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My Mess

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Because of all the raw emotions stirred up inside of me I have a feeling the next few days will contain some soul-searching {and hopefully finding} posts.
Now if you read this post you know there was a conference this past weekend that rocked my socks off.
I’ve been thinking about this unfiltered business.
The art of putting out there only the good, clean, non-messy parts of my life can be deceiving.
And while they do happen they are few and far between.
Just this morning while changing our almost 2 year old Aaron’s diaper he mastered the “reach around” if you know what I mean…and if you don’t I’ll elaborate.
He got poop on his hand.
A big ole’ gob of it. 
True story.
Right now I just noticed there’s a half a banana on the floor out of the peel just chillin’ on the carpet.
Real life.
And right now the baby is still napping this late because I don’t feel like playing my chances at the 50/50 that he will actually wake up happy.  It doesn’t happen all that often!
Some nights my kids have breakfast for dinner because it’s quick and easy to clean up…
cereal, milk, bowl, done!
The clean up is even easier too.

This is real life people.
There is no curtain call, and everyday is a new, messy adventure.
But do you know what?
I have a choice.
A choice to see all of this as a blessing or as a burden.
I’m choosing a blessing.
I know this won’t last forever.
Eventually {and hopefully} everyone will sleep an entire night in their own beds, there will be no more diaper changing mishaps, and the teething will have stopped!
I know one day when our children have children Mr. Three and I will sitting around saying
  “Remember when…”
Don’t get me wrong most days I don’t embrace this crazy lifestyle of living right just enough to keep my head above the water with 3 little guys at home.
But I also know this won’t last forever, it won’t always be this way.
Most days are still about survival in our house.
However we need//choose to get a job done is how it gets done.
My life may be messy, unorganized, filled with poop and tears, but this is my life.
We are beyond blessed with 3 healthy boys who can run, jump, play, and make those messes 
that I love oh.so.dearly 🙂
Some parent’s don’t have what we have.
Some parent’s don’t get the chances that we have.
This is the path He wants me to be on.
This is the path I want and need to be.
Every night I thank the Lord for all that we have been given-even on the really hard days when I feel like a failure.
Ever since I was a little girl the one thing I’ve dreamed about is being a mom.
Heck I was still playing with dolls until way too late in middle school.
And not just any mom, but a great mom.
A proactive, involved, supportive-no-matter-what mom.
So I guess what I am trying to say here is even though it may seem like everything is spic and span 
and smelling like febreeze-oh how I love the smell of Febreeze– in our house 
that is.not.the.case my friends.
Right now I’ve got 6 loads of laundry to fold, dinner to cook, bath’s to give, and homework to accomplish. 
Tonight I’ll order in dinner because I’ve got no energy to cook-but you better believe my kids and I will pile around our dinner table and talk about our days.
Who did what, what they learned, who they ate lunch with, what was their most favorite part of their day etc.
We’ll thank the Lord for the food we have, enjoy lots of smiles,  have some belly laughs, a few spills too, but most of all there will be love.

Influenced from Afar

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The blogging community was uprooted this weekend and rocked in ways one could only have imagined thanks to Influnece Conference.
Some of you may know it as #influenceconf.
At least that is how I know it.
I didn’t attend this weekend but following along with those who did via social media was amazing!
The wisdom, strength, and words that came out of that conference have changed me forever.
Oh how I wished I was there after seeing all of the cutesy roommate pictures, the “come find me” pics, and the life changing worship these ladies experienced.
To be surrounded with those who understand and know where each other are coming from,
to know the struggles and the victories,
and to be able to wrap all of that in His comfort and to be brought together for His good is just amazing!
After resolving my first feelings of jealousy for those who were able to go I realized something.
This year was not for me.
I was not ready mentally, spiritually, or emotionally.
If I’m being completely honest, I thought it was a plain and simple blogging conference.
I thought you went with your lap top in hand, cute pre-planned outfits, and passed out business cards to future prospects.
I thought women sat around trading blogging secrets, and strategizing out how to get the most followers, and become profitable through their blogs.
Instead I was thrown a curve ball….a wicked curve ball.
What I thought was completely different than what actually happened.
I started seeing all of these pictures and tweets from those attending saying wonderful non-blogging related advice.
Advice that kinda rocked my world…
okay it completely rocked my world.

“Your mess can be your ministry.”- Casey Wiegand.
“When God says I pick you to talk about me, it’s not a burden but a privilage.”- Sarah Matheny
“You never know who you will touch or who you will reach when you stop filtering Him.”-Sarah Matheny

Wow.

These were the three quotes from the #influenceconf chatter that really stood out to me.  
These quotes that came out of the #influenceconf feed impacted me in a way I never knew possible.
It was almost an out of body experience.
I didn’t need to be there to benefit from, grow, or develop myself.
These amazing ladies were able to do it via Twitter!
They made me thirsty for more, and I couldn’t wait to see the next #influenceconf hashtag to come out so I could add it to my jar of faith.
They made me want to jump out the door and go to every faith filled women’s conference.
They made me want to know each and every single one of them a little bit better.
They made me want to take my beliefs to a level I never knew possible.
I know sometimes I sit down at my computer, type up a post and say to myself Oh geez, I think that’s a little too heavy, or maybe I shouldn’t be so open with my beliefs, or who wants to hear again about my kids?
But you know what?
That’s who I am and what is on my heart that day.
If I start filtering this space then it becomes somebody else’s space, not mine.
If I start trying to have the appearance I have no mess than it’s not the truth.
Trust me I have got messes.  Plenty of them!
When I type a post about Him I shouldn’t be worried about others’ opinions but I should delight in the fact that He is using me to reach others.
When I first started on this blogging journey I had no idea where it would lead me.
I thought it was just going to be a space to document our wedding.
Then the wedding came and went and I still felt passionate about blogging so I kept going.
Here I am almost 3 years later and I am loving it more and more every day.
I love the community that is blogging.
I have met amazing people along the way, and I cannot wait to see where this road leads  me to.
So thank you to all of those that hosted, and attended Influence Conference, as well as those who kept up with social media while there because it is a weekend I know I will never forget.
Maybe next year it will lead me to Influence 🙂

  

Fun Friday

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Today is FUN FRIDAY friends!
A day dedicated to all things FUN.
And seriously is Friday not the most fun day of all?
At the end of a long stressful week it feels so good to wake up and say TGIF {unless your Mr. Three who works night shifts and Friday’s are his Monday, boo!}
For now you can feel free to link up below, and spread the word about my very first link up!
Today’s FUN FRIDAY will be dedicated to all thing Fall.
I thought it was rather appropriate since the Jersey weather finally got the memo that it is fall!
Top 10 Fun things fall…go!
1. Pumpkins & pumpkin patches
2. Festivals
3. Scarves & Boots
4. Pumpkin spiced coffee
5. Cool weather
6. Dancing colorful leaves
7. Open windows and no more ac
8. Halloween parties at our kids schools
9. Sweaters and long sleeves
10. Crock pot recipe’s
Well there ya have it.
I’d love to hear your top 10 Fall Fun things so get to linkin’ up!
Happy Weekend 🙂



S-U-C-C-E-S-S

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When we enter motherhood we define success completely different than we did pre-kids.
For instance sans children success to me would have been pulling an all nighter and acing an exam,
or
finding the perfect pair of shoes to match an outfit.
Now that we have entered another phase of our life success has a different meaning.
Success is exclusively breastfeeding, potty training, overcoming separation anxiety, etc.
This past week has been a success for me because our oldest has successfully been eating the same dinners we have.
Usually I’m cooking 2, sometimes 3 different dinner a night because our kids have become so picky and I have started to cater to their wants.
Notice I said wants, not needs, but wants.
As in I know you cooked dinner but I want something different.
Sure kid, mom just slaved over a stove for an hour but I’ll heat you up spaghetti and meatballs or make you a PB&J 😦
This week we put a stop to that and started offering them no alternatives.
They get dinner or they get nothing.
I know it seems harsh, and I was really tentative at first.
Surprisingly they have complied and  it has been amazing!
Now I am cooking only one dinner a night, less stressed, and can rest assured that they are 
eating a nutritious dinner.
Ahhh, sometimes as mom’s we have to take these wins because we don’t know when we’ll get another one!
P.S. Are you a 2013 bride?  Then head over to my favorite gal’s blog Aunie Sauce.  I think you’ll like what you see 🙂

{via}

I’d rather…

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I’d rather swim in the ocean than sunbathe on the sand.
I’d rather be happy than diet.
I’d rather join in than be a spectator.
I’d rather feel vulnerable than risk not being hurt.
I’d rather have coffee than tea.
I’d rather live out His ways than just study them.
I’d rather be silly with my kids than worry about looking silly.
I’d rather have 4 seasons than one all year round.
I’d rather fail trying than not try at all.
I’d rather know I gave something my all then just let it fizzle away.
I’d rather have dessert than a real meal any day of the week.
I’d rather wear sandals than any other footwear.
I’d rather wear sweatpants than jeans any day.
I’d rather have three beautiful, healthy kids than wear a bikini the rest of my life!
I’d rather try something new than settle.
I’d rather have a loud, noisy, messy house than a strict, unhappy house.
I’d rather ask then never know.
I’d rather read a book than watch t.v.

Weekend Fun!

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As I sit here and type I’ve got tea in one hand a cough drop in the other.
Yup, that’s right.
A cold took over our house this weekend…
On a long weekend deboot 😦
Well more like a cold for the kids but a horrible sinus infection for me.
You know the kind where you feel like your head is inside of a vice or someone just punched you in the face?
Yeah.  That kind.  Not fun!
Despite everything working against us we were still determined to make the best of it…
The long weekend I mean…because let’s face it doesn’t every parent slightly loathe a long weekend?!
I’ve yet to meet the overly ecstatic parent who just wishes her children had a long weekend every weekend.
This is the real stuff people.  The nitty-gritty of it all.
Including a movie for the older boys on Sunday.
Hotel Transylvania.
Which I have to admit was cute, and funny.
Who doesn’t love Kevin James and Adam Sandler…this girl right here LOVES them both!
In fact it was pretty much the same cast from Grown Ups-which our family loves-but in an animated Halloweenish movie!
Great times had all around.
Monday we decided to take a trip to the city.
And by city I mean Philadelphia.
We went to the Franklin Institute.
Now I remember going on at least one, probably two field trips to this place when I was younger and I remember it being so much bigger.
Maybe because I was only in the 3rd grade, but whatever!
Anyway about 10 minutes into our adventure a thought crossed my mind as I was trying to wrangle our two oldest boys for a photo op, and becoming more and more angry that they were not complying.
“I wonder if kids worst memories of museums are of forced pictures.”
I never thought about it before.
Can we all just agree that is a horrible memory?
Okay.  Glad we’re all on the same page.
They didn’t want to stop and take pictures at every exhibit.
They wanted to run, play, explore, and learn.
They took in so much information and learned so many new things.
I was impressed.
So needless to say the big momma camera was put away and I spent the rest of the day trying to just enjoy my kids.
For me, and my latest medical struggle it was a bit of sensory overload to say the least, but I prevailed nonetheless.
After we were finished we headed outside to walk around and let the kids burn off more energy.
So we enjoyed $4 Cotton Candy, $4 Gatorade’s and $4 hot dogs from a street vendor right outside the museum.
To which I appropriately {or inappropriately- you be the judge} said out loud, “Oh my Gosh!”
Wow, did they see us coming or what?!
Anyhow we trekked on across the street, with our $24 goodies, to a beautiful fountain that is home to the famous Philadelphia LOVE landmark where we took our pictures and enjoyed ourselves.
We took our time on the car ride home stopping at a rest stop to let the kids stretch their legs and to get Mr. Three and I a Starbucks hot chocolate.
Is there anything better than SB’s Hot chocolate?!
I think not!
Followed by a quick trip to the supermarket to pick up some fixin’s for dinner and back home for a nice homemade dinner.
Overall it was great!
I really tried to fend off my uglies when I felt them coming up.
I made an effort to appreciate and take in all of the moments we have together as a family of five, even on the car ride because I know these are the memories of our children.
This is what they will remember.
Car rides with mom and dad…the songs we sing, and the silly games we play!
Traveling to far away places-or in their case places that are 45 minutes away!
I want them to know that their thoughts, feelings, and emotions are important.
That they are not being overlooked, or taken for granted.
With 3 kids I feel like it’s easy to get lost in our family and I never want them to feel that way.
I never want them to feel unimportant or by the way side.
I want them to remember family as being the most important.
Spending time together as a family.
And really is there anything better or more important?
I think not!
Having said all of that, I want to say a special hello to all of my new followers thanks in large part to Brie over at Sophstifunk!  I hope you guys like what you see and will continue to stick around for the long haul 🙂

Fun Friday

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For quite awhile now I have been trying to figure out a post to run every week,
with the hopes that maybe once this little blog grows a bit more I can start a linky party!
Neat idea, huh?
I mean aren’t linky parties the best when you get to meet others in this community of ours?!
I think so too.
I’ve been racking my brain and playing around with words to see what I can come up with,
hence FUN FRIDAY was born.
A day dedicated to all things FUN.
And seriously is Friday not the most fun day of all?
At the end of a long stressful week it feels so good to wake up and say TGIF {unless your Mr. Three who works night shifts and Friday’s are his Monday, boo!}
For now you can feel free to link up by leaving the link to your post in your comment!
So without further ado, the very first FUN FRIDAY.
In 2 words or less 10 favorite fun things to do//see//go:

1. Be outside
2. Be silly
3. The beach
4. Church
5. Coffee Shop
6. Eat out
7. Make Memories
8. Laugh
9.Wear sweatpants
10. Family naps

Join me, won’t you?

Embracing Life

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I mentioned this lovely lady yesterday and again today she has inspired me!
Far too often we are either busy capturing the moments of our children or too worried that we haven’t applied makeup that morning to hop in the pictures with our kids.
The end result?
Pictures of just our kids.
No us.
For me that’s a sad thought.
So I decided to Embrace the Camera with Emily today.
Here ya go…no makeup, hair not done, and reppin’ my fav baseball team the Yankees!