Getting Comfortable

There is no better feeling than slipping off some tight jeans and putting on sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

It just feels good.  There is no better feeling for the soul than getting comfortable with yourself and that is what I am learning to do.

I have spent so much time looking around at what others are doing and wondering if we should be doing that too.  
“What, you have a game night every Tuesday? We should too.”

“What, you only watch TV one night a week. We should too.”

“What, you make your kids vegetable smoothies 3 meals a day. I should too.”

You name it....we should too!

For years I have tried to fit my family into somebody else's mold.  My family humored me for a little bit but nothing stuck.  Now I know why...it wasn't us.  These are the things that worked for your family, not mine.  What I am finally realizing is that it is OK.  I don't need to make an excuse for why your family traditions don't work in mine.  I don't need to feel badly because your traditions don't work for my family. 

After the kids go to bed, my husband and I are spent.  We sit on the couch and watch TV until bedtime.  So many times I have tried to force that time into conversation or game time.  But the truth is at this stage in life, neither of have the energy to do much more than sit on the couch next to each other.  Sometimes we talk instead but only if one of us has something to talk about not because it is Tuesday night (I have tried the “it's talking Tuesday let's turn off TV” and then we both sat there in silence with nothing to say to eachother). Our conversations are great when they happen because they are not forced.  Better yet when they don't happen, I no longer feel badly.  I don't feel like we “should” be doing something else. I don't feel like I need to come up with some excuse about why we are watching TV.  The only thing I need to know is that right here, right now...that is what works for my family. 

And on top of all that, I give my kids poptarts for breakfast. 

And I am comfortable with that too and it feels good!

Living with Boys

The top 10 things I have learned living with boys

1. There are three volumes...loud, louder, and loudest.  And the further into the day you get, the louder the noise level gets.  There is no use fighting the noise level. 
2. They make messes everywhere they go...on their hands, on their faces, on the floor in every room of the house
3. There is dirt in places I didn't even know existed. 
4. In the bathroom, there is pee in places that I don't even want to think about how it got there
5. They go from 0-60 mph in 2 seconds flat and they need LOTS of room to run and jump and climb and explore and even still they will NEVER get all their energy out
6.  They eat A LOT.  I think for most of their lives I did not feed my boys enough.  I just had no idea until I realized that the first thing out of their mouths in the morning was not "Good morning, mommy"  or even "Let's go play!" but "Can we eat breakfast now?"
7. BUT they love their mommy
8. And they give real hugs. the kind that make the world a better place and they always seem to know when their mommy needs one
9. They crave love and attention and boundaries

10. And lastly out the their mouths come the sweetest words you will ever here...."mommy, will you be my best friend, forever."

I love my boys!!

Mercies

"Even after the darkest night, God's mercies are new in the morning."  Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury

St Patrick's Day

Half the fun of having kids is watching them get excited about the little things in life.  In our house, we try to celebrate a lot.  I know you can't put a price on fun, but the best part is that most of these fun celebrations are under $10! 

This St. Patrick's Day I went out to the local dollar store and got a few treats.
In the morning when the kids got up, the leprechaun had left behind pieces of the rainbow for them follow.

At the start of the rainbow and along the way were little treasures to help them find the pot of gold.

The rainbow led them around the house and finally to the pot of gold. The pot of gold is just yellow water beads in big tub.  The kids had fun digging through them to find gold coins and jewels.

Lastly, no kids celebration is complete without special food.  In this case, we had green pancakes for breakfast and "pot o' gold" juice (apple juice) for breakfast.

We also had green jell-o later in the day, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  
As my son says "Happy Leprechaun Day!"

Courage in the Daily

I listened to a sermon today by Pastor Gary Hamrick on the life of Gideon.  Gideon started his life out meekly and then he obeyed God and God made him into a mighty warrior.  God used him to defeat the Midionites with only a small army.  He led the Israelites for 40 years, but sadly he did not finish his life well.  Gideon had courage in a time of crisis, but he did not have the courage to live his daily life for the glory of God.

That stuck with me…do I have courage in the daily?  It is a different courage than the courage required to stand under fire. 

Washing dishes with a smile.

Mopping the floors with a spring in my step

Disciplining with love

Cleaning up the same messy faces over and over happily

Keeping my calm in the midst of chaos

Joyfully living the daily routine every day

All these things take courage…a lot of courage

Many times it is easier to be courageous and cling to God when the going gets tough.  But what about when the going gets ordinary?  That kind of courage is hard to come by.  It comes through walking closely with God daily in the mundane.  It comes through admitting your weaknesses to the people in your life and most importantly to God – then allowing Him to be strong in your weakness.

I am not there yet.  Many days I am not courageous.  I know in my head that I need to rely on God, but my frustrated, tired flesh takes over.  I grumble, I complain, I lash out.  The beautiful part is that God gives us each moment to start anew. 

So… “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3:23