Braggart Disclaimer

"I'll never again post on Facebook how great everything is!"

This is what I left my house saying one morning this week. You can guess that things were not so great that morning.  It was a bit of a rough week for me.

At another time, I found myself  mindlessly scrolling through FB on my phone, and said to Cecil, " If I see one more post about how much they accomplished in one day.........."

 At that point he kindly took my phone, and in his usual encouraging way, reassured me how great I am.  Trust me on that day, I wasn't great! Not. Even. Close.  He just encourages, it's what he does.

Facebook can make us feel so horrible about ourselves.   It's hard not to compare ourselves to the statuses that tout amazing feats that go something like this:

Laundry done, floors vacuumed, 25 freezer meals  ready to go in the freezer, cows milked, vegetables harvested, eggs gathered.  Now, coffee with my feet up having a little me time.  Then I'll wake the kids to begin our homeschooling lessons for the day.  

Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not a huge stretch of some updates I see.

Then there are these:

Wonderful weekend with my spectacular family planned.  First, a stroll in the park, then a picnic.  A little sightseeing in the city, a hike in the mountains, and we'll watch the sunset on the beach.

Again a bit of a stretch.

The first thing that comes to mind is " How do you have time for all that?  When do you clean your house and prepare for the week ahead?"

Now, I will be the first to tell you that I believe that often when we consider people to be braggarts on Facebook, the problem, the bragging, is usually in the eye of the beholder.  And I realize that my response to these posts are purely my issues.  I'm not blaming the posters of these glowing statuses for trying to make one feel like a loser.

That being said, bragging posts can sometimes be very discouraging.  And I don't want my status updates to discourage anyone so here's my disclaimer:

If ever I post anything that remotely makes it seem that I have it all together, that I'm being crazy productive, or that I'm in the running for 'Mom of the Year', it's likely that the event that I'm posting about is the only thing I've gotten right so far that week.  

It's possible that I left late for work every day that week.
I may have had to stop at Wal-greens on one of said days to buy toothbrushes and toothpaste because one or more of my kids didn't brush their teeth.
I may have forgotten about Crazy Hat Day at my daughter's preschool.
I may have had an epic argument with one of my girls that may or may not have had to be mediated by my husband.
Maybe I didn't cook a single meal that week, and we ate out every. single. night.
It's possible that I said some really unkind things to my husband.

* All of the above hypothetical, of course.....maybe...I'm telling y'all it was a rough week.

Once I posted a picture of our family watching a movie outside with a projector and a make-shift screen set up.  The kids thought it was the coolest thing.  One commenter stated that she loved that I take time to do special things my kids.  Truth is, that was probably one special moment in a week of harried chaos.

Of course, we are going to write about the things we get right. Let's remember this: 

How a three-year old packs for vacation

Ava has been telling us for days that she has her bag packed and is ready to go to Great Wolf Lodge. She was so proud of herself.

I opened her bag this morning as I was packing to see what she had planned to bring. Cecil and I both cracked up when we saw what she packed.

She had all the necessities... A dress-up outfit, three outfits for her baby doll, one bathing suit, a set of pajamas and her toothbrush.
It was priceless!!

Slow Cooker Herb-roasted Chicken

One of my family's very favorite meals is a whole roasted chicken.  This meal used to be a weekend only meal since in the oven, it takes a good hour and a half to cook. I rarely have that much time to cook a meal during the week.  That was until I discovered that it's just as good in the slow-cooker.
Here's the recipe that I use to cook chicken that my husband brags about and that has been the main dish at Christmas and Thanksgiving get-togethers in our family.

Ingredient List:

1 whole chicken (3-4lbs.)
2 TBS butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp lemon pepper or black pepper

Mix all dry seasonings together.
Ball up three pieces of foil and put in the bottom of your slow cooker so your chicken isn't sitting in the juices all day.  This sort of acts as your roasting rack.
Rinse chicken inside and out. Dry well with paper towels.
Fold the wings down behind the back.

Drop chicken into the slowcooker.
Brush on melted butter.
Rub chicken with garlic and sprinkle with seasoning mix.

Here's a picture before it's cooked...sorry no cooked picture...

it never seems to last long enough to get a picture:)

I let my chicken cook for about 8 hours on low because that's about how long I'm away from the house.  You could try it on high for less time.

The juices from the chicken make a terrific gravy.  Note:  The gravy recipe is not exact...it's one of those eyeball-it recipes for me.  But here's what I do:

Just pour the juices from the slow cooker into a skillet and let them come to a boil, add about 1/2 cup flour and stir for a few minutes, about 3 I guess..  It will be thick at this point but you want to let it cook for a few minutes or your gravy will taste like flour.  Add a large container of chicken broth and maybe some cracked pepper.  Whisk as you add the broth and continue to whisk as it comes to a boil.   You may add more water if it seems to thick for your liking.

Enjoy!

Does God Care About Football?

It's hard not to hear about Tim Tebow and his clutch wins these days.  I don't watch sports a whole lot, and I certainly don't sit down to watch the commentaries or analyses of the games of the week.  But I still hear the sports personalities commenting on Tim Tebow and wondering how he pulled off the win this week.  He wasn't a first-round draft pick...he didn't even go to the draft ceremony, you know, like all the really great players do.  But from before the draft, when some of his story was coming to light, he has been my new favorite player-aside from Drew Brees, who is also a man of God. (See a great interview with him here.)

Tebow has made it clear, every chance he gets that he is a Christian and loves the Lord.  From the pro-life commercial that he and his mom made, to his thanking his Savior during and after each game, to the way he handles the ridicule he received from those in the media and his fellow players.  He is living out what he believes on a very big stage and has, thus far, remained faithful.

A question that I hear over and over is, "Does God really care about football? Does God really care whether Tim Tebow wins his game on Sunday?" 

ABSOLUTELY HE DOES!!

Is it because He's a Broncos fan and wants nothing more than to see the Broncos take home the Lombardi? Nope.  It's because Tim Tebow is His child, His obedient, faithful child.  He is faithfully allowing himself to be used by God to further His kingdom.  Not that God needs a platform, but Tebow is in a position to reach a lot of people for Christ.  And people are noticing, talking and wondering...about God, and what it is that Tim Tebow has that they don't.  And isn't that what we are all called to do.  Very few of us will ever be on Tim's mission field, but we are all called to be witnesses for Him, to be obedient, to be used for the glory of GOD.

Furthermore, I wake up in the morning, knowing that my God cares about every mundane detail of my life.  He loves me that much!  I am not unimportant to Him!  So why, why would I presume that just because another of God's precious children happens to be a quarterback, that God doesn't care about his life, or his career?  You see, it's not that God is a football fan, or a Broncos fan....He's a Tim Tebow fan. Just like He's my biggest fan and He's your biggest fan.  He LOVES us.  He wants us to include Him in all the details of life.  But more than that, He wants to be the center of our lives.  God has a perfect plan for all of our lives.  He has laid out every day, every detail of our lives.  And I believe that he has laid out the path that Tim Tebow's career and, in effect, his life will take.  That means that his wins/losses, yards gained, fumbles and interceptions are not out of God's grip or outside of God's interest.  With that said, does it mean that if Tim Tebow does not win the Super Bowl, that God has stopped caring? No, it's just another piece of the intricate puzzle of Tebow's life that God is perfectly weaving together.  I think Tim would agree.

Whatever you do, do it for His glory.  Whether you are a minister, a janitor, a teacher, or an NFL quarterback.

 Source

Striving for Proverbs 31

I've just finished reading My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife by Sara Horn.  From the beginning I really identified with Sara, as our husbands are both military.  And I've also been pondering the passage for a while now, asking God, praying about how to apply these instructions to my life and my daily journey.  Because I truly believe that in that passage lies the keys of a godly, quiet-spirited, productive, successful wife and mother.  But if I'm being honest here, I thought,

 "This is probably another woman telling me that I'm not doing right by my family because I'm working outside the home.  That I couldn't possibly be fulfilling God's plan for my family, if I'm not home 24 hours a day caring for our home and family.  That there's no way my focus could be my family when I spend 8 hours out of our home."

But there were 4 words on the cover of her book that intrigued me and they were...

"....and Its Surprising Results".  I wanted to know what her surprising results were!

As Sara chronicled her journey, it was encouraging to see the growth in her obedience to God and her love for her family.  I've been asking God to help me to love my family more selflessly and to put that love into action.  This is one of the most important things that Sara had to learn...how to put her family before herself. And what that looks like practically.  It's easy to think about or talk about ways to put our family first.  But that will look differently for every family.  And I'm learning that true selflessness doesn't come when you can put one's needs in front of your own, but when you can put their desires ahead of your desires.  I mean, it's easy, as mothers, to fix dinner for your children when you are sick and legitimately need rest because, obviously our children "need" to eat.  But what about when a family member merely wants to have something, or to do something that would conflict with something you want to have or do?  That takes a new level of selflessness. 

When I've read Proverbs 31 before, it has seemed like a list of daunting tasks to be checked off my to-do list.  But I thought, "I can do this.  I'm a task oriented person.  I like lists.  If this is what it takes to be a Proverbs 31 wife, I so got this." But I have found that whenever I am focused on lists, chores, or tasks to complete, I always come up a complete failure.  I always run out of time, out of energy, or out of will  The Proverbs 31 wife or "Martha 31" as Sara calls her, is doing what it takes to take care of her family and as a result she is honoring her husband, and her children "call her blessed".  I think we get caught up in the to-do's of the Proverbs 31 wife and forget to try and see her heart.  Her heart is focused completely on her family, her checklist is purely for the betterment of her home and her family.  I, for one, am tremendously grateful that  our Savior doesn't look at our to-do lists to see how many chores we were able to check off for the day.  But He instead looks at our hearts.  So, friends, instead of striving to complete checklist after checklist and seeking affirmation in the number of chores or assignments you complete, seek affirmation from your Creator and ask Him to work in your heart. 

As Sara says in her book,

"I want to be the wife who is a blessing to her family, who is praised and remembered, not for the activities or projects I checked off, but for the smiles I wore, the peace I shared, and the deep love of God I hope I instilled wherever I went.  That's my prayer."

And that, I think, is the essence of what a Proverbs 31 wife should try to be.  

iHome Management Part 2

One of the most helpful and very practical apps that I have used is called HomeRoutine. I used to have a Control Journal. If you have ever heard of Flylady, you know what this is. It’s a method of breaking your home down into zones, assigning each zone a certain week and keeping track of the chores that need to be completed for that zone. It also includes all the routines that make up your day—morning routines, before bed routines, etc. Your weekly cleaning tasks , vacuuming, tubs, dusting, etc. are also managed in your control journal.

 The problem for me was not creating this household survival guide of sorts; I’m good at planning and outlining routines and assigning chores. The problem for me was actually putting it all into action and being consistent with it.This is where the HomeRoutine app comes in handy. I no longer have my control journal in my clunky binder, everything I just mentioned is put into the app…every routine you have,

the tasks associated with that routine,

Each Zone of your home, which you customize.

every chore that needs to be done for every zone.

Then it REMINDS you to actually do it. You can set reminders when certain things are to be done or certain routines are supposed to begin, it will sound an alarm. As you do each task, you click the star, which then turns yellow, indicating that you have completed it…nice little motivating factor when you look back over the day and see how much you have accomplished.  

There's a built in timer function that's very useful if you're like me and have a hard time stopping once you get involved in a certain task.  Set it for 15,20,30 minutes....make it work for you....then just stop when you are out of time.  

There's also a ToDo List with options to list things that need to get done today, this week and things that aren't immediately necessary but will be coming up soon.

It takes some time to set it all up, but the ability to edit it online and then sync with your phone makes it much easier.   This app currently has 4.5 stars on App Store. It’s not free, but worth the few bucks in my opinion.

I'm linking up with Tidy Mom today.

iHome Management Part 1

Family calendar, household cleaning routines, chore management for the kids, menu planning, grocery lists, important contact information, important papers that I needed to keep for future reference....all this used to be kept in my Household Notebook.  

Here is what it looked like:

A cute, but clunky binder.  It housed everything I needed but was large and cumbersome since I had to have it with me everywhere I went.  My Type A, OCD personality said that I needed it, just in case.  It wasn't the type of thing that could just sit on my counter at home, because, well, we are not home much.   And I do a lot of planning when I'm out and about, waiting at piano lessons or doctor appointments, during dance practices, etc.  So it really was necessary for me to have it with me at all times.  

Then I discovered this world that is the iPhone and all the amazingly practical and helpful apps that go along with it.  

Now everything I need is right here at my fingertips.  And this is what my Household Notebook looks like!

I'm always downloading and trying out new apps.  You will almost never see me playing a gamey (sure, that's a word) app on my phone, but grocery shopping, or meal planning apps....sign me up!!

Over the next week, I'm going to share with you the apps that make up my Household Notebook,the ones that make my life a little more organized, explaining what they do and how I use them practically in my busy life.

I'll be linking up with Courtney at Women Living Well.

Have a Blessed Day!

Peace or Happiness?

My life lately seems to work around themes.  Last year, around this time, the theme was to "simplify".  Practically, this meant to declutter, and streamline routines, and let unnecessary tasks go.  It was what I felt God was telling me in answer to my prayers for peace, calmness, and less anxiety.  I began to notice a huge difference in the atmosphere in our home and my attitude.

Recently, I began again to pray for peace, for clarity.  This time as I listen for God's gentle guidance, the theme seems to be "contentment and thankfulness".  I just love when God puts answers right smack in your face at every turn. Lovingly, of course.

God reminds me all the time that I am right where He wants me to be with my job as a teacher in a Christian school, which I also consider a ministry. I have seen, first hand, fruits of this ministry.  But it never fails, some circumstance throws me off, makes me doubt, makes me think that I should be the one educating my own children, making me jealous or envious of those who are at home with their children.

It is at this time that I have to stop and compare these feelings, the doubts, the emotions against the Word of God.  Is it ever okay to be envious, jealous, or covetous of something that someone else has? God's Word says it's not okay and that it is sin. But that's exactly what I'm doing when I look at other families and compare or want our family to look like theirs.  Then the flip side of the question is whether it is a sin to work outside the home and let others educate your children.  Nope, not specifically.  Could it be? Sure, if you're not seeking God's guidance.  Or going against your husband's wishes for the family.

Given the option of being thankful and content with where you are and what you have or being envious of what someone else has or is doing, you can never go wrong with thanking God in ALL circumstances.

I think that sometimes, as Christians we decide whether something is in God's will for our life based on the way we feel about it.  Whether we feel "at peace" with that situation.  This is a common phrase that I hear thrown around when Christians are faced with a decision to make.  They mean well. They likely legitimately want to do God's will.  But too many times, we confuse "peace" with "happiness".  No choice that you make, no path that you choose will make you "happy" all the time.  Even if you are smack in the middle of God's will, we still live in an imperfect world and will face uncomfortable situations, difficult people and things that just make us angry.  There will be times that you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and feel like you'll never catch up.  As moms that's pretty much our state of being for the first years of motherhood, no matter what.
God in His infinite wisdom and love for you has mapped out every step of your life, and He wants to make that plan known to you.  But to be sure that you are in His will, you have to be in His Word.  When you know that He has revealed what He wants for your life, and it has been backed up by the Word of God, that plan doesn't change based on earthly circumstances or a "feeling".  Don't let circumstances steal your joy, or determine what you feel is God's will.

Wonderful Beginning!

I'm a fickle blogger, a bit indecisive and inconsistent.  I've changed my name back to what  I originally started with.  It's the name I most identify with and I love it.
I had changed it because I started to think that it made me sound like I was working with drudgery and that I coveted the name SAH mom.  And that is not the case at all.  I absolutely LOVE my job.  I love the education that my kids are getting.  I love the time that I get to spend with other grown-ups and all the other stuff that goes along with my having a career.  I am TRULY blessed to be doing what I am doing where I am doing it. Nevertheless, as my blog name suggests, my heart and my priorities lie here in my home with my family.  I may not do both perfectly, but who does.  I give both all I have and God's grace fills in the gaps.

School is in full swing around here and I absolutely adore my students this year.  I prayed for a week before school started that God would help me to love these kids the way He does.  That I could see them the way their parents see them.  And I have already fallen in love with them.  I've prayed with them, I've laughed with them, there have even been a couple that I've wanted to cry with.  I'm just so grateful for them.  And I'm so, so thankful that God hears my prayers.

My kids are doing great in school.  Alyssa is still adjusting to middle school, more studying, less spoon-feeding.  What I really mean is I'm still adjusting.  Geez, middle school is a whole new world. Although, I'm struggling more than my little social butterfly is.  She just flutters around without a care in the world.  Anyone who knows me knows that isn't how I roll.  And quite frankly, I've never understood people who are like this.  *sigh* She's got so much of her daddy in her.

Have a blessed evening friends!

Pick Up Your Mess, Jesus Said So

Yesterday in church, my pastor spoke about the man who couldn't walk and his friends lowered him into the house that Jesus was in so that he would be healed.  As he was reading through the passage of Scripture that he was preaching from (Luke 5:17-26), he got to the part of the story when Jesus said, "Arise take up your bed, and go to your house."  I'm a little embarrassed and a little amused that what caught my attention was that Jesus told him to "pick up his bed".  I thought,"See, even Jesus doesn't like a mess". 

Later as my pastor talked more in depth about the different points in the passage, he suggested that Jesus commanded the man to pick up his bed because he wanted him to have a reminder of the miracle that Jesus performed in his life.  When he said that, I couldn't help but chuckle, I'm sure someone on the side of me or in front of me heard me and wondered what was so funny. 

Oh, to be inside this crazy mind of mine!

It's That Time of Year Again!

Our summer is beginning to wind down and I'm beginning to get those back-to-school, got-so-much-work-to-do-before-school, did-I-make-the-most-out-of-our-summer, my-kids-are-one-year-older jitters.

I've gone through last year's school uniforms, salvaged what we could and bought what we needed-a few shirts, new shoes, socks and undies. I have one set of school supplies left to get.  I haven't gotten Lylah Grace's supplies yet.  I will get those on Monday.  But even if I didn't her mommy teacher would let it slide for a couple of days.  Yep, I get to be Lylah Grace's teacher this year.  I taught Alyssa when she was in 3rd.  But then we only had one third grade class so it was kinda the only way.  This year, though, we have two classes so we weren't sure how that was going to go over.  So I went to my awesome principal and assistant principal and asked them if she could be in my class and explained that it was the only opportunity that I get to teach my own kids and how we had both been looking forward to it.  And they said, "OK".  We are super excited.

On top of that, I have a middle-schooler this year.  The way our small school is set up, the elementary is on one side of a courtyard and middle and high school has been "on the other side".  Another teacher(who also has child/children Alyssa's age) and myself have been joking about our kids going "to the other side" as if it's some dark, dangerous place.  Completely joking, of course.  But in a way it is completely new territory for us and for them.  Things are different at this age and on.  I can't believe I'm the mother of a middle school student. Ugh, how do mom's do this...watching their babies growing up and getting ready to be adults.  It's hard for me, I have to admit.  But I better suck it up because I have a feeling it's going to get harder before it gets easier. 

And then there's David.  He is going to be in Pre-K.  He will soon be coming home writing, and reading.  Our 4 year olds know how to read pretty well before they enter Kindergarten.  By our, I mean our school/preschool.  He had already begun putting simple sounds together in the 3 year-old program so I am so excited to watch him blossom this year.  I have a feeling that at this time next year, I won't be quite so excited to watch him go to Kindergarten...sigh...I can't even think about it *tear*. 

And lastly, Ava.  I was getting letters from her teacher last year that she was being sassy, and not obeying.  We tried to work on obedience over the summer, and I hope that we made some progress.  But (and I'm definitely not one to make excuses for my children) that child has a personality unlike any of our other children.  She's precious, of course.  But she's also...uuhhmmm....spirited...yep, that's what we'll call her.  So I look forward to seeing what this year holds for her as well, as the three-year old program is much more structured than the two-year old class she was in last year.  Nevertheless, they all have teachers who love them and I know we are all going to have a great year.

Now, I'm off to write lesson plans, paint classroom walls, hang bulletin boards and various other tasks to get my room ready.  I had to change classrooms this year....blech!!

Common Ground

I didn't get around to sending out a "Happy Independence Day" post.  I know, bad blogger.  But yesterday I was reminded of what this holiday is all about.

The kiddos were at my sis-in-law's house for the afternoon, so Cecil and I decided to go out for lunch together.  We stopped to get gas on the way and as he was pumping gas, an older gentleman approached him and reached out to shake his hand. 

 He said, "Happy 4th,7 years US Army." Cecil shook his hand and said, "Happy 4th to you, 14 years Army National Guard." The gentleman said, " Good deal, I'm proud of you". 

Cecil hears "Thank You for your service" all the time when he's out and about.  He has had kind, appreciative people offer to pay his lunch bill when they see him in restaurants. But I can imagine (and I haven't asked him about this) that there is something special about sharing a handshake and exchanging words of thanks with a fellow veteran. 

These guys know the feeling of something, I will never know.  Of serving this wonderful country.  They didn't serve together, they weren't even serving at the same time.  But their purpose was the same.  To defend and protect this nation that we should all be proud of.  And that puts them on common ground, ground that spans generations. 

When he got back in the car and told me about the exchange, I looked at him and said, " I'm proud of you, too".  He smiled put his hand on my leg and said, "Thanks".  And I realized that I don't say it nearly enough.

I love this man, and the country he defends.  Happy late Independence Day!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Have you ever seen something and wanted to make it so much that you loaded up all the pajama-clad kiddos in the van and went to get supplies without even taking the time to brush your own hair?  Okay, me either.  But I came pretty darn close, when I saw these this morning.  There I was, just surfing the blogosphere and I happened to see these tiny pieces of Heaven.  Do you think there will be chocolate or cookie dough in Heaven?  Has to be.

Anyway, I've been in a MAJOR cooking rut.  I'm pretty sure last night's supper was the worst I've ever cooked.  Hubs came home and I didn't greet him with a kiss or a "Hi honey, how was your day" I greeted him with, "sorry, dinner sucks".  (excuse the expletive, we don't usually use that word around here).  But it was kinda bad.

Anyway, these will get me into the kitchen and hopefully make up for dinner last night. My man does LOVE him some cookie dough anyway he can get it....raw, cooked, with a glob of buttercream sandwiched between two cookies.  So I know he's going to love these.

Source and recipe

I don't know how I missed these.  I am constantly stalking  visiting Bridget at Bake at 350. But somehow, I'm just seeing these.  I can't wait to devour them.

Summer Bedtime?

Source

It's 8am and all four of my kiddos are still sleeping.  I've had 2 hours of quiet time and I have savored every second of it.  But the downfall of them sleeping so late is that they give us such a hard time going to sleep at night.  Last night it was so tough getting them all to bed.  This frustrates C because, while I am a morning person and I like my quiet time in the morning, he is a night person and he prefers quiet time at night.  And when the kids are up, it ain't quiet. During the school year, we start bedtime at 8pm (and I usually follow not too far behind) I don't want the summer to be a time of strict bedtimes and waking times, but we do need some semblance of routine.

Oh, I hear Ava coming now.  She peeked around my door and said, "I been coming for you".  Nothing makes me smile bigger than that freshly woken up face.  So Sweet.

Okay, now I just got finished cleaning David after a nosebleed.  Guess quiet time is over, let's get this day started.

What do your kids' bedtimes/routines look like during the summer??

Whole New Bloggy World

Lately I've been visiting a few style blogs. I never set out searching for style blogs, I just stumbled across some on accident and realized that I really enjoy reading them. I've always enjoyed getting dressed and putting outfits together and accessorizing. But never really gave it all much thought. I just threw on whatever was in my closet, whatever I had time for, whatever was clean (or had one more wear in it before I HAD to wash it) and was out the door. Who would have thought that there was an entire bloggy world out there dedicated to normal everyday people and the clothes they wear. I'm loving it! Like my husband said this morning, "There are blogs out there for everyone, baby". I think he's right. Yes, we chat about blogs and he acts like he cares because he's so awesome like that! I also chat about LOTRO and act like I care listen very intently, hanging on every word. Love ya, honey!

And because I want all two of you to find happiness and fulfillment like I have, I'm sharing two blogs that I love right now:

La Vie Petite was, I think, the first one I stumbled across. Isn't she so stinkin cute!

Then I ran into Kendi Everyday. I love her pictures! Maybe one day, I'll venture out of my bathroom for some shots. But it does help that her photographer husband takes all her pictures. All I have is my tripod. Oh Well :(

What's so great about both of these girls is that neither of them spend a lot of money on their clothes and they frequent thrift stores where they pick up lots of great finds.

Which is one reason that I'm so proud of this outfit. The whole thing was thrifted! Does it look like it?? I don't think so, either.

I know, I seriously need to do something about the

floors and wall color in my bathroom.

I'm working on it!....read: I have been working

on it for years one tiny step at a time!

Shirt: Goodwill, Jacket: Goodwill, Pants: Goodwill, Shoes: Passed to me by my sister-in-law. Jewelry: not thrifted but I did purchase it all with my 50% jeweler discount from Premier Designs. I used to sell Premier and racked up on some great pieces.

I went in to Goodwill to look for two specific shirts (both of which I found). But I found so much more and I just couldn't stop. A lot of what I found was name brand and looked fairly new. The jacket above is Ann Taylor. I also scored some Gap pieces and some stuff from The Limited.

We are seriously deficient in thrift stores around here, unless there are some I don't know about. But there is one other one that I want to try. One day when I can go sans kiddos!>

Happy blogging everyone!

as a side note: I was so excited to learn to strikethrough text. but that clever little LOTRO comment just wasted 30 minutes of my life because I somehow "struckthrough" the entire post. There were like 50 of those marks dispersed though out my post that I had to delete. since i really know nothing about html, i have no idea how or why it happened but SHEESH! AHHH! there they are again! I give up!

If I'm Completely Honest

I scheduled David's yearly check-up with the cardiologist the other day. It's on the 28th of this month and I can't wait to see how my little man's heart is doing. (For any new readers, David was born with only one ventricle. He was also born with Transposition of the Great Ateries and Situs Inversus.) You can read about his journey here, here, and here, and here. I very much look forward to these visits. I really wish he was going more often. But they also make me a little nervous, if I'm completely honest.

Okay, if I'm completely honest, I'll tell you that it's always at this time that I reflect on everything that he has been through in amazement at God's handiwork. The words "I am so thankful" are such a profound understatement.

If I'm completely honest, I'll tell you that I'm afraid of the what-ifs, and the unknowns. When we first found out about David's heart defect, I researched for hours a day trying to understand what was going on, what to expect when he came into this world, wishing I could just keep him in there where my body was keeping him safe and healthy. Then before each surgery I would spend time reading and researching what was to come, what to expect, to try and prepare myself.

I haven't let myself do any of that since after his last surgery. But today, I did and it brought back a flood of emotions. The truth is that the procedure that he had done is relatively new (the first being done in 1968) and they don't know for certain the long term prognosis. I've read that some speculate that a post-Fontan heart would last 30-40 years. I googled to try and find adults who have been through the Fontan and happened across a girl who is 32 and completed the Fontan 28 years ago. She says she is doing fine with just a few arrythmias. There doesn't appear to be a lot of information on the long-term prognosis. But I do know that the surgical procedures and subsequent care has improved over the years. And David has always fared waaayy on the better side of potential outcomes. He has amazed even his doctors in his recovery after all his surgeries. And he is doing absolutely fabulous right now. And we are so grateful for that!

With that said, I ran across some posts from other moms who also say that they are afraid. Wondering whether their child will make it to the teenage years, or whether they'll get married or hold their babies. I won't say that those thoughts constantly occupy my mind, I don't dwell on it. But I'd be lying if I said that I never shed tears thinking about it.

So I just pray. I know that David has a purpose here, and I pray that God lets me keep him until that purpose is fulfilled...whenever that may be.

In a Nutshell

Hi There!
I thought for sure once the summer came around, I'd be able to blog more. but as you can see, that hasn't happened. But I don't stress about it, because I don't want my blog to be one more thing on my to-do list that I feel pressured to do. So anyway, here's what's been going on.

The husband is out of town...again. We all miss him. I hate when he's gone, especially when it's the first two weeks of summer vacation.

I always feel like a lump the first week or so after school is out. I don't feel like doing anything. The house is always in need of major rehab because the last two weeks of school really stress me out and I don't get much done around here. But now all is good. The house is clean and orderly and things are going so smoothly. I wish Cecil was here to enjoy it with us...

My van is in the shop...has been for nearly a week. The air conditioner was/is broken. We held off until the school year was over to put it in the shop and lemme tell you it was misery riding without an A/C.

I'm currently driving a small Mitsubishi Lancer that my parents have. I have a new appreciation for the distance that my van provides between all the kiddos. All I've been hearing all week is, "Mom, he won't get his arm off of me" or "Mom, I don't have enough room". I am immensely grateful for the car that I was able to borrow and the money that I didn't have to spend on a rental, and the a/c that is in the car...but I will be so thankful to get my van back, hopefully, today.

I will be painting my bedroom in the next couple of days. I'm really excited about the vision that I have in my head of what I want my room to be. I hope I'm just as excited about what my room will actually be. It's going to be a lot of work. But if it works it will be well worth it.

Oh, and today I have four weeks left in my twenties.

Well, that's it in a rather large nutshell. We are off to go bowling with out Kids Bowl Free coupons with a great friend and her kids.

Summer Ambitions

I'm working on my list of things I want to get done over the summer. I'm trying to be very realistic and trying to include things that have been needing to be done for a very long time. So, I quickly had to remove tasks like planting a garden and refinishing my kitchen cabinets because they just weren't priority.



1. Paint my bedroom (has been pending for about 7 years)


2. Paint my bathroom(see above)


3. Get floors put down in my bedroom and bathroom.


4. Get garage cleaned out (its a total disaster)


5. Get wisdom teeth removed (pending for about 12 years)


6. Get Invisalign, or at least get started with getting Invisalign.


7. Sew myself a dress


8. Lose 10 pounds.


9. Read at least one fiction book, a book purely for fun. I never do this.


10. Camp outside with my kids.


11. Go to the beach for at least a long weekend.


12. Host a mini summer camp with the cousins.


13. Have fun with my kids!


I love this list pulled together by Crystal. We'll try and complete a few of these activities as a family this summer as well!

Inspiration

Lots of inspiration going on this weekend. I am on a mission to redecorate my house. Well, not completely, there's just too much here already that I love and can't get rid of. My mission started out with me telling the hubby that I wanted to redecorate in a cottage chic look. He looked at me like I was insane, knowing that that is totally, totally not me. But he went along with it and even humored me with looking at some pictures and ideas on the internet. As I searched the same decor caught my eye over and over, the same decor that I have loved since we got married and got our own place. I just CANNOT get enough of Tuscan style decor. I LOVE IT! I love the natural stone and wood, the plastered walls, the earthy colors, the wrought iron, the archways. It all just literally makes me giddy. Source

My dream home has always been a Tuscan villa-type home. Something like this actually:

Source

But unless we win the lottery, we won't be getting that house anytime soon. And since I don't play the lottery, there's not a good chance we will win.

So I just decided to fill my house with old world treasures, paint my walls, redo my bedroom floors (we currently have none). A lot of the colors, accessories and light fixtures that I already have go perfectly so I'm just going to be adding to what I already have. Cecil made me promise that I would buy a little at a time, 'cause he knows how I am. When I see something I love, I have to have it right then, because, you know, it's the only one like it in the whole world and I'm sure it won't be there much longer. Yep, that's me.

Okay so my other bit of inspiration came from this cute little lady at La Vie Petite. Isn't she just adorable! Anyway, she made this dress. And I love it. It's actually a skirt and top, but it looks like a dress.

I have sewn for my kids and for my home and for others. But the thought NEVER crossed my mind to sew for myself. I guess I could never see myself in a pillowcase dress so I never entertained the thought. But there are some really great patterns for women out there.

My goal for this summer is to make myself a stylish outfit that I will actually wear. Thank goodness for summer vacation.

Last night I picked up a cute dress pattern and some blue and white summery fabric that is so super classy-looking. And I can't wait to get started. I will post pics when it is done.

Have a great day everyone!

Angry Birds Cake

One thing I really enjoy doing is making and decorating cakes. But it's so time consuming for me. Plus, I make such a mess that my husband just kind of rolls his eyes when I start to make one. But when a friend asked me to make an Angry Birds cake for her son's birthday, I couldn't turn it down. We love Angry Birds in our house, so I was so excited to make it.

I made each of the birds and pigs from fondant. I used to make my own fondant but I have recently found Duff fondant and its soooo much better. I just wish it wasn't so stinkin' expensive.

I have never made a cake for anyone but my family so I had nooo idea what to charge. I stressed about it all morning before I delivered the cake. Yes, next time I will establish that little detail before I make the cake. But when I delivered it, they loved it and made the whole payment thing easy for me.

Two lessons were learned:

1. Always spend as much time as needed to ensure that the cake is perfectly level.

2. There is always a backside to the cake.

I didn't level it perfectly, which would have been fine had I not stacked the brown blocks. But when I did, it just looked completely wonky. So I had to do some reconstruction. All in all I was pleased with it and I think the family was too.