe, but I am so glad that I did not buy a hard copy of the book because I would not want it on my shelves.
I say all of that to say this... Ladies, we need to protect ourselves. There is so much trash out there in this world. So just that is trying to lead us in the ways of the world. If a non-Christian girl had read this, and thought this was the proper way to go through a breakup or the best way to act or carry yourself, then I would feel bad that they took Andi's poor advice. We need to be examples to other girls out there. Show them the way of the Lord. Do not let them go to girls like this for advice on how to live and react to situations that come our way.
Andi - if you ever read this - I hope you understand why I said what I did. I thought of you as sort of a roll model to girls until I read your book. I was so excited to see a career woman on this show and thought that it was a great example of how you can follow your dreams and still find love. But really, now I feel bad for you. I have been praying a lot for you. And I hope that you find what you are looking for in this life to be truly happy. {However - that true happiness will only come from knowing God and a personal relationship with Him....}
Please be cautious what you let your daughters watch and read. Please guard their hearts, minds, eyes, ears from the ways of the world. Do not let them fall into the trap that this world is laying and the lies that are being spread to look like truths. Keep them surrounded by God and His words so that when something contradicts God's truths, they know which is real.
Sincerely,
A Girl Who Will Choose Her Reading Material A Little More Cautiously Next Time
Friday, May 20, 2016
This is the day...
We all count down to certain days and times in our lives. We set reminders so we do not forget about important events happening. Make countdowns to remind people how many days until... you fill in the blank for you.
Well, the day is upon us in our family... We have waited and prayed. And prayed and waited. Prayed some more... waited some more.
You get the idea!
My husband and I knew that moving to our current house was a temporary move. <Insert Carrie Underwood singing "Temporary Home" because that is what started playing in my head as I typed this!> We knew that eventually we would be selling and moving our family we have created to a new location. It was no surprise to us when we started to feel like that time of the impending move was drawing near.
It was a surprise to us how quickly God moved in our situation. Let me lay it out for you...
After years of praying about moving (pretty much since before we moved here) to the town where our church and my base were, it all happened so fast that it still hasn't formulated into my mind. See, my husband was offered a job... We did not accept right away. We did not just jump on it since it would take us to the location that we knew we were supposed to be in. We took our time.
We prayed! A LOT!
When we finally felt like it was time to accept the offer and get this thing started, it all went rolling into action. In a matter of days we had offered on a house ((with tons of land and promise)); that offer was accepted. We had put our house on the market. After 3 days that consisted of 7 showings, we got an above-list-price offer... that we accepted. And the plan was put into place.
Finally - we were moving. Now, please do not think that there were not hiccups along the way. Yes, we had issues. There were things needed completed at both our current and new houses in order for the sales to go through. The countless trees that died for us to sign our names a bajillion times over and over again so that we could say the same thing to our realtor, mortgage people and whoever else asked the questions. There was the stresses of going through home inspections, radon inspections, pest inspections, appraisals, negotiations back and forth on who fixes this or that... What was more important, this or that.
No, it was not easy - but we stayed calm, cried a few times, hung onto each other and ultimately we are about the cross over to the other side.
So, when I say the day is upon us, I do not mean our moving day is finally here. {I wish!} But the day is upon us to where we have to pack!
UGH!
Who likes packing? Anyone? Because I sure do not. And now we have to pack for we do not know how long to stay at my parents house for who knows how long and hope that we have everything done. It is a challenge - but the day is upon us. We will survive this just like we survived all the paperwork to get to this day...
Oh - and did I mention my husband starts his new job on Tuesday, where he will leave Tuesday and not come back until Thursday when the girls are about to go to bed... and we will be at my parents house, babysitting their dog.... just me - 3 dogs and 2 toddlers.
You may not hear from me for a while... Just saying...
But, no matter what - the day is upon us when our prayers are being answered...
Sincerely,
A Thankful Prayerful Mom
Well, the day is upon us in our family... We have waited and prayed. And prayed and waited. Prayed some more... waited some more.
You get the idea!
My husband and I knew that moving to our current house was a temporary move. <Insert Carrie Underwood singing "Temporary Home" because that is what started playing in my head as I typed this!> We knew that eventually we would be selling and moving our family we have created to a new location. It was no surprise to us when we started to feel like that time of the impending move was drawing near.
It was a surprise to us how quickly God moved in our situation. Let me lay it out for you...
After years of praying about moving (pretty much since before we moved here) to the town where our church and my base were, it all happened so fast that it still hasn't formulated into my mind. See, my husband was offered a job... We did not accept right away. We did not just jump on it since it would take us to the location that we knew we were supposed to be in. We took our time.
We prayed! A LOT!
When we finally felt like it was time to accept the offer and get this thing started, it all went rolling into action. In a matter of days we had offered on a house ((with tons of land and promise)); that offer was accepted. We had put our house on the market. After 3 days that consisted of 7 showings, we got an above-list-price offer... that we accepted. And the plan was put into place.
Finally - we were moving. Now, please do not think that there were not hiccups along the way. Yes, we had issues. There were things needed completed at both our current and new houses in order for the sales to go through. The countless trees that died for us to sign our names a bajillion times over and over again so that we could say the same thing to our realtor, mortgage people and whoever else asked the questions. There was the stresses of going through home inspections, radon inspections, pest inspections, appraisals, negotiations back and forth on who fixes this or that... What was more important, this or that.
No, it was not easy - but we stayed calm, cried a few times, hung onto each other and ultimately we are about the cross over to the other side.
So, when I say the day is upon us, I do not mean our moving day is finally here. {I wish!} But the day is upon us to where we have to pack!
UGH!
Who likes packing? Anyone? Because I sure do not. And now we have to pack for we do not know how long to stay at my parents house for who knows how long and hope that we have everything done. It is a challenge - but the day is upon us. We will survive this just like we survived all the paperwork to get to this day...
Oh - and did I mention my husband starts his new job on Tuesday, where he will leave Tuesday and not come back until Thursday when the girls are about to go to bed... and we will be at my parents house, babysitting their dog.... just me - 3 dogs and 2 toddlers.
You may not hear from me for a while... Just saying...
But, no matter what - the day is upon us when our prayers are being answered...
Sincerely,
A Thankful Prayerful Mom
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Just A Mom Keeping It Real
Okay Moms - I am talking to you today. Or maybe Dads... Anyone who stays home with the kids. Maybe not even your kids. You are the babysitter maybe. Okay - so really, I am talking to anyone who has children around them.
Anyway... So my 2.5yr old likes to come down to Mommy & Daddy's bed at night sometimes. She goes through phases of doing it every night to going weeks between coming down for some cuddles in the middle of the night.
So it has been a while since Hubs & I had our little visitor at night.
But I really was not fully aware of her joining us last night. I know I lifted her into our bed. I do not know what time it was {{found out later Hubs had already taken her back at 12:30am when she came down the first time}} nor do I really remember much of anything other than lifting her into the bed between Hubs and I.
What I do remember, however, is where the joys of being Mom [or Dad] come in. Are you ready?
I am going to keep it real here.
I woke up at 5am to pee... As I was pee'ing, I realized I had been so sweaty while I slept last night - or this morning since I figured it was due to another body in the bed with us. I debated changing my shirt, but as I debated, I started to realize I was only sweaty in 1 area of my body. I was whiping sweat off my side & thinking how abnormal this was.
Are you still with me here?
So I finish pee'ing & just sit there trying to wake myself up enough to figure out what is going on. I reach down to pull up my shorts -- that is when I realize that just the right side of my shorts were wet too.
Which is when a lightbulb comes on and I instantly sniff my hand. You know, the hand I used to wipe the sweat off my side while I was pee'ing...
It was not sweat.
There was no way that smell was from sweat!
I look to my bed <which can be seen from my spot on the toilet> to see Caralee laying there all passed out... WITH NO PANTS ON! Okay - not just no pants, no diaper either.
--Now Caralee has been potty trained for about 10 months, but we have never ventured into the nighttime part of it since she has not seemed ready for that--
So I pull up my shorts wake Hubs & inform him of our newfound issue with our little visitor... He instantly realized his side of the bed was dry so told me to put on some dry clothes, take his side & go back to sleep with Caralee. The damage was done so no sense in waking her to get her washed up at 5am if she was still sleeping peacefully.
I changed my clothes. Climb into bed on Hubs side while he gets up & goes to the couch. All I smell is pee. That is it. Pee. There are no other scents that can be picked up by my nose at this point.
Yet somehow, exhaustion wins & I fall back to sleep with my toddler still wearing just her pj top.
I wake up at 7am... Hubs is gone for work, my toddler is not in the room but my brain instantly starts to process the events of the morning. I get up - my "clean" clothes are smelling like pee now so I strip down, grab a shower & come out to strip the bed.
That is when I realized just how bad my morning was -- the pee had soaked through the mattress protector! Yup. You know that thing you buy to save yourself from things like this happening. Yeah. It failed me this morning. Failed me.
So I get everything into the washer - get it on its way to smelling better. Then go back to assess the damage to our mattress and get to cleaning it...
Well I think you now understand how my morning has gone... But, if I can survive, so can you! That is a promise.
No matter what challenges you face today - no matter what stress comes your way - Call on God. He is there. He is your strength. Your protection. Your comfort. Your calm in the midst of the storm. He will always be there to listen & guide you through your life. No matter how crazy your life is, He is there. He wants to help.
I sometimes have to remind myself multiple times that He is there with me. But once I get it into my head that there is nothing He & I cannot face together, that is when things start to look up. Things stop looking impossible & a plan of action starts to form.
Why do I tell you this nasty story of me getting covered in pee as I slept? To let you know that this too shall pass. You are not alone. Sometimes life is just like being covered in someone else's pee. Or maybe you really were just like me. Whichever the case - do not turn away from God. Do not forget that He is with you. Do not let anyone tell you that things will not get better. I am here to tell you that they will!
Sincerely,
A Mom Who Has Had A Day By 7am
Anyway... So my 2.5yr old likes to come down to Mommy & Daddy's bed at night sometimes. She goes through phases of doing it every night to going weeks between coming down for some cuddles in the middle of the night.
So it has been a while since Hubs & I had our little visitor at night.
But I really was not fully aware of her joining us last night. I know I lifted her into our bed. I do not know what time it was {{found out later Hubs had already taken her back at 12:30am when she came down the first time}} nor do I really remember much of anything other than lifting her into the bed between Hubs and I.
What I do remember, however, is where the joys of being Mom [or Dad] come in. Are you ready?
I am going to keep it real here.
I woke up at 5am to pee... As I was pee'ing, I realized I had been so sweaty while I slept last night - or this morning since I figured it was due to another body in the bed with us. I debated changing my shirt, but as I debated, I started to realize I was only sweaty in 1 area of my body. I was whiping sweat off my side & thinking how abnormal this was.
Are you still with me here?
So I finish pee'ing & just sit there trying to wake myself up enough to figure out what is going on. I reach down to pull up my shorts -- that is when I realize that just the right side of my shorts were wet too.
Which is when a lightbulb comes on and I instantly sniff my hand. You know, the hand I used to wipe the sweat off my side while I was pee'ing...
It was not sweat.
There was no way that smell was from sweat!
I look to my bed <which can be seen from my spot on the toilet> to see Caralee laying there all passed out... WITH NO PANTS ON! Okay - not just no pants, no diaper either.
--Now Caralee has been potty trained for about 10 months, but we have never ventured into the nighttime part of it since she has not seemed ready for that--
So I pull up my shorts wake Hubs & inform him of our newfound issue with our little visitor... He instantly realized his side of the bed was dry so told me to put on some dry clothes, take his side & go back to sleep with Caralee. The damage was done so no sense in waking her to get her washed up at 5am if she was still sleeping peacefully.
I changed my clothes. Climb into bed on Hubs side while he gets up & goes to the couch. All I smell is pee. That is it. Pee. There are no other scents that can be picked up by my nose at this point.
Yet somehow, exhaustion wins & I fall back to sleep with my toddler still wearing just her pj top.
I wake up at 7am... Hubs is gone for work, my toddler is not in the room but my brain instantly starts to process the events of the morning. I get up - my "clean" clothes are smelling like pee now so I strip down, grab a shower & come out to strip the bed.
That is when I realized just how bad my morning was -- the pee had soaked through the mattress protector! Yup. You know that thing you buy to save yourself from things like this happening. Yeah. It failed me this morning. Failed me.
So I get everything into the washer - get it on its way to smelling better. Then go back to assess the damage to our mattress and get to cleaning it...
Well I think you now understand how my morning has gone... But, if I can survive, so can you! That is a promise.
No matter what challenges you face today - no matter what stress comes your way - Call on God. He is there. He is your strength. Your protection. Your comfort. Your calm in the midst of the storm. He will always be there to listen & guide you through your life. No matter how crazy your life is, He is there. He wants to help.
I sometimes have to remind myself multiple times that He is there with me. But once I get it into my head that there is nothing He & I cannot face together, that is when things start to look up. Things stop looking impossible & a plan of action starts to form.
Why do I tell you this nasty story of me getting covered in pee as I slept? To let you know that this too shall pass. You are not alone. Sometimes life is just like being covered in someone else's pee. Or maybe you really were just like me. Whichever the case - do not turn away from God. Do not forget that He is with you. Do not let anyone tell you that things will not get better. I am here to tell you that they will!
Sincerely,
A Mom Who Has Had A Day By 7am
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