Thankful Thursday

Some of you may remember I used to do "Thankful Thursday" posts along with my "Mom Mondays" and "Wordless Wednesdays".  I will be starting up these "Thankful" posts again because I think stopping to think of something we are thankful for in our busy and sometimes stressful or "why me" days are so important.  There is a lot to be thankful for in each of our lives and stopping to notice them is important.  So with that said, on this Thursday I am thankful for my "Moms Circle" in my area.  When I first became a Mom I kind of felt lost.  Where do I go?  What should I do?  Who is there to hang out with?  Then one Mom with the miracle of Facebook started a little group for Moms in my area.  A handful of us got together ALONE (yes without kids) and had a blast.  I almost didn't go.  I knew very little of most of the Moms going.  However, I thought, what could it hurt?  And the rest is history. There are now over 50 members in this group.  We share concerns, questions, prayer requests, you name it on there.  I recently needed a belt for my son for my sister's wedding and didn't have time to get out of my area to buy one.  I had 3 Moms over me belts within seconds.  A Mom recently had a baby and immediately many of us were setting up a meal plan to take meals to this new Mom and so many wanted to help that almost 2 weeks worth of meals for her and her family were set up within minutes!  It is amazing.  The support we have for one another is wonderful.  We do play dates together and we do "Mommies Only Time."  What I love the most aside from all the support is the many different women I meet.  So, today on this "Thankful Thursday" I am thankful for the "Moms Circle" that has formed in my community.

Wordless Wednesday: A Tricycle Built for Two

Mom Monday

You Know You're A Mom When...

- You can never get out the door on time.

-  Laundry is never ending.

-  You often use your feet as extra hands.

-  You can't remember the last time you did anything (and I mean ANYTHING) alone.

-  Your life revolves completely around someone else other than yourself.

Happy Monday Moms!

Has It Only Been 5 Years?!

Today my hubby and I have been married for 5 years but it feels like so much longer.  Whys that?  Perhaps because we have been together for 17 years! 

It hasn't been easy for sure.  We have had our ups and downs but that is because we have grown so much together. 

We started dating when I was a freshman in high school so I went through high school, college, a Master's degree, a house purchase, the births of our two amazing sons and so much more with him.  Life brings ups and downs and we have rode them together. 

I have recently finished reading an amazing book that hints at some of this.  About how a relationship between a man and woman changes over time but that it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It was very empowering.  So much so I want to share it with you.  So stay tuned, there just might be a giveaway coming. Remember I mentioned that not long ago?

 Until then, happy anniversary hubby.  In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad....I love you. 

And You Want More Kids?

Last night I was being pulled in both directions by both my boys, literally.  It started with me being asked by Handsome 1 to sit between him and Handsome 2 for dinner.  Then each managed to take an arm and keep trying to get me just a little closer to them.  As attention would go to one, the other would try to get me closer to him.  Eating became difficult and in the fight for me, Handsome 2 spilled some of his milk on me and then Handsome 1 managed to drop food on me staining yet another pair of pants. 

Do I own anything now without a stain?  I sighed. 

My husband just looked at me across the table and smiled.  "And you want more kids?" he says.  "Yes."   Is my reply.  "You can't even handle two" he says.  "Yes I can." I say. "Your idea of handling is just different." I add. 

My dinner will get eaten, it just may be cold.  My pants will get spot treated and washed and hopefully clean.  The floor will get swept and wiped up.  These moments aren't "unhandled" they just might be a little crazy.  It is in these moments that I may have to take a breath but more often than not, after doing so, I then smile. 

Do I want more kids?  Absolutely.  And I pray God sees fit to bless me with more.  If not though, I can guarantee you I am going to enjoy these moments- cold dinners, stained pants and messy floors and all.

Wordless Wednesday: The Turkey Whisperer

i love you more than spilled milk

I was just reflecting myself on this very similar topic and trying to figure out how to put it into words  and alas, thank you wonderful Rachel, you have said it so well.

i love you more than spilled milk

I was just thinking about how with my job being part-time I have seemed to fill my days with things and still feel like I am getting nothing done.  Yesterday was one of those days.

I felt like I got nothing done at home that I needed to, I felt the pressure from my husband (whether really there or not) about what did I actually do all day (aside from work a few hours, shop for a few "new" pants for Cole at the second hand store and go to the doctors to figure out why my allergic reaction to the bee sting I got TWO weeks ago is worse not better and try really hard not to itch it..but I digress) and I was quick tempered with the kids and my husband because I was tired, hurt and bitter about getting nothing done.  I finally shut myself in my husband's and my room for a bit and took a quick moment to nap but the frustration stayed even after the fatigue left.

I was just caught up in what I needed to do and had not got done and not living in the moment.  I HAD gotten really good at living in the moment but I have packed my life so full right now I am not allowing time to do that.  So, I am going to try a lot harder.  I am not going to schedule us to the max.  We are going to allow time to just be as a family.  I want to live in the moment again.

I fully realize we don't have forever and that kids grow up way too fast.  My kids want me 100% of the time right now and I want to thrive in that and not resent it.  I do love my kids more than spilled milk.  I need to start showing them that again.

I went from this...

 

 

To this....

 

These are not my cars but I did go from a Jeep to a minivan just weeks after I changed jobs.  Can you say early midlife crisis?  Seriously though, things were getting cramped in my tiny Jeep.  I had been driving around with the inability to have a passenger due to the front seat needing to be all the way forward due to Handsome 2's backwards facing careseat and the space between Handsome 1 and 2 was hardly enough for a child to fit and they couldn't go side by side due to the car seats shapes.  Sad really.  I loved Courtney (that was her name) and she served me well.  I even got 2 years without payments from her!  But she was coming up on some work and I knew a new car was a very real need for me so I decided to trade Courtney for this fine specimen. 

 

I will be th first to tell you I swore up and down I would NEVER be a minivan Mom.  But the alternatives are expensive if you want 3rd row seating and a lot of those options are not even being manufactured anymore so finding used could even be hard. 

 

So, when I had my Jeep worked on one time not so long ago what did they give me for a loaner?  A minivan.  I swear they were in cahoots with my husband.  Anyway, I drove it and thought, "Hmm.  It drives well.  Has so much room too!  I MAY be able to do this."  Then Handsome 1 told me how great the car was and he wished we could get one.  Ugh.  So I began looking a bit.  I wanted used because I didn't want the price tag of new and I just waited for a good deal.  The deal came sooner than I expected though and I got a van.

 

So, update #2 complete.  I am now a minivan driving Mom :)

The first of many...

...updates! At the end of July I decided to make a career change. I not only changed jobs but with that changed to part-time. Some of you may remember way back when I was pregnant with Handsome #1 I said that ideally I would work part-time but that just wasn't in the cards. Then I had Handsome #2 and I became even more drawn to part-time but again, it just didn't seem feasible. Thankfully though God heard my heartache and set plans in motion to get me to part-time so ultimately I will have more time with my kids. I am not sure how it will all work out financially and it has put a lot of other strains on us but it just felt "right". I know my husband didn't probably appreciate me saying that but I have never felt so compelled to make a change as I did when this opportunity came up. So with that, I am at a new job and I am part-time and so far, I am loving it. I am still perdiem at my old job, which I enjoy but also so does my husband as it is a little more financial security. This change was a big step for me. Normally I don't just leap and hope it works out and although we crunched numbers, examined our finances, spending, etc. and also consulted a financial planner, I still feel like I just jumped and hoped for the best because nobody really knows if it will work out. I strongly feel it will. I prayed a lot through this all and am putting my trust in God. For whatever reason, I just know this is for the best and it will all work out and maybe that is God working in me there because part of my constant prayer was for Him to show me the way and teach me to trust in Him (something I have a very hard time doing...just giving up my sense of control.) So, update #1: I am part-time at a new job and perdiem at my old and praying it all works out in the end! :)

Time Off

Wow.  My last post was almost 2 months ago!  Where has the time gone?  I am not sure if anyone is still reading but if you are we have so much to talk about!  So much has changed.  As many of you know I was in a rut the last we talked and I was trying hard to not fall deeper.  I took some time to pray, reflect and make some changes.  So much has happened with changes, weddings, birthdays, and a give-away will be coming soon to kick things off again.  I want to get back to writing because it is a release for me and a chance to chronicle the boys lives since I am terrible about baby books, scrapbooks, etc.  So stay tuned.  Lots to come!

And of course....here are the boys :)