Reason for the Season

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As yet another Christmas season is upon us I feel like it’s so easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas.

It’s much easier to get wrapped up in the gifts, food, cookies, and parties-you know the material things rather than to stop and take a look around at the reason we are celebrating Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas for the most important reason in the world…because Jesus was BORN!!!

Each year our church does a Christmas pageant that acts out the night Jesus was born and right after Mary has the baby all of the children run rapidly and wildly through our church shouting “Jesus is born, Jesus is born!!” They do this was such excitement screaming almost at the top of their lungs with noisemakers and horns tooting they are so excited!

This kind of put things back in to perspective…why can’t we all be as passionate as this group of young children? Where did we lose the true meaning of Christmas and start worrying about how many presents we are buying for our children and families?

Now this is not to say that we don’t get caught up in all of the buzz surrounding Christmas because we are guilty of this too…

Each year we sit down with our kids and make their {Christmas Lists} and then when Grandma or Aunts and Uncles call we begin to rattle items off the list that our children want to receive.

This year in particular I have been very moved to not make the Holiday’s all about gift giving and counting, etc. In fact I’ve been praying for guidance…asking the Lord to let me be okay with not buying our kids a TON of toys-to not make the Holidays all about presents. Praying that we can use Christmas to remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”

6Dec2011

Marriage

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~Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.~

1 Corinthians

Marriage is more than the joining of a man and woman.

Marriage is a life long bond between two best friends.

It is an all consuming love that overwhelms you and takes your breath away when you think about it.

It is the core of your very being.

Marriage is the untouchable perfection of teamwork.

It is two lives becoming one in more ways than one.

Marriage is finding your soul mate and never letting them go.

It is the willingness to work through any and all problems that may come at you.

It is having the strength to always be there for the other person even when it might be easier to just walk away.
Marriage is being your partners biggest supporter.
Marriage is one of the most selfless acts a human can be a part of.

6Dec2011

Girls Night

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I have these two girlfriends and they’re pretty amazing.

6 years we’ve known each other and have been through our biggest life events together.

Remember this post about the amazing people that will come into your life?

Well these are those girls!

Our friendships have not been easy but who said it was going to be?

Everything we want in this life we have to work for-and work hard right?!

They have been worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears we have all cried during the past few years.

We have been through marriages, additions to our families, moves, deaths, and every up and down between.

There was a time a few years ago when I wasn’t even on speaking terms with these two girls but recently we have come back into each others lives and I could not.be.happier!

We finally got together-all 3 of us- and had a girls night filled with: Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, Cesar salad with homemade croutons,champagne, wine, old pictures, and lots and lots of laughing.

This was our missing piece and I’m glad it was put back into place.

4Dec2011

Therapy

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Sometimes we all need a little therapy.

For me there is no better therapy than cute fabric, thread, my rotary cutter, my sewing machine, and great inspiration!

The steady movement and humming of a sewing machine makes all of my stress and problems disappear.

Last night I sat down at my sewing machine for the first time in {too long of a time} with Pandora, our Christmas tree lit up, hot cocoa and made this adorable camera strap cover via The Cottage Momma.

What’s your therapy?

Have a great Sunday everyone-I’m off to church with all of my chickadees 🙂

1Dec2011

A letter to 16 year old me

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Dear 16 year old me,

Don’t worry about popularity because as soon as you graduate it won’t matter anymore. In a few short years you will meet amazing people who will become life long friends-sisters almost-that will be by your side through your biggest life events.

You know that boy you’re head over heels in love with? He will teach you many things {some ~~good~~ and some bad}, lessons about life, love, and learning but he will not turn out to be your true love. It’s a painful lesson, but you will become a better person because of it- and be blessed with 3 adorable little boys.

Enjoy every second of your teenage years now because in 5 years you will become a mommy and while it is something you have ALWAYS wanted and is more rewarding than words can say it will be by far the hardest job you’ve ever done in your.entire.life.

Put more time and effort into your academics than field hockey,lacrosse, and parties because at the end of the day college’s want to see you excel in the books more than on the field and with your friends.

Go to your senior prom-it is a moment you will NEVER get back.

Even though you feel like you don’t have a concrete connection to you high school or the people in it-that’s okay and you will make it through this experience alive. Don’t let insecurities and unknowns stop you from reaching your full potential. Adapting to your surroundings will become one of your best qualities later in life.

Don’t join in activities just because your closest girlfriends are doing it. Stand up for yourself and your beliefs and stay true to who you are.

Cut your parents some slack…they are dealing with their own issues.

Don’t skip class or write fake notes for early dismissals-you will get caught!

Most importantly enjoy your youth, live life to the fullest and never stop dreaming. Reach for the moon, if you miss you’ll land upon the stars. You’ll never know if you don’t try so give it your best shot!

Sincerely,

A much older and wiser you

Enjoy some throwback pics!

1Dec2011

Sniffles

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Baby Aaron is sick..again 😦

Sniffles, running/stuffy nose, cough, drooling uncontrollably because he can’t breathe through his nose, stinky baby breath, boogers galore, and cranky as all heck!

Thankfully 3 kids later we have figured out the perfect recipe to beating the common cold…or at least kicking it sooner!

Here are our neccessities:

1. Humidifier

2. Aspirator

3. Saline spray

4. Vicks baby rub

5. Lots of water/watered down juice

6.Lots and lots of snuggles

I hope this helps you as much as it does us..because it seems like now Daddy, Ayden and I have a touch of the cold, boo!

30Nov2011

Coffee Date

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Coffee dates are great they are time with close friends to talk about life, our struggles, and our triumphs. So grab your favorite drink my friend, and pull up a comfy seat as we enjoy our very first coffee date!

On our coffee date I would share with you…

How I’m learning to treat everyday for the gift that it is, and to always find the positive and good in every situation. It’s hard, but I’m getting there.

How having two kids in school has completely turned our world upside down in more way than one and I’m extremely uncomfortable with it. That since Angel has started Kindergarten he has learned so many new things: his letters, numbers, words, and has even started reading…but we’ve also encountered other not so great school habits. We’ve struggled with him being SUCH a social person, bullies, new ways of him expressing his feeling-which are not always good, and how all of these changes came on so quickly in such a short amount of time that I don’t know where to turn for advice.

That I have not been spending nearly as much time with Him as I should lately. I have not been setting aside time for my devotionals each and every day, and I feel terrible because I’ve been so far from God.

How I worry that my kids will only remember the times I reprimand them because some days it feel like that is all I do! When all I really want them to remember is us playing make believe, building forts with sheets and pillows, our dance parties, and their Dad and I trying to let them stay young and carefree for as long as possible.

That I truly enjoy my job and sometimes feel bad that I know I’m not cut out to be at SAHM. I love waking up every morning, putting on freshly pressed pants, a crisp shirt and high heels then going into my office, greeting my co-workers with a genuine smile on my face and carrying on conversations with them during our lunch hours.

I would ask how you were doing…and if there was anyway I could help you on your journey?

I would also say thanks for this time together and thank for listening, friend.

29Nov2011

Patience

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~Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

We have 3 boys age 5 and under…and at one point 3 age 4 and under!

I understand it was our choice to have kids so close together; however I never knew how much children could truly test your patience.

It’s incredible. Almost impossible to measure.

There are many days when my throat hurts from yelling so, my head hurts at the sound of my own voice, and if I have to count to 3 one more time for someone using the coffee table as a trampoline or seeing if they can jump from the top of the couch to the rug with a perfect landing I might just explode!

But I’m learning every day to…

stop and breathe.

This is something I am working on every day and it is NOT easy, by any means.

But to know that I am working on it with Him by my side to go to whenever I need guidance and help is amazing!

This is just another one of those times when I have to learn to rely on Him while working through my shortcomings.

A time when I am able to bring my troubles and worries to God I know that he is there to comfort and get me through my struggles.

A time to be grateful that he is there for me-

always.

Ironically these 3 little miracles that make me want to pull my hair out most days and don’t listen have taught me to have more patience than I ever knew possible.

I think I’ve actually learned to have more patience with each child we’ve added to our family.

I’ve learned that these days taking a few.deep.breaths

goes a long way.

I hope this post finds you well my friends! Feel free to share your latest struggle below…whether you are a mom or not 🙂

29Nov2011

Fall

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Fall is almost over….almost!

This season is quickly becoming my favorite…so there is no rushing fall to be over.

Who doesn’t love colorful leaves, crisp air, pumpkins, Halloween, pumpkin spice coffee, hot chocolate, cowls, uggs, and sweatshirts?

I certainly do!

When I was a little girl one of my favorite memories was playing with my cousin in the piles of leaves my uncle used to rake up, by hand….fast forward to today and you’ll find him with a gas powered leaf blower ha!

That’s right the entire front and back yard-we’re talking HUGE piles of leaves!

This past weekend I was able to watch our two older boys Angel and Ayden enjoy in the same activity I used to when I was little at the very same house!

Oh how special 🙂

What’s your favorite fall memory?

P.S. Use code CYBER35 to get 35%off your purchase in my shop!

27Nov2011

Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving in one word to me is: FAMILY

Believe me we had LOTS of family time these past couple of days and I think family and friends are good for everyone.

They’re good for the soul, the heart, and our sanity…well sometimes ha!)

In the past we have always hosted Thanksgiving at our house, but since our little family has continued to grow our house seems tinier and tinier so we opted to have my husband’s aunt host it this year and it could not have been better!

One thing I have always said about my husband is that he is a family man and always has been.

It goes right back to his roots-everyone in his family is so so close.

It is truly an amazing bond his family has created and I am blessed to have become a part of it.

There were warm smiles, lots of homemade food, family, jokes, grace, spirits, cousins playing with each other, music, and love truly filled the air.

Are you ready for a photo overload?? Here they come….