Christmas Miracle

Today my husband and I dropped our 2 older kids off with my mom so we could get some shopping out of the way.  When we left one of the stores, we had our 8 month old baby in the cart as we walked across the parking lot to our van.  As we were walking, my husband and I noticed something fall to the ground.  We stopped and looked and it was a coupon.  I stood there for a few seconds confused because the coupon was in the diaper bag (deep down in a pocket) which was buried under some grocery bags.  As I was standing there confused at how it could suddenly fall out like that, a van backed up really fast from it's parking spot.  Didn't even see us standing there.  Had we not stopped to pick up the coupon and kept walking instead, the van would have hit us.

At first we were freaked out at the van backing out so fast, but we quickly felt thankful that the coupon flew out onto the ground.  Which in all reality shouldn't have been able to get out of the bag and fall... We know without a doubt in our minds that we were being watched over and protected.  Had that van hit us, our 8 month old would have gotten badly hurt and we could have gotten hurt too (and I am pregnant, so baby could have been hurt too).  This truly was a miracle that we are thanking our gracious Heavenly Father for.

It's Okay To Feel

The pain is so deep.  My heart has been physically in pain since the news of our friend's death.  It becomes hard to move, hard to go about the daily things I need to do.  It is paralyzing.  I have often wondered how people get through times like this.  Part of me feels that it isn't possible.

Some amazing friends have given beautiful consoling words and I would like to share one that I am finding helpful right now:

"The best quote from Time Out for Women:
I know everything is going to be okay; but that doesn't make it okay right now.
It is ok to hurt and feel the million feelings inside.  Healing will be a while in coming, but the best things are worth waiting for.
All my love and prayers!"

Knowing it is ok to let myself feel all the sadness, grief, anger, sorrow, the pain.... that helps.  Knowing that the healing does take a while, but I will get there, really helps too.  I am grateful for the friends and family that I have to get me through this hard time.  God has blessed me with some amazing people in my life.  One may have gone home to Him, but it doesn't mean he left us completely.  We have wonderful memories that we have shared and his spirit around us.  And we have the wonderful friends and family to help lift us up during this time.

Today one of my favorite songs came on the radio.  The song now has a completely different meaning to me.

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Things had been going real well for us lately.  My husband's job is progressing better than before and we just found out that we are expecting another baby.  We were out today as a family, enjoying our time together.  We sat down at our favorite restaurant, ordered the food and were having a nice time together.  Then we got a phone call that felt like a semi just hit us out of nowhere.

My husband met his best friend when he was young.  They remained best friends for the past 20 years.  When my husband and I first met, his friend immediately took me in as a friend too.  Not too long after, he became like a brother to me like he had been to my husband for so many years.  We took vacations together, when we lived in the same area he would come hang out with us several times a week.  Our kids adore and love him, they even called him their uncle.  He was a very important part of our lives.

So to get a phone call today that he had died was beyond devastating.  I broke down right there in the restaurant.  We didn't want to tell the kids there, so we got our food put in to go boxes and went home.  Telling our kids was even harder than hearing it myself.  It did make me feel grateful though for the knowledge I have of the after life and that we have taught our kids about it.  I felt grateful to be able to tell them that their uncle was in Heaven and that he is with his grandpa and grandma, who he often talked about how much he missed them.

As hard as this tragedy is, I am grateful to know that he is now in a happier place.  We will miss him dearly and there will always be a hole in our lives, but I know I will see him again some day.

Farewell, dear friend.  We will meet again.  At heaven's gate, we will meet again.

My Sweet Daughter

Today I sat down with my 4 year old daughter, E, and played Candy Land.  It was fun to spend that one on one time with her.  After she won the first game, she felt really bad and wanted me to win the second game.  The luck of the draw didn't let that happen, so she won again.  She told me again that she wanted me to win too, so wanted me to keep drawing cards until I got to get to the end.  I got to a couple squares away from the end 3 times, only to end up drawing a candy card that sent me almost all the way to the beginning each time.  Finally, after going through the deck a couple times, I said I was giving up.

She said in her sweetest voice, "Mom, we can find a game that is easier for you."  She was so genuine and sweet.  The whole time she cared about me.  She didn't gloat about winning or anything.  It made me realize I must have done a pretty good job raising her to be compassionate and caring.  Which makes me feel like less of a failure.  I find that pretty miraculous :)

Best Friend Day

We have been still trying to get things all settled into our new home AND get ready for a garage sale, so it has been crazy hectic.  I haven't even been able to take the time to notice all the daily miracles I am surrounded by.  So tonight I decided I need to find the daily miracles again.  Because I know that it truly helps me focus on the good things in life.

Today was a crazy, stressful day with putting on a garage sale....but the wonderful thing about today was getting to spend it with my mom.  We don't hang out as much any more because we have been so busy.  So with her and I doing the garage sale together it meant I got to spend the entire day with her.  I am so grateful for that.  My mom is one of my best friends and I really need a best friend day. 

Like Finding A Needle In A Haystack

Today I spent the day with family where they were staying.  I went into a couple stores, went into their hotel/suite, and walked through parking lots and a parking garage....then happened to look at my wedding ring and notice the gem was missing.  I was upset, I love my ring!  I knew I would never be able to find a tiny little gem so was thinking of places to go to get a new gem put in. 

Then I had this thought come into my mind to look inside the diaper bag.  That it probably fell out when I was getting a bottle or diaper.  I picked up the diaper bag and looked inside, lifted up the formula can and lo and behold there the gem was...resting on the bottom of the bag.

What an amazing miracle!  What are the chances of that happening!?!? 

Being a Mom

We spent the weekend on the coast in a beach house.  We had no internet access, so it was all focused on each other.  It was supposed to be a vacation....it was supposed to allow me to get away from all the stress of unpacking and allow me to relax.  But vacationing with kids isn't so easy.

The baby was perfect.  She was happy and giggly, but the older two kids fought and whined left and right.  It was overwhelming.  I was constantly cleaning up after everyone and trying to get the kids to quit fighting and being mean and rude. 

We got back yesterday and there has been a lot of hyperactivity now with being home.  And hyperactivity means they don't listen to me at all.  I am beyond exhausted from unpacking and going on vacation and then back to unpacking.  I can hardly keep myself going. 

I bet you are wondering where the blessing/miracle is, huh?  Well, here it is.... Even with all of that, even with the stress and exhaustion, even with the arguing and whining....I love my kids dearly and I love being a mom.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  My life wouldn't be complete without them.  I am so blessed to be a mom.

Blessed By God's Love

So many amazing things have happened in our life this past week.  It has been chaotic with the move, but each day has been filled with blessings and little miracles.  I just didn't have internet hooked up until yesterday, so wasn't able to write about them.

It is so apparent that God is in our lives.  That his hand guides us and that he wants to see us each succeed.  Difference is, God's thoughts on success are different than most mortals.  We view success as having a really good paying job, big house, fancy car...you know, the type of things that make us feel good enough about ourselves to want to go to our high school reunions.  Success in God's eyes are very different from those things.  His kind of success is far greater.

I am so grateful to have God in my life.  I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of him and his son, Jesus Christ.  I am so blessed to have been born into a Christian family so that I could grow up knowing about our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.  In my adult life things always turn out as long as I have listened to the promptings of the spirit in where I need to be and what I need to be doing.  Even during the struggles, as long as I stay close to God then I am just fine.

He takes care of us.  I have heard people ask why he lets bad things happen to us if he loves us so much.  Why he lets us make mistakes, etc.  I have come to realize, through being a parent, that you can't MAKE your kids make the right choices.  All you can do is provide them with the knowledge they need in order to succeed and make the right choices.  It is up to them to use that knowledge.  If they are made to make the right choices then they learn nothing from it.  If they make bad choices, fall at times, then they learn and grow.  That is what God does for us.  I am so grateful that he loves me enough to let me make my own mistakes and choices.  Because I have grown so very much the past couple years due to making wrong decisions and even due to making right decisions.

I am just feeling so extremely blessed today.

Lead By The Spirit

Fifteen months ago we sold our first home and moved in with family.  Thinking it would be a couple month situation, we went into it rather enthused.  Then things didn't work out.  We have been living with family ever since.  Although I am so very grateful for my family and for them allowing us to stay with them for so long, we definitely have had a hard time getting used to not having our own stuff and our own space.

We have been trying so hard.  My husband has been working so hard (working a job even with his back in so much pain), but we stayed stuck for a very long time.  It honestly seemed like we would never get a place of our own.  Until this past week when we decided to find a place to rent and pay a year on (which I blogged about in Answered Prayers )

We have been searching for a house in a very specific area of town and nothing was working out.  Then last night I was looking at ads with my mom.  I ended up clicking on one that was slightly more than the ones we had been looking at.  It sounded amazing.  I called to ask where it was and when she told me (and it wasn't in the area we wanted) I said, "thank you" and hung up.  Something told me to call back and ask if she would allow pets and ask to see it.  So I called right back.  She normally wouldn't want pets indoors, but said if I can promise I would make sure they wouldn't tear up the house then she would allow it.  Then she said if 9 pm wasn't too late that we could see it last night.  Otherwise wait til morning.  We opted to see it at 9 pm.

We weren't planning on taking the kids to see it, but we didn't get them to bed in time so ended up taking them with us.  When we pulled into the driveway we felt so good about it.  Then as soon as we walked into the house we fell in love.  It was exactly what we have been looking for.  The kids were running around all excited.  They went upstairs and chose their rooms (surprisingly no fight, they each wanted a different room!).  As we walked around from room to room, it felt like home.  We began planning where things would go.

It was 9:20 pm...we decided we wanted it.  I called the landlord (she had the neighbor show us the house because she lives far away) and talked to her about it.  I was expecting her to say she would get the application for us to fill out for the background check and credit report (which is what all the other places asked for), but instead she asked, "How soon would you like to move in?"  I told her as soon as able.  She said, "I will drive up tomorrow and you can sign the paperwork and I will give you the keys." 

I was in total shock!  I whispered to my husband and Mom, "We move in tomorrow!"  They got so excited.  When I got off the phone, I told the kids.  They were screeching and jumping up and down.  My 10 year old, J, started crying.  Worried she was crying because it meant switching schools and church building, I asked if she was ok with it.  She nodded and said how happy she was. 

What an incredible miracle and blessing.  God has truly provided for us.  He has blessed us to greatly.

Mommy's Girl

Today I was reading to E (my 4 year old).  One of the books she asked me to read was "Dumbo."  It was new so she had never heard the story before and has never seen the cartoon.  While reading it to her, she clung onto my arm and laid her head against me.  When I was done reading the story, I looked down and saw tears in her eyes.

I asked her if she was crying.  She wiped her eye and said, "No, it's just water..."  I told her that it is ok if she was crying.  She nodded her head.  I had to prod her to find out why she was crying.  In the story, Dumbo's mom was taken away and locked up.  He wasn't able to see her or have her rock him to sleep in her trunk any more.  That made E so sad.  After her telling me this, it made sense why she clung to me during the story.

It was sad, but sweet at the same time.  She normally doesn't cry when it comes to things happening in movies or books.  She has such a fear of being away from me though, so I am sure that is why this book brought on tears.

I am so grateful that I get to be a stay at home mom.  I am glad that she can have that bonding time with me that she needs.  Seeing how this book affected her emotions made me feel even more blessed to be able to be home with the kids. 

Answered Prayers

We have all been praying that something would work out for us to buy a home.  My husband and I both felt rather hopeless because nothing has been working out.  We have been living with family for over a year and have had our things in storage for just as long.  It has been discouraging, but we kept praying.  Then last night something happened.

Every night my husband and I read scriptures together.  Last night while reading scriptures at 1 in the morning, I reached over and touched his hand.  Upon touching his hand, I immediately felt a rush of happiness go shooting up my arm, to my heart and throughout the rest of my body.  Then about a minute later I had another feeling of energy rush through me from head to toe like a bolt of lighting.  With this came the clear thought into my head, "You have the money to pay for a years worth of renting.  Rent instead of buy."  I also had the thought with it that we would have better income by then to qualify for a higher loan than we are now, which means getting a nicer house that won't have to be totally renovated. 

I had it in my mind for so long that we can't afford to rent.  But because of the car accident settlement, as small as our portion ended up being, we can rent a home.  I was so excited and so happy.  I had a difficult time going to sleep.  I wanted to shout from the rooftops that God had answered my pleas!  God listened and answered!  What an incredible feeling that was.  I went into the bathroom and cried as I thanked Heavenly Father a couple dozen times.  (was too embarrassed to let my husband see so that is why I went into the bathroom lol)

Today I have felt happy and excited and grateful.  Instead of waiting months and months to see if we would get the short sale house that would take a few thousand to fix up, we could be moving into a place in the next couple weeks.  God is good.  All the time.

Debt Free! Well...mostly...

Today I was able to pay off my student loans in FULL!!!  That is such a big deal and such a major miracle.  I have had to defer the payments for 2 years due to not even being able to make payments of any kind.  Now I was able to pay it off.  So grateful for the car accident settlement that allowed us to get this debt paid off.  (Just not grateful for the horrible pain my husband is still in from the car accident)

I find it interesting how often the money we need comes when we most need it.  Makes the struggles we go through in the mean time worth it.

Bedtime

Yet another post that most won't quite understand unless they are a parent...

My 2 older kids have been very difficult to get to sleep lately.  We will get them all tucked in around 8 and it will take about 3 hours before they will finally fall asleep, sometimes longer.  It has made bedtime so stressful!  I used to look forward to bedtime so I could have a moment of peace and time spent with my husband, but that hasn't worked out lately.

Tonight was definitely a miracle.  The older kids were asleep by 8:30!  Neither one got out of bed, goofed off or came up with excuse after excuse to come talk to us.  It was wonderful!  My husband and I had started watching Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 1 last night and didn't get to finish it due to the kids getting up so much.  So I am very happy that we get to cuddle up and finish watching it tonight :)

Who I Have Become

Lately I have been having flashes of memories pop into my head from my teenage years and young adult years.  I am so embarrassed by who I was.  Especially because it wasn't the true me.  I feel bad for those who were around me during those years. 

I am very grateful though, for who I am today.  What a blessing it has been to get to the point of being someone I am no longer ashamed to be.  I know I still have a lot to work on, but what person doesn't have to work on themselves?  I am a much better person than I used to be. 

I am so blessed that even with all the mistakes that I made I was able to still end up with the man I was meant to marry, have children with and spend forever with.  Life may be stressful and full of trials, but at least I get to go through it all with my husband by my side to help me through it. 

Sleep Deprived Mom

Last night my baby woke up at 3 am and didn't go back to sleep until 5 am.  So needless to say, I barely slept last night.  Running on not much sleep, I could hardly keep my eyes open.  Yet I somehow managed to make it through the day.  Not just make it through the day, but be able to take all 3 kids shopping at Goodwill and then go to the mall.  After that I made a yummy, healthy dinner. 

Sounds silly, but if you are a parent I am sure you understand what a blessing it is to be able to function as a parent after very little sleep. 

Stuck in My Own Little World

Some days are truly just too difficult to find a blessing or miracle.  Today was very stressful.  After 2 of the kids were asleep, I sat at the computer and put on music to try to lift my mood.  My 3 month old lit up while I was singing.  So I decided to find music videos that had the lyrics on it so I could sing more to her.  She loved it.  Not only did it make her happy, but it made me feel so much better.  While singing inspirational lyrics I was touched by the spirit.  I truly needed that after today.  So a wonderful miracle happened after all.

This song is an amazing song and it got me thinking about how I need to get out my own little world.

Listen To The Sound

I know that I already posted today, but as I listened to the radio this song came on.  I have been feeling overwhelmed with life lately and this song was what I needed to hear tonight.

"Listen To The Sound" by Building 429

Are you in over your head
Are you in water so deep you're drowning
Do you think you've been left
And there is no one to feel your hurting
Well, everybody has been there
And everybody's felt lost
If you're in over your head
Lift it up, lift it up

Oh, listen to the sound of hope that's rising
Up over your horizon
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound
And listen to the sound of a new beginning
Oh, this is where the old is ending
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound

I hear you say you're alone
I hear you saying that you'll never make it
I've got to tell you you're wrong
'Cause I have been down this path you're taking
You never know what faith is
'Til you don't understand
Sometimes it takes a silence
To finally hear His plan

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
I once was lost, but now I'm found

His Grace is reaching for us
His Grace is reaching out
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound
Wherever you are

 

 

Day of Relaxing

Yesterday was a hectic day.  I was running around from appointment to appointment and squeezing in the shopping too.  By the end of the day, I was exhausted and hurting.  So today was a much needed blessing.  I never even left the house today!! :)

I sat and held my baby a lot today because she was really wanting to be loved on.  Which was wonderful to get to do!  It gave me a reason to sit and relax and it allowed me to get some quality cuddle time in with her.  I got things accomplished today too.  I made 2 cakes and 12 cupcakes for my daughter's Birthday.  I made, colored and cut out of each of the planets (pretty much to scale) for the "Asteroid Toss" game we are going to do at her Birthday party.  And I am about to sit and read books with my 4 year old.

I am so grateful for a more relaxed day!

Date Night

My husband and I got to go out and have a date night.  That doesn't happen very often so it was a big deal to me.  My niece offered to watch the kids so that we could go out to a movie together.  My husband and I have never been to a movie alone before!  Until tonight, that is :)

It was so nice to spend time together.  We had family time during the day, which was really nice.  Then our date night of going to the movies and then getting ice cream afterward.  I am so grateful for my niece and mom for watching the kids.  And I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband to get to go on date nights with. 

Life is Looking Up

We have been living with family for going on 15 months.  As much as we love being around family, we certainly are ready for our own place.  Things keep happening that make it so we aren't able to get our own house or place to rent.  I got sick of getting my hopes up that it would happen any time soon.  I got my hopes up with the car accident settlement and had those hopes crushed (after the lawyer gets his cut and Labor & Industries gets their cut...then insurance company and doctors....we were left with barely anything at all).  So I gave up.

Then out of curiosity and boredom, I was searching houses online.  I found one that is super, super cheap.  Barely over the amount we qualify for in a loan.  I texted my husband at work and told him that if L&I will reduce their lien on the settlement in half then we would have the exact right amount of money to pay my student loan off and put a down payment on that house.  Wishful thinking....or so I thought.

Well, my mom brings in the mail and there was a letter addressed to my husband from L&I.  I patiently waited for him to get home and as soon as he walked in the door I handed it to him to open.  In it the letter stated the amount we are expected to pay them.  They reduced their amount the exact amount we needed them to.

What an amazing miracle!  Of course we aren't positive that things will work out with that particular house, but that doesn't change the miracle that happened and it won't change my belief in answered prayers.

True Love

I am laying here in bed.  Everyone is asleep, even the baby.  I really should be sleeping since it is nearly 1 am.  But I just can't shut my mind off.  It is racing through too many thoughts to even process.  I figure that writing a blog will force me to focus on one thing...we shall see if that works :)

I am laying here next to my husband and feeling so blessed.  I am so in love with him.  I feel like I have known him my whole life and can't even remember life without him.  It's like he has been there from the beginning.  Now that is a special kind of love.  A love that is truly a blessing.  I thank my Father in Heaven every day for bringing us together. 

Girls Night Out

I am very much a homebody.  I kind of like it that way.  But with being at home with 3 kids all the time....I definitely can use time out to de-stress.  So tonight my amazing husband came home from working a long day and watched the kids so I could go out to a movie with my niece.

We went and saw a chick flick and then sat in Carl's Jr eating and talking for a long time.  For those few hours I had no worries, no responsibilities.  Just got to laugh, talk and have a good time.  PLUS I got to actually sit and watch an entire movie without interruptions!  I honestly can't tell you when the last time I have watched a movie from beginning to end without being interrupted was.  It was just what I needed.

Another wonderful thing is that when I came home, my husband had the two older kids in bed and was holding the baby.  I am one lucky girl :)

I Am a Child of God

Life has been real difficult lately.  Trying to think of "miracles" in my daily life hasn't come easy.  In fact, that is why I haven't written.  I just couldn't see much good to focus on.  Until today.


Today I had a strong realization of how much God loves me.  That I am his daughter and he loves me.  I am not perfect, I make mistakes, but he loves me anyway.  This realization came when I was listening to K-Love and a song by Sidewalk Prophets came on called, "You Love Me Anyway."

"Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me"

I may be going through a hard time, but God is there and he loves me anyway.  Just because I am going through trials does not mean he has abandoned me.  He is there, I just need to let myself feel him there and not abandon him.  

Freedom Isn't Free

Today I wanted to take the time to express how grateful I am for the admirable men and women who are serving our country and have served our country in the past.  For all the men and women who have lost their lives in an effort to protect our country.  These are amazing people.  The families of these men and women are just as amazing too.  To support their spouses, children, siblings, parents, etc, knowing that they may lose their lives...  I don't imagine it to be an easy thing to do.  I thank you for being supportive of those loved ones in their honorable decision to fight for our country.

I would also like to pay tribute to my grandpa.  My grandpa was in the Army during World War II and then moved on to the Air Force.  He was over in Korea during the Korean War and then in the Vietnam War.  I am so proud of my Grandpa.  He took care of his family, as well as his country.   

The Importance of Family

Family is so important to me.  The way I prefer life is to be surrounded by as much family as I can.  I am fortunate enough to live 1/4 mile away from my brother, his wife and kids.  And for the time being, my husband, kids and I live with my parents. I feel so blessed to have so much family around.

My niece is staying with us for the summer.  She is so wonderful with my kids and is always making us laugh.  Tonight my mom, niece and I sat around at the dinner table after everyone else had gone off to do other things.  We talked and laughed as we put off cleaning up and putting the kids to bed.  I really needed those few moments talking and laughing.  Where we all could just be ourselves.  That is the beauty of family.  It is safe to be ourselves around them.  These moments are ones I will always cherish. 

Simon Says, "Play with your kids."

The weather was absolutely beautiful today.  Almost too warm for my liking, but it was gorgeous out.  My two older daughters wanted to do something "special" with me.  They were suggesting board games or video games, but it was way too nice out to be inside.  Plus with there being a big age difference between them, it makes it difficult to find a game we can all play together.

We began with Simon Says and then went on to play Red Light, Green Light.  It got pretty interesting when we switched spots so that I wasn't the one calling out the commands because I was having to attempt to play while holding my baby in my arms.  So needless to say, I lost every turn. Which of course made the girls find it even funner.  Then we ended with playing "Mother May I," which I hadn't played in probably 20 years! :) 

It is amazing how doing something as simple as stepping away from the chores that need to be done and instead play a game with the kids can make ones day brighter.

Sparking a Memory

This past week has been rather stressful (which is why I haven't had the chance to write).  Finally today we got all packed up in the van and headed home.  After being gone for the week, I was looking forward to getting home to my own bed.

Still feeling stressed and overwhelmed from the week, I sort of grumpily sat in the passenger seat as we drove home.  Part way into our trip, I looked up and noticed the butterfly hanging from the rear view mirror.  It is always there, but because it has hung from my rear view mirror in any car I have had for the past 6 years, I have gotten used to it being there and tend to forget it is even there.  But today I noticed it and it brought back good memories.

When my oldest daughter was 3, my sister-in-law had gotten all the nieces and nephews together (the ones that lived nearby) to help them make Mother's Day presents.  This is what J made for me.  It was my very first Mother's Day present.  It meant the world to me and still does.  Seeing it hanging there as a reminder of J's love for me just made my day

Moment of Silence

The past couple days have been rather crazy so I haven't been able to blog.  Today is finally a slowed down day.  And that I am very grateful for.  Right now I am sitting here enjoying the peace and quiet while my kids sleep.  The only sound I hear is the clock ticking and the refrigerator running.  I am able to hear myself think for once, but am trying to not let myself think too much or that will just completely ruin the silence! :)

It's these moments as a mom of 3, that I rarely get during the day.  So I am going to soak it up the best that I can.  Enjoy this little miracle, because I know it won't last long!

You Are My Sunshine

I could barely wake up this morning.  My eyes seriously could hardly open.  But my daughter needed to go to her Softball practice and my husband is at work.  So I reluctantly got out of bed and got J up and ready.  I groggily got ready too.

Then we headed out to the car.  The sun was shining.  The air smelled fresh.  It was so refreshing that I immediately forgot that I was too tired to go about my day and that I was feeling grumpy from lack of sleep.  It was a great pick-me-up.  With how much it rains here, it truly was a blessing to wake up to some sunshine.  What a beautiful day God made for us.

A Day Long Awaited

My husband was in a car accident 3 years ago.  His car was totaled and he was hurt.  Even had to have knee surgery.  Due to the pain he was in, he was out from his 2 jobs for 5 months before the doctor said he could go back to work.  But when he returned to work, he was in so much pain that he wasn't able to work.  This was when they ended up doing the knee surgery.  He was then out of work for several more months, resulting in an entire year of not working. He even had to quit working the job that was going to be his career (Government job that would pay well and give great benefits) because of the pain.  He still has pain in his back and knee from the accident. 

After the accident, the insurance of the guy who hit him only paid to replace the car (and a couple thousand less than the car was worth) and nothing else.  They have been fighting us for 3 years.  We were supposed to go to court 2 times, but it was pushed to a new date both times.  So when they gave us the date for the next one, we had doubted for the past 9 months that it would really happen.  But today we got the call that it will happen for sure now.  I have been thanking God all day for answering our prayers.  Hopefully it all goes well, but at least we are finally getting our day in court.

Love My Pets

I went to check on the kids when they were sleeping (it was after midnight, so it counts for today, right? haha) and found the cutest sight...

I adore our dog and cat.  I think of them as one of my kids.  Seeing them like this makes me smile :)

Tape Measure Miracle

I have been struggling to lose weight for the past 3 years.  I gained a lot of weight due to my thyroid.  I was always thin so it was real hard on me to be over 200 lbs.  I finally was doing well at eating right and exercising daily and was able to lose 35 lbs.  But then I got pregnant.  I only gained 15 lbs and ate whatever I wanted.  Since I was able to eat a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream each night and whatever else I wanted during the day and barely gained weight, it was really hard to break that after giving birth 2 months ago.

I start doing good at counting my calories and exercising, but then not seeing very quick results and all the stress I have been under, quickly makes me go back to my best friend....chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!  So needless to say, I have been struggling to lose weight.  I have been gaining 4 lbs then losing 3 or 4...back and forth with that.

Yesterday and today I did real well with taking time to exercise.  Today I decided to measure myself and compare to last month.  The results made me feel so good about myself.  I lost 2 inches off my belly, 1.75 inches off my hips and 2 inches off my thighs.  I have been feeling so bad about my looks (mainly my weight) lately, so this gave me that little boost I needed to feel good about myself at least a little.  To see that there is progress and I am not stuck in a rut like I thought I was.

Kids Are Full of Surprises

I decided that since school is out for the summer, we needed to make a schedule.  That way it wasn't just everything chaotic each day with all 3 kids home.  I made up a schedule and we presented it to the kids last night.  They were actually quite excited by it.  That took me by surprise!  The part they were most excited about was doing worksheets to keep their minds fresh for next school year and about getting to exercise together.

We had a late night so I didn't follow the schedule fully this morning... My plan is to get up at 7:30 each morning so I can have a moment to myself to say my morning prayer, take a shower and be ready for the day.  Then wake up the kids, make/eat breakfast, followed by exercising as a family.  Since we had a late night and I showered last night, I slept in.  I meant to get up at 8:30, but slept through until 9:15.

To my surprise, the girls had gotten up, made their beds, got dressed and had breakfast.  All the things that were on the schedule.  Then they were waiting for us to have family scripture and prayer together.  How great of them to follow it happily and without being reminded!!  They were real excited about exercising together too.  After doing stretches, we took a 40 minute walk.  E loved it so much that she thanked Heavenly Father in her bedtime prayer that we got to "exercise as a family."  So sweet!

A Difficult Day

Some days are just hard days.  It doesn't have to even be big things to happen to make it a hard day.  Just a bunch of small things strung throughout the day can do it.  Today is one of those days.  The two older kids keep arguing with each other and arguing with us.  And this is just the first day of summer vacation!  It can be difficult to find good in days like this.  Then I look at my 10 week old baby and I feel happiness.

She has the most beautiful smile that is contagious.  Just one smile from her can brighten my day.  Then add in the cute coos, babbling, and excited squeals and that makes it even better.  She doesn't talk rude, she doesn't complain, she doesn't argue with her sisters... Holding her and seeing her smile gives me that much needed lift to get me through the rest of the day.

Don't get me wrong, my other two kids bring me happiness too.  I love them all very much.  Just on days like today when they are causing much stress, I have to take solace in holding my baby.  It not only makes me happier by seeing her, but it reminds me of my older two when they were this age. 

Just now, while typing this, E (my 4 year old) came in.  She smiled sweetly at me and said, "I love you.  I love you SOOO much!"  Hearing those words from my child melt away the stress even more. 

Father's Day

Being Father's Day my mind has been filled with so much appreciation for my dad and my husband.  I am so very blessed for these two men in my life.

First I will start off with my dad.  I have looked up to him since I was old enough to look up to someone.  He has always been such a hard worker, honest, loving, kind, and service oriented.  I went through a very difficult time as a teenager and young adult.  My dad NEVER gave up on me.  He easily could have because I seemed like such a lost cause for many years.  But he never did.  He loved me unconditionally.  He helped me whenever I needed help.  He was always a shoulder to lean on (him and my mom).  I am truly blessed to have him as my dad.

My husband is just as amazing of a man in my eyes.  Of course we had our hard times, but those times are in the past.  I love him more than I thought imaginable and our love grows deeper daily.  He is such an amazing husband and father to our 3 kids.  He completes me.  I know that tends to be thought of as a cheesy movie line, but really he does complete me.  I can't imagine my life without him.

My life is so blessed.  Looking from the outside people may wonder how I can feel so blessed since we are living with my parents right now due to not being able to afford our own place.  We struggle financially.  But those things aren't what matters most.  We have a loving home that we get to live in with people who love us.  My husband works very hard to support us and still go to school full time and find time for the kids and me.  Yes, I am truly blessed.  And I thank Heavenly Father every day for all that I have in my life, especially for my husband and parents.

A Day at the Beach

So often I resent memories.  There are so many bad memories that often flood my mind that it is hard to think of memories as a good thing.  But today we took a trip to the city where I lived when I was little.  Where I lived on the same road as my Grandpa, Grandma, Great Aunt, Uncle and Aunt.  From my Grandpa's old house you can go down to the beach on the inlet. 

It was great to get to show my husband and kids where I used to live and all the houses where relatives used to live.  Even the house my dad lived in as a kid is still there (pretty run down and looks abandoned, but it's still there).  While walking on the beach I was flooded with so many good memories. 

I remember one time we were on the beach with all the family.  The beach isn't a sandy one.  It is filled with rocks, shells and barnacles.  I was quite young (maybe 3 or 4) and I tripped on a rock and fell.  I fell onto rocks covered in barnacles, which scraped up my bare legs.  I started crying.  My grandma asked me what was wrong and I told her that the barnacles bit me.  She gave me a hug and helped me up the hill to her house where she cleaned up the cuts and bandaged me up. 

On the drive down the road, I had memory after memory come into my mind.  I saw the old cherry tee that my friend and I used to climb up to sit in, eat cherries and talk.  I saw the pine tree that I climbed when I was little that got sap in my hair.  It was so hard to get out that my mom had to cut a patch of my hair all the way down to my scalp.  I could still see my siblings and I riding our bikes to the mail boxes to get our grandparent's mail and then ride it down to their house to give it to them.  Then in return our grandma would give us homemade ice cream or cookies.  Sometimes she would give me her home canned prunes, which were my favorite.

After today I am happy to have memories.  Some memories may be sad or upsetting, but the happy memories are able to overpower the bad memories if we let them. 

Oh, To Be Tested

Today I took all 3 kids to the grocery store by myself.  I rushed through my shopping so we could get home with plenty of time to put things away and relax before J's softball practice.  We went through the checkout, paid, then went outside.  Walked across the parking lot to the car.  Got all the girls loaded in and the groceries loaded into the trunk.  It was so hot out that first thing E asked for was for me to turn the AC on.  As I put the last of the groceries into the trunk I saw a bag of tomatoes laying in the cart.  I realized I hadn't paid for them. 

I was exhausted, it was hot, the kids were loaded into the car... How tempting it could have been to just say, "It's only less than $2 worth of tomatoes...they won't notice."  But I didn't.  As inconvenient as it was to get the baby back out (lugging the car seat) and the other 2 kids out and walk back across the parking lot in the heat, back into the store, food melting in the hot trunk of the car... I still did it.  I went in and paid for the tomatoes. 

I didn't even think twice about going back in to pay.  But it made me think about how good it is to have these moments of temptation in our lives so that we can rise above them and do the right thing.  How much character it builds.  And let's not forget the lesson I hope it taught my children.  That is the most priceless part about it.

It's Such a Beautiful World Right Now

Tonight, out of the blue, my 4 year old looked outside and said, "Wow, it's such a beautiful world right now!"  They way she said it was so heartfelt.  It caused me to pause and take a moment to look around at the world and see just how right she was.  It really is a beautiful world right now.  The sun was shining, the air felt clean and warm.  I breathed in and it sent a wonderful, serene feeling throughout me.  It took a 4 year old to get me to stop and take the time to even notice it all.  I am so glad that she did.

I tend to go through each day in a rush.  I am constantly thinking of all the things I need to get done.  My mind rarely takes a rest.  But today, thanks to my wonderful daughter, I let my mind rest for that moment.  Let my mind take in the beautiful world that surrounds us.

Praiseworthy Day

Here it is 1 in the morning and I am just now getting time to sit down to the computer and write my blog.  My day was rather busy, but partly I was also afraid to sit down and try to think of a miracle or blessing that occurred today.  Looking back on the day I see it as a good day.  We got to hang out with good friends this morning then go with a Realtor to look at houses.  I got to spend time with my niece who is so good at making me laugh.  But looking back, what I see as my miracle today is a conversation I had with my oldest  daughter (J) and the affect it had.

I have 3 kids.  My oldest 2 are almost 6 years apart so they tend to argue a lot.  J gets tired of the younger one (E) tagging along and wanting her non-stop attention.  E gets tired of being shoved aside and ignored due to being younger.  Tonight they were arguing again.  I took J aside and explained to her the meaning of the phrase, "You reap what you sow."  It was a real good conversation and she seemed to really take it in.  A little bit after that we were tucking the kids into bed.  E jumped into J's bed and was claiming to be stuck so was unable to go to her own bed.  Normally J would get mad and yell at her for even just being on her bed.  This time she made a game of it.  "Oh no you're stuck!  I better pull you out!"  They were both giggling non-stop.  Every time J would get her "unstuck" then E would "get stuck" again.  It was so wonderful to see her change her attitude about it tonight.  It was so nice that it was hard to make them go to bed!  We praised J and then tucked them into their own beds.

I think that definitely is worth being grateful for.


"Life is not measured by
the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."

Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord

Life is hard. Every day seems to bring challenges. Our economy is such that many people are struggling financially and I am one of them. So often it is easy to just look at all the negative things around us and forget to look for the blessings. So often the daily miracles go unnoticed. I think each day would be much easier to make it through if I would notice those everyday miracles and make sure to be grateful for them and thank God for those miracles and blessings.

My challenge to myself is to post a daily blog about the miracles/blessings that I have in my life. It will help me to see the positive and actively open my eyes to see the positive things each day. I know how much I love reading peoples experiences about inspirational things that have happened in their lives and hope others will feel the same about mine. I don't expect there to be big, extravagant miracles going on each day, but even the small and simple miracles are meaningful.

A song that has been one of my favorites for several years is, "Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord." Some of the lyrics are, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see you." If I open my eyes and see all my blessings and all the miracles in my life, then I will see (and feel) God stronger in my life. This realization is one of my blessings today.