Knowing when to move

Our house has officially sold.  We have about 6 days to make our exit. 

This is what we wanted. Right?

 At one point I wasn't sure so I said to God,

 "We will take this thing off the market next month, if its meant to sell then it will. If not Ill take it as a clear message from you we should stay put."

 Less than two weeks later the house was sold.

This was not me testing God.  I just wanted to hear him. I wanted to do his will, not our will.

So here we are back where we were. Wondering where God wants us to be.

I don't want to buy some out of control expensive place that straps us for money.  I don't mind a small home, I don't mind a big home! I do mind no home! ha ha. But if no home is Gods will for now then no home it is!

I cant help but wonder if we are supposed to be here.  Is this God telling us to leave town?

Ill just keep praying and listening the best I can.   Its all I know to do!

Ive learned that excepting and understanding Gods plans and timing is not easy.  This whole moving process would be much more exciting if I was moving into a new house to decorate and turn into our home.  Instead we are barging in on our poor in-laws who are so graciously opening their home to us. We are leaving this cozy place we created to fit awkwardly into a basement. Fun.

Enough of my complaining. I know we are so blessed, soooo blessed to have a roof over our heads and food to eat. We will get through this one day at a time.

Anxiously waiting to see what God has up his sleeve.

Goodbye Jackson Rd Home! We have experienced so much joy and learning within your walls! You will be missed first house!

A question

What will we let control our mind?

Will it be worldly?

Will it be Divine?

A poem for my boys

As you try to find out just who you are

look to the seas or stare at the stars.

For they be what they be

and are what they are.

Grass cant help but be green

Skies cant help but be blue

and my wish for you child,

is you cant help but be you

We live in a world that tells us who should be who.

We live in a world that tells you what should be you.

We live in a world that is not always true.

Pay no attention as best you can

to any woman, person, or man

who assumes to tell you where you should stand

who stifles your purpose or insults your plans.

Follow that voice, that strong nature within you

That voice that seems to speak the loudest when you're unsure of what to do

For that voice is honest

and that voice is true

that voice is forever

that voice is you

It is your individual nature

that the good Lord gave personally to you

It is your gift alone

It was meant especially for you

You possess that same beautiful nature that the seas and stars do

You are an unchanging wonder by just being you.

Forever my Grandpa

The day that I was born I bet you looked into my eyes.
I did not know this world everything a new surprise.

Many years have passed now you have watched and helped me grow.
How grateful I am for all you have done I'm not sure that you know.

The tables have turned on us it seems you re no longer here to take care of me.
It seems unreal this man I love sometimes needs my help to eat.

I look into your eyes now.
You re unsure of who I am.

You are my grandpa. Don't you know?
I wish I could help  you understand.

Alzheimer's stole you away so soon, you're gone but you're still here.
Now I sit and tell you all the stories that you once whispered in my ear.

You're name is Bob you were in the Navy of that you were so proud.
You have a wife, two kids and grand kids almost too much to count.

I have to tell you again and again that I'm your granddaughter, its me, I'm your friend.
To see you smile and try to understand breaks my heart If only your mind could mend.

but just as you once did for me I wish to do for you

Ill hold your hand and make you feel safe
as much as you need its the least that I can do.

We learn the value of our lives in the most difficult of ways
Its the coming and the leaving moments that with us forever stays.

I love my grandpa so much and although hes alive I miss him so badly.

I wish  he could wake up earlier than me one day and make his coffee and me a piece of toast.

He loved us so much and we love him more than he can know.

The Daily Grind

I used to drive nearly an hour to work every morning.

I woke up around 5:30 then got the kids up. I rushed to get them fed and dressed. Then tried to look presentable myself. Then bags, oh the bags! The diaper bag, three lunch bags, the pump, the purse. I do not miss dragging all that stuff around! Drove them off 45 minutes away and dropped them off at daycare or the babysitters (who both did a great job).

I was always late for work because I hated rushing the kids. It just didn't feel right. They didn't want to leave me and I didn't want to leave them.

 I felt ashamed that I couldn't make it to work on time. I was embarrassed of this fact everyday. I take my work seriously so it was a huge amount of stress for me not to be able to be the best. In my mind I should be the first to work and I used to be sometimes, before I had the babies.

I worked all day and missed my babies all day. I wondered what they were doing. I imagined the looks on their faces when I pulled them off my leg that morning and said "Mommy has to go to work.".

I was the annoying girl who talked about her kids nonstop.

I stay at home with my kids now.

It is the best worst paying job I will ever have.

I babysit and make a little money from that, not near what I was making.I enjoy it and I hope that I can be that person that makes a working parent have a better day at work knowing that I'm not just feeding their child. While they are here they are a part of this family!

I don't pay for gas now. I don't pay for daycare now. I don't pay for lunch now.

So really, in the end things come close to even.

I urge you, if you're on the fence about quitting your job, just do it. If you hate being home you can find another job. I doubt that you will hate it.

For the past couple of years I debated quitting my job. I even gave my boss notice and he increased my pay by 50% to get me to stay (what? I'm good.).

The increase was great for awhile but then we purchased more things and it really didn't make much of a difference.

There are times I miss work. I miss having a boss saying "You're doing a great job!".

But, sometimes like today when Aiden proclaimed to everyone in the room " THIS IS MY MOMMA! I LOVE HER!" Ill take that as my boss telling me I'm doing okay!

For me, life is too short. I want to be around my kids as much as possible. I know they're growing up. I know its for a very short time I will be blessed to serve them.

I have to remind myself of this gift from time to time. Say, after they threw all the crayons in the dog dish or their food all over the place. Staying at home has not made my life easier in the sense that I get to stay in my jammies all day if I choose, because I really don't have the time to get out of them some days!

Its a choice that I'm glad we made. I don't regret it.

Now to all you outstanding working parents who don't have the choice: I commend you!

 You are amazing people who provide for your family. I urge you to cut out anytime you can in that busy day to do NOTHING ~WITH~ your family. Nothing time can be the best time.

I know its hard. The hardest thing you do and if you don't know it, you're awesome. You're strong and dedicated and wonderful. If you're not being told that, there you have it. If you're not telling someone that, say your spouse or your friend tell them. Its not easy to do!

I am trying to change my life.

The world lies. It whispers to us everyday: THINGS, LOOKS,STATUS or better, it yells it at us all the time.

I'm sick of it.

I don't need to have a better house, a better car, a better wardrobe, prettier hair,the best phone. I don't need it.

You don't need it.

I think the sooner we all figure this out the sooner we will find a little bit of happiness.

Ive learned that less is more and I'm going to keep getting less!

Pictures are "my thing".

I am not a photographer.

I  would really like to be.

To say I take a lot of pictures is an understatement.

I love taking pictures of people.

Not just people I guess. Anything that's alive works.

People I love are my favorite.

Like this dude.

I take at least one picture a day, at the very least.

My android phone has the little photo application that I LOVE.

I have a lot of fun with it.

I actually purchased photo shop a couple of years ago and never could figure it out.

This is Hooch our Bull mastiff.

He is very photogenic.

I do it because I love it.

I an artsy fartsy at heart.

Shoulda coulda still could go to school for it but I just don't have the motivation for it.

Might quit loving it if it was work.

You have to be dead to make money at it anyway, ha ha.

These are our beta fish.

I recently moved them to old mason jars.

For some reason I hate the florescent colors of the wal-mart fish tanks. This better matches our decor.

I'm not big on self portraits.

Unless of course it involves one of these guys.

Ive learned most everybody loves doing something.


Pictures are one of my things, I have lots. I believe its a product of the ADD.

Whats "your thing"?

Happy Valentines Day!

A day for lovers! How wonderful!

Today I thought I would dedicate a post to the day of love.

I got to wondering how it all got started.

Hello Mr. Goat!

"To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage."

To read more about this ritual you can go here http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day

I like goats too much for this.

Wonder if it really works?

I know some ladies that are trying to have babies that may be down with the goat blood!

I think Ill take our new age exchange of sweets and love letters.

I do like this explanation:

"He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. " He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died."
"I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived," says Father O'Gara. "Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this."
"The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict."
Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius the second. There are legends surrounding Valentine's actions while in prison.
"One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, who's daughter was blind. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result."
In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine."

How romantic.

Romantic:  marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romantic

Yesterday me and the kiddos began our celebration of love by making cards for daddy!

On the inside of the card I wrote out a few questions and then Aiden's response.

1. Who do you love?
- Daddy.

2. What is Valentines day?
- Apple

3. What would you like for Valentines day?
- Poopie (oh dear)

I was thrilled with the card and daddy was too!

Speaking of daddy he went over and above this special day by getting me new perfume  and this:

A new charm for my bracelet!

I have been trapped indoors with my boys and babysitting all week so I have not got my dear love anything yet!

I suppose I better get off this computer and get to it!

Nothing says loving like something in the oven!

Happy Valentines Day to you and yours!

I learned that love is something worth celebrating! I used to think Valentines day was a bit over the top. I have recently decided that I am okay with over the top!

Going green...

That's right!

We are going green in this home!

We are filling this house with plants!

We now have just four plants.

I have big plans.

I have read that you should have about 1 plant per every 100 sq ft of living space in you home.

Which totals about 18 plants for our house total. We need fourteen more!

The reason for this number needed is, that you need about one plant per every 100 sq ft to effectively purify the air in your home!

Little Parker has a hepa air filtration system in his room due to his repository issues.

Our last electric bill was over $300.00.

Besides the air purification value, I just like plants.

I love to be outside, I love nature. I like to lay in the grass, work in the dirt, and breath fresh air.

So why not bring some outside in?

Other great reasons for having plants in your home:


http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2011/15-fabulous-health-benefits-of-house-plants/

10. They are pretty. An easy way to decorate your home.

9. Hey, another opportunity to teach my children (and myself) about responsibility. See the child misting in the picture above!

8. We are part of nature. Be part of it.

7. They create happiness, and wellness. Its true. Sick people get better faster when they have plants.

6. Ive read that plants lower blood pressure.

5.They reduce stress. Sit a pretty plant next to your computer or bill paying spot and chill out!

4. Plants can reduce colds from starting in your home by 30%, ahem helloooo mommies!

3. Plants can replace your humidifier... yeah so bye bye air purifier and humidifier. Hello cheaper electric bill.

2.If something makes you happier and healthier, why not?

1. Look around you. The earth supplies the things we need. Use them!

I have learned a bit about taking care of indoor plants too.

Obviously they need sun and water.

I thought that in the winter you should water plants more frequently because they get less sunlight.

Wrong.

I guess that because they get less sunlight they grow less therefore needing less water. No wonder I have drowned so many plants! About every third day is sufficient in the winter.

They also like to be misted three times a day. Especially in the winter when things are more dry.

Here are some recommended plants for the home:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-ten-houseplants-for-cleaner-air.html

Moral of the post:

Ive learned a lot about plants I didn't know. I'm happy to find something so simple that can be so great for my family!