Critics choice

Do you know what every mom really loves? She loves when you tell her what she's doing wrong. I love being told I'm too hard on my kids by one person and that I'm not strict enough by the next. I love being told that I'm giving my kids an eating disorder by trying to teach them about nutrition, moderation in junk and sugar and that food can be fuel and even help heal our bodies when we are sick. I love being told that sensory processing disorder isn't a real thing and that I'm just wasting time and money on therapies. I love hearing that my kids deserve a better education that what my obviously simple mind can teach them at home with curriculum and text that has been around longer than I've been alive.
Maybe people don't MEAN to tear mothers down. Maybe they think they are helping by giving their pushy advice, but it's still hurtful, especially when it comes from friends, loved ones and family. There is so much negativity and judgment all over and it's no surprise that depression and anxiety are so prevalent.
I have been trying really hard to share positive encouragement with my fellow moms. When sharing "advice" I try to share what works for our family in a way that says, "this has helped us with the same issues you're experiencing, it may or may not work for you."
Moms get enough criticism, be an encouragement to your fellow moms. Build her up, feed her meter, give her a boost by telling her what she's doing right or what you admire about her.
Words have a lot of power, especially from those we love. Motherhood is a hard job, we don't get everything right all the time, but we do our best. Being told we aren't doing a good enough job sows seeds of doubt and fuels the mom guilt. It makes me want to back away from those relationships that I care deeply about but that are making me feel more and more like a crappy mom because I'm not pleasing others. I work hard to feed and nurture my children in the best possible ways and to raise them in a loving Christion environment, I am NOT a bad mom just because I don't meet someone else's expectations. Don't buy into it!

...As I have loved you...

John 13:34 says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

I have this scripture hanging on my living room wall and today, while folding diapers for baby boy, I kept thinking about that "As I have loved you" part... Not "love one another as long as you agree on everything." not "love one another as long as they are nice to you." but "Love one another. As I have loved you"


If we really get down to it, if God can love us in spite of our many sins against Him, if he was willing to send his Son to die for those sins so that we could live with Him for eternity, shouldn't we try to love one another even when we disagree on something? Even when we feel like someone may have wronged us? 

Psalm 130:4 says: "But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you."  

Philippians 2:3-4 
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

He's forgiven us of our sins, why can't we be willing to forgive others when they sin against us or those we love? I know this is something I've struggled with in the past. Are we serving God with reverence? Are we loving his people the way he loves us?

The Bible says in Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven..." 

Proverbs 10:12 

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Now, that doesn't mean that we have to in trust people, especially those that have wronged us. I haven't found a verse yet that says to continue to trust those that have hurt you... Or that we should put our faith in people, people WILL let us down, God won't!

Psalm 9:10

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 25:26 says "Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked."

Who wants to be a Muddy Spring? When we put our faith in people, we will always be disappointed, because people aren't perfect and haven't been since Eden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We will always fall short, others will always fall short. Love them anyway because God loves us even though we fail him daily. If the God of Heaven, who sent his son to die for us, can forgive us, we should be willing to forgive others and share the love that He pours out on us... "Love one another. As I have loved you" 

1 Corinthians 13:13 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 John 4:11

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Some heavy thoughts on sin and sexual immorality

I've been Spending some time in 1st & 2 Corinthians, Paul was so clear, concise and loving in his writing to the Corinthians. He called out sinfulness in the church and basically told them to straighten up and fly right when they were "getting it wrong", but he LOVED them.

So often Christians are called hateful for not accepting the sins of those we love, by both Christians and nonChristians. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Is quoted a lot, however nobody quoting that one passage ever goes any further into that scripture, to the part where Christ tells the adulterous woman to "go and sin no more." He didn't give her license to keep living a life of sin. He told her that what she was doing was sinful and she needed to stop. He wasn't hateful, he was loving and clear.


God doesn't want us to just accept our sins or the sins of our brothers and sisters, he wants us to be bold in the face of sin and stand up against it. 

Galatians 6:1-2
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

2 Timothy 2:22Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

I feel like the bible is pretty clear on sexual immorality, it's mentioned many times and covers a myriad of sexual sins from adultery of the heart to homosexuality... In God's eyes, they are all equal sins. 

Ephesians 5:5
"For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." 

Matthew 5:27-28
27"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Just looking at someone lustfully is wrong! That means the new guy or girl at work that has been flirtatious, the spunky and charming server at your favorite restaurant, that good looking person in your favorite show or movie that you can't help but drool over, and porn. Porn is not a harmless thing, not from the stars in the films or pictures you're lusting over, not to your partner and not even to you, do research on what effects porn has on the viewer, they aren't good. Sexual immorality is a sin against our own bodies!

Jude 1:7
" In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."

Let us not forget Sodom and Gomorrah or the fate they suffered!

Leviticus 20:13 
"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."

In his letters to the Corinthians Paul didn't gloss over the hard stuff, he spoke boldly and did not mince words. He addressed immorality within the church in 1Corinthians 5:1-2 
"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?" 

Even pagans do not tolerate it! It seems like in our world now, so much sin isn't just tolerated, it's celebrated. Casual sex, adultery and homosexuality are all over movies, primetime TV, even teen and young adult books. 

Paul goes on to say that he had told them not to associate with sexually immoral people; not meaning just the people of the world but of fellow Christians that claim to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. He told them to not even eat with such people. He is talking about Christians that claim to be brothers and sisters in Christ but are living in rebellion of Christ and His commandments. Paul mentions greed, idol worship, and the sexually immoral to name a few. We may not like it (because we have all fallen somewhere in there at some point in our lives), but that is what it says.

Sexual immorality has morphed a lot over the years; we have premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality and pornography running rampant even in our own Church families all over the world. We make excuses like, "He hasn't paid attention to me in so long and I just want to feel special." or, "Love is love" and "Porn doesn't hurt anyone, it's just a private thing I like to do to de-stress.". We tell ourselves these things as we sink deeper and deeper into our own depravity. The problem is, Paul calls us out in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God"

Ouch, that slaps us all in the face in one way or another doesn't it? Thankfully he goes on in 
1 Corinthians 6:11 
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Did you read that? We've been washed in the blood of Christ, sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord! So does that give us license to do whatever we want? Well, let's keep reading in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and finish out that chapter...

"12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Our bodies are members of Christ himself. Did Christ defile his body with acts of sexual impurity? Certainly not! So why would we defile our bodies (which is one with Christ himself) with such acts? 
In Matthew 18 we read about how we shouldn't allow ourselves to stumble...

"8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."

Those are pretty great measures to avoid a sinful life. If every time you pick up your phone you are looking at porn or texting someone in an unwholesome way, get rid of the phone! Make it harder for yourself to fall prey to those temptations! We were bought at a high price, the blood of Christ himself! Not only are we sinning against our own bodies, we are sinning against God and his Holy and pure sacrifice. What a slap in the face to Him! 

As Christians we aren't meant to be of this world and that can mean giving up earthly pleasures so our hearts can remain pure and our focus on walking in God's light.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 5:11
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

This week try to take stock of what your priorities are and make an effort to align your priorities with God's will for your life. Pray for guidance and a willing spirit. Spend time in His Word. Make time to grow your relationship with our Creator. 

Have a blessed week!

Not here for your entertainment

I know as moms we often struggle with "mom guilt" because we feel like we aren't doing enough. Some days we feel like we've got it all together and we are doing things really well, and then the next day somebody pulls the rug out from under us and all heck breaks loose and it's all we can do to keep our heads above water... sometimes it's the latter more than it's the former. The world tells us that we have to do everything and be everything and have our kids involved in activities and sports every. single. day... that we have to be on the go 24/7. Things like Pinterest has tons of ideas on how to throw the best birthday parties and how to fill each moment with excitement and meaning.

I honestly believe that that's not what God wants for our families. I feel like God wants us to be present in our children's lives to teach them love other people, to treat each other with respect and kindness and to look for ways to help those in need. I feel like what God wants from us as mothers more than anything else is to teach our children to love Him and to love and care for other people.
The bible says in Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Notice that it doesn't say, "entertain your child and fill their days with activities all the days of their lives" because that isn't going to produce loving, empathetic, functional human beings. How often do we hear the words, "I'm bored." like we are a cruise director here to organize the next exciting thing? God didn't put me on this earth to entertain my children all day long. Don't get me wrong, I love reading to them and playing "sardines in a can" (kind of a reverse hide and seek), we bake cookies and do art projects together, but my life doesn't (and shouldn't) revolve around making sure they are entertained all day long. They need to learn to entertain themselves while I make sure they don't cut each other's hair and light the house on fire. It's good for their imagination and their character to learn to "entertain" themselves.

Don't fret over every single minute of the day, just be there for your kids and teach them to love God and love His people.

Just a recent picture I look of my husband and our middle daughter <3

Day 4 of no TV

On Saturday I had a moment of insanity and I can't take it back now for fear of being viewed as weak by the underlings (my children).

I had a baby shower to go to and left my husband and two of my three kids with him. The youngest was sleeping and our oldest (daddy's girl) was looking forward to some one on one time with her dad while middle sister and I went to the baby shower. I instructed them to not just sit around and watch TV, but to actually work on something together and just enjoy talking and doing something together... I got home to learn that they had watched movies (I'm sure they were both to blame). I kinda lost my mind at that point because I was hoping to come home to a little housework taken off my plate, or at least a little clutter taken care of. I hastily said, "No TV for a week, we are getting stuff done around here and I need help!"

It's Tuesday night and I don't know how I'm going to make it 4 more days with PBS kids to hold their attention long enough to sneak off to the bathroom to pee by myself and sneak a few sips of coffee. How am I going to get the two younger ones to sit still long enough to get some school work done with their sister? HOW will I make that homemade lasagna for supper tomorrow night? Why didn't I think this week's menu through when I laid down the law? Why didn't I plan on frozen pizza and Instant Pot meals all week?

In all honesty it's not going too badly, Sunday morning we were EARLY to church! We were all dressed and fed and looking presentable when we got there and we didn't feel rushed or cranky! We got quite a bit done around the house this weekend too! Monday was a breeze because my middle daughter spent the night at Grandma's and we got school work done in record time before we went outside to stomp in puddles during baby boy's nap time (baby monitor in hand)...

Today, however, was a challenge! My husband left for work a good hour or better earlier than usual and that threw our world into chaos! Our oldest is a daddy's girl and looks forward to morning cuddles and coffee with dad in the mornings but he was gone when she woke up. When she came into our room and discovered her baby brother and I were in there alone (and half asleep after a night of teething terror) she lost it and started wailing, waking her brother and I from half asleep to fully awake. After that we were all a little on the cranky side and all they wanted to do was watch TV, I held fast to my "no TV rule" today but there were weak moments where I thought, "maybe just one show so I can go to the bathroom and then start dinner." but I let them destroy my house (and sanity) instead.

Tomorrow we clean their room while brother naps... or we will binge watch PBS kids all morning, it depends on how much sleep I get tonight ;)

Pray without ceasing

I love studies on prayer, books about prayer, short blurbs about prayer, Bible studies about prayer... I. Love. Prayer.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Prayer is our direct line to talk to God, to have a truly meaningful two way relationship with our creator. It's a beautiful and magnificent gift that's been given to us.
There are times where I lay awake at night that I find peace in conversation with God. I can't imagine a world without prayer, without this lifeline to God. There are times where we feel so hopeless and so broken and so hurt by the world and those of the world that only the creator of the world could truly understand (because he can see into our heart and soul and knows our deepest hurts and struggles) and we have this gift to be able to talk to him about it and know that he hears us.

Psalm 34:17
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

I recently did a study on raising children to be grateful and thankful and one of the biggest things that I took away from it is praying more with your children (particularly prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude) and I feel like that's opened up a whole other side of things that I wasn't fully taking advantage of. Sure I would pray with my kids, especially at meal times or if there was something specifically on their minds, but now I'll pray with them when we're laying in bed together or when we're just driving in the car. I want my kids to know that prayer is more than just sitting down and giving God a laundry list of things that you want, it's a daily conversation that's ongoing and ever-changing and that He listens to our hearts even even when we don't know the words that we need to say.

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Prayer is powerful. Pray for your children daily. Pray for your spouse and your marriage daily. Pray that God uses you to your fullest potential and that you allow it to happen. Beautiful things happen when you pray.

Becoming a better wife

One of my New Years goals was to be a better wife. It seems like by the end of the day I am so worn out from taking care of three kids that my husband was getting my leftovers. He was getting jipped! I decided that I wanted to make an extra effort to make sure my husband knows that I love and appreciate him. Some days it's as simple as a post it on his coffee mug saying "I love you babe! Have a great day!" or something more elaborate like his favorite meal and a back rub. The point is that I am trying to show love for my husband without expecting anything in return. And you know what, it's making a difference! It's reminding me daily to put aside selfish tendencies and focus on being selfless, it's making my husband feel more loved and accepted and he is starting to reciprocate (though that isn't expected).
A big part of this is prayerfulness. Prayer is such a strong and powerful thing. I feel like when I set aside time to talk to God about my husband and my marriage, it truly makes a difference. It also helps me focus on our relationship more.
Some days are easier than others but it isn't a fruitless endeavor!

proverbs 14:1 says:
The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

I almost had a baby in the car!

Hello friends, It's been so long since I've written a post and I feel like I have a lot to share! I've been absent for the better part of a year because we were surprised with the pregnancy of our son, started homeschooling and nearly had the baby in the car! Now that I feel like we've adjusted to life with three kids I thought I'd post an update and get back to writing!
Here is the low down on the ten minute delivery (and what was almost Interstate delivery)... I had been having contractions between 20-30 min apart on Monday night, Tuesday morning I had an appointment at 10 and my contractions were about 20 min apart. My doctor felt like I was in early labor and did a membrane sweep at 10:00. He said I was at 3.5 cm I went home and got some things together and took a bath. My contractions got stronger and closer together really fast and I told Chris and Ann (our fabulous doula) to head on to the house around 11:30-12:00 They both got to the house at around 12:30 and we headed to the hospital. I had several contractions during the short drive to the hospital and the whole time I was thinking, "I'm probably only at 6-7 cm, I don't think I can handle the natural birth I've wanted." We checked in at the ER at 12:59, my water broke in the ER bathroom where my husband and a nurse had to coax me to a bed because after my water broke, my whole body and every ounce of willpower went into NOT PUSHING. Once they got me into a bed they checked me and I was 9cm! As soon as they had checked me they whisked me down the hall in a hurry and people joined us the whole way to the delivery room. I was surrounded by a flurry of amazing nurses, my amazing husband and our fabulous doula. The ER Doctor came rushing in, checked me and told me I could push if I felt like it, I felt like it, and Wesley was born at 1:09 I didn't even have an ID bracelet, IV or monitors on! It was FAST! The nurses were asking my name as they were handing me my baby! We had about two hours of skin to skin before the nursery nurse came in to check weight and give him a bath. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better outcome or experience!

His sisters were OVER THE MOON when they met him! They have been such amazing big sisters and my love for them grows daily!

There is NOTHING more precious to a mother than her sleeping baby...










Except maybe when they are awake <3

Feeling inadequate?

Feeling inadequate as a mother? You are not alone! 

I don't know how many times I've heard fellow moms (or myself) utter words like, "I'm just not cut out for this." or "I'm not a very good mom." The truth is, we are all just figuring it out as we go, none of us has all the answers. We are all going to make mistakes but you want to know something? Our kids love us anyway! 

A few weeks ago we had a really hard day, my youngest had an OT appointment and her regular therapist was sick so we had a different girl... Not always easy for people on the sensory spectrum. Then we had a two hour Walmart trip from Hell (no other way to describe it) where we made 4 trips to the bathroom and the youngest ended up with a busted lip when she and her big sister were racing to the bathroom and got tangled up. Well, that was it for her and she went into a sensory meltdown right there in Walmart! People stared, I nearly cried and walked out without my groceries but I had come too far to turn back! Then the floor waxing machine passed by us and little one lost it all over again because she was already on sensory overload and even quiet noises hurt her ears when she is overloaded. People stared and even gave me dirty looks because she was screaming, I grabbed the last couple of things I needed and got out of there as fast as I could!

When we got home a bird somehow managed to find its way inside! I finally managed to get it back outside after much wailing and gnashing of teeth and we didn't do much the rest of the day. 

My husband came home that night and offered to take us out to eat before Church and I was so thankful I didn't have to cook. I told him what an awful day it had been and he went to go check on the kids (who were SUPPOSE to be cleaning their room), he met our oldest in the hall and she says, "Dad, today was AMAZING! There was a bird in the house, it was AWESOME!!"

Here I was feeling like a failure and that the kids surely had to hate me after the day we had and all they remembered was that dang bird in the house and how "awesome" it was! Perspective dears, it's all about perspective.

There are so many mom blogs, Pinterest pins and memes that tell us to savor every moment and enjoy every second of parenthood and a lot of times it makes us feel like we must be doing something wrong because we don't LOVE every second. Sometimes I want to lock myself in a closet because the kids won't stop screaming and climbing all over me... or there is a bird loose in my house. It's never a dull moment around here and some days are harder than others. The main thing is that I love my kids and they know it. 

I've been a full time working mom, a part time working mom and now I'm a full time stay at home mom and they each present their own unique challenges. The thing is, we all have guilt that we aren't doing enough. When I worked full time I always felt like I was missing so much, working part time I still felt like I was away a lot but I also had the guilt of having cut our income just so I could spend more time with my baby. Now as a stay at home mom, I don't contribute financially and every second of every day is filled up with memory making and learning activities, therapy appointments, rainbow school... You get the idea, we are always on the go and it can be exhausting and by the end of the day I'm spent and just want to lock myself up in my room with a pint of Ben and Jerry's. 

Motherhood can be isolating in some ways too, even as a stay at home mom. Play dates (which are few and far between) are about keeping up with multiple kids at a park somewhere and is never a break for us moms to sit and chat, we're too busy making sure our kids aren't climbing up the slide, pushing a stranger's kid off the monkey bars, eating dirt or running away to pet a dog across the park. Our last play date consisted of me and my youngest sitting in a corner while I calmed another sensory meltdown and she chewed on my sweatshirt until she felt better (and my shirt was soaked).  I can't remember the last lunch date I had that didn't involve fries and a playground. I have a couple of mom friends that I get to chat with on the phone now and then but they are just as busy as I am most of the time and half of our conversation time involves at least one of us breaking up fights, taking someone potty or changing diapers while we try to pay attention to what our friend is saying.

It's not always easy, it's not always fun, it's not always beautiful. This mom gig is a tough job! It's tough to be a working mom and miss your kids all day, only to come home to chores and cooking to do. It's hard being a stay at home mom too, having kids climbing all over you, hearing, "mom" 3,000 before lunch, having an audience while you pee and having to reheat your first cup of coffee 3 times before finally just giving up.

Give yourself a break, know that you aren't the only one that feels this way! I love going to another mom's house and seeing that it isn't immaculate, I feel more normal knowing we aren't the only ones with broken colors scattered all over! It makes me feel less insane when I see three baskets of clean laundry waiting to be folded in the living room and a sink full of last night's dishes waiting to be washed! 

When I get a text from a fellow mom that just says, "I give up, Calgon take me away!" I smile and nod because I feel that way at the end of most days but I wouldn't trade this life for anything. Love yourselves mamas, and know that you are not alone in this! Your kids won't remember the awful trips to Walmart or the sub par lunch of apples, cheese sticks and chips because you haven't had the courage to go grocery shopping yet, they remember the excitement of the bird flying around the house as you wave a broom toward the open front door, "Dad, today was AMAZING!!!". Hug your kids, tell them how amazing they are and how much you love them, that's what it's all about anyway.

The ghost hunters!

Has your child ever stolen something from another kid? Have you ever had to call another mom and explain that their child's favorite toy ended up in your child's pocket "by mistake" after a play date? Have you ever threatened to take away your child's favorite toy because they stole from somebody else? No? Just me?? Well, here is the story of my parenting low...

Yesterday one of my girlfriends had my daughters and I over for breakfast and a play date. She wanted to treat me to biscuits and chocolate gravy (HEAVEN!!!!) for my upcoming birthday. We had a good time chatting and refereeing our 4 kids. Zo (my almost 4 year old) was having an obeying problem and ended up in the corner once or twice while there but we got out mainly unscathed.

After we got home and had naps we were getting ready to meet my aunt for some Easter dress shopping when I noticed something in Zo's jacket pocket... I reached in and pulled out a tiny wind up ghost toy from our friend's house! After a chat with Z about honesty, she admitted that she had taken it from their house because "I didn't have one and I liked it." Great, looks like we are going to the library for a book on stealing!

I snapped a picture of the toy and sent my friend a text saying that we had their toy and that I was sorry my child is a thief. I started getting shoes on the girls and changing my clothes when she replied that it was one of her baby's favorite toys and to just stick it in my purse so I could give it to her Friday at my birthday shin dig. I went to the kitchen (where I had taken the picture) to grab it and toss it in my purse but, alas, it wasn't there... I JUST HAD IT 5 MINUTES AGO!? I turn to my 2 and 3 year olds and asked them who had taken it, neither would fess up.

I spent the next 15 minutes retracing my steps all over the house before, exasperated, I gave up and went to meet my aunt at the mall. The whole way to the mall I explain that when we get home they WILL find that toy or we would be giving away one of Z's favorite toys, her beloved beanie bear. She squawked and squealed all the way to the mall. I got there all flustered and chased two wild women all over Dillard's and half of the mall as they ran in separate directions for the next hour and a half.

I got home and showed my husband the picture of the ghost and set him the task of helping the kids find it while I fixed dinner. In between cooking taco meat and making the guacamole, I searched as well. Z looked here and there halfheartedly and announced that she had searched the whole house and it was gone so it must be back at her friend's house... Riiiiight. We put her in her sister's crib and I took beanie bear away. Chris pulled our bed away from the wall to see if it had fallen back there, nope but there was quite a bit of junk we won't speak of! I pulled the sofa across the living room to see if it was under or behind there... I found 5 shoes (only one pair), lots of missing toys, a pad for my steam mop and a (clean) cloth diaper, but no ghost.

At this point I was so mad we had lost this stupid little ghost that I was almost prepared to make Z go to bed without a chance to ignore her supper (because we all know she won't eat it anyway) when my husband asks something about wearing a jacket today, "yes!" I replied, "That was where I found it to begin with." He shook his head and said, "No, were YOU wearing a jacket?" Was I? I wore a sweater to the mall without a jacket because what I had on had a hole in the elbow that made me look like a hobo so I changed... WAIT!! I go to the bedroom and pick up my favorite tattered old Eddie Bauer jacket, that feels .2 oz heavier than normal, and there is that stinking, illusive ghost!

I went to the girls' room and extracted Z from sister's bed and show her the ghost. I explained that I had found it in my jacket pocket and that I was sorry for taking her beanie bear away. I took her to the table and gave her a taco that she scarfed down with a few blue corn chips. I sit there exhausted from frustration and wonder out loud if I have enough sunlight left for a quick run to clear my head... Hubs encourages it and I head for the door for a 1.4 mile jog/run to the park and back.

I got home and Z and I make peace once and for all when she offers to rub my sore legs to make them feel better. Then we cuddled and told each other over and over "I love you".

Have you ever had a "crazy mom moment"? 

Winter honey

I love the idea of finding wellness in God's creation. I use a lot of teas when I'm sick with sinus, allergy junk or when I have cold/flu symptoms. This fall I decided to take an extra step in my wellness with a honey blend of my own thinking.



I start with a fresh, clean canning jar and toss in about 10-15 whole cloves, 5 or 6 cinnamon sticks, and a lemon (quartered and sliced thin) and then fill the jar with local honey. I keep the jar in the door of my refrigerator and give it a good stir every few days.


When one of us has a tickle in our throats we either take a spoon full of it alone (delicious) or we add it to a cup of herbal tea.

Luxury from the kitchen!?

If you are anything like me, you probably suffer from dry skin in the winter. Sometimes my skin is so dry it actually hurts.
A few weeks ago I found an overripe avocado in my refrigerator, it was more mushy than I would have wanted to eat so I decided to make something fancy for my face! I ground up about a quarter cup of oats in my magic bullet, tossed 1/4 of the mushy avocado in with about a tsp of liquid coconut oil, a drop of vitamin E oil and about a tsp of milled flax.
I blended it all up and smeared it on my face...


I let it soak in for about 5 minutes and then rinsed and put my coconut oil moisturizer on. My face felt like butter!!

Drama and all it's nonsense

I hate drama and how it affects me and I am stepping up and saying "no more". I'm not interacting in silly fights on social media because honestly, it's fruitless anyway, nobody cares about what somebody else's opinion is these days. Especially if the opinion is from somebody with more conservative views. I'm tired of being called hateful, judgmental or a hypocrite when I disagree with somebody else's opinions. I am capable of disagreeing without hating or judging. 
So often, people assume that if you disagree you must hate. I don't know about you but I can disagree with you on something and still love you! I can't think of a single person that I agree with 100% of the time... not even my husband (and I'm madly in love with him). If I am friends with you, your view on vaccinations, marriage equality or the color red won't change that. I may disagree with your opinion but that won't mean I hate you!
So, why is it that people are always fighting on social media? Why has it become a place for everyone to passively aggressively (or just aggressively) attack one another? Why have we all become so loudly opinionated? I remember when I was growing up how our parents kept their views on things like politics to themselves. People back 20 or 30 years ago had enough respect for their friendships to not discuss things that could cause unnecessary problems. Trying to convince a long time republican that Bill Clinton was the best choice for president would probably cause more hardships in your friendship than it would swing their vote so why open that can of worms? 
My plea is that we all try a little harder to respect one another, not call names and try to remember that as firm in our views as we are, there are people just as firm in theirs. I'm not talking about not sharing the gospel, that is our duty as Christians, I'm talking about things like vaccinations, politics, parenting styles... Sure, you can say, "If your kids didn't get the flu shot, we may skip the play dates until the spring." You are making a parenting choice there. However,  saying, "I can't believe you didn't get the flu shot, you must like getting the flu." is just asking for a fight and is pretty disrespectful. 
I've been guilty of saying things in the heat of a debate that weren't kind, most of the time it was out of retaliation or defense of my own views being attacked, sometimes because I just wasn't thinking about how it was coming across. Either way, I'm walking away from it. 
Maybe we can all try a little harder to not post rants on social media that we know are going to cause hardships between some of our friends and maybe if a friend does post something we disagree with, we keep our own opinions to ourselves or speak to them privately about it.  After all, aren't our friends important to us?

To the person selling weight loss products:

Has anyone ever approached you out of the blue and tried to sell you on some new diet? What about your friends on facebook that are starting an at home business and they want you to try their new wonder drug? I know I have! Some aren't pushy, they share their own personal stories on their own facebook wall and leave it at that. Great, thank you for not pushing it on me! It's the ones that text, email, call or even the strangers that approach you on the street that get on my nerves. You may not realize it but singling someone out and basically saying, "Hey, you're fat and I want your money." is really bad business!

 I say all of this to tell you about an encounter at the park the other day... I was with my girls at the playground making mom smalltalk with another mom (I'd never seen this woman before in my life) when a man approached her and started talking about the company he was part of... it was a pyramid weight loss company and he told her it was the thing for her. HOW INSULTING! I stood there for a second while he talked and she politely nodded and told him she was using a different system under the watchful eye of a doctor but he kept pushing... That was when I finally stepped in and (much less politely) told him that we were not interested and to have a nice day. He finally left and I could tell it had upset my new friend.

I wanted to kick him in the shins for making this beautiful woman feel bad about herself! I was so mad you guys! Like we don't already have enough from hollywood airbrushing and all the ads in our faces on TV, in magazines and online telling us that we need to be a size 2 to be happy, now we have random people at the park trying to get us to buy into the latest pyramid scheme diet!? For real??? People that go into a business to try to help people lose weight (while making money) need to go through some people skills training first, approaching a person you've never met and telling them that your weight loss program is right for them isn't a good way to win friends and influence people! It IS a good way to get punched in the face though!

I get it, most Americans have a few extra pounds than are probably necessary. I know I would like to lose 20 pounds or so but I also know that I love Nutella and don't have a lot of time to get my flabby booty to the gym as often as I need to. We could all stand to live a healthier lifestyle but that doesn't give anyone the right to walk into a stranger's life for 5 minutes and tear them down in the hopes that you can make a few bucks!

We are all children of the KING (whether we accept him or not) and that makes us special. The size of our jeans, the color of our skin, hair or eyes, the brand of shades we wear or the number on the scale have little to do with the kind of people we are... it's the inside that counts!

I am about 5' 3" tall, I weigh 168 pounds (as of yesterday), I have brown hair and saggy, nursing mom boobs but I am a child of God! I am happy! I am SAVED by His grace! HE makes me worthy and HE loves me! I don't need the approval of random strangers (or even people I know).

So all you folks that sell stuff from home in a "multi level marketing" business, I'm happy you have found something you like, I really am! Those Thirty-One bags are cute, Mary Kay has some pretty nice makeup, I am glad Juice Plus works for you! Just work on your approach and PLEASE don't be pushy! If somebody says, "no thanks" you need to move on. And maybe don't approach me and my friends with a new weight loss potion because I might light your hair on fire with my jedi powers!

Wool dryer balls

When I started cloth diapering a little over a year ago; I heard about wool dryer balls and how they cut down on dry time and static! I found a set of 3 in a local store for around $20 and just couldn't bring myself to spend that much. I figured it was something I could make myself so I set out to do just that! I went to a local craft store and got some 100% wool yarn and began making it into a ball...

Once it's the size of a softball you want to secure the end of the thread and then put your balls in a sock or an old nylon stocking so that you can felt them in the washer and dryer to keep them from coming loose. I use a couple of really long knee high socks I never wore and just put several balls in one sock (knotting the sock between each ball).

I usually wash them with towels because I always wash towels on the HOT setting and it helps them felt better. I also usually wash and dry them twice before I take them out of the sock. 

After they are out of the sock they are ready to live in the dryer full time! 

Be a responsible adult

I'm probably going to be unpopular today but everyone elses views are being thrown in my face and I feel the need to share my opinion (because everyone is dying to know what I think, right?).

A while back I wrote a post about birth control and my views on it (found here). Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled in favor of religious freedom so that Hobby Lobby will not have to supply emergency contraception for their employees. There is such an uproar about this and I think a lot of folks are misinformed about what Hobby Lobby does and does not cover for their employees. They will continue to cover preventative contraception but will not have to cover Plan B or The Morning After pill.

People are so enraged over this ruling and I have a hard time understanding how we have come so far. Have we become so entitled that we think we should get everything for free? How about we have some self worth and take care of ourselves? Also, can we not control ourselves in the company of the opposite sex without throwing caution and good judgment to the wind and having unprotected sex? And then you want someone else to pay for your "lapse in judgment"? Hobby Lobby pays about double minimum wage so you can just go buy a box of condoms and if you really NEED to have sex, that way you won't need emergency contraception.

Many people feel that life begins when sperm meets egg. Emergency contraception (as well as most preventatives) work to keep a fertilized egg from implanting. To me that ends a life. As a mother, I mourn the lives of unborn children that never got the choice. Your right to choose ends when you decide to have sex, now you have somebody else's life to think about.

I wouldn't want to pay for somebody to take Plan B or The Morning After pill, I don't want to pay to end a new life! I understand that some people may not be able to afford Plan B or The Morning After pill, but does that mean your employer has to buy it for you? Would you ask your Muslim boss to buy a ham for you? No, because it's insulting and not his responsibility, go feed yourself with the money he pays you for working for him!

A huge pet peeve of mine is when people call a baby an "accident". You didn't accidently have sex with another human being. If you don't want an unplanned pregnancy how about try being responsible and not have unprotected sex.

I hear Pro-Choice folks talking about how women are being denied important medications or how the Supreme Court hates women because of this ruling... Let's be frank for a minute, Emergency contraception wouldn't be needed (Honestly, it's never needed) if you were being responsible. Important medications are things like insulin for diabetics or life saving drugs for people living with HIV. If you don't want to have a baby, DON'T HAVE SEX! Nobody is denying you emergency contraception, it's right by the counter at walgreens, go get it if you need it.

Hobby Lobby has a right to religious freedom, if something goes against your religion you shouldn't be forced to do it. You have a right to disagree with their beliefs but you don't have a right to force them to do something against their religion.

Date night scavenger hunt

Once a month a group of parents gets our kids together and the parents take turns being kid keepers while the rest of the parents get a 4 hour date night! We pool some money to hire helpers (it works out to be about $30 per kid for the whole year! June happens to be mine and my husband's month to watch kids and I thought it would be fun to put together a little date night scavenger hunt for all the other parents (the ones that want to play anyway).

Here is our list:

June 2014 date night scavenger hunt
Do these in any order you want, do as many or as few as you want, take pictures or video of each one you complete, have fun!

1. Find a non winter themed snow globe. 20 points
2. Order a delicious dessert. 30 points
3. Write down three things you like about each other. 50 points
4. Find the ugliest hat at any store and try it on. 30 points
5. Get an awesome present for your kid keepers. 50 points
6. Read your favorite Bible verse to each other. 50 points
7. Plan and do a random act of kindness. 50 points
8. Serenade your sweetheart in a public place. 75 points
9. Win 50 tickets from an arcade. 50 points
10. Find and wear a superhero cape. 40 points
11. Take a picture in a photo booth together. 30 points
12. Carve your initials in a tree. 50 points
13. Do something that is considered unlucky. 70 points
14. Propose on one knee in front of people (get someone else to video it). 100 points
15. Find a book to improve some part of your marriage. 20 points
16. Get a new family pet. 40 points
17. Find a penny from the year you were married. 20 points
18. Get a picture of the two of you with some "Chemistry" . 50 points
19. Get a picture of the word "love" somewhere unexpected. 20 points
20. Find something that reminds you of your honeymoon. 30 points
21. Get a picture of the two of you with a clown. 50 points
22. Try something you've never tried before. 50 points
23. Race go karts or ride bumper boats. 30 points each
24. Find a classic car that isn't red. 40 points
25. Recreate your favorite movie poster from the year you were married. 50 points
26. Eat at a restaurant you've never been to. 70 points
27. Sing a duet (must be a video). 80 points
28. Get matching tattoos. 20 points for stick on tattoos & 300 points for real ones
29. Plant a tree together. 50 points
30. Pray for your family and your marriage together. 50 points

My secret allergy potion!

I love essential oils! I love how they make my house smell, I love that I have found some that help with my allergies, I love that Lavender oil helps soothe my girls and gets them ready for bed! I have thought a lot about taking some classes online for aroma therapy but I'm not sure I truly have the time for it or what I would be able to do with the knowledge if/when I was certified.

Today I want to share my recipe for my secret allergy potion. I get a 15 ml glass amber bottle from the health food store and put 1 drop of lemon oil, 1 drop of lavender, 1 drop of peppermint, 1 drop of tea tree and 1 drop of rosemary. I fill it the rest of the way up with (liquid) coconut oil and rub it across the back of my neck and behind my ears a couple of times a day when my allergies are bad.

I don't use this on my girls because some of the oils aren't safe for children. Click here for a link to a list of safe essential oils for children.

Be a cheerleader

Have you ever had to wean a baby? What about sleep training? Ever had a toddler go through a hitting or biting faze? Chances are, if you are a parent, you have! It's hard on the whole family! You feel awful for cutting a hole in the paci or letting baby "cry it out" for 5 minutes at a time. You feel like a bad parent when you have to put them in time out for hitting a friend during a play date.

There are endless websites, books and blogs that contradict each other on the best way to raise a child. From, "Happiest baby on the block." to "Attachment Parenting" and all sorts of others that tell you to let your baby self soothe while another says to never let your baby cry.

The thing is, there are so many different ways to raise children. Sometimes we get caught up in the whole, "It worked for us so it must be the right way to do it." mindset. But the truth is, What works for me might not work for my best friend. What I want to know is why we can't accept that the way we do it might be great for us but it isn't the only way? Why does somebody else have to nurse until the baby self weans just because that is what I'm doing? Why do I have to wean my child on somebody else's time table?

As long as the end result is a healthy, happy baby that is growing and thriving what else matters? Sure, share your tips and tricks! I love hearing new ways of doing things from fellow moms (and dads)! If I try it and it doesn't work for us, oh well! We can still cheer each other on! I love encouraging other moms, it's a tough gig and some days we need a cheering squad.

Do the best you can, spend time with your kids, love them and be an active part of their lives. You're doing a great job!

To the childless parenting expert: 5 things parents want to tell you.

How often do parents get parenting advice from childless peers that know everything about parenting? I'm not trying to start something here but I think I need to point out that nobody knows more, cares more or is willing to give up more for a child than their parents. I get tired of people telling me how I should be doing things... When to stop nursing, what my kids should and shouldn't eat, what their sleeping habits should be, etc.

1. Having younger siblings, nieces and nephews, friends with kids or pets isn't the same thing.

I know a lot of people think that if they are exposed to tiny humans before becoming a parent they will know how to do it all (I shamefully admit that I use to be one of them). NOT TRUE! Sure, you pick up a few tricks of the trade but I've been a mom for three years now and I'm still no expert! As a friend, sibling or aunt/uncle, you aren't really responsible for anything for longer than a couple of hours here and there. You don't sit up at night worrying about every little thing. Also, pets aren't the same as kids: you can't put your baby in a kennel or on a run outside while you run to the store, you can't leave a bowl of milk or food in their crib and sleep all night, and the puppy stage lasts seconds compared to the newborn stage of a baby.

2. Please leave discipline up to the parents.

Sometimes you are around people with children and you disapprove of the form of discipline used (or even lack of discipline) but it really isn't your place. Telling someone how to raise their children rarely goes over well. Unless you have been given previous consent, don't try to discipline somebody elses child. They may not say anything to you about it but it is really irritating to watch someone else try to do your job. There may be a reason they aren't disciplining their child right there... maybe they are on a reward system at home or maybe they don't think the action deserves the same discipline you do.

3. Don't feed my child without permission.

There are so many allergies and food issues these days! I have to monitor everything my girls eat to make sure they are getting enough fiber and very few starches. Some kids have nut allergies, gluten allergies or even fruit allergies. Not to mention a lot of moms try to limit sugars. It's always best to ask a parent before giving their child something to eat or drink.

4. Please don't question my parenting or tease me in front of my kids.

I get it, you may not agree with every decision I make for my kids. You may think I'm a mean mom for not letting my kids have tons of sugar an hour before suppertime but please don't make fun of me... especially in front of my children. Saying things like, "What a fuddy duddy." or, "Mean mommy." teaches my children to disrespect me and then they will be the ones getting in trouble.

5. We take pride in our job as parents.

When someone gives me advice like, "You should let her cry it out." or "Put her down or she will never learn to walk." what I hear is, "You are an awful mom and you're doing it all wrong." It's bad enough to hear that from grandparents and peers with kids but to hear it from somebody that doesn't know what it's like to be a parent is truly hurtful.

I know there are lots of people that love my children dearly and love to spoil them and love on them. I get it, there are lots of kids that I have felt that way for too! I just think sometimes we forget that the parents usually know their children better than anybody else and therefore know what is best for them. I know that not everyone is going to agree with every parenting style but parents deserve respect. Respect a parent's wishes and decisions.

Now, if you see my child running toward the street or you see me not buckling my child into their proper car seat, Please say something! Help keep my kids safe if they are in danger!