Fab Favs....and a *small* giveaway

It's Sunday. A day to rest :) We have had a great weekend. Yesterday, thanks to some wonderful people who watched the boys for us, the Hubbs and I were able to go on an all day date. It was much needed and much appreciated.

One of the highlights occurred after our normal radio stations were out of range and I happened across a radio station that was playing all my favorite boy band hits from back in the day. Unfortunately for the hubbs this meant that he was serenaded the rest of the trip with the love struck tunes. I on the other hand had a great time :)

Some more favs from this weekend...

-My oldest saying that I was "his favorite girl"

-Grocery shopping *by myself* (it's the small things) early Saturday morning

-An awesome workout that consisted of running, abs class, and Zumba on Friday afternoon...SO much fun!

-And now getting to make a big batch of cinnamon rolls to take tonight to small group. We love making these and we LOVE sharing them. Sooooooooo since our recipe makes a lot we have decided to share some with you!

I am going to give away 2 pans to some "locals" here in town (sorry out of towners, BUT if you would still like to participate I can bring you a fresh pan the next time I am able to see you!).

All I want you to do is comment on this post and tell me what your favorite part of this weekend was.

That's it. I will randomly pick two comments and those two people will get a pan delivered tonight after our small group. That means you have until 7:00pm to comment.

My hope is that, even if you didn't have a "great" weekend, that you will still be able to find something positive that happened in your life over the last few days...

A love like that...

Yesterday as I was hauling my "load" into the grocery store (my youngest, cart cover, snacks, toy, purse, etc....) I witnessed the *sweetest* thing. Try to picture, if you will, with me as I try to describe this....

There was an incredibly adorable couple, definitely in their 80's or so, walking out of the store--hand in hand--to their car parked in the handicapped space. The man walked his wife to the passenger side door, opened her door, and before letting her into the car he KISSED his sweet little wife. He didn't stop there...he continued to help her into the car before closing the door and walking to the driver's side.

Just about made me tear up and, me, being typically unafraid to speak to people, almost went over there to tell them how encouraging that was to see(as if, stopping dead in my tracks while smiling ear to ear to watch this moment didn't give any clue...). Luckily common sense kicked in to help me realize that that would probably be slightly inappropriate.

Now, I don't know them or their story, but what I saw was pure, committed, *sweet*, love. I saw a man who barely wanted to be apart from his wife. I saw a wife who adored her husband as much as he did her. I saw him go the extra mile to show her honor and care. And I saw her, let him.

This made me think, of course, of my relationship with my husband. Not negatives, mostly warm-fuzzies, but really more about how I can be one to "go the extra mile" for my spouse just like the elderly gentleman(because a gentleman is what he is) did. He didn't think only of himself, he thought of his spouse and put her needs first. I could tell he cherished her and her role in his life.

Most people when they are dating and getting to know each other usually pull out all the stops to show the other how much they care (I remember receiving the most amazing letters from my husband on a regular basis...). Then, in a lot of cases, after marriage, life, children...we tend to put our spouse on the back-burner (we make sure we have family time, but a date night will probably have to wait). Take them for granted in a way. It's way too easy to do.

My husband and I came to this realization this past year after having our youngest and having our time even more divided. We missed each other and we missed that spark. We were then determined to regain that giddiness(my word, not his) that we used to feel. That meant making choices and that meant being intentional. We decided that being "too busy" or being "too tired" at the end of the day or week isn't a good reason to let the relationship with the person who you will be with for the rest of your life slip. It's too important to us.

Bringing back that spark meant...

My husband chooses to leave me amazing notes every once and a while on napkins in the morning before he leaves for work...

We dance whenever, wherever, if we hear a good song on the radio(while our sons laugh at us)...

Thanks to some wonderful people in our lives who offer to take care of our children for us, we are trying to go out on DATES more...

We share hobbies(some of the best conversations happen while accomplishing something together)...

We, gulp, choose to keep negative or sarcastic comments to ourselves. Breaking each other down is a sure way to kill the spark...

We pray for each other.


Our relationship is not perfect, Lord knows we've had and still have our issues, but we are trying. Surprisingly it has been the hard times that have brought us closer.

We are not ignorant to the fact that things may happen in our life that may keep us apart for a time, or require us to put other people or situations first, and that is okay, but that just means that we have to get creative with how we can show each other that we love them and want them in our life.

I want to be that adoring couple I saw yesterday when we are old and gray.

I want to continue a love like that.

Defeated

Have you ever had those days where you just feel defeated? A day where you feel that nothing is "for" you. Not your kids, your own body, or even your dog? Yeah, been there.

Kids are one of those things in your life where you love em and then you have the moments where you think you will lose your mind. They have their own agenda and then you have yours...typically on polar opposite ends of the spectrum.

Body. Wow. This past year I have thought "Why does my body hate me?" one too many times. I don't think I have written about this since my "Hooray for being girl?" post. I was originally diagnosed as having post-pardem thyroiditis, but after further tests the doctor found out I had Hoshimotos disease. It is an auto-immune disorder of the thyroid where your body basically is at "war" with your thyroid. Eventually I won't have a thyroid at all. It is crazy to think that that your own body is always "at war". Along with my doc we still have not found the right dosage for me because the dosage I need is not available, so I'm either too high or I'm too low.  I never knew how important your thyroid was until mine wasn't working like it should. I know I'm not alone in that and I also know that I am so blessed that I do not have a life threatening disorder, but things have been a lot harder than normal.

I say all that to say this.....How easy is it to just give up when you have those days that just seem crushing? Lord knows there have been many days where I just wanted to ignore all responsibilities, curl up, cry, and watch Gilmore Girls just to retreat from my own life for a little bit. I also know, again, I'm not alone.

But do we, just give up? Immaturity tells us we can. Self-centeredness tells us we can. The Godless world tells us we can. But, no, we don't. Nor should we.

After stepping back a second and taking a look at your current state, what you consider crushing, you realize giving up won't solve anything. You will only let yourself down and let down those closest to you.

I am, however, a BIG proponent for taking a break every once and a while to rejuvenate, and well, regain sanity :) You have too.  It makes you a better parent, wife/husband, and friend.

I say all that to say this (for myself more than anything): don't give up. You are worth more than how you currently feel, your family and friends are worth more to you than that.

God has not given up on you. Jesus gave his life for you because you ARE worth THAT much to Him.

Yes, we have our days. I believe it is okay to be upset, but don't let yourself stay there. It is debilitating. Try to take a second, step back, regain perspective, and take a break if you can, THEN keep pressing on.

Mad love for the "older" generation...



I took this picture while I was in Scotland. Love!



I have always had a "love" of people of the "older" generation(yes, I mean elderly people, but I'm trying to keep it sweet I guess). Ever since I was younger I have loved hearing their stories, seeing them(yes, they stir up the same feelings babies and puppies do), and learning from them(they have been through A LOT!). Today I have been reminded of that "love."

Ever gone grocery shopping in the morning? Since I stay home with our kiddos I usually try to get my grocery shopping done in the morning. Why? I miss the lunch time and after school rush. Usually the only people who are there are moms like me and many elderly people. Even with the "extras" I have "helping" me shop it usually proves to be a quite peaceful trip.



I'm going to let you in on a secret of the grocery store.....where's the "cool" place to hang out at the store? The produce section. Since our store comps prices, that, as with today, is where the "older" ladies and I swap the best sale prices in order that all of us get a good deal(Like us they are usually on a tight budget). Let me insert here that it is SO worth it to take 10 minutes to browse the local ads to get the best prices(I'll point that out below), but if you don't have the time you are bound to find some friendly faces who will help you along, plus also comment on how cute your kids are (who doesn't like to hear that?!). Sweet people.

Another reason I love the older gen....they are a lot more polite and friendly than most other people(like in the grocery store). Today I happened to see my sweet neighbor who is about the same age as my grandmother. She can barely hear, smiles a lot, and loves my boys. She is a great neighbor. Today I love her even more because of her comment, "Have you lost weight?" I was thinking "no not at all, but MAY GOD BLESS YOU!" Ha, I needed to hear that. Ever since my thyroid started going downhill it has been incredibly hard to lose the rest of my "baby love" weight. Ha, that and the fact that I don't diet well.

Next time you see an elderly person don't shy away, take the time to say hello or sit down and talk with them. It may make their day and surprise you at how much you enjoyed your visit.

--------------------------------------------------

Okay, like I mentioned above I have a savings tip of the day.....Take advantage of the local ads and go to a store like Wal-mart that price matches that way you don't have to go to 5 stores in order to get the best deals. Just make your shopping list for the week, browse the ads an write down next to your item the best price you can find in your area. Tell your cashier at check-out, easy as that!

For instance there is a store about 20 minutes from me who sells bananas on Tuesdays for $.39 a pound, but Wal-mart(who sells them for $.59/lb) is only 10 minutes away, so I can get the same deal without going as far. Need more proof convincing that you need to be doing this? I found a store that is 25 minutes away that had apples for $.88 a pound...Wal-Mart had theirs for $1.77 a pound...I saved about 50%! I call that a deal and because of this I am still able to feed our family healthy food on a small budget.

And before some of you go crazy on me for helping out a power store like Wal-mart, I do make a point of also going to our "home-town" grocery stores as well. I have some awesome local stores by my house, I give them my business first, and then go to the "bigger" stores for the rest of the items that I can't get there for the smaller price :) Just thought I'd throw that out there!

Sun-shining....

It's amazing what a little sunshine can do for the soul. Today it is sunny with a high of 68 degrees. Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Well, it is. Today I also have no plans except to stay home, enjoy my boys, and take care of some things around the house that I have been meaning to do for a while. I intentionally asked the hubbs to take the car to work with the carseats in it so that I wouldn't be tempted to go anywhere (don't worry though, in case of an emergency we have extra carseats, I'm just too lazy to put the seats in my hubbs' car unless I have too!)

As much as I love Winter, days like this are incredibly refreshing-- especially after a busy holiday.

Today I took time to drink my coffee, snuggle with my boys, did laundry (a necessary evil), organized our room *a little bit*, and played outside with the munchkins. The rest of my day consists of an adventure to the park, pizza and movie night(Cars, our oldest's choice) with the fam, and my brother coming into town to visit (love his visits!). All are low stress and somehow relaxing to me. This day hasn't been without it's sibling fights, fits or "did you really just do that?'s" but it was still wonderful...and intentional. Intentioned to slow down, let things not get to me as easily, and enjoy this rare, warm, sunny day in Winter.

Here's hoping that if you weren't able to slow down today, that you will make a day for it sometime soon. It's okay to give yourself (and your family) a break every once and a while.

This isn't from today, but this is one of my fav Sun-Shining pics of our littlest



When the Music Fades....

This post I guess isn't so much about being a "girl", it's more about being a mother. I probably could post something else on the "girl" side, but this is what is on my heart right now.

Yesterday I had a....well, quite a day...with my almost 3 year old. Anyone who has had a child this age probably knows what I'm talking about when I say this. It was explosion after explosion and it left me wondering who this child was and it also left me really disappointed in myself and how I handled some of his wild fits. After a much needed nap and some time to reflect on this day, last night I remembered when someone told me that their fits are usually because there is something going on inside them that they aren't able to communicate well. This makes sense because during one of the fits when I was trying to get him to tell me why he was getting upset one of the questions I asked him was if something hurts and he said, "yes, momma, my feelings hurt." Break. My. Heart. His feelings were hurt, and possibly because of how I handled some of his outrages. I handled them more with discipline that with "care."

Typically I am the type of mom that believes everything can be fixed with a kiss and some "snuggle time," (at this age anyways!) and have in a way "taught" this to my oldest who now requests "snuggle time" often. But on days when I feel like there is a lot to be done and accomplished "snuggle time" isn't made an importance...my son on the other hand, still needs it. I realized that all he wanted me to do was to slow down, put the chores and errands aside and spend some one on one time with him. Not to say that this needs to happen all day but a good balance is necessary for him to feel secure in his day.

This morning during my quiet time I opened a paper that I keep to mark my place in my Bible. It has the words to some of my favorite worship songs on it. The song "When the music fades" stood out to me and I read/sang it through.

Verse 1
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

Bridge
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much you deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is yours
Every single breath

*Bridge*
*Chorus*
*Chorus*

I'll bring you more than a song
I'll bring you more than a song
More than a song
I'll bring you more than a song
I'll bring you more than a song
You're looking into my heart
Looking into my heart
You're looking into my heart
Into my heart
I'll bring you more than a song
I'll bring you more than a song
I'll bring you more than a song
I'll bring you more than a song

With my mind still on the day before and "parenting" still on the brain I really connected to it and began correlating it to our TRUE mission as parents to our children in this world.

It is so easy, as parents, to get caught up in the....Schooling, "Sporting", Clothing, Socializing, "Manoring", Fine motoring, Gross Motoring, "Erranding", etc....that we lose the true "heart of parenting."

"All is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

Something that's of worth

That will bless your heart"

What is something that is TRULY of worth to our children and their hearts? I believe it's the Love of Jesus and our God. "Above all, Love."

"I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about You

It's all about You, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You

It's all about You, Jesus"

 I was told once that children are given to us only for a time, but that they will forever belong to God. What a precious and important gift! (Along with that paper with the lyrics on it I also keep a picture that someone gave me of my first born asleep in his carrier next to their Christmas tree and all of the presents underneath it. This picture is a constant reminder to me that "Children are a gift," even though a temporary one.)

If teaching and showing our children the Love of Christ is the most important thing we can do for our children, why do we cram their lives FULL of all these other things? It's easy to do because most of these things are fun, but collectively it can get to be TOO much. A balance perhaps is the best choice?

I am realizing now that yesterday my son's "world" was not balanced. Love was not the primary focus. In my head right now I am envisioning a balance (like the one in a science class) with "God's Love" on one side and all the "Others" in our lives on the other (If I wasn't computer challenged I would design that up for you!).  This is going to be my personal goal for my life and my children's. I realize it will take saying "no" to things more often than I say "yes," but I guess that's what being a parent is all about...not always making the easy choice for your family, but making the right choice for your(every family is different) family.

Rambled enough? I think so :) But I hope you can also do some reflecting on your parenting "goals" (or life goals if you aren't a parent) and try to realign yourself if you have fallen away from the track.

 

How Beautiful

This morning our alarm clocks(aka our boys) went off around 5:30. About an hour and a half too early. Luckily we got child number 1 back in bed, but child number 2 wanted to play. I was tired and not thrilled about getting up at this hour, but decided I was going to be positive about this (a lesson I have learned from a good friend to enjoy even the not so glamorous moments of being a mom because there are so many who would give anything to have this opportunity). It wasn't anything a cup of coffee (and a little under eye cream) couldn't fix...

I was surprised by a sight that I have not seen in quite sometime...a sunrise. Peaceful and beautiful, I was given this gift. Another gift was the sweet smiles of my youngest, getting to spend some one-on-one time with his momma. I felt pure joy and even though I was awakened earlier than normal, I felt at peace and rested. God is Good.

The beautiful sight outside my window reminded me of this song and I wanted to share it....

How Beautiful

How Beautiful the hands that served
The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price
Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How Beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

Here's to hoping your day will be filled with joy......and if you woke up as early as I did, maybe even a nap later on in the day :)

Being Bold and Beautiful...

Recently in our Sunday morning class at church we have been studying the book of Esther in the Bible.
Frequently I refer to it as the "Girl Power" book of the Bible (rolling eyes of my spouse). I have always loved the book of Esther for many reasons, and if you haven't read it through I really suggest it!

--Chapter 2 describes Esther as beautiful in form and in face. Who wouldn't love that description?!

One of the initial reasons Esther was chosen as Queen was her outer beauty, but I think the way she ultimately "found favor"(2:15) was because of something that most could not put their finger on...a beauty on the inside that was radiating outward.You can tell when a woman feels beautiful because she is usually glowing. One of my favorite things to see is a woman, or a person in general, radiating. Often I wonder what it is that is making that woman radiate and have come to the conclusion that one woman's idea of beauty is frequently different than anothers (I kind of love celebrating those differences in people). In Esther's case I like to think that she had pure joy within her that made her "radiate."

WE are daughters of a King, which makes us royalty just like Esther. God sees each of us as beautiful, not because of our outer appearances, but because of our hearts....the pure, passionate, and absolutely beautiful heart He created us with. Unfortunately the world hardens many of our hearts and we end up having a difficult time letting this beauty break through, or even understanding that we have a beautiful heart to share at all! 

--Another thing I love in Esther is that she displays boldness, passion, and strength....She is called to do something that obviously takes her out of her comfort zone, but is needed to be done. Can she be graceful, poised, but also brave and courageous? Of course. Women everywhere have this strength in them, they just need to recognize it and use it when the time is right(I'm speaking to myself also here!).

My prayer is that each of you discovers the heart that you were created with...beautiful, pure, strong, etc...connect with it, and use it for God's glory.

I've rambled enough for one day :) I hope each of you can begin the week knowing that God is with you, loves you, and finds you completely Gorgeous!