bees and their cousins

Before I begin, let me just say that I don't write these stories with a smile. Others have found them amusing so I choose to share them. A feeling of panic and a raised heartbeat is my first reaction when thinking about being around bees or anything in the bee family that stings of course. I am not allergic. I wish I was. That way my fear would be justified. I have been stung a few times as a kid and I didn't cry and it wasn't traumatic that I remember. I think my fear developed somewhere between high school and college. My husband always gets so irritated with me when I freak out over such a silly thing. But I can't help it. I've actually learned how to be calm and not flip out completely, but the fear is the same as it was 10 years ago. My friend Kady feels the same way about sharks. I'm so jealous. I never see sharks. That would be the best fear if I were to pick one. Anyway, here are some stories that have happened in the last couple years...

Amy's Farm -

On a sunny Thursday in March, I took my girls to learn about farm life with my MOPS group. At the time, Winter was about 1 and Mya was 2. I brought my double stroller to haul around my toddlers and all the stuff that came with them. Winter was eating pieces of turkey and cheese in the stroller. Mya was walking around with her sippy cup. I noticed a wasp buzzing near by. It started buzzing around the stroller so I grabbed it and quickly backed up to get away. It persisted, landing a few times on the cheese Winter was eating. Another mom commented that wasps like meat and cheese, a new fact to me. So I took the cheese and turkey and threw it as far as I could. I nearly hit another mom who yelled, "Don't throw it at me!" I apologized while still trying to get the stroller away from the wasp. It then took interest in Mya's sippy cup and landed on the top of it. I quickly knocked it out of her hand and picked her up. The wasp then started charging the 3 of us. It began to dart around a bit and seemed like it had a purpose. I was trying to zigzag with the stroller one handed while carrying Mya on my hip. I lost my footing and slipped on the dirt and fell face forward while holding Mya. I put my hands and arms under her to break her fall and managed to bring the stroller down backwards at the same time. Mya cried, Winter cried, and I was all scraped up and bleeding. It was a sight. Somehow, through an act of God I'm convinced, the wasp was knocked to the ground as I fell. Another mom friend quickly stepped on it and reported back to me that it was dead. I heard an encouraging comment from another mom friend telling me that she would have done the same thing. They helped me to my feet and picked the stroller up with my crying 1 year old in it. Someone took her out and held her to comfort her. I tried to soothe Mya while I recovered from the horror of it all. This all happened in under a minute but I can still remember it vividly. We all survived and managed to enjoy the rest of our day with the cows and chickens.

Bees on the windshield -

A few July's ago, I was planning a surprise party for my Hubby. I was moving long tables and chairs from my house to my friends' house (the party location) down the street. I borrowed my mother-in-law's SUV to carry everything while she watched the girls for me. So I'm driving down the street with all four windows down when my windshield is pelted by about 50 little somethings. My mind immediately went where it always does and I prayed that it was anything but that. I looked behind me to see about 3 or 4 bees crawling on the tables behind me. I immediately went in to panic mode. I looked for a place to pull the car over as I saw another one on my seat inches away from my left shoulder. I leaned forward while squealing something like a prayer or a curse word. I quickly parked crookedly on the side of the road and jumped out. I checked my clothes and took a few deep breaths. Crap. What was I going to do now? I had a car full of bees and a bunch of tables and chairs to deliver. I stood there trying to calm down for a few minutes then tried to think of a plan. I took off my flip flop and started killing them one by one. They were a little stunned from being hit with the windshield so that worked to my advantage. I checked the car over and over until finally deciding to get back in. I couldn't stay on the side of the road all day after all. So off I went. I was still checking behind me and all around while driving the last half mile to my location. Then I noticed a bee on my shoulder! I knocked it to the floor with my hand and stomped on it. Still panicking, I pulled in the driveway and jumped out of the car again. I was frantic when my friends opened the door. They looked at me with sympathy and a smile as I told them what happened. That is pretty much my worst nightmare in a nutshell.

Bee encounter at the carwash -

I took my car to the carwash to get an oil change that came with a free car wash. The guy called me over when he finished drying it and I gave him a $2 tip and got in. Ah, so nice a clean smelling. I love a clean car. Then I heard a faint buzzing coming from the backseat. I looked behind me and there it was, a bee flying around the back window. I jumped out of the car and yelled for the guy that I just tipped. "Excuse me!" I said in a desperate voice. "There's a bee in my car." I was hoping he would take pity on me but he just looked at me like I was stupid. I quickly added, "I'm allergic." A total lie, but it just came out. "Ooooh" he said and nodded. He came over, opened the door and shewed it out. Then he said with a smile, "Okay?" I thanked him and hesitantly got back in. I should have given him a bigger tip. I'm sure bee removal is not part of his job. I looked behind me the whole way home.

Bee-flicking

This summer we've spent many hours by the pool. I love and hate the pool because it is such a great place for the girls to hang out with their friends and get really nice and tired before nap time. I enjoy a good dip as well. However, the pool area always comes with bees unfortunately. But I try not to let my fear of bees interfere with my life too much. So the other day, I told my friend to send her kids over and I would watch them while she finished up a project. All the kids were hanging out, totally oblivious to all the bees lurking in the flowery bushes, but I am always on the lookout. I noticed one flying around my friend's kid's feet. It landed on her toe. Crap. Normally I would just tell her mom, hey there's a bee on your kid's toe and let her take care of it but I couldn't do that. She was my responsibility. I yelled at her not to move. I quickly went over there and filled with fear, said a quick prayer and flicked it off her toe. The bee flew away and I saved her toe. This was so huge for me. I was so pleased with myself. A very proud moment I will not forget. Another friend at the pool commented "good job." I beamed and thanked her. Well done Amie.





*These stories are dedicated to my friend Caitlin who is actually allergic to bees and can appreciate my fear.

I had to share Caitlin's reply. Made me laugh because it is something I would totally do:  "Oh, man! Those bastards, they make total fools of us! I pulled over on the highway once because I heard bees buzzing in my car. Turned out to be my phone vibrating in the cup holder..."

thrifty gift giving

Our family is living on one income since I am a stay-at-home mom. And even if you have two incomes, times are tough. I don’t know anyone that has endless amounts of money to be spending on gifts. Gift giving is fun and it is the way many of us show we care. But it doesn’t have to be expensive. It seems like at this stage in my life, all my friends are either getting married, having babies or having birthday parties for the kids they already have. So, I’ve seen a huge increase in the number of gifts we give each month. Here are a few things I’ve started doing in the last few years that have really saved us money and brought out my creative side.

-I save all ribbons, bags and tissue paper in good shape. Baskets make great gift holders too. I save any boxes, cute containers or things that can be used to “wrap” a gift. I'm into making crafts these days so I keep my eye out for anything that can be glued to a present or a craft to make it look even cuter. I even save scraps of clothing so I can cut them into shapes like hearts and stars. I know I go a little overboard but you get the point.

-Trader Joe’s bags turned inside out (or other paper bags) can be used as gift wrap with some string or bows to decorate. You can even sign the brown paper with a special note or draw pictures on it for kids. For the gifts below, I used a ribbon I received with a gift last Christmas and a flower I saved from something else. On Mason's present, I just used scrabble pieces I had from another craft and black card stock as a background. I drew a baseball on the front and back because he's into that these days. The box that is holding his toys is a shoebox. They are both wrapped in Trader Joe's paper bags.

 

-Save cool cards. You never know when you can use part of a card as a cute decoration. Or even reuse the card for another card. My family makes cards so I reuse their cards a lot. Also, I’m not a big believer in buying cards. It’s totally fine if you are. I just see no point in spending $5 on something that will be thrown away the next day, especially when it comes to kids’ birthdays. You know they could care less about the card. They want the gift man! The parents are always reminding them to read the card first. I like to use some card stock or construction paper, fold it in half, punch a hole in it and tie it to the gift with ribbon or tape it to the box. It’s cute and thrifty. It looks like you took the time to make something rather than just buying something. I also have scissors that make cute cuts like zigzags too. They were a couple of bucks. Great investment. I use them all the time. I also have a lot of construction paper and card stock from when I used to do scrapbooking. You can make cards out of that as well. I have a ton of sharpies. You can never have enough sharpies, black or colored. They make everything just a little bit more awesome. The best craft investment I've ever made was my mini glue gun. It was just a few bucks and I use it all the time. I use it to fix things too. Here are some cards that I've saved to use with another gift in the future. You can frame the front picture of the card with card stock and slap it on the front of a gift bag or box to dress it up.

-If you couldn't guess, I'm a total regifter. When I get something as a gift that I know I won't use, I throw it in my gift box, an entire storage container dedicated to gifts. You have to have somewhere to keep all of your goodies like things you find on sale or gifts you want to “recycle.” Same goes for baby shower gifts. I received a few things I already had at my last baby shower so I put them in the gift box for the next baby shower. Aint no shame ladies! Save where you can.

-I don’t give many adult birthday gifts because adults don’t usually throw birthday parties. Most of my gifts consist of kid birthdays, baby showers and bridal showers, in that order. Let’s start with kids birthdays. 

-I always keep an eye out for good sales or clearances. Think about what birthdays are coming up and see if you can use the sale to your advantage. For example, Old Navy just had a 4^th of July sale on their kids clothes. Tanks and shorts were $2 a piece! I got some for my daughters but I totally forgot about my niece’s birthday that is just around the corner. I could have gotten her a $10 birthday present consisting of 2 adorable summer outfits and some flip flops (also on sale for just $1) Man, I totally blew that one.  Also, kids don’t care about where you get their presents. Whether it is toys, clothes, books etc., you can find some great cheap stuff at places like Walmart. I just went there the other day because I overspent at the beginning of the month so I’m down to the end of my budget with 2 birthdays and a shower coming up. I got a 7 year old boy several fun toys for $7 total. I love shopping for boys. They totally appreciate things like silly string, rubber snakes, light up bouncy balls and silly putty. All $1 at Walmart :D Another fun gift is tokens to use at chuck e cheese or a gift card for tokens. Kids love that place. And you don’t have to take them! :D

-When it comes to baby showers and bridal showers, it’s always nice to get something off of the registry. But that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank people! Leave the pricey stuff for the family. There are so many options for baby showers. You can spend $10 on their registry and add a few other cute things that are inexpensive but useful. Diaper cakes are always fun if you have that kind of time and talent. I made one out of diapers I had saved from my last kid. I added some ribbons and little things that didn’t cost much like pacifiers, receiving blankets, baby toys etc. I don’t think I spent more than $10-$15 and it looked awesome. It’s all about presentation. Save all baskets. They come in handy for baby showers. Just throw the stuff in a basket, dress it up and voila, a crafty cute gift just like that. Even if you don’t buy off of the registry, people always appreciate practical things like baby shampoo, powder, cream, burp cloths, socks, bottles, wipes etc. They are all relatively cheap. I like to check the clearance section at target to see if I can grab something cool to add to the gift for cheap.

A great gift I've been doing for baby showers and bridal showers lately is something I found on Pinterest of course. It's a daily calendar that can be reused each year and gets better the longer you use it. Each day you write the year and something that happened that day like, "(Child's name) took her first steps.

Here is the pinterest pic. It explains it pretty well.

 

 

Here is a pic of one I just made.

 

 

I make them a little fancier than the one on pinterest. It's a gift after all. For this one, I found a little basket in the dollar bins at Target. It was blue with a pink heart so I painted it beige with a black heart and glued a ribbon around it. I used some scrabble tiles I got at Michael's a while ago to spell out the last name. And I used card stock to label the months of the year. I put a little card in it with instructions. I spent about $3 on the whole thing. These are fun because you can decorate them however you want with whatever you have in your craft supplies. Even if you're not crafty, these are not hard to make at all. It just takes a little paint and glue. These are great for baby showers too. 

-The next bridal shower I am going to is for a friend at church. I am making the calendar mentioned above for a couple bucks and I added a super cute lacey pink lingerie set I found at Walmart of all places. I wasn’t even shopping for her at the time but I was there and thought, hmmm, I wonder what they have. It’s totally something I would wear and it looks like something you could find for $50 or more somewhere else. There are so many weddings in the summer. If I spent $40-$50 (easy to do once you add up the gift, wrapping or a bag, ribbon and a card) on everyone, I could be spending $100 a month on showers alone! Add in the wedding present and forget about it. Unless you are really making good money, no one can afford that. Throw in a couple of kids’ birthdays and you’re going to have to live on pasta and beans for the month or charge up your credit card. Neither one sounds fun to me.

-I have found that if I want to be a thrifty gift giver, I must plan ahead. I mark all birthdays for the year on my calendar. Make a note of each birthday party you are invited to. Chances are,  you will be invited again next year. Each month, look at all the birthdays coming up on the calendar and pencil in those Evites for showers and get a gift list going. Or just make a mental note to keep an eye out for some good deals. I love making lists. I go to Michael’s arts and crafts store for my pads of paper with magnets on the back. They are usually $1 or even 2 for $1 sometimes. I keep 3 on my fridge. One for groceries, one for my to do list and one for gifts. Make a list somewhere of the gifts that you need to buy that month. Add it in to your budget. It is also a smart idea to have a “gift budget” you can spend monthly. That way you know exactly how much you can spend on each person.

-Out of towners are a little tricky because you can’t fit much in a card. For young kids, stickers are a great idea. Also, a $5 ice cream gift certificate is a huge hit. Everyone loves ice cream. Kids get so excited about it. For teenagers, they are all about the cash. I like to do $10 itunes gift cards. Or you could do a bunch of $1 bills. That makes it look like so much more :D Kids like $2 bills too. You can get those at the bank. Older folks like grandparents appreciate pictures of the family. Movie tickets are also fun. You can get two tickets for $15 at Costco. Scratchers are a fun idea too. I would love to get something like that for my birthday! And they are only $1.

-This one is kind of extra credit as a gift giver. Pay attention to your friends and family. They will mention something they really like or that they don’t have and sometimes it is really inexpensive. Make a note of it somewhere. It may not be costly but it will mean more to them than something you spent a lot of money on because you were listening and you remembered. My friend Karla is the most thoughtful gift giver. She travels a lot with her husband. Whenever she sees something that reminds her of me she gets it and saves it for my birthday or Christmas. I always look forward to her gifts because I know I’m going to love them. The last one consisted of a really cute pen that I use all the time, and some really yummy smelling soaps she got a hotel she stayed at. Her gifts are always made up of 4 or 5 small gifts which I love. Another good gift for close friends and family members is a burnt CD. If you know what kind of music they like, burn them your favorite songs for any occasion. It's a good birthday present for a mom, sister, brother, bff etc. It's also a nice thank you present when someone does something so nice is warrants a thank you card. 

*Everything mentioned above also applies to Christmas, maybe even more so than any other time of year.

Christmas time is a big bank breaker for everyone. A lot of families have instituted things like secret santa or a white elephant gift exchange to save money. Rather than buying presents for everyone, you just buy one present. At my family get together each year, we have about 30 people. We do a white elephant gift exchange for $20 max. (So does my husband’s family) The only kids are mine and my brother’s so people buy for the kids but no adults. If your family is still not on the white elephant or secret santa bandwagon, it’s time to institute it. It was super easy to do with my family. Everyone was so relieved that they didn’t have to buy for everyone. It is expensive and it's a pain to try to think of good gifts for everyone. Bring it up. I’m sure everyone will be on board.

Homemade presents are always allowed at our get-togethers if we are so inclined. I’ve done mini zucchini bread loaves with pretty wrapping. My sister has made spaghetti sauce a few years in a row now. She puts them in a mason jar with a cute note. That’s a great one. And my brother-in-law has done fudge for a few years. There are lots of inexpensive food items such as homemade candy, chocolate covered pretzels, homemade syrup for coffee, cookie mix in a jar, cookies and so on. Pretty much anything you can package is fair game. Neighbors and coworkers are great recipients of homemade gifts as well. Pinterst.com has endless, awesome homemade gift ideas that save lots of money while showing people you thought of them. And for wrapping, hit up the $1 store, Michael’s or Walmart for cute Christmas bags or cellophane to wrap your homemade gifts. That is unless you have planned ahead and saved tons of gift wrap and ribbons from last year ;-) Here are some of my favorites I've pinned and used:

Bake a mini loaf and put it on a frame as a plate. Put the recipe in the frame.

 



 

Cookie mixes in a jar with the instructions.

 

 

Cookies in a spaghetti container.

 

 

Salted caramel hot chocolate mix in a jar.

 

 

Homemade presents were started by children so don’t forget to make presents with your kids. I love getting decorated picture frame ornaments from my nieces and nephews. We get to hang them on the tree each year and watch them grow up through the different pictures. We have the kind of tree that is mostly homemade ornaments we've received.

Christmas is also a great time to share Christ with your non-believing family members. Simple things like cards with messages from scripture or crafts made by your kids that include baby Jesus in a manger are pretty common so why not take advantage of the season?! :D Even better if you have little ones. No one can say no to a homemade craft from a child.

Well that is everything. Don't be overwhelmed. You have to start somewhere. My collection of crafts has been built up through the years. Just remember these few things that will help you save money:

1. Save anything that can be used to wrap gifts including brown paper bags.
2. Keep an eye out for sales and clearances where you can score good birthday and shower gifts.
3. Don't be afraid to check out thrifty places like Walmart the next time you need a good gift for cheap.
4. Plan ahead. Mark your calendar and create a gift budget.
5. Check out Pinterest.com for great homemade gift ideas.
6. Release your creative monster and start gifting!
 

good advice (part two)

Reminder: As stated in my blog profile, please think of my blogs as notes to self rather than how tos. If I come across preachy, I'm just preachin' to myself and if someone else benefits from it, great :D

The second great piece of advice that has come in handy is this:

Have a plan.

This advice was given at my MOPS group called GUM. (Growing Up Mom) We had a panel of couples from our church answer tough parenting questions. One of the moms of 3 boys, now preteens and teenagers, learned that life was so much easier if she planned ahead. This applies to going on outings and the way you handle situations requiring discipline. Before that day, I hadn't really thought of having a plan for discipline. I just always disciplined when there was an offense committed. I kind of planned ahead for other things like outings, trips to the grocery store etc. but never really thought about it or made a point to have a plan.

Simple right? Simple to say. Hard to do. Having a plan is especially not easy for those who like to "wing it." But winging it with kids is pretty miserable. Especially when you are at Target with no snacks and two hungry cranky little ones about to melt down at the check out. Things can go so much smoother if you plan ahead. For me, this means, lots of snacks and anticipating what will make my kids freak out. For instance, I know to completely avoid the toy section at all costs, unless of course I am going to pick out a birthday present. In that case, there needs to be a conversation ahead of time that there will be no freak-outs and letting the girls know exactly what we are going to do and what I expect of them. This is not fool proof, but you would be surprised at what your little ones are capable of... good and bad :-)

Planning ahead can be applied to all kinds of situations. If you haven't discovered it yet, people have patterns. My little girls can be pretty predictable. I know most of the time what to expect from each one because they have done it over and over. I know that Winter will flip out if she doesn't get to sit in the front of the cart. I know Mya will cry if I don't let her put the groceries onto the checkout counter. I know what makes them happy and what makes them sad. I know that Winter is tempted to do many awful things like dumping her drink mid shopping trip or picking up something breakable and throwing it to see if it will break. I know that Mya will have to use the potty "right now mommy" as I've grabbed the last item on my list and the cart is full. If you can predict things your kids will do, then you can probably prevent little disasters and mishaps. For example, I've learned to put Winter up front in the cart without question. That is her spot. Mya has learned that. I never give Winter anything besides water in a sippy cup. I keep all breakable items (like eggs) out of reach. I've learned to use the potty first thing when we walk in the store, even if she just went potty at home 5 minutes ago. And Mya's job is to load all the groceries onto the checkout counter. Winter helps too. I've learned not to go before dinner time or if I do, bring something for them to eat.

This all sounds like common sense, but for me it took a few times to learn that planning ahead was necessary. Sometimes, I would feel adventurous or stubborn and try to hurriedly "wing it" and everyone would suffer.

Now, coming up with a plan for discipline, that is a lot harder. Even though the girls are predictable, and I know how they are going to react to a spanking, a time-out, a toy removal etc., it is still hard to make a plan for how you will discipline. I am usually angry when I need to discipline because someone has ticked me off by doing something I have disciplined her for over and over. Like hitting her sister, pulling hair, getting into mommy's make-up, stealing a toy from her sister, writing on things (not paper) with pen, or not listening the first time when I tell her to do something. These are pretty common offences in my house. I don't know what other kids are like but I imagine their lists are similar. I know that these things are going to happen over and over again.

So, here's my plan for making a plan: I need to sit down and write them out one by one and think of a good punishment for each of them and actually follow through with it. I am usually tired or doing something else so I let things slide. That is a problem. A plan cannot help unless it is followed. Careful consideration must be taken when disciplining a child. It must be done calmly and consistently. And afterward, it needs to be talked about and we need to hug it out and tell each other, I love you. That way, my girls know that I love them when they are good AND bad.

Unfortunately, little people are extremely observant. They pick up on everything. They see us acting a certain way and think it is okay to act that way. So leading by example is also important when I discipline. I can't expect them to be calm and rational if I'm running around like a crazy person, spanking and screaming, listen to me!! That is why I need a plan. So that when they are teaming up on me, I can handle them one by one calmly, the way I planned. Sounds so easy doesn't it? Ha! It is so not. But practice makes perfect.

I know that this stuff comes easier for some than others. I am a planner. I love planning. So this falls right in my area of expertise. Unfortunately, I lack expertise and patience when it comes to childrearing but I'm learning! No one is expected to be a perfect parent, or even close. But if we are not improving, we are getting worse. I would like to think that I am improving a tiny bit each day, well maybe like a tiny bit each month. But when I think back to when I first brought my little Mya home, I have learned A TON since then. So that's comforting. Baby steps :-)

good advice (part one)

I've been thinking a lot lately about two pieces of advice I received a while ago that have been extremely helpful lately.

The first piece of advice is this: Have a CAN DO attitude.

I was talking with a fellow mom at church (who some of you know) who had 5 little ones including a set of twins who were under 2 at the time. She always seemed like everything was okay and she could handle it. She never sweated the small stuff and seemed to just keep trucking along with a smile on her face. I asked her, "How do you do it? I seem to be barely surviving with 2!" (I had a 2-year-old and a 6 month old at the time) Her wise reply was short and simple. "I try to have a can do attitude." She said with a smile, slightly winded from pushing her twins in a double stroller up the hill. I think I said something like, "hmmm." I needed to think about that one.

That is easier said than done. How does one just have a can do attitude about kids or life for that matter? It's not easy and it takes work but it can be achieved. Like anything, it takes practice and lots of prayer. At the time, I didn't think it was possible for me. I simply put it in the back of my mind to store with all the advice I had received from other wiser moms. I have always been a glass-half-full kind of girl so I know I'm not the only mom who suffers from a negative attitude most days.

There are so many reasons to dwell on the little things that make you mad, upset, defeated, angry etc. I listened to an awesome sermon last Sunday given by my pastor, Ed Underwood, at Church of the Open Door. It was on the book of Philippians. The message was simply that you can't let your circumstances steal your joy. There are those who are constantly upset because of what is happening to them. Then there are those who are always looking at the silver lining no matter how bad their circumstances. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, tortured, you name it. But he was always thinking of others. I'm not 100% sure about this but I did read all of Paul's letters and I do not recall a complaint. This is because his focus was not on himself. And he was a flesh and blood man. It's easy for people to say, "Of course Jesus could do it, he's God!" But this guy was just like you and me and he demonstrated exactly how we are to live our lives.

It has taken me about 4 years to figure out that this is the secret to good parenting. At least I feel that it is. I'm sure there are other secrets out there but this has really helped. And it's funny because I've been given this advice more than once and let it go in one ear and out the other. I should have grabbed it and really used it before now but oh well, live and learn right?

Having this kind of attitude is a process. You can't just wake up one day and change your attitude. It takes work. I've prayed for God to change my attitude because I can't do it on my own. I need to start my day with God, even if it is just a small prayer like, "Lord give me strength and patience to get through today. And please keep reminding me that raising my girls is a super important job that you have given me the privilege of doing." It also helps to do things that encourage positive thinking, like little bible verses on the fridge or keeping a journal or a list of all the good things that are happening and forgetting the bad ones that get me in a tizzy. I keep note pads around the house and just write down funny, amusing, sweet things that my kids do or that someone else did for me like my husband picking roses from the back yard and putting them in a vase for me before leaving for work. Those things help me count my blessings instead of my grievances. Also, something I haven't done yet but plan to do is to have a pad of paper on the fridge where I write one thing I am thankful for that day. It can be anything. Sometimes I remember what it was like to do dishes by hand and am so thankful for my dishwasher! Little things like that keep things in perspective.  

Like Paul did, we have to think of others in order to avoid feeling sorry for ourselves. I need to constantly remind myself that my kids are my priority. I need to be thinking of them instead of myself. That is hard to do a lot of the time because they have so many tiny needs. But if I think of them as little people being shaped for the future my thought process when disciplining, or even just helping them finish a puzzle or dress a baby doll becomes important and not just some dumb thing I have to do again. That goes for my husband and other family members. If I put them first and do the things they need, it does nothing but help my attitude and let them know they are loved. It's a win win!

I write these blogs to remind myself of these things. I think even if no one read it, I would still blog. It's therapeutic and helpful. We are all learning things every day. I love asking for advice from women I really respect. Next time I just may take it the first time!

camping

Monday through Thursday we went on a family adventure to a lake just outside of Yosemite called Saddlebag lake. I say adventure because one cannot vacation with small children. It's best to just think of it as an adventure. And that is just what it was. The girls got to get down and dirty the whole time without worrying about getting their clothes or faces messed up.

To our dogs, Otter & Twitch, retrieving things in the water is pure heaven. So we did some of that too.

 

 

We went fishing and Mya got to real her first fish in. She was a little leery of what was on the other end but she came around. And we had fish appetizers for dinner that night.

Dan got to eat many of his favorite foods like bacon, ribs and steak so that made him happy.

 

 

Winter's belly was not a fan of the altitude or the food, not quite sure which. She ended up puking 2 out of 3 nights BUT did not get any in her bed or on her clothes so I was happy about that. Dan's glasses broke but not all the way. He still had one ear piece to hold them on his face :-) I have over 20 masquito bites so I have learned to use spray next time. We hiked, fished, played, ate and sat in front of a camp fire.

AND we got to see a billion more stars than we see on a normal night at home. There were a few meltdowns but definitely more smiling than frowning.

 

We came home and immediately took baths and showers. It feels so good to get clean when you're 3-night-camping dirty. I have several loads of laundry to do but it was so worth it.

All in all, it was an amazing trip. The girls did great and Dan and I enjoyed some good family time. Next year will be more of an adventure with a 7 month old. Maybe we'll take an RV.

less is more

What to expect when you have little ones...

 

take a little less

give a little more

groom a little less

snuggle a little more

relax a little less

worry a little more

exercise a little less

care a little more

dine a little less

hug a little more 

clean a little less

laugh a little more

obsess a little less

wish a little more

sleep a little less

tickle a little more

trust a little less

pray a little more

hate a little less

love a little more

 

 

 

let the sunshine in

I am a sun person. I love the spring and summer. I am twice as happy in those months. I don’t do well in the fall and winter. It’s a good thing Christmas falls in the middle. Otherwise, my mood would be pretty stinky November through February. When I think of all of my happy places they all involve lots of sunshine. The beach, laying out by the pool, riding on a boat, wakeboarding and snorkeling in Hawaii and Thailand. (I looooove snorkeling. There is something so peaceful about being underwater where there is no sound just looking at all of God’s beautiful underwater creations.)

The 4^th of July is another favorite of mine. We had so much fun Thursday. We enjoyed swimming, face painting, hitting piñatas, eating cotton candy, barbequing outside with all the neighbors, blowing bubbles, drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and riding bikes… all while being warmed by the summer sun.

People are known to be happier in the sun. There are always those people who say they love the rain and snow the best but if we don’t get much sun, our mood starts to get dark, just like the weather. It’s how we are made. As human beings, we need sunshine to function happily.

I feel the same way about my relationship with God. If I am in the word, reading a devotion or listening to Christian music, my mood automatically starts to get better. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Prayer and worship gives me a peace that it hard to explain. It’s just something you have to experience to know I guess.

When I am not in communication with the Lord, my mood becomes just like it does when it is raining outside; heavy, dark and frustrated with others around me. As long as I let that sunshine in, I feel the peace and happiness that comes with the Holy Spirit. He reminds me as I go about my day that there really is no need to be so grumpy. I have so much to be thankful for and I am so blessed.



cheerful giver

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

When I read 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8, it has different meaning than it used to when I was in my teens and 20's. I had so much time to myself that I was bored, looking for things to do most of the time. Now that I have a family, my time is not my own and there is not a whole lot to go around. I used to hear adults say that there were just not enough hours in the day and think, man if the day was any longer, I would die of boredom. I totally get it now. So when I read the passage above, I can see that it is not just money that Paul is talking about, it is time as well. Really, I think it could apply to anything valuable to us.

My time is mostly used to be a mom and wife and that is what it is supposed to consist of. Sometimes, I try to squeeze in more me time and quickly discover that in this season of my life, that's just not going to work.

I learned something from my 3-year-old yesterday. I love it when my kids teach me things. My daughter Mya is going through a nice phase we call mommy's good helper. She will randomly ask me throughout the day, "Can I be your good helper?" and I will give her a little job to do. She will do as many jobs as I give her until I run out of things for her to do. It has its limitations because she is only 3 and there are only so many things a 3 year old can do by herself. But she loves the feeling of pride as she completes a task that I've given her.

Yesterday, I was cleaning my room. I have a system where I separate things into piles then handle the piles one by one. Clothes, shoes, kid stuff etc. There are always a ton of toys and clothes from the kids rooms in our room. So it was a pretty big pile. Mya asked if she could be my helper so I told her she could take all of the kids' stuff into the kids' room. She looked at the pile and asked, "That one right there?" I nodded. "Okay!" she said with enthusiasm. It took her about 20 trips but she managed to get the job done.

I wasn't surprised that she was so willing to do the job and persistently worked at it to get it done. But it did make me think about my attitude toward my daily jobs. My sinful nature always finds its way in and I think to myself, ugh, I have so much to do. There is no way one person can get all of this done in one day. And it's just coming back tomorrow. I don't even know if anyone notices everything I do around here. There are so many more fun things I could be doing right now. That is not the attitude I should have. God has given me a job to do and instead of complaining to myself and being less than happy about it, I should say just as Mya did, "This pile? Okay!"

By keeping the house up, doing the dishes and laundry, feeding the kids, dogs and fish, watering the plants etc., I am creating an environment for my family. And my attitude is setting the mood. I am their example. If I can't do my job willingly, how do I expect them to be willing to do something I've asked of them? It's easy to slip back into that overwhelmed feeling but if I can practice having a cheerful attitude, it will get better in time.

Next job... the office! Those piles? Okay! God loves a cheerful giver :-)