If we talk at all you know that I've pretty much become an all natural Mama! We've switched it all around here... food, cleaning supplies, toiletries... everything, and it all started for us with a little girl named Chandler Rae.
Matt and I were first introduced to the organic world after watching the movie Food Inc. (which I highly recommend if you have not seen it). This movie pretty much rocked our world and educated us on the foods we were putting into our bodies and feeding to our little ones at our very own dinner table every night! It was shocking information to us and we immediately made changes in the meats and dairy products we purchased for our family. Soon after, we decided to start buying organic fruits and veggies too (it was a pricey decision, but one we couldn't refuse after the new knowledge we now had about pesticides and contamination to most of the produce out there).
When our precious bundle Chandler was born we had no idea how much more organic and natural we would soon be going. To put it lightly, our girl has some serious allergies. We noticed her skin allergies when she was about 2 weeks old. Her eczema was the worst I had ever seen and our pediatrician (at the time) brushed it off to be nothing. He handed us a script for steroid creams and told us, "she'd probably out grow it." Months later she was still suffering with dry itchy patches all over her body and also had a persistent cough and runny nose 24/7. We knew something had to be wrong, but were told time and time again, "it was probably just a couple of viruses, not to worry, and continue the creams for her skin." I knew it was more. There was something wrong with my baby girl. When Chandler was about 7 months old she stuck her hand in peanut butter while I was making her brother a sandwich. It was soon evident that a peanut allergy was in the cards for Chandler. I rushed her to the ER in a panic. Praise God, she was okay, but it was all adding up in my mind. I knew she had to have some serious allergies and maybe it was more then just peanuts. I was still nursing Chandler at this point so everything I ate, she got. I immediately cut out peanut butter, but was very curious if it was something more. We decided to have her tested for allergies to see if I was right. Not only was Chandler allergic to peanuts, but she was also allergic to eggs and has a sensitivity to wheat! Holy moly!! This was overwhelming information (to say the least) for me because this meant so many things for us. We now had answers and for that we were grateful, but changes now had to be made! Big ones. Grocery changes, diet changes, and label reading to the max! While in the moment I wanted to crawl under a rock and forget I knew any of this, we now live in a peanut free home with limited egg and wheat used and it's been easy. The alternatives out there are amazing! The local health food stores and even some Publix stores now carry great products with guarantees of no cross contamination. Also, finding substitutes has been fun and surprisingly easy.
When I first learned of Chandler's allergies, I turned to the internet for tips and advice and after one of my posts on facebook, was recommended a site that would soon educate and shock me about more than just what we put on our dinner tables. This site taught me so much about the ingredients that are in our cleaning products, our lotions and soaps, and most of the common products you would find in any household. I was flabbergasted. I felt like I had been contaminated for the last 27 years and immediately began searching for new products for our family.
We now use Shaklee cleaning supplies which I am absolutely loving! Not only do they work better then the other yucky stuff we were using before, but I don't have to put on giant rubber gloves and clear the house before I clean. These products are non-toxic, safe for the environment, and kill more germs for longer then all the other products out there! I feel safe cleaning around the kids and am now confident in knowing that these products are not harmful to us, our home, or our planet. Also, after reading the book, Green Goes with Everything by Sloan Barnett (the wife of Shaklee's owner), I have learned so much about the correlation between cleaning supplies and allergies and I think it would shock most just how much our bodies are affected by what we are cleaning our homes with! One of the best parts too is that using these products saving you big time! We bought one of the starter kits for less than $100, and will not need to buy any other cleaning supplies other than laundry detergent and dish washer soap for at least a year. In the long run, we will save thousands on our cleaning supplies using Shaklee products. Shaklee also has a health and beauty line which I plan on checking out.
We've also changed to California Baby for lotions, shampoo, diaper cream, sunscreen, and bubble bath. We are loving these products and they are all organic (truly organic, there are lots of products out there that claim to be organic or natural and are absolutely not, read your labels!!) I've been testing other brands too for Matt and I and have also fallen in love with the brand Everyday Shea. I'll throw this in too for tmi, but I quit using deodorant!! Not only is it very unhealthy for your body, but it's completely unnecessary. I have switched to baking soda and water. I was shocked to find that it works better then what I was previously using and bonus, it only cost me 44 cents and it's lasted more than a month! While it is not an antiperspirant, I feel like if God gave us sweat glands under our arms, he put them there for a reason! Just my opinion, but I have to say I'm enjoying the switch!
While I'm not a huge make up wearing woman I have changed to the organic line that Physicians Formula has recently come out with. I like the prices and the quality and am very happy with the ingredients I'm exposing my face and body to every day.
I really could go on and on about this subject and the changes we've personally made in our home, but I felt pretty passionate about sharing our story and encouraging all to do the research, become educated, and make the changes in your home too to become healthier and to provide a safe environment for you and your family.
We feel so very blessed to have been given Chandler Rae and feel like God has blessed our family by creating her with allergies! We love you baby girl.
Click here to check out Mercola.com where I found a lot of helpful information. Also, check out Food Inc and Food Matters!
Happy Researching!!
When buying "organic" or "natural" be sure to check your labels. Just because it has the title "organic" or "natural" does not mean that the ingredients are! Look for the USDA organic certified label on the front of a product. If you see it there, you can rest assured that this product and its ingredients are truly organic.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
10 years & 2 kids later... And I still LOVE you.
To My Ever Faithful Husband & Father to Our Beautiful Children After 10 Years of Us,
Can you believe that 10 years ago today you asked me to be your girlfriend? 10 years! Let's be honest though, we probably could've celebrated about 4 or 5 months ago, considering we sure acted like we were a couple long before we made it official. I guess today we'd call that "facebook official."
I knew you were the one that day after the youth garage sale. I was only 16 then, but I knew. You were funny, and goofy, and I had such a great time around you. You were sweet too. A "nice guy," and while most girls don't fall for the "nice guys" early in life, I knew I had to have you!
If I hadn't been sure after the garage sale, the 12 Hour Blitz sealed the deal for me!! After that day, not only did I know you were a great guy, but I knew you had great taste in music too. Your "S1" CD mix melted my heart and I couldn't believe you let me listen to your portable CD player!! We made so many ridiculous inside jokes that day and even though I had wrecked my truck the week before, you managed to cheer me up, make me laugh, and forget about all of the "stuff" a 16 year old teenage girl stresses about (which by the way, does not compare to the stress of a 27 year old wife and mommy of 2, what in the world did I really have to stress about???) That was seriously one of the best days I had had in a long time. I knew that day we'd be good friends and little did you know that after that day I started praying every morning for our relationship to become more than just that.
It didn't take long for us to become more than just good friends. We soon became BEST friends and the more we hung out, spent hours talking on the phone, and made memories we'll have for the rest of our lives, the more I knew you had to be the one for me. We were just teenagers (you a sophomore and me a junior in high school) but I knew.
Everyday I felt like God was telling me, he's the one, Amanda, he's the one I made for you, but we stayed "just friends" for a longtime and that made me question Him. I was stubborn and impatient to the point that I tried to put things into my own hands to try to make "us" work and when that didn't work, it broke my heart. I now understand it was just God's hand on it all. He was us giving us a strong foundation to build on, so that if and when we had a simple disagreement, we'd have too much to loose if we broke up. (Typing this all out now brings me back... it's so crazy to think that we were together 2 years of high school and made it out alive! All the lingo back then was silly "gf, bf, break up, ask me out," it all seems like an eternity ago, but it was high school and God saw us through it.)
I'll never forget our first kiss (and I'm sure you won't either). It was a Monday night. My lacrosse game had been rained out. (You were my biggest fan by the way, at almost every game cheering me on. My Dad to this day will say he knew he liked you after your famous line, "she must be butter cause she's on a roll." [I'm seriously laughing out loud right now remembering that.]) We came back to my house and hung out with Matty G for a while. After he left, you had just a short time before you had to be home too (in time for 7th Heaven, of course.) We don't have to get into the details, but needless to say we'll never forget it.
It only took us about 4 months to finally make it official. The exact date (7.7.01) was just 1 short year (to the date) of my baptism (7.7.00) and there is no doubt in my mind that it was all in God's plan for it to work out that way.
It's been 10 years since that day and what a 10 years it's been together! In the beginning, I almost thought you were to good to be true. I was just waiting for you to break my heart. As time went on, you proved to me over and over again through your words and your actions that you would NEVER do so. While every second of the past 10 years has not been easy, there's not a thing I would change about it. We've had good times and bad, happy and sad, but there has never been a doubt in my mind that it's all been God's plan. He has showed me love through the love that you have been giving me these past 10 years. Thank you for allowing Him to use you to love me. Thank you for loving me when I'm a real pain in the butt. Thank you for providing for our family and never ever complaining about it. You are a true man of God and I could not feel more honored to be your wife. That God chose me to be the one for you.
Here we are now blessed beyond measure. We'll celebrate 6 years of marriage in November. We've created life, twice. We've got a little boy (who will be 3 in just 2 days) who melts my heart and surprise surprise, reminds me so much of you. And our little girl, while she's a little bit too much like her mama, she certainly has your sense of humor. What a joy it is to have you to raise them both with. You are there for us more than you should have to be. You do things for them that a lot of daddies wouldn't. They are so very blessed to have you in their lives and I am so very blessed to have you as a partner in parenting.
While reflecting back over the past 12 years that you've been a part of my life, all I can do is smile and praise God for putting you in my life.
I love you so much and am blessed that everyday you wake up and choose to love me too.
Happy 10 years!
Here's to the rest of our lives!
Love Always,
Your LITSBYFITB ;)
One of these days I'll get some classic pictures of us up here. If I only had time and our scanner on hand. Soon! I promise.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I'm a Minivan Mommy Now!
So if you haven't seen my posts or heard me say it... We, the Sanders Family, are now the proud owners of a minivan!! It's been a long time coming for us, but it finally happened on Thursday!
I almost feel guilty because of how happy I am to be driving around in a new car. I told a couple of friends, "A minivan should not make someone this happy," but I honestly think I'm happy for more than just materialistic reasons on this one. I mean, let's be honest, it's a minivan, not a sports car, but you have to understand... a minivan has been my dream car for a while now!! Putting all my dreams aside though there are so many reasons why this car is making me so happy!!
One of the major reasons being.... AIR CONDITIONING! The AC on our old car has been flaky for more than 3 years now. When I was pregnant with Landon, (July baby) it was like torture. I would get in my car after work and get so hot I would literally take my clothes off and drive home in my underwear and under-tank. Thank goodness I never got pulled over or in a wreck! For the longest time, Matt thought it was just my pregnant hormones. His mind changed when I went into labor and he had to drive from Daytona Beach to Winnie Palmer Hospital in the heat of a hot summer day. He was so hot and sweaty by the time he got there, he took a shower in my hospital room before Landon was born. We've had it serviced, checked for leaks, and replaced the freon like 5 times since then, but by the time summer roles around again, it's back to misery on wheels. Poor Landon has really never known what it's like to have AC in the car and Chandler is an entirely different story. The poor girl has the worst allergies and exzema that I have ever seen. Having the windows down during allergy season has been terrible for her. The girl has had a cough since February and we're hoping to see a difference in her soon. Her exzema has been worse then ever too because within minutes of getting in the car she's a sticky sweaty mess. We've pretty much been confined to the house unless it's before 9am, after 6pm or raining. Day trips that were musts, like doctors visits or grocery shopping was getting rough on the kids and becoming stressful for me. Now, I know that AC is a luxury (shoot, having a car is a luxury), but it is amazing how different all of us are now that we have it. Our moods are better, we're excited to go places again, I don't get stressed out when we're out of milk, and Chandler's skin is clearing up! Landon is still getting used to actually being chilly in the car, and Matt and I both just so relieved for our family! It all sounds crazy, but I'm telling you AC in Florida makes a difference! A HUGE difference.
Another reason we're so excited is space. It's been over a year that we've pretty much been confined to the kids, a driver, and 1 passenger. The back seat with two car seats wouldn't even fit the tiniest of booties (trust me, just ask my brother's fiance, Sheena). On top of that, having a hatchback limits trunk space. With at least 1 double stroller always in the back, fitting groceries, bags, or anything else was almost impossible. The space we have now is amazing. We can fit two strollers if we had to, plenty of groceries, and 7 passengers!!
Reliability and peace of mind is something else we now have thanks to our new minivan! The transmission on the car was slipping on top of the AC being out, and really, I'm sure there were so many other crazy things wrong with that car. Every time we got in it we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it to our destination and I-4 had become a no no! We couldn't go above 55 mph anymore because of the transmission issues and who really wants to drive on the interstate with the windows down... certainly not my 2 year old who would say, "mommy, the wind is going to blow my head off." In addition, to being able to freely come and go we also have a 6 year 125,000 mile warranty which means Landon will be 9 before that bad boy expires!
What a relief for our entire family! God has provided for us in a big way. It's something we've been praying about and saving for, for a LONG time and when we did our taxes this year, we knew we had enough to make a move!! It's only been 5 and 1/2 days and let me tell you, we have been enjoying everything about our new van! We did decide not to get all the luxury upgrades because we couldn't justify paying extra for something we didn't absolutely need. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to go with them, but for our family it just wasn't worth the extra bucks. What's amazing though is my parents just told us that they'd like to put in a DVD player in for the kids since we are taking a big trip next month! Landon is VERY excited about "having a TV in his car." Ha.
All in all this has been such a great thing for our family! We couldn't be happier with our newest addition!
I almost feel guilty because of how happy I am to be driving around in a new car. I told a couple of friends, "A minivan should not make someone this happy," but I honestly think I'm happy for more than just materialistic reasons on this one. I mean, let's be honest, it's a minivan, not a sports car, but you have to understand... a minivan has been my dream car for a while now!! Putting all my dreams aside though there are so many reasons why this car is making me so happy!!
One of the major reasons being.... AIR CONDITIONING! The AC on our old car has been flaky for more than 3 years now. When I was pregnant with Landon, (July baby) it was like torture. I would get in my car after work and get so hot I would literally take my clothes off and drive home in my underwear and under-tank. Thank goodness I never got pulled over or in a wreck! For the longest time, Matt thought it was just my pregnant hormones. His mind changed when I went into labor and he had to drive from Daytona Beach to Winnie Palmer Hospital in the heat of a hot summer day. He was so hot and sweaty by the time he got there, he took a shower in my hospital room before Landon was born. We've had it serviced, checked for leaks, and replaced the freon like 5 times since then, but by the time summer roles around again, it's back to misery on wheels. Poor Landon has really never known what it's like to have AC in the car and Chandler is an entirely different story. The poor girl has the worst allergies and exzema that I have ever seen. Having the windows down during allergy season has been terrible for her. The girl has had a cough since February and we're hoping to see a difference in her soon. Her exzema has been worse then ever too because within minutes of getting in the car she's a sticky sweaty mess. We've pretty much been confined to the house unless it's before 9am, after 6pm or raining. Day trips that were musts, like doctors visits or grocery shopping was getting rough on the kids and becoming stressful for me. Now, I know that AC is a luxury (shoot, having a car is a luxury), but it is amazing how different all of us are now that we have it. Our moods are better, we're excited to go places again, I don't get stressed out when we're out of milk, and Chandler's skin is clearing up! Landon is still getting used to actually being chilly in the car, and Matt and I both just so relieved for our family! It all sounds crazy, but I'm telling you AC in Florida makes a difference! A HUGE difference.
Another reason we're so excited is space. It's been over a year that we've pretty much been confined to the kids, a driver, and 1 passenger. The back seat with two car seats wouldn't even fit the tiniest of booties (trust me, just ask my brother's fiance, Sheena). On top of that, having a hatchback limits trunk space. With at least 1 double stroller always in the back, fitting groceries, bags, or anything else was almost impossible. The space we have now is amazing. We can fit two strollers if we had to, plenty of groceries, and 7 passengers!!
Reliability and peace of mind is something else we now have thanks to our new minivan! The transmission on the car was slipping on top of the AC being out, and really, I'm sure there were so many other crazy things wrong with that car. Every time we got in it we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it to our destination and I-4 had become a no no! We couldn't go above 55 mph anymore because of the transmission issues and who really wants to drive on the interstate with the windows down... certainly not my 2 year old who would say, "mommy, the wind is going to blow my head off." In addition, to being able to freely come and go we also have a 6 year 125,000 mile warranty which means Landon will be 9 before that bad boy expires!
What a relief for our entire family! God has provided for us in a big way. It's something we've been praying about and saving for, for a LONG time and when we did our taxes this year, we knew we had enough to make a move!! It's only been 5 and 1/2 days and let me tell you, we have been enjoying everything about our new van! We did decide not to get all the luxury upgrades because we couldn't justify paying extra for something we didn't absolutely need. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to go with them, but for our family it just wasn't worth the extra bucks. What's amazing though is my parents just told us that they'd like to put in a DVD player in for the kids since we are taking a big trip next month! Landon is VERY excited about "having a TV in his car." Ha.
All in all this has been such a great thing for our family! We couldn't be happier with our newest addition!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Christians Offend Me
I already know that some of you are reading this just because of the title of this post. Maybe it struck your curiosity because you wouldn't call yourself a Christian or just plain don't believe. Maybe you were wondering why a Pastor's wife would say such a thing, so you clicked on the link to see what I had to say or maybe you actually like reading my blog (I hope the latter). I don't really know why you are reading this, but I just hope it makes you think.
Let's get this straight, I am head over heels in love with my Savior. He died a brutal death for me and the more I learn about Him and His life on this Earth the more blown away with Him I become. He, like any of us, was human, but He was also God at the same time. Confusing, yes, but when you consider His human side and what He faced for anyone who believes in Him I am totally awestruck by His Love and sacrifice. I could go on and on about Him, and just how AMAZING He is, but there is no need for me to do so when you can read all about it in a book which says it all already. Who is this man I am talking about? It's Jesus Christ.
When you hear that name, I'm not sure what exactly comes to your mind. When asked, people around the world say things like, "good man," and/or "humanitarian." Most people don't have too many negative things to say about Jesus (it's the Christians they don't have nice things to say about), but for some reason for the longest time I would cringe when I heard His name, mostly because of the ways I've heard it used... ways that change Him into something He was/is not... ways that use it to advance or elevate someone's status or to make themselves look good... and even in ways that truly make me want to throw up in my mouth! I'm not sitting here saying that I judge anyone who is talking about Jesus, but I am saying that when I hear people talk about Him in such a way that changes who I know He is, I see red.
Too many "Christians" today take His name and/or the religion of Christianity and make it into something it is not and something it was never meant to be. When people make Jesus out to be someone who is judgmental, condemning and legalistic, I feel it is misrepresenting who He was on this Earth, who He is today, and what His message still is and frankly, it's more then just offensive to me. People are dying and going to hell because of it.
If people knew anything about who Jesus really was they would run to Him with open arms and never let go. They would fall down in humility at His feet and do anything they could do to show others who He really is, and I'm pretty sure they would do it in the same LOVING way that He did and does for us. His very own Disciples, some of the people He was closest to during His time on this Earth, were just as faithless and disobedient as those who were not His followers, yet Jesus gave them chance after chance, loved them more than himself and displayed to them time after time how to serve/save this world in LOVE!!! Now, I know that there are some of you who are thinking to yourselves, "hey lady, don't you remember when He called the woman at the well out about having 5 husbands and don't you remember when he called Peter, Satan and told him to get behind him." Well, yes. I do remember that, but I also remember Him doing all of those things in Love. He had no impure motive. He did not think of Himself as higher than anyone He ever called out (even though He CERTAINLY was/is) and He actually cared about the souls that He touched...every single one of them.
I'm not a pastor, so I'm going to stop my ranting, but my husband is and I think he did a pretty amazing job communicating some of this message a couple Sundays ago at our Church. You can check out that message here.
One Passionate Life “A Passionate Presence” from Journey Christian on Vimeo.
All I'm really saying here is that we are not called to be judges on this Earth. We are called to be lovers of the Lord and lovers of our neighbors (every single one of them). When it is all said and done and you have done all you can to try and relay the TRUE message of Jesus to someone who still seems to not care and makes the decision to continue living in sin, then by all means just freaking pray for that person and pray for yourself that you may have a heart that is able to love the sinner and not the sin. After all, it is what Jesus did and does for us and it is what He has called you to do if you have taken His name as your own and call yourself a Christian.
*Disclaimer* I believe God knew what He was doing when He married me to a pastor! It was part of His plan to teach me how to be wise with my words and to keep my mouth shut when it is so VERY hard for me to do so. In times when I so badly want to gossip about another Christian or want to really go off on someone for misrepresenting Christ I am usually reminded first, that I am representing my husband and our church, and then I am usually reminded that I am ultimately representing Jesus (the very One that I want to stand up for in a not so Jesus-like way). He also so quickly reminds me that acting in such a manner is pointless and is no better than acting like those who are misrepresenting Him in the first place. Essentially, if I acted out the way I sometimes want to, I become a misrepresenter too. I wrote this post because I feel like there has been a lot of this going on around me lately and it's been driving me crazy. Have I handled every situation as He may have wanted me to? No, but He is working on me and softening my heart everyday to Him, even when people surrounding me (who claim to be representing Him) push me toward a hard, tainted, heart. I am honored that my King chose my husband and our family to serve in vocational ministry and wouldn't change where He has us today or His plan thus far, but I also pray daily for protection over our hearts in a day in age where so many claim to be His followers yet produce no fruit and show no love. It can be an exhausting, disappointing, frustrating, and angering position if we don't keep Jesus forefront what we do. For too long my heart has been so hard toward Christianity or the church in general and I believe that is exactly what Satan wanted. I no longer cringe when I hear the name Jesus. Instead, I want to praise His name for all eternity. He is the Savior of the world and I will no longer miss out on all He has for me and the plan for my life because of those around me who just plain don't get Him at all.
Let's get this straight, I am head over heels in love with my Savior. He died a brutal death for me and the more I learn about Him and His life on this Earth the more blown away with Him I become. He, like any of us, was human, but He was also God at the same time. Confusing, yes, but when you consider His human side and what He faced for anyone who believes in Him I am totally awestruck by His Love and sacrifice. I could go on and on about Him, and just how AMAZING He is, but there is no need for me to do so when you can read all about it in a book which says it all already. Who is this man I am talking about? It's Jesus Christ.
When you hear that name, I'm not sure what exactly comes to your mind. When asked, people around the world say things like, "good man," and/or "humanitarian." Most people don't have too many negative things to say about Jesus (it's the Christians they don't have nice things to say about), but for some reason for the longest time I would cringe when I heard His name, mostly because of the ways I've heard it used... ways that change Him into something He was/is not... ways that use it to advance or elevate someone's status or to make themselves look good... and even in ways that truly make me want to throw up in my mouth! I'm not sitting here saying that I judge anyone who is talking about Jesus, but I am saying that when I hear people talk about Him in such a way that changes who I know He is, I see red.
Too many "Christians" today take His name and/or the religion of Christianity and make it into something it is not and something it was never meant to be. When people make Jesus out to be someone who is judgmental, condemning and legalistic, I feel it is misrepresenting who He was on this Earth, who He is today, and what His message still is and frankly, it's more then just offensive to me. People are dying and going to hell because of it.
If people knew anything about who Jesus really was they would run to Him with open arms and never let go. They would fall down in humility at His feet and do anything they could do to show others who He really is, and I'm pretty sure they would do it in the same LOVING way that He did and does for us. His very own Disciples, some of the people He was closest to during His time on this Earth, were just as faithless and disobedient as those who were not His followers, yet Jesus gave them chance after chance, loved them more than himself and displayed to them time after time how to serve/save this world in LOVE!!! Now, I know that there are some of you who are thinking to yourselves, "hey lady, don't you remember when He called the woman at the well out about having 5 husbands and don't you remember when he called Peter, Satan and told him to get behind him." Well, yes. I do remember that, but I also remember Him doing all of those things in Love. He had no impure motive. He did not think of Himself as higher than anyone He ever called out (even though He CERTAINLY was/is) and He actually cared about the souls that He touched...every single one of them.
I'm not a pastor, so I'm going to stop my ranting, but my husband is and I think he did a pretty amazing job communicating some of this message a couple Sundays ago at our Church. You can check out that message here.
One Passionate Life “A Passionate Presence” from Journey Christian on Vimeo.
All I'm really saying here is that we are not called to be judges on this Earth. We are called to be lovers of the Lord and lovers of our neighbors (every single one of them). When it is all said and done and you have done all you can to try and relay the TRUE message of Jesus to someone who still seems to not care and makes the decision to continue living in sin, then by all means just freaking pray for that person and pray for yourself that you may have a heart that is able to love the sinner and not the sin. After all, it is what Jesus did and does for us and it is what He has called you to do if you have taken His name as your own and call yourself a Christian.
*Disclaimer* I believe God knew what He was doing when He married me to a pastor! It was part of His plan to teach me how to be wise with my words and to keep my mouth shut when it is so VERY hard for me to do so. In times when I so badly want to gossip about another Christian or want to really go off on someone for misrepresenting Christ I am usually reminded first, that I am representing my husband and our church, and then I am usually reminded that I am ultimately representing Jesus (the very One that I want to stand up for in a not so Jesus-like way). He also so quickly reminds me that acting in such a manner is pointless and is no better than acting like those who are misrepresenting Him in the first place. Essentially, if I acted out the way I sometimes want to, I become a misrepresenter too. I wrote this post because I feel like there has been a lot of this going on around me lately and it's been driving me crazy. Have I handled every situation as He may have wanted me to? No, but He is working on me and softening my heart everyday to Him, even when people surrounding me (who claim to be representing Him) push me toward a hard, tainted, heart. I am honored that my King chose my husband and our family to serve in vocational ministry and wouldn't change where He has us today or His plan thus far, but I also pray daily for protection over our hearts in a day in age where so many claim to be His followers yet produce no fruit and show no love. It can be an exhausting, disappointing, frustrating, and angering position if we don't keep Jesus forefront what we do. For too long my heart has been so hard toward Christianity or the church in general and I believe that is exactly what Satan wanted. I no longer cringe when I hear the name Jesus. Instead, I want to praise His name for all eternity. He is the Savior of the world and I will no longer miss out on all He has for me and the plan for my life because of those around me who just plain don't get Him at all.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Some Silly & Serious Advice for the Mama's who will soon have two!! ~ Part 1
Oh to be a mommy! It's one of the most amazing and life changing roles in life. There is really nothing in the world like it; however, if you have yet to become one it's almost impossible to explain. I can remember all throughout my pregnancy with my firstborn, Landon, people giving me advice and telling me, "your life will never be the same." Some of the advice was sweet, some of it was rather annoying, and some of it was more true then I could have ever imagined!! (Especially the one about life never being the same!)
It's true. Mommyhood changes everything forever! And while so much of it is amazing and for the better, it is a major adjustment for most. If you are reading this and you are a mommy, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Here's what's funny though... having a another baby will rock your world just as much, if not more! :-) You may think you have an idea of what it will be like and you probably think to yourself, "I've got this. I already have one." But let me be the one to tell you... you think you know, but you have no idea. After adjusting to life with one kiddo, throwing another one in the mix is sort of like readjusting all over again!
Almost 3 years into this mommy thing, it's hard to remember what life was before I became one. Sometimes I have small memories when I go into a store alone and think to myself, "wow this is too easy," or when I'm in my car alone singing at the top of my lungs to whatever I want, turned up as loud as I want it with no one telling me, "my music please," or asking for a drink or whatever else! It's amazing what some alone time can do for mommies! (We almost start to feel like a person again and not just a mommy.) We all need that time, I believe it's very important for us, our marriages, and our children, but the hilarious thing is, when we are finally out and we see other moms or families, we suddenly wish we had our children with us or at least a shirt on that said, "I'm a mommy. That's right!! And I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old!!" Maybe you don't, but I do, and while I do love my "me time," I would choose my hubby and my children over "me time" any day! This is only one season in my life and I don't want to look back and wish I had lived it differently. I want to enjoy my days even the long ones, because while the days can be long, the years are soooo short. (Don't get me wrong I pray a lot too for patience and strength to make it through another day!!)
Mine are 20 months apart which means I had baby when my first was still a baby and while everyone's situation is different I think us mommies are a lot more alike then we realize and we've got to stick together!! With all this said, I thought it would be fun to write a little tips and advice blog for all you mommies about to throw another one in the mix. I'll be collaborating with a couple other mommies who will be throwing in some fun, silly, but also some serious stuff too.
Be on the look out for part II. You'll probably get a big laugh, take down some good advice, get really excited about the new bundle soon joining your family and maybe even get a scary glimpse into what your future will soon be!
*This blog post is all in love and for fun, please don't over analyze. I love my children and would not change a thing about our little family of four! God has blessed us richly and I would never take that lightly.
It's true. Mommyhood changes everything forever! And while so much of it is amazing and for the better, it is a major adjustment for most. If you are reading this and you are a mommy, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Here's what's funny though... having a another baby will rock your world just as much, if not more! :-) You may think you have an idea of what it will be like and you probably think to yourself, "I've got this. I already have one." But let me be the one to tell you... you think you know, but you have no idea. After adjusting to life with one kiddo, throwing another one in the mix is sort of like readjusting all over again!
Almost 3 years into this mommy thing, it's hard to remember what life was before I became one. Sometimes I have small memories when I go into a store alone and think to myself, "wow this is too easy," or when I'm in my car alone singing at the top of my lungs to whatever I want, turned up as loud as I want it with no one telling me, "my music please," or asking for a drink or whatever else! It's amazing what some alone time can do for mommies! (We almost start to feel like a person again and not just a mommy.) We all need that time, I believe it's very important for us, our marriages, and our children, but the hilarious thing is, when we are finally out and we see other moms or families, we suddenly wish we had our children with us or at least a shirt on that said, "I'm a mommy. That's right!! And I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old!!" Maybe you don't, but I do, and while I do love my "me time," I would choose my hubby and my children over "me time" any day! This is only one season in my life and I don't want to look back and wish I had lived it differently. I want to enjoy my days even the long ones, because while the days can be long, the years are soooo short. (Don't get me wrong I pray a lot too for patience and strength to make it through another day!!)
Mine are 20 months apart which means I had baby when my first was still a baby and while everyone's situation is different I think us mommies are a lot more alike then we realize and we've got to stick together!! With all this said, I thought it would be fun to write a little tips and advice blog for all you mommies about to throw another one in the mix. I'll be collaborating with a couple other mommies who will be throwing in some fun, silly, but also some serious stuff too.
Be on the look out for part II. You'll probably get a big laugh, take down some good advice, get really excited about the new bundle soon joining your family and maybe even get a scary glimpse into what your future will soon be!
*This blog post is all in love and for fun, please don't over analyze. I love my children and would not change a thing about our little family of four! God has blessed us richly and I would never take that lightly.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mondays are for Memories - Remembering Lauryn
I've started and stopped writing this blog post about a dozen times this past week. I knew it would be a tough one for me, but I don't think I really knew just how tough it would be.
I still really have no idea where to start... so let me say this... one of my favorite people in the entire world, left it, 3 years ago this Wednesday.
I still really have no idea where to start... so let me say this... one of my favorite people in the entire world, left it, 3 years ago this Wednesday.
Lauryn and I met about 9 years ago. I was immediately drawn to her spunky, upbeat personality. She was kind-hearted, yet wasn't going to put up with anyone's crap either (my kind of girl). In a lot of ways I saw a little bit of me in her.
She started attending Journey's youth group the first year that I started leading a small group for girls. She joined my group and we soon had a "forever friends" kind of bond. I picked her up often to hang out, drink coffee, and talk life. Lauryn was one of the most honest and up front teens I have ever known. If she was going through crap in her life, she told it like it was. If she was struggling with temptation she would openly admit it. And when I called her out, she accepted it with love and made the changes she knew she needed to make because the girl didn't want to rob God of the Glory she knew He deserved. Lauryn was one of the most refreshing young women I have ever met! I could go on and on about the amazing qualities she possessed and still forget a bunch. I honestly loved her like family and saw her as a little sister and, believe me, I would defend her and protect her like one too.
I have so many fun memories of us laughing until we cried and so many others of us crying until we laughed again. If I only knew then how precious those times we shared together were. I had the honor of seeing her baptism and reading the letter she wrote beforehand to confess her love, acceptance, and need for her Savior.
I was and still am so very proud of the young woman she was growing up to be. When I attended her high school graduation I cried like a baby and hugged her until her eyes were rolling just like a mom would. At her graduation she read her senior bible verse aloud and I thought it was perfectly fitting to so many of the "life" convos we had together. It was from Isaiah 55 verses 8 & 9. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." She often thought that life wasn't fair, but she was always so willing to except her circumstances, do the best she could, rely on God, and to know that His ways were better than hers. She was wise beyond her years and such a rare "what you see is what you get" kind of girl.
As she started college and moved out we didn't see each other as often. We were both busy with "life." I was getting married, wrapping up college, buying a house, and starting a family and Lauryn was taking classes, working to pay bills, and growing and discovering who she was as a responsible adult. We still met occasionally and she was still always so honest and straight forward with me (something I absolutely loved about her).
The last time we met was over coffee at Starbucks. I told her I was pregnant that afternoon and she was so excited for us. She was going through a little bit of a rough time and I could tell she didn't want to disappoint me. I reassured her that she couldn't disappoint me and that "stuff" happens. I just wish I had hugged her a little tighter, told her how much I loved her and how very proud of her I was that last time we said goodbye.
March 29th, 2008. I can remember it like it was yesterday and yet, sometimes I see it all as a blur. It was a Sunday morning and I was getting ready for church. My cell phone rang and it was one of my best friends, Jill. She was calling to see if I had heard about Lauryn. I had not. Lauryn worked for Chic-fil-A and was helping open a new location in Miami. She worked the week and missed her family so much she decided to drive home on Saturday night even though she had to be back by Monday morning. Jill told me that Lauryn was in a pretty bad car accident while on her way home, was currently on life support, and was not doing well. As far as she knew Lauryn was unresponsive. In my mind, none of that mattered. She was a fighter and was going to make it. I had settled on that. I was shakin' up sure, but not distraught because there was no doubt in my mind that she would pull through. First, I prayed and prayed for God to heal her. Then, I remember calling Julie, another amazing young woman I have had the privilege to lead and told her what happened. She was in countless small groups with Lauryn, shared her room and her heart with Lauryn on summer trips, and loved her very much too. Julie was of course upset too, but like me, felt as though Lauryn was too strong not to make it through.
I carried on with my day not too worried until that evening, when everything changed. I got the news that even after surgery (to release the pressure on her brain), Lauryn was not responding. Her family had made the tough decision to remove her from life support the next morning. I lost it. I was a mess. I had always been one to hold it together and at least put on a smile until I was in the privacy of my own house, but I was wrecked. I was in shock and denial and I was mad. Mad that it happened and mad that she was not being healed. I was even mad that her family had decided to take her off of life support. I felt like it was too soon, like she just needed some time. I have since realized that her family of course had more information and I'm certain their decision was not without prayerful consideration and guidance. I've changed a lot since those days, I've gained a lot more knowledge about life and that sometimes His will is not our will and like her senior bible verse says, "His ways are not ours."
Her funeral was on my birthday and while selfishly, I really didn't want it to be on that day, I could not have thought of a better place to be that day then to be celebrating the life of someone amazing.
Oh how I miss Lauryn and wish we could do lunch tomorrow. She was something special and I will forever remember the amazing young woman she was.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The "One Parent Thing"
Well here I am. Day 6 of doing the "one parent thing," as Tonya, my friend and military wife calls it. It only takes one trip to Matt's facebook page to see how much we miss our man. What's pretty awesome though is, we're doing great, much better then I thought we would! Kids have been fabulous and excluding night 1... they've been sleeping amazing! The support and prayers are being felt around here and we are so thankful for the people in our lives who have been loving on us in so many ways.
We've been keeping pretty busy but we've also been spending a lot of time at home. What's really weird is that the house is actually clean! Well, "I have two kids 2 and under" clean. We won't attest that to the absence of Daddy, but it sure makes me wonder... j/k honey! :)
I kind of made a decision at the beginning of this journey into the "one parent thing," that I would more than just survive these 10 days. I wanted to be able to look back and say, "you know what, I did it and I enjoyed it, and I could do it again." Now, it's only day 6, but I am feeling that way thus far. I'm not going to lie, this has not been easy! There have been moments when I just need a minute! And there have been a few car rides, because honestly, sometimes you just gatta strap em' in their car seats and drive straight to Starbucks!! I'll admit to doing that 3 times so far, but I still have at least 2 more cups of coffee waiting for me on a gift card so we'll see what my totals look like at the end of this journey.
I will confess, I miss my husband and I miss him for more than just the help he is to me around this place. I miss his company and his silly-ness, his warmth and his touch, and I totally miss seeing him in his Daddy role.
It's only 10 days and I know there are so many wives around the world that have to say goodbye for weeks, months, and years at a time, and those woman have been added to my prayers!!! The sacrifices that families in the military make amaze me, and to all of those families I am grateful.
This time for me has opened my eyes to how much God can make up for all we are lacking especially as parents (even if it is your other half) if we rely on Him to do it. I'm also a lot more aware of just how strong I am and that with prayer, patience, coffee, and more prayer, I can just about do anything (even be alone for 10 days with a sassy, determined, nutty "just like her mama" almost 1 year old and a 2 year old who is starting to enter the, "I know better than mommy" stage).
Part of it for me too is knowing that Matt is somewhere with purpose. He's not just on vacation or something. He's part of a team who is working hard to help change lives. I'm so proud of him for the work he is doing and the sacrifices that he has made to be where he is now. He's an amazing man and we will support him in every way we can. I feel like one of the best ways for me to show him that support is by making sure he knows his family is safe, happy, and taken care of. And we truly are thanks to good family, friends, and a body of believers who loves us like their own. When I married Matt, I was all in and when you marry a pastor, this is the kind of thing you are signing up for (and many other things too)!!!
All in all, like the famous quote says, "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" has held true to me, but I will have to give the glory to God on this one. He has seen me through and I'm confident that we're going to make it another 4 days! His power is unending and He is faithful.
Can't wait to see you honey! We love and miss you!!
We've been keeping pretty busy but we've also been spending a lot of time at home. What's really weird is that the house is actually clean! Well, "I have two kids 2 and under" clean. We won't attest that to the absence of Daddy, but it sure makes me wonder... j/k honey! :)
I kind of made a decision at the beginning of this journey into the "one parent thing," that I would more than just survive these 10 days. I wanted to be able to look back and say, "you know what, I did it and I enjoyed it, and I could do it again." Now, it's only day 6, but I am feeling that way thus far. I'm not going to lie, this has not been easy! There have been moments when I just need a minute! And there have been a few car rides, because honestly, sometimes you just gatta strap em' in their car seats and drive straight to Starbucks!! I'll admit to doing that 3 times so far, but I still have at least 2 more cups of coffee waiting for me on a gift card so we'll see what my totals look like at the end of this journey.
I will confess, I miss my husband and I miss him for more than just the help he is to me around this place. I miss his company and his silly-ness, his warmth and his touch, and I totally miss seeing him in his Daddy role.
It's only 10 days and I know there are so many wives around the world that have to say goodbye for weeks, months, and years at a time, and those woman have been added to my prayers!!! The sacrifices that families in the military make amaze me, and to all of those families I am grateful.
This time for me has opened my eyes to how much God can make up for all we are lacking especially as parents (even if it is your other half) if we rely on Him to do it. I'm also a lot more aware of just how strong I am and that with prayer, patience, coffee, and more prayer, I can just about do anything (even be alone for 10 days with a sassy, determined, nutty "just like her mama" almost 1 year old and a 2 year old who is starting to enter the, "I know better than mommy" stage).
Part of it for me too is knowing that Matt is somewhere with purpose. He's not just on vacation or something. He's part of a team who is working hard to help change lives. I'm so proud of him for the work he is doing and the sacrifices that he has made to be where he is now. He's an amazing man and we will support him in every way we can. I feel like one of the best ways for me to show him that support is by making sure he knows his family is safe, happy, and taken care of. And we truly are thanks to good family, friends, and a body of believers who loves us like their own. When I married Matt, I was all in and when you marry a pastor, this is the kind of thing you are signing up for (and many other things too)!!!
All in all, like the famous quote says, "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" has held true to me, but I will have to give the glory to God on this one. He has seen me through and I'm confident that we're going to make it another 4 days! His power is unending and He is faithful.
Can't wait to see you honey! We love and miss you!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time
It's almost March and I haven't blogged once in February yet! I just can't seem to find the time anymore! Don't get me wrong I have things to say and to write about and I often say to myself, "I should blog about that," but I've got my priorities and I'm sticking to them.
Last time I wrote I mentioned that I joined a Bible study and that I've really been making an effort to keep up with the house and to spend quality time with the ones I love. Since then, I've also made a commitment to get this booty in shape and I must admit, I'm kicking some butt! Today I write to you 10 pounds lighter then I was the last time I blogged and I have to say, I feel so much better already! I've got another 15 pounds to reach my goal and about another 40 days to do it. My goal will bring me right to my sweet princesses' 1st birthday and to my 27th!
It's amazing how much changes in just 1 year. A year ago tomorrow was my baby shower and Monday would put me a year from my preterm labor, my lovely hospital stay, and the news I'd be on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. Those were some of the most challenging days of our lives, but He saw us through and for that we are thankful.
We've had many more challenges over the course of this year, but God is GOOD and He has been so good to us.
This year He has taught me so much about time. How precious it is and how what you choose to do with it will affect the fruit you produce.
Now that I have 2 little ones my eyes have been opened wide to just how important the time I have with them is. They're little now, but they are growing fast and before I know it my influence will be a thing of the past. I don't want to waste a second of the time I have with them now especially on things that are so not important.
I've also realized how important taking time for myself is. Before children, I had no idea what it meant to be fully responsible for someone other than myself. I quickly learned how a baby changes everything, especially in the area of time. Gone are the days of spontaneous movie dates with my hubby or sleeping in or napping or doing whatever I want whenever I want to do it! It is important however for mommies everywhere to have a bit of "me time" to keep the sanity and to keep the person who was before "mommy" alive. How refreshed I feel this week after getting out for Bible study, exercise, and date night!
Finally, I've really started to think about how short our time is. We've heard it before, "life's a vapor," but I don't think we really grasp that in the everyday grind of our lives. The days can be long, but the years are fast and while 27 may be "young" in the eyes of the world, my life is flying by! I can hardly believe I'm a wife and mommy. I still feel 18 (until the end of the day when I crash)!! Ultimately though, I want to make my little life count for something bigger than myself and to do that I've got to live for something other than myself. In the words of Beth Moore, "I want to live in such a way that it would cause others to be surprised to find me any other place then "in Him."
I'm not sure what you do with your time or what you think of the time you have, but we've all got a limited amount of it and realizing that often helps us use it wisely.
I do hope to find the time to blog more often, but like I've said, the time I've been given is precious and at the end of my life I don't want regrets. I want to be able to look back and say I used the time I had wisely.
Happy Weekend All!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Mondays are for Memories
Side note: I'm totally slacking here. I've just been so busy being wife/mommy/homemaker/etc... And I actually feel like I'm doing a pretty good job! Chandler Rae is on the move and is INTO EVERYTHING! I can't take my eyes off of the girl for even a second and we've been really trying to be active so we've been spending a lot of time at the park or outside. Amazingly, I've been keeping up with the house work too and for once, I don't feel like it's swallowing me whole! What's more... I actually joined a bible study (yes, that's right folks, I'm doing something for myself)! Even crazier... I've been reading! Do you even know who I am anymore!?! There just hasn't been enough hours in the day for blogging around here, but at the request of one of my fellow SAHMs I'm trying to work it back into the schedule! This is for you girl!
With that being said... Mondays are for memories and today I'm remembering a day when I once served like crazy for the youth at Journey.
Long story short... I didn't grow up in church, but I started attending (and I use the term attending loosely) my freshman year of high school. It wasn't until my Junior year though that I was 100% sold out for God and his plan for my life. I didn't know much about the Bible, but I knew I wanted to be a part of a story bigger than myself and I wasn't looking back! After high school, I got right into serving in elementary and middle school at church and once I entered into my sophomore year of college I started serving the high school youth.
My time as a "high school sponsor" (aka small group leader and someone for the kids to count on and trust) helped mold me into the person I am today. God grew me and used me in ways I never imagined He could. Some of my favorite times came in a tiny little room in the children's wing of our church with a room full of girls sitting in tiny chairs at a little table with Bibles in hand and hearts open. The memories made and talks had will always be in my heart. I will admit, the job was not always easy! I was stretched, challenged, and sometimes exhausted after long nights in group discussing questions about God and life that I sometimes couldn't answer. I was sometimes emotionally drained after road trips and conferences or dealing with the "drama" that can happen in a youth group, I was sometimes disappointed in decisions made and consequences that followed, but I wouldn't trade a second of the time spent with my girls.
It's crazy now to see the journey's they've all taken and are still on. A few are married and a couple, now moms. Some are in college or pursuing their dreams while others are struggling through life still searching for their calling. Some of the girls I'm still close with, when we talk, it's as if we talk everyday. Others I see on facebook and share comments here and there with. More of them than I'd like, I don't see or talk to at all and that makes me sad. One of them is no longer with us and I'm still in shock over her death. I still love and miss her and wish so badly I could tell her how proud of her I was. Some of my girls are still as in love with their Savior as they were years ago and others have walked away or taken a different path in life. Regardless of where they are now or what they're doing now there will always be a place in my heart just for them.
While these days I'm wife, mommy, and homemaker and unable to serve as a sponsor, I still feel I'm a role model to the girls currently in our high school youth group. I'm not able to have late night convos, or lead bible studies or attend most trips, but I feel that I'm showing them how to be a Proverbs 31 woman (or at least how to try). One day my schedule will open up again and I'll be free to lead and serve and while I miss it so much I know that I'm serving my husband and my children by being the best wife and mommy I can be and I can't get this time with them back!
I'm learning everyday to embrace the season of life I'm in and today I remembered how sweet one season was.
Happy Monday Everyone!
I will hopefully return for more blogging soon. :) Love you, Jill!
With that being said... Mondays are for memories and today I'm remembering a day when I once served like crazy for the youth at Journey.
Long story short... I didn't grow up in church, but I started attending (and I use the term attending loosely) my freshman year of high school. It wasn't until my Junior year though that I was 100% sold out for God and his plan for my life. I didn't know much about the Bible, but I knew I wanted to be a part of a story bigger than myself and I wasn't looking back! After high school, I got right into serving in elementary and middle school at church and once I entered into my sophomore year of college I started serving the high school youth.
My time as a "high school sponsor" (aka small group leader and someone for the kids to count on and trust) helped mold me into the person I am today. God grew me and used me in ways I never imagined He could. Some of my favorite times came in a tiny little room in the children's wing of our church with a room full of girls sitting in tiny chairs at a little table with Bibles in hand and hearts open. The memories made and talks had will always be in my heart. I will admit, the job was not always easy! I was stretched, challenged, and sometimes exhausted after long nights in group discussing questions about God and life that I sometimes couldn't answer. I was sometimes emotionally drained after road trips and conferences or dealing with the "drama" that can happen in a youth group, I was sometimes disappointed in decisions made and consequences that followed, but I wouldn't trade a second of the time spent with my girls.
It's crazy now to see the journey's they've all taken and are still on. A few are married and a couple, now moms. Some are in college or pursuing their dreams while others are struggling through life still searching for their calling. Some of the girls I'm still close with, when we talk, it's as if we talk everyday. Others I see on facebook and share comments here and there with. More of them than I'd like, I don't see or talk to at all and that makes me sad. One of them is no longer with us and I'm still in shock over her death. I still love and miss her and wish so badly I could tell her how proud of her I was. Some of my girls are still as in love with their Savior as they were years ago and others have walked away or taken a different path in life. Regardless of where they are now or what they're doing now there will always be a place in my heart just for them.
While these days I'm wife, mommy, and homemaker and unable to serve as a sponsor, I still feel I'm a role model to the girls currently in our high school youth group. I'm not able to have late night convos, or lead bible studies or attend most trips, but I feel that I'm showing them how to be a Proverbs 31 woman (or at least how to try). One day my schedule will open up again and I'll be free to lead and serve and while I miss it so much I know that I'm serving my husband and my children by being the best wife and mommy I can be and I can't get this time with them back!
I'm learning everyday to embrace the season of life I'm in and today I remembered how sweet one season was.
Happy Monday Everyone!
I will hopefully return for more blogging soon. :) Love you, Jill!
Friday, January 14, 2011
WORD TO YOU MOMS. some humorous advice about daddies
My husband is the best daddy in the world to our two children, Landon (2 years old) and Chandler (9 months, going on 9 years). He is also an awesome husband who would do anything for me and does everyday (like going grocery shopping with me and the kids after he got home from work today and then helping me clean up our very messy [now clean] kitchen)! He pretty much rocks! With that being said, it is a fact that God created men and woman differently, so what that also means is that he created mommies and daddies differently too. And that my friends, is what my silly but so true advice is about today.
We'll just call this... things that all mommies should understand about daddies...
1. Daddies don't know how to be quiet. They make a good effort after being SHHHHed at, but they are not nearly as crazy as mommies when it comes to noise. Mommies will do everything from holding in sneezes to leaving toilets unflushed (even when they should really be flushed) just to keep a napping baby asleep. Tip: Use a white noise machine or fan for white noise. Landon sleeps like a rock through almost anything. Chandler not so much.
2. Daddies are not wired to multitask. It's not that they wouldn't want to, but they just can't. Mommies can make lunch while entertaining the kids, feed them, and then clean up the mess all within 20 minutes. Daddies usually don't work that way, so be happy if your kids get fed and clean up the mess with a smile knowing that your man is doing a great job being a daddy!
3. If your husband offers to watch the kids for you so you can get out be happy! Don't expect the house to be clean when you return. In fact, expect it to look like a DISASTER ZONE, but just be happy your kids are alive when you return. Consider it a bonus if they have fresh diapers and smiles on their faces. And really who are you kidding anyway, the house is pretty much always a DISASTER ZONE anyway.
4. Most daddies are not bothered by a house that is not sparkling. Our daddy is not bothered by a house that looks like a tornado made an appearance. Mommies, on the other hand, start twitching when the house looks awry, the laundry is piled up and the trash can be smelled from across the street! Look on the bright side, at least he's not going around the house doing dust checks or breathing down your neck to get your clean on and be sure to be appreciative if he helps out with the cleaning around the house! My hubby chips in by washing and sometimes folding the laundry and taking the trash out every week. He also helps in other areas whenever he can. It still makes my skin crawl when he leaves shoes in the middle of the floor, but I try not to say anything. If that's all I have to deal with, I'll take it.
5. If you are a stay at home mom (SAHM), sometimes it's hard for daddies to understand that you worked your booty off all day, probably even harder then people who have full time jobs! If you are a mom with a full time job, I surely hope he cuts you some slack!! If your husband is like mine he is always amazing enough to come home and immediately help with the kids. Most nights he helps with baths and bedtime too. I have to admit it might be hard to see what we SAHMs do all day especially when the house sometimes is more of a wreck when daddy gets home then when he left, but we know how hard we work! All it would take is one 10 hour day in our shoes though, and they'd quickly get it.
6. Daddies have the amazing ability to tune out whining and crying. I have to admit, I'm jealous of this one. In the car, Landon could be whining for "his music" or Chandler crying because she wants out of her seat and it doesn't phase Matt at all. Me on the other hand, I can't focus on anything else except for the kids. Forget having a conversation with me. All I can think about is getting out of the car and rescuing Chandler from her car seat. As far as the whining goes... it must come to a stop. Mommy is not a fan and concentration is nearly impossible when whining is present.
There are probably more, but I'll stop here. For the record, this is all in love and just for fun! I had my hubby read this before posting just to make sure he was not offended. I also know that this does not apply to everyone's daddy. I happen to know though that there are at least a few of you who can agree with most of what I posted because we share stories together often. I also happen to know we love our husbands and the daddies they are.
Feel free to add more to the list!! Please do not feel free to make a Jesus Juke!
Happy Friday all!!
We'll just call this... things that all mommies should understand about daddies...
1. Daddies don't know how to be quiet. They make a good effort after being SHHHHed at, but they are not nearly as crazy as mommies when it comes to noise. Mommies will do everything from holding in sneezes to leaving toilets unflushed (even when they should really be flushed) just to keep a napping baby asleep. Tip: Use a white noise machine or fan for white noise. Landon sleeps like a rock through almost anything. Chandler not so much.
2. Daddies are not wired to multitask. It's not that they wouldn't want to, but they just can't. Mommies can make lunch while entertaining the kids, feed them, and then clean up the mess all within 20 minutes. Daddies usually don't work that way, so be happy if your kids get fed and clean up the mess with a smile knowing that your man is doing a great job being a daddy!
3. If your husband offers to watch the kids for you so you can get out be happy! Don't expect the house to be clean when you return. In fact, expect it to look like a DISASTER ZONE, but just be happy your kids are alive when you return. Consider it a bonus if they have fresh diapers and smiles on their faces. And really who are you kidding anyway, the house is pretty much always a DISASTER ZONE anyway.
4. Most daddies are not bothered by a house that is not sparkling. Our daddy is not bothered by a house that looks like a tornado made an appearance. Mommies, on the other hand, start twitching when the house looks awry, the laundry is piled up and the trash can be smelled from across the street! Look on the bright side, at least he's not going around the house doing dust checks or breathing down your neck to get your clean on and be sure to be appreciative if he helps out with the cleaning around the house! My hubby chips in by washing and sometimes folding the laundry and taking the trash out every week. He also helps in other areas whenever he can. It still makes my skin crawl when he leaves shoes in the middle of the floor, but I try not to say anything. If that's all I have to deal with, I'll take it.
5. If you are a stay at home mom (SAHM), sometimes it's hard for daddies to understand that you worked your booty off all day, probably even harder then people who have full time jobs! If you are a mom with a full time job, I surely hope he cuts you some slack!! If your husband is like mine he is always amazing enough to come home and immediately help with the kids. Most nights he helps with baths and bedtime too. I have to admit it might be hard to see what we SAHMs do all day especially when the house sometimes is more of a wreck when daddy gets home then when he left, but we know how hard we work! All it would take is one 10 hour day in our shoes though, and they'd quickly get it.
6. Daddies have the amazing ability to tune out whining and crying. I have to admit, I'm jealous of this one. In the car, Landon could be whining for "his music" or Chandler crying because she wants out of her seat and it doesn't phase Matt at all. Me on the other hand, I can't focus on anything else except for the kids. Forget having a conversation with me. All I can think about is getting out of the car and rescuing Chandler from her car seat. As far as the whining goes... it must come to a stop. Mommy is not a fan and concentration is nearly impossible when whining is present.
There are probably more, but I'll stop here. For the record, this is all in love and just for fun! I had my hubby read this before posting just to make sure he was not offended. I also know that this does not apply to everyone's daddy. I happen to know though that there are at least a few of you who can agree with most of what I posted because we share stories together often. I also happen to know we love our husbands and the daddies they are.
Feel free to add more to the list!! Please do not feel free to make a Jesus Juke!
Happy Friday all!!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Word on the street is... TLC will be bringing us more Extreme Coupon-ers!!
If you caught my blog last week about TLCs Extreme Coupon-ers special then you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't you can read it here.
Turns out TLC's ratings were off the chart when their special about four of America's most extreme coupon-ers aired that they have now decided to turn it into a series! According to CNN there are 12 more half-hour episodes on the way!
I'm personally excited about it because after I watched the special, I was so motivated to get my coupon-ing booty in gear that I saved over $200 the next time we shopped! In some ways I can see how the special and the up-coming shows can make a bad reputation for coupon-ing in general, but I kind of like it. Jenny, the creator of Southern Savers (a coupon site I frequent) shares her opinion here. She has actually been approached to do such a show, but has turned them down for her own reasons and she shares why on her blog.
From what I've read the series will be debuting in the Spring. I will certainly be on the look out for air dates and times and I'll be sure to share if and when I find them out!
Turns out TLC's ratings were off the chart when their special about four of America's most extreme coupon-ers aired that they have now decided to turn it into a series! According to CNN there are 12 more half-hour episodes on the way!
I'm personally excited about it because after I watched the special, I was so motivated to get my coupon-ing booty in gear that I saved over $200 the next time we shopped! In some ways I can see how the special and the up-coming shows can make a bad reputation for coupon-ing in general, but I kind of like it. Jenny, the creator of Southern Savers (a coupon site I frequent) shares her opinion here. She has actually been approached to do such a show, but has turned them down for her own reasons and she shares why on her blog.
From what I've read the series will be debuting in the Spring. I will certainly be on the look out for air dates and times and I'll be sure to share if and when I find them out!
Happy Friday all!
And than you so much Sarah Morgan for sharing the 411 on this. You know me too well!!
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