Boxes Galore!

There's a lot going on around here!

This is the house we have lived in for 9 amazing years!

Yup, that's right... we are MOVING!  We are so excited!  We bought a house a few miles down the road in a fabulous neighbor.  We move in less than ONE week!!

So what does that mean for me....Well, I have turned into a crazy stressed out lady.
This is hard stuff!  I have packed, and wrapped, and trashed, and moved a million boxes, and we haven't even left our current house yet!  What gives? I thought moving was supposed to be fun and magical, and this incredible family bonding time!
(I can hear y'all laughing at me)

I have learned a few things over the past several weeks.

1) Packing is not magical!!  Unless, of course digging through your closet and finally finding the match to the other shoe that you just threw away 6 months ago.  OK,... still not magical.

2) My kids have not missed the toys I packed up weeks ago.  Does this mean I should just throw them away?  Nope, they have compensated the lack of toys with TV.  I have totally used the TV as a "sitter" the last couple of weeks.  I know... Horrible mom!

3) When you move, you even have to clean out the junk drawer.

4) Books are heavy!

5) I have not cooked in a week, and no one is complaining.

6) We own a lot of pillows.  Why?

7) I have secretly bought random items for the new house and stashed them in a box.  And by random I mean; deer antlers, bowling pins, and tacky paintings.  Can't wait for hubby to see it.  Let's just say, he doesn't always share my quirky taste!

8) Goodwill and Craigslist are awesome!

9)  Did you know that you have to clean your empty house after you leave?  I mean, I barely cleaned when we lived here.

10) It's sad to see your whole life for the past 9 years packed up in boxes stacked on top of each other in the garage.

This is our "formal" living room.  It's nice a cozy, don't ya think?

Boxes for daze!

The three car garage is totally packed to the gills!

The kids have enjoyed sleeping on the floor the last few days.

Don't judge the unmade beds, we're moving!

All in all, we are going to miss this house.  This is the first house that Hubby and I actually felt like home.  We brought all three baby boys home to this house.  We have hosted birthday parties, life groups, baby showers, bible studies,  get togethers and cook outs here.  This house has been well loved! We built this house together, picking out all the finishes.  We have grown into this house, and have loved being in this neighborhood.

We will be saying goodbye to this chapter, to this house, and looking forward to our new house and a new adventure.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

* I'll post pictures of the new house soon! Woot Woot!!

Dear friendly motorist

Dear Motorist,
I just wanted you to know that I am sorry I didn't let you cut in front of me.  It would have been the nice Christian thing to do.  You see, I had a car full of boy!

Mr. Motorist I just endured a trip to the Walmart with my three boys.  It was in the Walmart that I had to keep myself under control. I mean, after all, it is a respectable place of business.  While in the Walmart I had several people give me looks that could only mean I was doing a GREAT job at being a parent.  You know, the unwanted glares of judgment from random strangers. 

 I had a few polite people that told me I had my hands full.  Yes, polite citizen, I do have my hands full, do you have an extra arm or two you would be willing to share?

One women told me that it will go really fast.  Well, that may be true.  I will look back at the precious sweet times and think, wow, they grow up fast.  But, I am pretty sure that I will not look back fondly on the screaming tantrum moments in the Walmart.  Just Saying!

 Another random women actually reached into my buggy and tickled my child.  Not sure why she thought that was a good idea, I mean she totally freaked little man out.  All I could do was laugh nervously and push the buggy in the opposite direction. 

To keep my boys occupied I gave them cowboy hats to play with while looking through the t shirts.  The boys knew I was not going to buy them.  But, thanks to an average Walmart shopper who politely said, "wow, you have to buy that for them.  They look great!" Ummm, no, I don't have to buy it.  They are $15.00 a piece!  Do the math.  Do you want to pitch in?

Mr. Motorist, I did not get everything on my list.  I ended up buying random stuff that we will never need.  For example, three American flags.  Two of which broke while still in the Walmart.

So, Mr. Motorist, by the time I saw you, I was DONE.  One boy was playing air guitar very loudly, another boy was playing drums on the dash board, and the third was singing 'LALALALA', over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.  When I saw you wanted to pull in front of me I was fearful.  Fearful that I might not make it through the green light.  If I didn't make it through the light, then I would have definitely lost all remaining sanity.  All I wanted to do was get home as quickly at possible.

So, to sum this up I should never go to the Walmart! It only causes trauma, and traffic violations. 

Sincerely, 
the crazy lady in the minivan

(p.s. It has been a long summer day!)

I am pursuing my husband

This week has been pretty awesome!  My husband and I have been dating.  Yes, with each other!
Our three boys are off at Camp Grandmaw and Grandpaw for the entire week.  They are living it up pretty big.  Candy, cookies, bike riding, water tubing, fishing, swimming having a big ole time!

So, that has left Andy and I in a pretty unusual spot.  We are HOME ALONE!  The first day was pretty weird.  The house was way too quiet, and way too clean, but then we got over it! 

This week we decided that we would have fun, do things we wouldn't normally do, embrace each other and have silly fun again.  

We were actually able to talk and finish a conversation!  We went to supper and a movie, we ate lunch together most days, we had a water gun fight.  We became friends again.  We were not just defined by our kids and being parents, but we got to be a couple completely into each other.  We held hands and kissed at supper, he noticed what I was wearing and called me pretty.  

I learned things about my husband.  I also learned things about myself.  I was more relaxed, more in tune with my husband and my feelings.  I was open to him and what he was feeling.  We were able to do what married folks do, and just be together.  I was able to think about my husband throughout the day, with kids I don't have a chance to think.  I thought about how much I love him, and how I could be a better wife to him, and what I could do for him.  It was really amazing when I realized how often I don't think about him.  The kids consume so much of my time and attention that I easily forget about my love.  All of the mommas out there know exactly how I feel.  We get bogged down with daily life that we are only in survival mode, not living mode.

This week my husband and I LIVED!  We lived for each other.  We lived with each other.  We LIVED!

I am excited that our week is not over yet.  Today we are going white water rafting, ziplining and finishing it off with food truck Friday! We have decided that even when our kids are out of the house we will still be the cool parents, who date each other. 

(Saturday we will be married 11 years!! Woo Who!! Go us!!)

"However, let each one of you love your wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband"

Ephesians 5:33

Running the Race

I have to confess... I have been uninspired, preoccupied, not feeling it lately.  I haven't been able to find my words or make time to write and blog.  I think it has taken me a few months to wrap my mind around on what I have been thinking.  I have figured out that I have been missing some really important fuel in my life.  I have not been feeding myself, so how in the world was I supposed to pour out in my blog?

I had tried several times to sit down and try to write.  I wanted to write something profound, trying so hard to impress, trying to move readers hearts.  And the truth of the matter is, that I was doing just that, trying too hard.  I put way too much pressure on myself, and therefore I froze when I sat down to write.  I was empty.  I didn't even know where to start.

Then it dawned on me.  I had ALREADY started.  God was already using me.  He already had me running His race.  I was the one who chose not to trust, and continue on His path.    This has been a process for me.  A journey of learning about myself and learning where God has me.  The biggest thing I have learned is simply knowing and embracing where God has me right now, right in this moment.
There are a few things that I have learned about myself in this process.  

1) I need to be in God's word EVERYDAY!  I will admit that I struggle with this.  I might do really well for a while, and then out of nowhere life happens and BAM, I not reading daily.

2) I need to listen and trust my husband in my life.  He is the spiritual leader after all.  Now before you go all crazy on me, let me explain, I'm kind of all over the place.   I have ALOT of cray cray ideas.  "Let's move to Costa Rico and be missionaries; Lets adopt; Lets home school; I'm going to Africa; I'm not going to Africa; Wait, I wanna go to Africa again; I wanna open a nonprofit; I wanna help people".  I'm exhausted just writing it.   My husband is amazing!! I need to listen to him and value what he sees in my life.  After all, there has to be some calm to my chaos.

3) I need community.  I mean good, Godly women pouring into me and me into them.  Being in constant communication with women I trust.  Women who are walking with the Lord.  Women who are not judging me and my craziness, but are praying over me and helping me along the way.  Women that I can text at any moment and ask for prayer, or just recognize that I need prayer.  Women that will hold me accountable and ring me back in.

I am fixing my eyes upon the Lord!  I am reminded of a quote by Margaret Shepard, "Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith".  It's so true!  We have to be reminded of this because our life is constantly changing and moving.  As long as we keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord, we will preserve.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart"

Hebrew 12:3

Dear GOD

I was in front of my computer.  Thinking, reading blogs, praying; trying to understand my path.

I know. I was listening.

Selfishness creeps in.  Self doubt is knocking on the door of my heart. Why does our human side have to come out so ugly.  Dying to flesh is a process.

I know.  Its ok.  You are my child.  I created you.

I know that being uncomfortable is sometimes a good thing.  A chance for us to grow closer to you,  closer to being more Christ centered.  Sometimes, I don't want to be uncomfortable.  I don't like to NOT know the ending.  I want my plan to be laid out.  Just tell me Lord what your plan for me is.  I will follow.

You have to be equipped.  I am equipping you.  Patience my child, I've got this.

Lord, why do some people get the big gigs?  I want to move mountains for you.  I want to change the world and tell everybody about you!

You are my child.  Be in the moment I have given you.  Allow me to guide you.

I am weak, Lord.

My child, I am strong.

I cry, and crumble into a million pieces.

I will make you whole.

I am ready to be all in!  All for you! Use me...

I have already used you.  I will continue to use you.  I made you.  I know your inner parts.  Have faith my child.

Faith...

Faith...

You've got this?!

I've always had it!!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Yup! This totally happened!

This is a post to help you feel better about your parenting...

So, my husband was out of town last week.  When he is out of town I let the boys take turns sleeping in bed with me.  I had tucked Carter into my bed, got Walker into his bed and proceeded to check on Tyler. 

That's when I heard a POP! 
Walker came running out of his room with a terrified look on his face.  "What happened?" "What did you do?"

He's response was that the penny went POP!  Ummm...OK!  
That's when I knew something wasn't right.  When they admit to a little bit of the crime, it usually means they did something pretty crazy.

Walker decided that it was a good idea to pull his night light out of the socket just a little bit, THEN DROP A PENNY DOWN ON THE PRONGS!!!

Seriously!!!  How was this even a good idea.  How does one think to do something like this?
So I screamed.  I mean what else was I supposed to do, there were BURN marks on the outlet!!

So that freaked out the other two kids.  Then, I remember that I am the only adult in the house, so I need to get it together.  Breath...

All three boys ran and got under the covers in my bed.  I go to look at the fuse box.  I have no idea what to look for, but I have seen my husband open it up.  So that's what I did.  The fuse was actually switched to off, so I put it back on. 

When I made my way back up the stairs the lights in the whole house flicked.  That scared everybody all over again, even me!! 

Sooooo.... 
Tyler and Walker slept on the floor in my room, Carter was in my bed, and,  I woke up every hour and sniffed the air to make sure their was no smoke.

WHEW! I was so glad to have my Hubs back home!

The Time I....

This past weekend I did something radical.  I did something that made me uncomfortable, even anxious. 

I gave up social media for the ENTIRE weekend.  No Facebook, no Instagram, not even Pinterest could be found.  

And you know what the crazy part is?  I survived!!  I didn't break out in hives, or cause my head to spin uncontrollably.  I merely just lived my life...

I did not have to check on who was at what movie, or whose toenail fell off, or whose kid got the stomach bug.  I lived. I breathed.  I ate.  I went about my normal day.
  
It was freeing.  I felt empowered by my own life.  My own circumstances engulfed me.  I am not saying that I was on FB all of the time, but anytime I had a down minute, I would check it out.  Instagram, I probably looked at more often.  Don't lie, you do it too.

 Some of us even have "friends" on social media that we have never actually had a real conversation with.  We are engulfed in their pictures and their comments and the life they allow us to see.  We forget to look at our  own life and the greatness that we have.  We don't have to post a really cool picture about it, or comment that #wearehavingsomuchfun. 

I will admit there were times this weekend that I caught myself trying to click the app.  I even got on Pinterest, until my husband pointed out that, that too is social media.  

So what did I do instead? We built forts, watched movies, rode bikes, went to a play.  And no one had to know.  I didn't post #chillinwithmyhomies, or #threesillyboys. We had actual  conversations with each other.  It was great!

Don't get me wrong, I do not think that social media is bad.  Afterall I do have this little blog.  I do think that it can interfere with our own personal lives.  I just felt it was time for me to take a step back for a little while.  We used to be media free (TV included) twice a week.  It is a good check.  A time to reflect and be with the people you are with. (As I write this, I think it might be a good idea for my family to do again. p.s. don't tell the boys, they take it kind of hard).

So Lent is starting tomorrow.  And I have decided that part of my Lent experience is giving up social media every weekend.  Who knows, it may lead to more than just the weekend.  

Its time to get reconnected with our families and not the ones on our screens.  Why don't you join me?
#analogweekend 
I would love to hear from you.