Who could ask for more?

FIRE!

2011-08-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, this is not a post announcing that my husband has landed a dream job as a career firefighter - that post will come one day soon. This is to advocate for the fire happening on Sarah's blog.

I have so many blessings - a home, a reliable car, a healthy family. Tonight there were 4 pots of food on the stove and there are leftovers for tomorrow. Lily went to bed after a nice bath and a full tummy and a lullaby. Hannah will be in bed shortly, after we play a game together.
They get fussed at, disciplined, and sent to their rooms, but they know my love and the love of their daddy every day. Plus the love of the grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and God.
They learn each day that we can't always get what we want and sometimes life stinks, but we are blessed and we're all OK.
Somedays I wish for more and so do they, but in the words of Renee Tam, at the end of the day, "I still have what I have. I still don't have what I don't have. But I am still very thankful for all of His blessings.

Now for the downer, there 147 million orphans in the world who don't know all this. There is one that I am trying to help come home. I am not her mother. The White family is waiting for her. Sarah and Todd and her three big brothers. Elisha has Down's Syndrome. She lives in Eastern Europe in an orphanage. When she was born, her birth parents were told she was "broken" and that a baby house was the best place for her. In her orphanage, she lives in a crib. She has no one to comfort her when she is hurt or sick. She gets fed on a schedule and her diaper changed, but that's about it. She doesn't get to celebrate her birthday or get gifts. She doesn't have things to call her own. Elisha's family is coming for her, but if they didn't, when she turns five, she would be sent to live in an adult mental institution where she would be sedated and left in a crib until the day she died, never knowing human love or God's love. It sounds horrible - I want to turn away from this bad news and think it can't really be all that bad, but it is the reality of her life and so many other children without families. (If you want to know more about rescuing these children, please visit www.reecesrainbow.org)

Back to having fun - a fire has started - a wildfire auction. In this auction, you get to give away items you don't need - a giftcard to a place you rarely visit, a book in great shape that you won't read again, a nice decorative item, something you bake/sew/paint/make - and you get to get something you really want (delicious baked goods, giftcards to places you do go, shopping at an etsy shop - there's really no way to know what you might get). In the meantime, you make a small donation that will help bring Elisha home to her forever family so that she can know love.

Sarah's blog is ON FIRE!
All the details are over on Sarah's blog

Here's how it works:

I'm going to post something up for grabs for just $1.

The first person to claim the item (under comments) wins the item, BUT they also have to offer something for the next amount ($2.)

Someone else can then comment to claim the $2 item, but THEY must then offer something up for $3.

It keeps going as long as we keep having fun!

In order to win, you have to be the first to comment, as well as have your item claimed by someone.

CONFUSED? Here's an example:

Example:    THE $1 ITEM IS A $5 STARBUCKS GIFTCARD. LET THE WILDFIRE BEGIN!
Jenni comments: "SOLD for $1 AND a Lia Sophia Necklace!"
                  THE $2 ITEM IS A LIA SOPHIA NECKLACE.
Bree is the first to comment: "SOLD for $2 plus a pack of Huggies diapers"
                  THE $3 ITEM IS A PACK OF HUGGIES DIAPERS.
Tammi comments: "SOLD for $3 and a $25 gift card to my Ooga Booga Etsy Shop"
                  THE $4 ITEM IS A $25 OOGA BOOGA ETSY GIFT CARD.

So, Jenni wins the Starbucks card, Bree wins the necklace, Tammi wins the diapers, and the next person to comment wins the Ooga Booga card. Easy enough, right?

Get ready for the fire!

No more what-ifs

2011-06-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

For years it seems, I've been saying things would be better if only ....
If only we had more money
If only we had a cleaner house
If only ......

A few weeks ago I made the decision that I was going to be happy and quit worrying about everything else. I also decided to open myself up to receive a "God-sized" bucket of blessings. Whatever blessings are out there for my family, I know have the capacity to receive. And ever since then everything else is falling into place. And someone else worded the no more what-ifs idea better than me:

I'm not going to allow the what-ifs to rob me of the joy of what is!

Positive Outlook :)

2011-03-05T10:39:00.000-06:00

I was watching the news this morning in the few peaceful moments I had, and there was a story on living to be 100. I have a 96 year-old grandmother who was living very healthfully and independently until a little over a year ago. I'm sure she could give me some pointers on how to live a long and healthy life, but the theme of the news story was that a positive outlook can be a key factor in a long and healthy life.

I am making a determined effort to have a more positive outlook and enjoy my moments with these blessings in my life.

I also read a story this morning about mothers who realized they weren't trapped in their lives and left their children and "now their relationships have improved." Being a mom is HARD WORK, but it's the work that I have chosen and God has given to me. Walking away is not an option and while I try to be open-minded, I don't understand how these women left their children (who were not babies, but 3, 5, 7, 11, even teenagers) to go off and "fulfill their own dreams." This is the dream - motherhood - some parts are scary, but it is a wonderful gift.

This life is not easy - but a positive outlook can make it better.

(And I've also got to commit to taking more pictures of these sweet girls - I think I will never forget these moments, but I'm sure they will become blurry with time.)

How long has it been?

2010-04-26T21:50:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged in well over a year. Lately I've been reading some blogs, both friends and strangers. Some of them, like CakeWrecks, have me laughing so hard I cry. Some, like Sweet Baby James, make me realize that blogging can record precious memories.
So since the last time I blogged, Hannah has:

turned 2
been diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy to cashews and other tree nuts
had tubes in her ears
become a big sister
planned her 3rd birthday party, which is less than 2 weeks away

I have:

fallen in love with teaching first grade
gotten pregnant (that was with baby #2 - it's been a really long time since I posted anything - I'm NOT pregnant with #3)
given birth to another beautiful baby girl, Lily Marie
recognized even more blessings in my life

One unexpected journey our family has been on is DH's firefighting schooling and EMT training, leading to his search for a fire fighting job. This was all the result of an unexpected layoff due to the "economy," but we know it is a blessing in disguise. He has discovered his passion and purpose, and we have learned to be much more satisfied with much less.

My current goals are:

balancing a full-time job with 2 kids
De-cluttering
training for a half-marathon
losing the rest of my baby weight
possibly becoming more "green"

So I intended to go to bed early tonight, but that will not happen. Time for me to count my blessings and get to sleep

My blessings:

Toby
Hannah
Lily
My job
My home
My friends
The great doctors we've had in the past year
My parents, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmother, and in-laws
That Hannah won't tee-tee in her bed, she'll only tee-tee in the potty (that's what she told me on her way to bed tonight.)
That Lily is "talking OF a storm" as her big sister puts it
And that somehow Lily already seems to be getting a couple of teeth and hasn't complained about it at all (so no one can see these teeth except me, but I swear they are there)

TuTu Cute!

2008-11-26T14:56:00.003-06:00

It took a lot of work to make this tutu, and even more to get a picture of Hannah in it. I was surfing the web a few days ago for ideas on how to make a Christmas tutu for pictures of Hannah. I found directions on how to make a tutu dress and saw a little girl in a red and green one and I couldn't resist. It didn't cost much, but I totally understand why people charge $50+ for them. It took a long time. I did the red and green, ran out, had to go buy more, then added ribbons and jingle bells. I finished it just a couple of hours before Hannah's appointment to have her pictures taken. The professional ones we did turned out OK, but not great. We just couldn't get her to be still long enough to get a good picture. I took 25 today and didn't really get anything great. We are going to a Christmas tree farm on Sunday, so maybe I can get something for the Christmas card then.

Even though it took hours and hours to make the tutu, I really enjoyed making it and I'm thinking of making me and Hannah matching ones for Halloween.

If you've got tips on how to change the background to make this picture Christmas Card perfect, let me know!

It's Been a Long Time!

2008-11-24T12:51:00.004-06:00

Time flies in this busy, wonderful life. It's been months since I posted. I finally have a week off and a chance to catch up, so watch out for tons of posts coming. I've been busy teaching first grade, which I LOVE! I am so proud of how well all of my students are reading. I'm on the PTA board, which I will post a little more about later.
Hannah is loving her school. The first 2 weeks or so were rough on all of us, but now she says, "Yay, School!" and grabs her backpack every morning. She even wants to go on Saturdays.
I've been cooking up a storm. A big hit this fall has been Lemon Snowflake Cookies. I intended to make them for a fall potluck for both Toby and I to take to work, but we got a yucky stomach bug and I didn't want to share my germs. I ended up making them for a Veteran's Day program at my school. Everyone loved them. The recipe makes lots, too, so I even had a few to take to Hannah's teachers. This past weekend, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for Toby's family. It's a fairly new tradition that we started because we aren't here on Thanksgiving Day. Hannah and I are gearing up for a Christmas Cookie Playdate in about a week. We are going to bake the cookies and her friends are going to help us decorate them.
I've spent the last 24 hours making a tutu dress for Hannah. We are going to have pictures taken this afternoon in her Christmas dress and in this dress. I'll take some pictures of her in it when she wakes up from her nap.
Little by little, I'm getting the Christmas decorations out and trying to keep my house clean. I guess I'd better go use my last few minutes of free time to work on that some more.

What a blessing!

2008-07-02T21:57:00.003-05:00

I haven't had much time to get on the computer lately, which has been a blessing itself, but spending time with family and friends has been an extra special blessing lately. Last week, we got to spend a day with my grandmother, mom, aunts, uncles, and cousin. My grandmother just LOVES Hannah and how much she can do. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and playing cards with my mom and grandmother.

This past weekend, we all went to visit my best friend and her DH, and Hannah's fiance. The trip was wonderful for all of us. DH and I got to spend some time together without having to worry about anything else like our usual chores. Hannah got to play with someone her own age. And it was wonderful for me and Kelly to have time to talk and catch up on motherhood and all the other aspects of our lives in a way that no one else quite understands. This time was such a blessing for me and my family.

Here are some pictures of Hannah at the Kemah boardwalk and her first time on the beach in Galveston.

Hannah's Swim Classes

2008-06-20T14:19:00.004-05:00

Today was the last day of Hannah's swimming lessons. We had to make up yesterday's lesson that got rained out.

It has been a good experience for both of us. Hannah got to meet other kids and I got to meet other mommies.

Hannah loved the swimming part - for about 15 minutes of each 40 minute lesson. Today was a fun day where we just got to play on the slides and sprinklers.

Then one of the other mommies invited us over for lunch. Most of us are or were teachers, too, so we really thrived on the social interaction more than the kids. Here are a few pics of Hannah at the pool. One of the other mommies who has a photography studio took some more pics that I'll be able to post soon.

Still trying to figure out mommyhood

2008-06-19T14:31:00.005-05:00

Today has been one of "those" days, but it has still been a wonderful day and sometimes I think I've got this mommy thing down.
5:00am (I think) - Hannah woke up SCREAMING - this is pretty unusual so I guess maybe she was having a bad dream. DH actually went to get her and got her back to sleep in a few minutes. Mommy, on the other hand, couldn't get back to sleep. So I go lay on the couch for a while - still awake. TV - still awake. Oh well, the sun will be up soon, I'll go for a run - ALONE! And then the thunder starts and a big rainstorm. So up to the computer I go, looking for coupons - now I'm sleepy. Back to the couch where I finally fall asleep....
7:40 (10 minutes after I fall asleep) - Hannah wakes up! She's thirsty. How bout some milk? I fix her a cup, which I promptly drop and spill all over the kitchen floor - meanwhile she's screaming. I'm being thankful that we still have more milk in the fridge. So she gets another cup and a banana, but she's still rubbing her eyes like crazy. I put her back in her bed and start cooking some breakfast. DH goes out to his truck then comes back for his food and tracks MUD all over the carpet - oh well, I say. Can't do anything about it now.
9:00 - It's still storming, so I guess that means no swimming lessons today. That's probably a good thing considering how tired I am. I hope we get to make it up tomorrow b/c this was the last day and I need to take some pictures.
Sometime in here is some playing with toys and folding laundry. Then another snack for Hannah b/c she is saying, "Yummy, yummy, yummy" and I think that means she's hungry. Then I give her a bath and get her dressed. I picked out a cute little white dress she's either never worn, or only worn once. Guess what? She's inherited my big head and the dress won't fit over her head! Oh well, thank goodness she has a closet and dresser full of cute clothes. Onto outfit #2.
10:15 - Hannah is asleep. Mommy gets a shower and a few minutes to relax
11:00 - I think I'll lay down while Hannah's sleeping. Phone rings. I hear Hannah moving around. So much for a nap.
12:00 - Lunch. Then a trip to Wal-Mart and the library. When I get to the library, I tell them I have bad news. I've been avoiding the library for a month b/c I lost a book that I put "somewhere" when I was cleaning up for Hannah's birthday party. I pay for the lost book. I love the library, but I sometimes think the people there work in slow motion - I thought this would be quick so I didn't bring the stroller. So Hannah is screaming to get down (of course she was a perfect angel and never made a sound in Wal-Mart). I have a great idea - a box of raisins always keeps her busy. So I put her down and give her the raisins and she runs away leaving a trail of raisins behind her. So I chase her, pick up the raisins, and get my change. Then run through the library checking out books about games to play with toddlers. Thank goodness someone a little quicker checked my books out for me.
2:00 - Home again. I look through one of the books quickly and get an idea for a game. I get the biggest cookie sheet I can find, prop it on a box, and we roll Hannah's ball down it. She's having fun, but I feel a little like she's playing fetch when she keeps chasing after the ball. But she loves this game....for about 3 minutes. So I look for another game. We get a basket, a long piece of string, and a stuffed animal and head into Hannah's closet (one of her favorite places to play). We're going to put the puppy in the basket and raise him up and down over the closet rack, kind of like an elevator. The book says this is loads of fun. Hannah just wants to take the puppy out of the basket. So we put that away too, and just play Peek-a-Boo. Now she's taking a nap and maybe I can too.
I honestly think this is my favorite day of summer so far! I'm so lucky I get 11 weeks home with her. Who could ask for more?

What does "having a perfect house" mean?

2008-06-18T18:20:00.001-05:00

In my interests, I put "having a perfect house." I tell my DH all the time that's what I really want to have, so I'm thinking through what that means to me. Does it mean that my house could be pictured in a magazine? Well that would be nice, but I don't think that's my goal. So what does it mean?

Organization - I don't want to spend hours looking for my wedding ring, the teething gel, my flash drive, or the library book I lost and have since been avoiding the library because I don't want to admit I lost it. I want a place for everything and everything in it's place.
Preparedness - Wouldn't it be nice to know what goes in everyone's lunch bag, what's available for snacks, and what's for dinner? And I'd love to start stockpiling some food in case of emergencies but also for those times that we have "no food in the house."
Cleanliness - I hate the panic of ________ (my in-laws, parents, friends, etc) are coming over and the house is a mess. Or trying to keep Hannah out of the kitchen b/c the floor hasn't been swept or mopped in a week and I'm afraid she'll pick up crumbs and eat them. I want to find routines that work for me and keep chores from piling up.
Relaxation - I want to feel like I can relax in my home without having to jump up and take care of something. I want to be able to get my daily tasks done in a timely manner so I can enjoy time with my family and have time to take care of myself. I want to have enough projects around my house done that I am proud of it and feel like it is "pretty," but still have goals and dreams for the future

So what am I doing about it? I'm trying to take baby steps (as Fly Lady recommends) on tackling the cleaning and developing routines. We have about 3 or 4 projects for around the house to take care of this summer. I've been planning meals and buying for them which is really helping with dinner time. I'm really interested in finding a way to start stock piling some food. And one extra step that will make my dad very proud - I cleaned out my car!

I'm new to this

2008-06-18T11:31:00.000-05:00

I'm new to the blogging world. I have a wonderful life and a lot of diverse interests. I've got a few favorite web sites that fuel my interests and I thought I'd start a blog to help organize them, organize my life, and document all the wonderful things that happen to me.