hashtag NoAlarmLife

So, yeah...maybe I'm not good at the whole blogging thing.  I believe bloggers are supposed to post every few days, not every few years.  Oh well...just another thing to add to my Yeah-I'll-get-to-it list.  Since anyone who would be likely to read this is friends with me on Facebook, I'll skip the 2 year recap and just get right to the point...

As known by anyone who reads my Facebook posts, we (cough cough...I ) began homeschooling our older two kids in January.  This was done out of necessity since the public school the kids are in district for is absolute crap but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that this was something I've been wanting to do for a while.  Sure, I don't care for the strict design of Common Core, the bad attitudes the kids picked up from classmates,  or the silly things they would get in trouble for (talking during lunch!).  But my driving force for wanting to homeschool was my desire for time.  Time was missing with their bus arriving to pick them up at 6:57am and dropping them off at 3:00pm.  Time was missing in the 4 1/2 hours between bus drop off and bed time to fit in homework, playing with friends, chores, dinner, family time, bath, and bed. There was no time to enjoy my kids when we were all constantly tired.  With our new lifestyle, we still hold to bed times even if they are a bit later than the previous 7:30pm, but the kids can wake up naturally (no alarms!) and no one is rushed to shove down breakfast, get dressed, and run out the door!  Now our day can progress at a comfortable pace, allowing plenty of time for meals, school, chores, naps, play (lots of play), exploration, and learning.

My biggest struggle is trying to figure out how to homeschool this semester.  There are so many methods and opinions and curriculum and, not unlike the Marvel Universe, it is way bigger than any passer-by is aware.  Ideally, I would follow the more laid back approach, not forcing concepts before my child is ready but keeping the basics thoroughly covered.  Nothing as strict as the Well Trained mind, but nothing as independent as Unschooling.  (No offense intended to either style. I have friends in both camps and appreciate that both only want the best for their children!)   There would be days when only one or two subjects are covered and other days where we hit every topic.  We wouldn't stress over meeting every requirement in phonics or math on a set timed schedule, but take our time until the concept is truly grasped.  Unfortunately, that is a luxury only afforded to those who know they will be homeschooling for the duration of their child's education.  It used to be that a child could be dropped in to public school after being homeschooled for a number of years and just keep going, probably ahead of the majority of his peers.  With all the new rules and Common Core and topics that have to be learned in a certain way, in a specific order, dropping a child in to that environment is equivalent to educational suicide.  If a 1st grade homeschooler doesn't learn how to break apart and diagram a word into its syllables and accent marks, she will be behind her classmates if put in to a public school for 2nd grade.  No matter her reading level, no matter her vocabulary or spelling ability, she will be behind.  While I understand and believe in the importance of learning these phonics rules, trying to make sure that every topic is covered on time and accurately, takes away all the freedom of homeschooling.

And there is my problem, I don't know how long this wonderful, amazing, and special NoAlarmLife will be around.  We are on borrowed time here at Team Schultz.  Mike would prefer the kids be in the classroom and the kids have been registered for the local Charter School for next school year.  We've received a letter to attend a Kindergarten open house for Taegan and I've been told through rumors that once one kid is accepted in to the charter, the rest will surely follow.  Unless there is an unexpected circumstance around the corner, this venture will end before it has a chance to begin.  But if by chance we can continue, I'll give myself and the kids the grace to learn, investigate, and explore the world at our preferred leisurely pace.

Clean and simple

The closer to the way God made it, the better food tastes.  Sure, grape jelly is good in a PB&J, but there is nothing like the taste of cold fresh grapes.  And chicken nuggets are ok, but baked whole chicken...simply delicious.  I've been thinking a lot about food lately, and I have noticed that as a family we were eating and buying a LOT of processed food.  Six years ago a lady I worked with told me, "Only eat food that would go bad if you left it out on the counter."  I kind of got what she meant, but didn't pay much attention to her.  Now, I understand, I think of the things I eat and about their shelf life, fruit, vegetables, eggs, meats, cheeses...they would all go bad if the refrigerator went out.  THOSE are the things we should be eating.  And not just the foods that would spoil, but the things that are closest to their original form.  Lunch meat with the fillers and preservatives don't count.  Ice cream with the crazy amounts of sugar and fat don't count.  Milk counts.  Sliced turkey breast counts.  Canned fruits, vegetables, and beans are great for food drives and survival kits, but that isn't what we should be eating every day.  And food in its purest state is the most scrumptious!  How can jellybeans ever hope to compete with fruit salad?

Now when I fill my grocery cart I try to be aware of the things that go in it, rather than buying the simple boxed or canned items, I buy the whole food and find ways to make it different ways.  Tonight Mike and I discussed a better way to make apple cinnamon oatmeal, rather than buying instant oatmeal I am doing an over night crock pot recipe I found.  Chopped apples, cinnamon, homemade vanilla extract, honey, and oats...we will see tomorrow morning how it turned out.  My goal is to get us eating as clean as possible.  I am not naive enough to believe that we will ever go 100% clean foods, I'd be happy with 70% though.  I won't deny my kids the occasional bowl of ice cream or handful of M&M's, but I want them to prefer the taste of a banana over a pack of fruit snacks and the taste of fresh squeezed orange juice to kool-aid. Clean and simple.

Sweet and Sour

It is hard to imagine how your children will be as the grow.  Every parent believes they will have sweet, kind, well behaved children but then you actually have one and that little monster doesn't fit those descriptions, at least not as often as you'd like.  As you have more children, you realize that the sweet, giggling, happy four month old will eventually grow into a rowdy, misbehaving, stubborn four year old.  So how do you keep the sweetness lasting as long as possible?  Sure, every kid is different.  Some kids are sweet forever, some listen the first time you tell them something, some even poop rainbows and lollipops!  But for the rest of us who some times confuse our children for tiny minions from the devil, how do we discipline without being hypocritical, angry, or send the wrong message? 



Discipline is a hard thing.  As a parent, you try to guide your child to doing the right thing.  You try teaching, reasoning, compromising, bargaining, shouting, yelling, spanking, time out(ing), and punishing.  Each kid will respond in different ways, my oldest girl cries if she even thinks I am displeased with her behavior, my oldest boy lashes out, and my younger girl looks at me with an attitude usually seen in the hallways of the local middle school.  I can deal with the crying and the attitude, those are typical girl responses and I get those emotions.  What I don't know how to cope with is the typical boy reactions.

I recently read a parenting article that said when your child lashes out at you, verbally or physically, the best thing to do is ignore them, let them vent their rage, and then talk to them peacefully when the child has calmed down.  Ignore them, fine...talk to them peacefully, ok...but my issue is with the let them vent their rage part.  What is the appropriate way to let your child vent?  Mine likes to stomp, hit furniture, and punch things.  I don't think those are good habits to get into and I don't know how to get my son to redirect his anger and learn self control.  And let's be honest, yelling at an already angry child is about as pointless as telling the rain to stop falling.  So what?  Hope he grows out of it? Hug it out of him?  Try to find other ways to let him vent?  I don't know the answer and I guess that is the most appropriate sentence for any parent to utter because truthfully, you can never know the answer.  By the time you figure out one stage of your child's development, they have moved on and you have to start over.  And the best part...if you have another child, that one will be completely different than the first one! 

So, any brand new parent, soon to be parent, or not yet parent be prepared and at the same time, know you can never be prepared.  And those who are parents (especially to more than one child) you already know that there is nothing you can do but try and try again, lead them in the right direction, and hope at least some of it sticks.

mom friends

When I was in school I tried to have as many different types of friends as possible.  While most of my friends were associated with the band in some way, I didn't want to belong to just one group of people.  I'm sure I could have done better, but overall I'm satisfied with the variety of people with which I was acquainted.  However, I'm noticing that as I get older I am truly friends with fewer and fewer people.  I am friendly to everyone, but I don't want to be everyone's friend.  I'm sure it has to do with my stage in life, it is hard to build a relationship with someone who has no idea what I am going through on a daily basis.  My routine and schedule is completely centered around my children and it is hard to bring a non-parent into that lifestyle.  Someone who doesn't understand what it feels like to have a newborn living in your house, who doesn't know what it feels like to have someone touching and/or needing you physically (and emotionally and mentally) all day long, and who doesn't know what it is like to hurt when your child is shunned by other kids on the playground can't commiserate with me.  The funny part of all of it is that when you are a parent, especially those that are stay at home parents, NEED to have friends.  There has to be someone, other than your spouse, to vent and talk and laugh with.  I have found a few women that I am really drawn towards, women I feel know exactly what I am experiencing and who understand my quirkiness.  Sadly, some of these girls live in other states so the chances of a girls night out or lunch/play date is very slim, but it is amazing how easily text messages can connect people.  Since moving from Florida, my closest friends have come through text message and Facebook conversations, maybe that is a sign of the times or just what happens when you don't get out much, either way I'm glad for it.  So thanks girls!  My list of friends may be much MUCH smaller than it was 10 years ago, but I'd be lost without you.

this is nice...

I feel so different this time.  Every other pregnancy, delivery, and early postpartum time has left me feeling exhausted and not wanting to do much.  This time, I feel great.  Of course I am tired but I am getting things done.  We have food in the house, the laundry gets done, the kids get to bed at a decent hour (most days).  NONE of that happened after other pregnancies.  Other times, I have just been a lump of a person on the couch eating my way into a coma, only waking to feed children. 

This is a good feeling.  Maybe it's because I know this is it.  If I can make it out of this last newborn stage and (dare I say it) out of the diaper stage then it'll be *slightly* easier.  Maybe it's because I know this is the last year with all 4 kids at home, next year I'll lose both Zoe and Asher to school for 6 hours a day.  Whatever it is, it's nice.  I want to get back to the gym, I want to cook dinner every night, I want to have a structure to my day...those are words I never thought I'd say.  Maybe that is because if I didn't have structure I'd go insane, the 4 of them would overpower me and that would be the end.  Mike would come home to find me mumbling to myself while the kids threw things at me like Goldie Hawn in Overboard. 

I want this to go on. I hope that by the time I can get back to the gym, I'll still want to be there.  I have fitness goals and things I want to accomplish.  Now that my child bearing years are over I can do these things without worrying that I'll get pregnant again, we can make vacation plans a year in advance.  I can get into shape and not think that a pregnancy is going to slow me down.  I love my kids and looking at it as it is, I'm glad we had them all at once.  Now I can focus on raising them and getting to where I want to be as a mom and wife. 

For Angela, my Paul.

An amazing woman named Angela goes to First Baptist Church Buford.  She is an insightful teacher, good friend, fabulous mother, and doting wife.  She made me think about what it means to be a Christian woman in a way I've never before heard.  I heard on the radio one day a man speaking of how every Christian needs two types of people in his life, a Paul and a Timothy.  A Paul is the wiser and deeper Believer that can teach you how to become a better Christ-follower and a Timothy is a less mature Believer that you teach and bring up.  To the Paul, you are Timothy and to the Timothy, you are Paul.  Angela was my Paul for the short time we lived in Buford. 

Last night, Angela's 8 year old son, Isaac, died in his sleep.  They are not sure yet what caused his death, but he was a diabetic and it is believed that his death was somehow related to this.  I am so sad for Angela and her family.  She has 5 other children that she has to find the strength to continue to care for.  I don't know how a mother deals with the loss of a child.  I can't imagine.  In a mom group I belonged to in Florida, a woman had lost her 10 year old son, she said that there is nothing anyone can say to help the pain go away and the only thing that brought her any comfort was when another woman who had lost a child came to her and they simply cried together.  The only person who knows that kind of grief is someone who has been through it. 

I know Angela is strong in her faith and I know that she will (and has already) given this terrible situation to God and will continue to hope in Christ.  But I hope she finds a Paul to guide her through this time and when the time comes, she can be a Paul to the next grieving mother. 

Maybe it's just me but when I'm pregnant I become all consumed with the entire process.  It's all I can think about and, unfortunately for those around me, all I talk about.  And even thought this baby wasn't planned or expected, within hours of getting a positive test I had 8 iPhone apps and was thinking about names.  It's like the baby is some kind of strange parasite that overtakes my brain so I can only concentrate on what it is doing to my body and my life.  But it also makes me think about the kids I have now, how this baby is going to effect their lives once it's here and forever.  How is this little one going to change our established family dynamic.  Zoe is fine, she's great at being a big sister and this baby will not be a problem for her at all.  Asher will be alright as long as he can still get his early morning "cuddle time" with me, that's the only time of day that he NEEDS his momma.  Taegan, well...I'm really worried about how she is going to react.  She is incredibly jealous.  She is very independent, but as soon as Mike or I pick up or hold one of the other two, she flips out.  I don't think she is going to handle it very well at all.

But this is will be good for us.  We'll have to figure out how to work better as a family, how to better manage money, and how to parent 4 kids.  It's funny how your parenting style has to change every  time you add a new one into the mix.  With one child, you can do everything you always wanted (or thought you wanted), play dates, dance class, one on one time, you can discipline the way you want, enforce sleep time, dinner time, play time, learning time the way you want to.  There is no one else to screw up the perfect schedule you've set up for your family.  Number 2 comes along and things start to conflict, one naps when the other is awake, one is sick when the other has a play date, one only wants corn dogs the other only wants pb&j, one is a night owl the other is an early riser.  It's funny, but when number 2 arrives, you realize how easy it is to only have one.  Number 3 causes complete chaos, no one is ever asleep at the same time, no one can agree on food, no one wants to watch the same movie, and suddenly, the parents are out numbered and you run out of arm and lap space to hold everyone at the same time.  On the bright side rumor has it that after number 3 your brain turns to complete mush and any kids you have after that just kind of fit in somewhere.  It's gonna be an interesting ride.

Now what...

So basically everyone knows now that we are expecting baby Schultz #4.  No, we weren't planning this.  No, we weren't very careful about preventing this.  So yes, we should have expected this.  Whatever, too late now.  Besides, what are you gonna do about?  Cry?  Complain?  Think about all the things are going to change?  What good does any of that do?

I think it's funny how the same event can cause so many different reactions.  I have had people give me responses ranging from total happiness and joy to someone asking me if we were going to keep the baby.  I guess the response that has surprised me the most is mine.  A few months ago I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted more children, but even if we were going to have more, I knew I didn't want another baby any time soon.  And now, I am obsessed with pregnancy all over again.  I have about 8 new pregnancy apps, I am constantly thinking about names, I'm cautiously waiting for the nausea to kick in, and I'm trying to imagine what life is going to be like with another little baby in the house. Now I'm thinking about the things we need...a VAN, a new crib, and a new infant car seat.  Not too bad... I did give away all of my infant clothing and some of  my maternity clothes, but that's not a big deal, I already bought a new maternity dress.  HA!

Whatever, when I was pregnant with Taegan I knew (or felt like I knew) she was not going to be my last pregnancy, and I didn't want to even think that it was going to be the last time I was pregnant.  But this time is very different.  I KNOW that this is the last pregnancy.  So I want to make a real effort to enjoy it for what it is.  Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have found out so early (4wk2d) because it makes the wait for the end so long, but on the other hand...it is giving me the chance to enjoy nearly every single day of the pregnancy.  It is over so quickly, when you're at the end looking back...it really is the fastest 9 months of your life.  So who cares?  We are here, having another baby, and we are going to enjoy it and welcome the new little Schultz when he/she arrives.

So thanks to everyone for your amazing support, I know so many people who don't get the same kind of responses we got, especially with how close in age our little ones are going to be.  I know we wouldn't be able to handle this as easily if it wasn't for YOU!

Couponing, Birthdays, and Promotions

That's pretty much been my life for the past few weeks.  Family coming in for a birthday party, gearing up for Halloween, clipping coupons and planning my grocery store trips like I'm cramming for some weird final, and Mike got a promotion.  So let's break it down (but you gotta say like the crazy guy on Yo Gabba Gabba)...

So Zoe turned 4 on October 20th and we had a great turn out for her costume party!  WOOT WOOT!  Princesses, super heroes, animals...it was great!  And with birthdays comes family which brings insane amounts of cleaning the house so the in-laws don't think you are some kind of wacko who is leaving their child and grandchildren neglected and starving.  My in-laws don't think that way, but that's what goes through my mind whenever they are coming into town.  The house never gets as clean as I would like it, I seriously need a maid.  And since Halloween is right around the corner, we carved pumpkins!  Hurray!  Unfortunately, we had about 3 days of rain and they all turned to moldy mush...not fun.  Plus I have also decided to be super cheap with my candy giving this year...I'm handing out all my left over candy from last year first.  So don't come to my house expecting anything super yummy, cause that ain't happenin'.  Hahaha!

And coupoing is going really well!  I saved over $100 today.  Yup, I'm serious.  Over one hundred dollars.  Awesome, especially since I had to get things that aren't every time items, like dog food, toilet paper, and contact solution.  In fact, listen to this:  I had 2 $1 off coupons for Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta, and this week that pasta is buy one get one free at Publix.  That Ronzoni pasta was regularly $1.79 but when it is BOGO, Publix makes each box half price!  So that means each box was 89cents, and when I used my $1 off coupons for each box...well, you see the math!  I got 2 boxes of pasta for FREE and the 22cents change (11cents per box) was taken off the rest of the bill!  Now THAT is how couponing works!  I got other awesome deals, like 4 cans of Cambells Select Soup for $2.80 total, and Tyson AnyTizers that are normally $9 a bag for $3.50 a bag.  So I'm very satisfied with the results so far.  Even with the time it takes to prepare for the shopping trip, it is so worth it.  Now I just need to get to the point where I have enough coupons for each item that I can stock up on things to last me to the next sale.  Although, I've noticed that if one brand of tuna is on sale this week, next week the competitor brand is on sale, so it seems to work itself out as long as I am flexible with the brand.

And Mike got a promotion, or is going to be getting a promotion in the coming months.  Either way it is great news.  More job security and stability.  Good things!  However, I am truly beginning to understand why all the other wives call themselves Key Property widows.  His already long days are being pulled even longer and this week (auction week) he is even gone on Saturdays.But all this training is good for him and in the long run it is good for our family.  I just wish there was a better balance, oh well, it'll work out.

So those are the things that have been on my mind recently.  Nothing to straining or deep or life changing, but time consuming and just apart of our every day lives.

Does a blog need a purpose?

I feel like every blog I hear about or read has a purpose.  Whether the blogger is discussing politics or parenting, couponing or Christianity, they are all focused on one idea.  My blog is nothing like that, I'll get a thought stuck in my head and if I can't get it out, I blog it.  Which doesn't happen with too much consistency, obviously.  Besides all that, I have too much going on in my mind to just focus on one theme all the time.  Couple that with chasing kids around like a crazy person, and I don't really have the time to devote to one thing or another.  So maybe I'll blog about different things on different days and try to fit it all in.  I feel like I have a lot to talk about and since I don't get out much, this blog will have to be my voice.

Today's blog is about motherhood.  It's important that you know that I can only speak for women and only of my experiences, I know that everyone is different and my opinions don't hold true for all people.  It's funny how we have all these ideas about motherhood before we ever become one.  When we are young we think motherhood is about being able to tell someone else what to do and as we get older we think, it'll be fun to have a kid cause we can play with them and let them do all the things our parents never let us do.  Then as we get to the age where we could become mothers and we start to judge other women and how they are raising their kids saying, "Oh, I'd never do that." or "I can't believe they are letting their child behave that way!"  Then we get that positive pregnancy test and things start to change, we start thinking about names and looks and personalities that our child might have and what we can do to influence those things.  We take better care of ourselves in order to give our baby the best start in life, and this is just the beginning of the things we sacrifice for our kids.

Everyone hears about sacrificing for your child, and most people do it once they become mothers, but ideas are NOTHING compared to the truth.  Giving up alcohol and junk food for veggies and vitamins is trivial compared to the things you give up after you leave the delivery room.  It isn't just about the way your body changes and never goes back, the way that can make you feel, especially when your husband is no worse for wear and people like Heidi Klum strut their stuff on the Victoria's Secret cat walk 6 weeks postpartum.  It isn't about the hormonal mood swings that come out of nowhere, cause while that diminishes slightly over time, it never goes away.  It isn't about not having time for yourself anymore, when just as you get the baby to sleep and you try to lie down, the phone rings or dog barks and the baby is screaming again.  It's everything.  Literally, every THING in your life is now effected because you are a mother.  And some things about motherhood are still only discussed in the doctor's office, which is good that the docs are talking about it, but you feel like a weirdo around your friends who have had kids and they never talk about them.  Things like how much nursing hurts or about postpartum depression or about how your husband wants sex and you could care less.  We don't hear about these things from our friends so when they happen to us, we are left feeling odd and alone.  And beyond the infant stages we are constantly being challenged with lessons in patience, kindness, and self-control.

Kids are great, and the good things you hear about parenting are even better when you experience them, but I think sometimes we get so caught up in how great it is that we leave out the people who feel like some of it isn't so great, in fact, some of it stinks.  And while we wouldn't trade our kids for what we have given up, we want to make sure that those thinking about becoming moms know the whole picture and aren't caught unawares when the perfect happy world they thought parenthood was becomes a nightmare.  And for those women who think, "I'm going to be a great mom.",  you'll have days where you aren't so sure.  And those who think, "I will never let my children behave that way.",  they will.  And those who think, "I can't believe that mother is ignoring her crying child.",  you'll learn to tune out the cries that don't matter.

Couponing, let's get it on!

So a few weeks ago I posted how I needed to learn how to coupon.  A few acquaintances, some friends, and some family put in their 2 cents and I did some of my own research to finally feel comfortable enough to put some of it into action.  But before I get into the actual happenings of my first adventure couponing, let me fill you in on our family grocery budget.

These are the things I consider "groceries":

• all food
• all cleaning products
• all baby products
• all pet products
• all cooking products
• all personal care products
• basically anything you can get at Publix

Our grocery bill was averaging around $150 a week, not too bad for 5 people, about $4.25 a day per person.  But others I have talked to are saying their grocery bills are tiny, like teeny weeny, itty bitty tiny.  Like having over a hundred dollars worth of groceries and only paying $30ish. THAT'S NUTS!  So I heard enough of these stories to get me interested, if they can, I can.  And besides all that, we have to find a way to get our budget under control or I'm gonna have to start looking for a job (and nobody wants that!).

So my first adventure started at Kroger, they usually have low prices and they have these 10/$10 deals on all sorts of items.  So I went in with no coupons hoping to find something and I did.  There was a automatic coupon machine, that is known as a "blinkie" in the couponing world, giving out 55cent coupons for Dannon Greek yogur,t so I grabbed one.  I went over to where the yogurt is and guess what?!? the same yogurt was on manager's special for 69cents! So I end up getting this rather tasty yogurt for only 14cents!!  And this is the beauty of couponing!  You use the coupons in conjunction with other sales going on at the stores, plus any store coupons going on at the same time to get items for more than half off the regular price!  Of course it is more involved than walking in on a deal, there is a lot of planning and foresight and stocking up but for the first time out, I was quite impressed.  Overall on that trip, with other coupons and getting some items for great prices (like solid Albacore tuna regularly $1.79 for $1) I saved over $16.  Not too shabby for my first time around.  

So I clipped out all my coupons today, organized them, and now I need to make a list of everything I need (or will need), check it against what's on sale and what coupons I have, and GO!  Hopefully, I can start saving some serious cash!

What do I wanna be when I grow up?

Remember when you were in grade school and you had to write a paper about what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Or maybe you were given a list of career choices and you had to mark the one that you wanted to do?  I checked nearly all the boxes.  Doctor check, Farmer check, Lawyer check, Policeman check, Teacher check, Astronaut check...  Eventually you grow up and realize that it isn't possible to do all of these things unless you are an actor (check).  But at what point did this reality set in?  It doesn't seem that I have ever reached that point. 

 After graduating high school I went to college with the intent of eventually going to med school.  After one semester I switched to a major in English then, after doing an internship with Walt Disney World, I withdrew from college and waited tables.  I decided, if I can't go to med school, I'll become a paramedic, so I went to EMT school.  After not finding a job, I decided to be a mortgage broker (that was in early 2005) needless to say that didn't pan out.  So at 22, when all my high school friends were graduating college, I was still waiting tables.  I decided I needed to get my degree, no matter what.  A husband and 3 kids later I finally graduate, smack dab in the middle of the highest unemployment in years.  So here I am, with a double major in criminal justice and forensic science, and I realize I'm at another cross road.  Do I apply for jobs with a police department and work my way into the criminal investigation division?  Pay off some student loans and then go back to school?  Hold out for a job in a medical examiners office(my dream job)? 

I guess if I could do anything I would be a medical examiner who also had a plastic surgery practice and I would offer up my law services to the local Innocence Project, all while being completely available to my kids with plenty of time to write a book or two.  

Wow, so much time has passed.

6 months.  A lot can happen in that amount of time.  For us, we've been provided for, we've moved, we've made new friends, we've lost touch with other friends.  Settling in, getting used to new schedules, vacations, dance classes, birthday parties, new dog, LIFE!  But here we are, not just happy, but joyful!  Things are always going to go wrong or not go as planned, but the last year has taught me that there are better plans out there than the ones I have for myself!  God can and will provide for what His children need, even if it isn't what we think we need. I know I'm rambling, 6 months worth of thoughts will do that!  But I'm going to try to keep this blog more up to date, filled with random thoughts and things I think are important or worth talking about or just want to talk about.  

But since you are reading this, I'll let you in on a secret that only a few other people know about...I'm training for a 5K.  Big deal, right?  Well, it kinda is for me, you see, I hate running.  But here I am training for a 5K.  I'm using a program called Couch to 5K which is supposed to have you 5K ready in just 9 weeks.  I'm on week 4 and I'm no where close to being able to run 3.1 miles without stopping, but I'm on my way.  I'll keep you posted.

Being a Good Steward of EVERYTHING!

Growing up in the church, specifically Southern Baptist churches, I have always heard a lot about stewardship, at least one part of stewardship.  If you would have asked me 10 years ago what it meant to be a good steward, I would have said something about tithing and giving your money to the church.  And while that is part of it, I believe the Bible has so much more to say about stewardship.  Now, I want to preface this by saying that I have heard other pastors talk about this same thing and not everyone in the church is a money only steward.

According to dictionary.com the word steward has a lot of different meanings.  My personal favorite is: a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. And isn't that exactly what we are doing in this world?  As Christians we are the agents of our Father and what we have was given to us by Him.

Lately, I have been challenged to be a good steward with all the blessings in my life.  Time, resources, marriage, children, family, environment, money, these are all areas where we are to be agents for Christ.  What good am I as a witness if I raise my children to love God but don't tithe, or I love my husband as a Christian wife should but spend no time in the Word, or I use my talents to praise the Lord but take no concern for the Earth He has given to us?  It is no easy task being a follower of Christ, we are (and rightly so!) held to a higher standard.  We are judged by the outside world every second of every day.  We are supposed to take these things into consideration daily.  2 Corinthians 6:3-4a says, "We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.  In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God." (NLT)

One of the biggest problems that people have with the church, both Christian and non-Christians, is hypocrisy.  We say we love God, yet we use curse His name; we say we believe God created the universe and all the life in it, yet we support the death penalty, forgetting those we are fatally injecting are His children, someone He knit together in the mother's womb (rough paraphrase of Psalm 139:13).

But I digress, I am trying to hold myself accountable for the choices I make.  Choices with my children, my husband, my money, and my time.  I'm not going to get a second chance to get this right and I won't have another chance to be the kind of witness I desire to be.  I'll have to check-in in about 6 months and update you on my progress, but feel free to send me reminders of what I should be doing!

If you want to see all the definitions of the word steward, follow this link: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/steward

The Poem of a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad)

I think this applies to all parents, not just those who are blessed to able to stay at home with their kids full-time.    

What Did You Do Today?

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before,
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall,
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those window panes,
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?

I nursed a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while he wept,
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess it’s true.
Unless you think that what I’ve done,
Might be important to someone,
With bright brown eyes and soft blond hair,
If that is true … I’ve done my share.

Author Unknown

The Wii, Princess Jasmine, and Healthcare reform

Since Mike takes our only car to work everyday, I sit at home and play Wii with the kids a lot.  Zoe has gotten really good at most of the games and her favorite (this week) is the sword fighting game on the Wii Sports Resort.  Basically, a whole herd of people come after Matrix style and you have to use your sword to fight them off one by one.  Zoe really gets into it and when she loses she throws a FIT.  Crying out of anger and defeat and you'd think she actually had something riding on winning this game.  Usually when she gets like that, I turn the game off, citing that she obviously has had too much excitement and she needs to calm down.  Today I took a different approach.  After losing this one level about 5 times she started bawling, I asked her, "Are you angry at them for beating you?" "Yes, those are mean guys."  "Then fight them harder, if you are mad at them, beat them up more, don't give up!" "You mean like Princess Jasmine?" (I'll get to that) "Yes, just like Princess Jasmine!"  And you know what?  She beat the level on the next turn!

So what does Princess Jasmine have to do with any of this?

About a month ago, Zoe got a DVD, the Disney Princess Tales.  It's purpose is to teach little lessons to girls about life.  This DVD happened to be about perseverance.  In Jasmine's short film, her father's favorite horse has escaped the stable, so she decides to find it and bring it back.  She searches and searches until she finally finds him in an oasis in the middle of the desert.  This horse, however, could only be ridden by Jasmine's mother (who said to be dead, which was just alluded to in the original movie).  So Jasmine puts her perseverance to the test while she tries to break the horse so she can ride him back to her father's stable.  Of course, she succeeds and all is right in the world.  It is a Disney movie after all.   But I was really surprised, not that Zoe caught on to the message of the movie, but that she applied it to a situation she was facing.  Pretty cool, huh?

So now we move to this new healthcare reform. HA!

Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE this new plan.  And not because I am a Republican or because I hate Obama or because I want the uninsured to stay that way.  I hate this plan because I can do simple math, I don't think the government should be involved this heavily in our lives, and I think there is a better way.  But as many opinions and ideas as I have, I'm not going to get into all that here.  But what I will get into is how a video game and a princess movie can teach us all a lesson, like it did my 3 year old.  As Americans we have a right and duty to keep the government in check.  There are always going to be set backs and things that happen that we don't like, on both sides of the aisle.  As conservative Americans, we may be feeling angry or defeated and honestly, we should feel that way!  Being run over by a steamroller is never fun!  But this isn't the time to be mopey and cry and point fingers, it's the time to say, "You made me angry, now I'm coming after you!"  We have an AMAZING opportunity this November to show Washington, and more appropriately, the White House that many Americans are fed up with the way things are going.  We aren't mindless idiots who will do whatever we are told and believe whatever the media spits out.  We have thoughts and opinions and BELIEFS that we are willing to fight for.  PERSEVERANCE PEOPLE!  If a child can get it, so can we.

A little about us

The story of us is not unlike the story of others.  Mike & I met at McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers at a College and Career Pancake breakfast.  We were there for VERY different reasons.  I had come late (of course!) because I had overslept after a REALLY bad blind date the night before.  Mike was there with a friend after having the "worst weekend of his life."  I was asked by the C&C leader to sit with the table of new people. The new people were Mike, his friend (and later mine) Justin, and Justin's girlfriend (now wife) Christine.  We talked and had a great time during the breakfast and later the church service and later lunch.  We all hung out together for the rest of the day and the rest is history.

After marriage and kids, in a somewhat mixed up order, we settled nicely into a regular life in Ft. Myers.  In February 2008 we filled out applications to work as Air Traffic Controllers with the FAA.  That little application has thrown our lives into a tailspin!  After a lot of waiting and waiting and waiting, Mike finally got picked up by a facility and we began to plan for our future.  Our future with the FAA was going to move us to the Chicago area, which Mike was ecstatic about because it moved us back to his hometown.  The ATC training was to be 16 weeks long at the FAA headquarters in Oklahoma City, so we moved the family out to Green Forest, Arkansas, about 4 hours from OKC.  This allowed Mike to be closer to me and the kids and gave the kids a chance to really get to know their grandparents.  Things were going great until just after the New Year when we got notice from the FAA that due to budget cuts, all classes were going to be suspended until further notice.  We were stuck.  There were NO jobs in Arkansas.  So we drove over to Georgia to stay with my mom and try to find jobs.  After a LOT of looking and even more praying Mike found a fantastic job that allows him to do what he truly loves, construction and restoration, and allows me to stay home and take care of the kids (for now).

The only "catch" with this job is that he had to live in Gwinnett County, where all the homes were located.  So we have spent the last week looking for a home.  We found one we love in Buford, and Lord willing, we will be moving in on April 1st.  We are so excited to finally have a place to call home and can't wait to become more established.

We have found a great church that has everything I was hoping and praying for, a great women's ministry, a strong children's program, and a POWERFUL preacher.  Even though the move will put us farther away from this church, we are willing to drive and are so excited to really get involved!

We have had an interesting time getting to where I feel God wants us to be.  Every step we have taken over the last six months has been prayed over.  I really feel that we have followed God's calling, and even though the path isn't the way I would have chosen, I am SO happy with the blessings He has given us.  The greatest blessing of all is that God is showing Mike how amazing He really is!