This Too Shall Pass

Yesterday as I was getting Ava out of her car seat, I was remembering how little she slept during the day at first. I remember not being able to get anything done, and being so frustrated because of it. I've mentioned before how I am generally a better person when my house is clean, or let's say "in order." I remember thinking, this isn't going to last forever, before I know it she will be in fifth grade trying to hide makeup in her backpack, and coming home from school looking like she tried out for Ringling Bros. Circus. Then it hit me. This too shall pass. I realized I have frequently come back to this phrase throughout my later years in life.

When my finances were in shambles, this too shall pass.

When my marriage was shaky, this too shall pass.

When Aiden gave me a monumental hard time about the clothes he put on his body EVERY MORNING, this too shall pass.

When Ava slept in thirty minute increments, this too shall pass.

When Aiden asks me a million questions on why I am doing what I'm doing, or what I'm doing it for, this too shall pass.

No matter what you are going through, this too shall pass. I use my faith along with this phrase, and that is what gets me moving, and keeps me going. One day you will look back, and it will be all just a bad memory. Keep you chin up, and keep on truckin'. I guarantee you will learn something from it.

I used to have a tendency to keep myself in the moment and just fret about my current situation. I would think, what about this, what about that? The best thing you can do is take your mind off of your problem if you have done everything you can do regarding that problem that day.

Matthew 6:34 So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Keep your mouth from spouting negativity. It seems so simple, but it is so important. Matthew 12:34 ... For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

Have you ever heard the phrase, fake it till ya make it? I know it's hard sometimes, but even when you are down, put on a smile. When you are sad, talk about what you ARE happy/thankful for.

I have been there let me tell you. Stay close to positive people. Misery loves company, so stay away from her too!

... and remember, this too shall pass!

State Park Adventure

In an effort to live purposefully, I wanted to go to our local state park. I had never been and thought it was a great time to go seeing that the weather was beautiful today. Aiden loves to get out and he especially loves to be in nature. I decided to do a nature scavenger hunt. Aiden really enjoyed that and got a kick out of making sure we got every thing on the list. This was also Ava's first time to the park and she loves being outdoors as well. We also brought Max. He has been cooped up in the house lately and I knew he would absolutely love this trip.

Being that today was Veteran's Day, it was free for us to get in. It's not much any other day, but I love some free fun. To be honest we had some trouble trying to find the walking path. We kind of just roamed around for about a couple of hours. We didn't get to really "hike" any trails like we wanted to. Plus we were just about the only people there.

The river running through the park is beautiful. It reminds me of the Mississippi creeks I used to frequent with my dad and step mom. The fact that I can see the bottom is even better. As I have gotten older I am definitely not as brave as I used to be. I start thinking about all of the creatures that we know of that could be lurking in the water waiting to get a bite of my toe. I even start imagining some ancient reptile that has never been discovered, and it particularly likes blonde haired humans... I don't know why I do this to myself. In some cases ignorance is in fact bliss.

Anyways, it was a short excursion, but it was fun nevertheless. 

I encourage y'all to get out and about. Look online for activities in your area. Make plans. Write them down, and do them! You're never going to remember how clean your house was, but you will remember those memories you made with your family. I promise that your children will remember; probably even better than you! Aiden said this was the best day ever... until we got home and I told him no more playing games today. 

On another note, I just want to mention how thankful I am to live in a country that is free. It is free because of the many men and women that put their lives in danger to protect us, protect our rights as American citizens. I am grateful that I am married to a man who has served his country to do just that. I am blessed that he came back alive, because I know that many don't.

Field Day!!

Yesterday was Aiden's first field day. He wasn't sure what to expect, but I just knew that he would l o v e it. He's very athletic. He even nicknamed himself "Flash" a couple of years ago.

        

I remember field day. Actually I only remember one field day. I don't remember what grade I was in, but I know I was in elementary school. It makes me wonder, why do I only remember that one? The only distinctive event that happened that day was that my P.E. teacher told me I ran/walked a 13 minute mile, which is NOT good. I didn't know that then. I thought I was the BOMB! Yeah, I just used the word BOMB, whatcha gonna do about it?

Being that I only remember one field day, I do know that Aiden's field day was not like mine at all. On my field day, everyone had a tag with the activities listed on them and spaces for your times and scores. Aiden's grade,,, not a single tag. They were all grouped in with their class and with each activity each child took a turn for the exercise, but it was the class time that mattered. Field day for me was more of an individual sports day.

It was so much fun watching the kids try their hardest. You could see their personalities shine through, and they were just so precious. As Aiden starts each competition, at first I get really excited, and then nervous hoping he doesn't trip, or something crazy like that. As soon as the whistle blows he darts off, and I start yelling, "Go Aiden!!!" My eyes start to well up with tears. I have no idea why they do this, I mean he's just running. I'm weird like that.

After I leave the school and head home with a fussy/tired baby girl, I start comparing the field days in my head. I wonder why it's so different from the one that I remembered. The only idea that I can come up with is that maybe just maybe the school doesn't want any discouragement. Since there was no individual exercises, there's no winner and more importantly, no loser. Loser is just not a good word, period. There is nothing wrong with losing. Kids today NEED to know that. Losing a game or not being as good in a subject does not make them less. Why is it that kids and the kid's parents are so sensitive to this. Of course 

I want Aiden to be great at everything, but being great at everything does not build character. Being great at everything does not make you grow. Making mistakes and not being the best helps our mind adapt to be better. I make sure that I tell Aiden that it's ok if you don't win, just try your best. Life is not a perfect place where we as parents can cushion our children's egos all the time. Believe it or not we are actually doing our kids harm if we shelter them like that. God teaches us to be humble, do not boast, and encourage others. If kids won everything, it would be a lot harder to learn those characteristics. I guess my main point is...balance is key. Too much of anything is no bueno. I don't care who ya are...

Ok, I'm stepping off of my soapbox now...

Teeny-Weeny Bonfire

                 

Fall has officially started! The only reason for this statement is because we had a teeny-weeny bonfire last night! It was amazing. We had s'mores and all. Well let's say Aiden and I ate them. Hubby is such a s'mores party pooper...

Max is hanging out pretty close to the s'mores station. He's waiting for one to drop into his mouth. Haha. We used all of the wood we could for the fire, which wasn't a lot. I don't own a single wire hanger, because Joan Crawford says, "No more wire hangers!!" By the way, that movie freaked me out as a kid. That being said, we used the end of the rake for the marshmallows. We sterilized it in the fire first. Don't worry. It served its purpose, so that white area on the end of the rake is marshmallow guts.

The fire didn't last long, but we had fun and made some memories. That's all that matters, right? Hubby likes to start fires and Aiden likes to be around them.  I on the other hand,  just like to watch them. They are two of the few of my favorite people on earth.

No TV?

I am sad. Do you want to know why? I have realized that I watch too much TV. I can record shows and movies anytime, and I take full advantage of that. If anything on TV looks interesting, I record it! Once I see ALL the shows I have recorded, I feel determined to watch all of them. I can't leave one show out, because it might feel neglected. Who wants to feel neglected? Not me, that's for sure. Listen, I know I have personified TV shows, but hey it's my prerogative.

The other day I was reading my daily devotional by David Wilkerson, he mentioned that he stopped watching TV so that he could focus his energy on what was most important to him. It struck me like a lightning bolt! Maybe the reason I can't get some of the stuff done is because I am addicted to the Real Housewives of Where Ever!  Duh... I'm not going cold turkey now, that would just be horrendous. Let me tell you, you would not like to be around me if I did. I am giving myself a limit. I'm thinking maybe an hour and a half a day? We will see. I am also making this part of Aiden's days as well. He watches more TV than me! Since we all know that TV rots your brain, it is best that we back off. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

If this is the product of no TV, or not a ton of TV I'll take it! She loooooves her brother. He is her hero, and that is just the cutest thing in the world!

What will do I do with all this free time? I will invest in myself, my kids, my husband, my faith, my friends! This is the next step to living a more purposeful life. When we get old and gray, are we going to talk about our relationships with each other and the fun times we had, or about episode 1043 of Reality Crazy Mess show?

The next task on my list (yes, I am a list maker) is to look up some fun art and science activities to do at home.

Till then my peeps :)

Life With Purpose

Like I have mentioned before, I am great at starting things, but not so good at finishing them. I don't do this on purpose, despite what you may think. I have the full intention on seeing my new adventures through.

I love the idea of living a life of purpose. However, I have a problem being able to do that every single day. I get caught up in the everyday activities. I have a hard time finding the time to do everything that I want and need to do everyday.

I definitely believe in goals per se. I think it is great to write down what you want out of life, and how you plan on getting it. To have a life with a purpose, you definitely HAVE to write down what you are wanting to achieve. As much fun as being spontaneous sounds, spontaneity is not the best characteristic for a purposeful life.

What kind of dreams do you have? What would you like to achieve? Don't be afraid to dream BIG, for God gives you the desires of your heart, and He wants you to have them. Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

For instance, I want to learn French. Why? Because I want to, that's why.

I also want to make sure I am an active participant in Aiden's education. I don't think I am equipped at the moment to home school. Quite frankly, I don't think my patience is where it needs to be for such a task. I can make sure that when he comes home that I am completely available for him, and I think it's important for him to do hands-on activities as well.

While I was pregnant with Ava I was taking Physics I at a state college. It was hard no doubt, but I loved it. I mean I LOVED it! So much that I want to continue to learn physics whether I continue with my degree or not.

If you love and have a passion for something, that is a sign. Take note! I definitely believe in living my life for the Lord, but I do know that God wants us happy as well. He delights in our prosperity. Psalms 35:27 Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; and let them say continually, "The Lord be magnified, who delights in the prosperity of His servant."

I think that being a stay-at-home mom you need to approach your day like you would an office job. First, prioritize what is the most important task to the least important task. If you are like me, do the most important things first thing in the morning. My brain has a great tendency to procrastinate and find excuses for important tasks. Next, I plan out my days. I have a cleaning list so that I clean what needs to be cleaned, so I won't overwhelm myself with it. For some reason I am less stressed, more patient, and  just an overall better person if I have a clean house. Don't judge.

My cleaning list looks like this:

Monday: Dust, Vacuum

Tuesday: Yard work/ wash car, vacuum

Wednesday: Master bathroom, sheets every other week, vacuum

Thursday: Guest bathroom, vacuum

Friday: Extra to-dos, grocery store

Saturday: Yard work/ wash car

Now let me just say that I hardly adhere completely to this list. It is rather more of a suggestion, but it really helps me keep an idea of what I did, and what needs to be done. On another note, I realize it says that I vacuum six days out of the week. With a crawling baby, and a Golden Retriever, it has to be done.

My son goes to school so I make sure and get these tasks done before he comes home, remember, I want to be available for him and his learning after school.

When Hubby is home it is a little harder to get done what I want to get done. He likes to go, go, go, so we are not home nearly as much.

Once I have everything mapped out, I give it to God. I know the Holy Spirit will help me manage my time and my resources. If I can't get something done, then it's no big deal. God will help me take care of it.

Last, start living a purposeful life! Make sure you put time away for yourself to do those things that you want, like learn French, or physics! Don't be hard on yourself for not going right along with what you had planned, because you know what? Life happens!

We have to  make time for ourselves. Life will be over before we know it.

Seeing Faith

My faith is a big/special part of my life. I have always believed in God (father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). It wasn't until I had my first child that I really started to hunger for a better relationship with God.

Before my Hubby worked in the oil industry, he was an entrepreneur. He had a small floor laying business. Any of you who know anything about construction work know that when it's good it's good, but when it's bad it's bad. When money would get tight I would pray to God and ask for provision. He would provide. Then when things would get better I would stop praying. It was a cycle that went on and on for years. I finally realized that I wanted to keep my commitment with God, and stop turning to Him when life was not so good. I was like the Israelites. I forgot the works of the Lord.

I grew up Catholic. I was at every church function. I used to practice having mass in my room. Seriously.  I thought I wanted to be a nun. The God I know now is the same I knew then, but my relationship with him now is so different.

Now I don't consider myself of a certain faith. I believe in the bible and what it says. I don't believe in condemning others, so don't expect to see kind of stuff here. God made everyone. He loves everyone, so why should I treat others  with disdain when they don't believe exactly as I do. I don't have all the answers, nor do I act like I do. I believe we should encourage each other in faith.

I used to believe that faith was something that you had, which is true, but it goes deeper than that. Faith is in your actions, words, and thoughts. There are so many verses on faith in the bible. Faith is believing in something without seeing it.  Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. God's word is true. It can never fail. Knowing that and knowing His word can give us the courage, strength, and hope for our future. It is something we can bank on.

I am still growing in faith everyday. I want people to see my faith, not just hear me talk about it. I actually used to roll my eyes way back when others would try to witness to me. It would turn me away from God because it seemed like they were condescending to me. I am very careful now about how I talk about God to others. I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me and if I need to mention Jesus and His salvation I will. The last thing I want to do is to make others feel like I did.

I hope y'all have a great day!

Peace out :)

Taco Soup

Hubby and Aiden love soup. I mean love it. I am not as much of a fan as they are. When Hubby is home I try to make sure and make some soups to please his palate. Taco soup is one of them.

I received a taco soup recipe years ago from a coworker. I lost it somehow, but I remembered the gist of it. Now I've got it down. Besides gumbo (which I haven't perfected yet), taco soup is his favorite.

Ok, for some reason I had a brain fart and forgot to take pictures before this moment.

1.Turn the stove on medium to medium-high. 

2. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a dutch oven. 

3. Dice a whole onion and two cloves of garlic. Toss them into the pot and let them cook for a minute or two. Throw a pinch of salt and let the onions sweat. 

4. Season one pound of ground chuck with some salt and pepper. Put it in the pot as well. Get it all good and mixed. Let the garlic, onion, and ground beef get to know each other. 

5. Once you brown the beef, you will need to get most of the yucky fat out of that pot. I just used a ladle, but however you do it is fine. 

6. Drain and rinse the beans, and pour them in. Open up a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes and pour them in as well. 

7. Pour two cups of beef broth and three cups of water into the pot. You can adjust the amount of liquid, but I wanted it to be well... soupy. 

8. Now it's time to make it all taco-y! Add one teaspoon of cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Add two teaspoons of salt. I season as I cook. Taste as you go so that you can get exactly what flavor you want. 

9. Get the soup up to a boil and then put it on low and let it simmer for about forty-five minutes. While the soup is simmering, grate up yo fave cheese. In this instance I used Monterrey Jack cheese. Cheddar would be super fabulous as well!  

10. After the forty-five minute mark add the drained corn. Let it sit about fifteen minutes or so.  Corn chips make this soup over-the-top!

You can customize this in so many ways. Adding a can of Rotel, or dicing up some jalapeno would be great. Just throw in what you like, or what you have on hand. I love versatile recipes!!

I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do!

Here are the ingredients at a glance:

1 tblspn butter

1 whole onion diced

2 garlic cloves diced

1 lb ground chuck

Pinch or two of salt

28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 cans of black beans drained

1 can of corn drained

2 cups of beef broth

3 cups of  water

2 tspns of salt

1 tspn black pepper

1 tspn cumin

1 tspn chili powder

CHEESE!!

Halloween 2013

Halloween 2013 was a success! Aiden had a great time, and this was the first time he went out and trick-or-treated with some friends. We didn't walk around the entire neighborhood, partly because Ava was a little fussy, and Hubby had a class to get to today.

I didn't get as many pictures as I had planned to take. I did, however, get more than usual. Aren't you proud of me?

Hubby wore a ghost mask with some torn clothes, and I, a cat hat and cat makeup. We both had not really planned to wear anything Halloweenie. It was a last-minute decision.

Boy oh boy did Aiden get a lot of candy. Not to mention the all candy we have been eating for the past two weeks. See, I bought two bags of Halloween candy in advance, mistake number 1. They stayed in the pantry for a couple of days. Then I thought, "Oh what's the harm in having a piece of candy or two," mistake number 2. By the time Halloween came around, the remainder of the candy left was embarrassing. I mean, where did it all go? Oh that's right, in my stomach. In my defense, Aiden ate some too. He's my candy eating sidekick.

I go through this thought process of enjoying a couple pieces of candy, because life is short, I don't want to be bothered with petty things like calories. Then, I start thinking that I need to stop eating them, because it's not healthy and all that junk. Finally, I realize I NEED to get them out of the house, but I won't throw them away because, well that would just be wasting money. I'm not into wasting money. In the end, I eat the rest of the candy in a short amount of time to get rid of it. After that, I loathe myself for about an hour.

We got home after dark. There were still kids running the streets trying to get the last bit of candy. We made sure we had our outside lights off because, well frankly, we didn't have any candy for them. Why? Aiden and I, well let's just say I ate just about all the candy.

I was expecting my neighbor to drop by. I heard a knock at the door, and opened it. It was not my neighbor! "Trick-or-treat," three tweens said excitedly. My mind went blank. Quickly I said, "Hold on just a minute." I shut the door and ran frantically into the kitchen looking for that darn candy that I had just about devoured these past two weeks. There was just a little left. Just enough for the three trick-or-treaters outside my door. "Thank you Jesus," I said. Yes, I thank Jesus all the time, even for the smallest things. I return to the door, open it and promptly handed out the candy telling them I was sorry they had to wait.

I woke up this morning, thankful for another day, grateful that Halloween is over, and four pounds heavier...

Moral of the story: Do not buy candy for Halloween until Halloween...

Here are some pictures of last night.

                                       

 

Two Weird Halloween Costumes

I'm sure most if not all of you have some weird Halloween kid costume stories, whether it is of you as a youngin' or your youngins'. My story is of myself mainly because my kids are too young.

The first incident, (yes there are more than one) happened in second grade. I had just moved to south Florida with my mom. Back then, we were allowed to dress in costume at school on Halloween. This was the only year I remember wearing a costume at school. I think my selective memory is kicking in…

Before there was Pinterest and Google our imaginations served as the sole purpose of our Halloween creations. My imagination told me that I should go dressed as a homeless person. Yes! My costume was complete with nappy hair, a tattered shirt that had top drinking excuses on it, and my own cardboard sign that said, “Will work for food.” God help me.

The second occasion of my weird Halloween costume was when I was about ten years old. This time I didn’t wear this costume to school, but to trick-or-treat with my family around the neighborhood. Ok wait, here it is, drum roll please… I was a boy. Yep that’s right I decided to dress up as a boy, and no I didn’t have gender identity issues. I basically just put my hair up in a baseball cap, wore a flannel shirt with jeans, and took brown eyeliner made a fake beard. Haha. I even had the neighbors thinking I was a boy! I have always been a trickster. It was certainly fun that’s for sure.

I have always done my own thing. I was not a girly girl. I consider myself as more of the road less traveled kind of gal. That in itself is good insight as to why I would come up with such ideas.

I wish, oh how I wish that I had pictures of those days!

Here are a few pictures of Aiden during Halloween. I am dismayed at this point knowing that my ability to take and organize pictures on my computer is seriously lacking. I plan on scouring the pictures folder for the other two Halloween costumes. Until they are recovered, here are these of my cutie pie. Obviously he has an affinity for super heroes. Hey, I'm ok with that!

What is the craziest costume you or your kids wore?

Have a safe Halloween peeps!

Update:

Thanks to my lovely step-mother I have the other two!

Max the Great

Max is a common name for a dog, but Max is not a common dog. Well after all he is a Golden Retriever, which is a common dog, but the essence of Max is not common. Redundant much? Ha.

This is our ferocious Max. See how he is completely alert to any threatening danger? No? Me either. Since the weather has been so nice outside, I have kept the windows open during the day. He just sits there taking in the moment, the breeze, and quietly guards our home sweet home. When an animal or person walks by he growls a bit, and maybe barks a time or two. He really is a sweet dog, I promise.

Look how precious he is laying his sweet little head on the window sill! He didn't know I was standing there, he doesn't like his picture taken. 

This right here is what life is all about. Life in this moment cannot get any better than this, unless I was eating chocolate... Do you see how Max has become Max the Great? 

Max and Aiden are 6 months apart in age. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I decided to get him when I already had an infant. Nevertheless, it has been worth it. Aiden and Max are the best of friends. It looks like Max already loves Ava too! 

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like the Holidays

Let me tell you somethin'! My house smells AMAZING!! This is something that you can do any time of the year. But for some reason, I only think of this when October rolls around. Go figure.

I know what you are thinking right now, "What is that?!" It might look like something that a grizzly regurgitated, but it sure doesn't smell like it. The best thing about this, other than the smell, is that you probably already have these items on hand. 

You can customize this really any way that you want. The "recipe" my mother showed me years ago was just some water, and a couple tablespoons of ground cinnamon. I had an epiphany the other day, and realized that I could customize the scent. I am so proud of myself for thinking outside of the box, or saucepan.  In this case I used:

2 cups water

2 tblpsns ground cinnamon

1 tspn ground nutmeg

1 tspn ground cloves or 5 whole cloves

2 tspns vanilla extract

Just mix it all together in a saucepan, and turn the stove on low and just let it sit. Of course check it from time to time, because the water level will decrease. If it gets too low just add some more water. 

There are so many different ways that you can customize your scent. Aren't you excited? You should be! You can add apple or citrus slices, herbs like rosemary or mint, and a variety of extracts like peppermint, coconut, and almond. The possibilities are endless!!! 

Let me know how it turns out! I would love to hear from you!

I have a confession...

I have a confession to make. I am quite sure a good bit of you suffer from the same affliction. I. Am. A. Food lover. Ok I said it. Whew! That felt good getting it off my chest. Actually, any of you who know me, know this fact well. I have recently become obsessed with trying new recipes, and then taking pictures of them. Being that I have mush for brains half of the time, I make the recipe, marvel at it, and then EAT it! After I am full as a tick on a hound's neck, I realize that I forgot to take the picture.

Homemade pancakes... I was feelin' the love that morning.

Omelet with onions and peppers topped with cheese and salsa. If you like it spicy add some sriracha. Yum!

Chicken n dumplings. 'Nuf said.

Beef enchilaaaaadas and mexican rice dude (in my Cheech Marin voice)!

These are the few recent recipes I have made AND took pictures, before I devoured them! More to come...

I'm a Window Washer

After having Ava, understandably I was drained. It took some time, like 6 months to where I felt like I had some energy. I don't remember feeling this way with my firstborn. Shoot, I can't even remember what I wore two days ago.

With the weather being so beautiful outside yesterday, I decided to open the windows, turn the air off, and just feel the breeze. I. Was. Loving it. I looked out the window and I realized they were dirty, extremely dirty. Like extremely.

With all this new found energy I thought to myself, "I'm gonna clean these windows!"

I already had the supplies on hand, because I am the queen of starting projects and not finishing them. I am working on that...

It really wasn't too arduous of a chore. I had to do it in stages considering Ava's nap and picking up Aiden from school.

I had two spray bottles, one that I filled with just plain water, and the other with half water, one quarter white distilled vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap. It doesn't have to be exact. First, I sprayed the outside window with water. Then, I sprayed the window with the vinegar solution and wiped it with the rag. Afterwards, I sprayed the window again with water, and squeegeed it off. As far as the bottom part of the window was concerned, I just popped off the screens and did the same thing. The screens were not dirty, so there was no need to wash those. Thank God.

When it came to the inside windows, I used the Windex vinegar all purpose spray. It smells a lot better than making your own vinegar spray from home. I sprayed the inside of the window pretty good and rubbed it with a couple of paper towels. I needed to make sure it was good and wet so I sprayed it again, so that I could squeegee it. The squeegee just does something. It's magical.

The sun comes in with such vibrancy now. This is the perfect time to do this because the weather is just so, well, perfect!

Last night as I laid the kids to bed, I felt accomplished, but I was... tired.