If Yesterday Was "Ugh"...Then Today Is Just "Blah"

Now THAT got you all excited to read today's post, didn't it? :)


I am feeling a bit better today than I did yesterday ear-throat-infection-wise. (I love how you can add hyphens, and come up with all new compound words whenever you feel like it...at least in Blogland anyway.) But surprisingly enough, it's raining...again. I KNOW! Deep in the heart of Texas where we spent our entire summer as well as the end of our spring season with temperatures well above 100 and not a drop of rain for months, it's been raining for days...and it did it a couple of weeks ago too...so it feels like it's been raining for weeks. And as much as I am enjoying the 60 degrees, and being able to wear my fall clothes (because they are my favorites), I don't really enjoy the rainy days. Especially when I can't curl up on the couch with some apple cider and a good book, or a movie, or even a DVR full of my favorite tv shows. No, life has had to go on as usual, and I'm sick, and it's raining, and everything is muddy, and dirty, and BLAH.

So, I decided that I needed a couple of things to perk myself up today. 1) A Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks--courtesy of a gift card from Susan May Warren 2) Something to either remind me what an amazing blessing it is to be a mother or Something to make me laugh.

So Caramel Apple Spice? CHECK!

And as for being reminded of blessings or laughing out loud, I decided to go with both! The following posts were written by two of my favorite bloggers who just so happen to be related to each other! The first reminds me of why I love being a mother, the second makes me laugh...and inspires me to do a better job at keeping my house clean! Sometimes, I stay away from these two particular blogs because I can begin to feel completely inadequate at mothering, teaching, housekeeping, and even blogging for crying out loud! But, on days like today (or weeks like this week) they are comforting friends that help to get me back on track.

So, if you need a reminder of the magic that is motherhood, come with me to In the Midst of It and read the first blog post I ever read, and one of my all-time favorites My Tattooed Soul.

And if you just need a good laugh and a swift kick in the pants, come with me to A Chelsea Morning and read another of my all-time favorite posts, I Febreze My Dog.

Or if you have the time, do like I'm doing, and go read both!

And if you can fenangle yourself a Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks...I highly recommend that too! :)

It Really Shouldv'e Been Called "Squished Like Playdough"

Or maybe "Mangled Like Play Dough"

Or even this old favorite from my childhood "Folded, Spindled, and Mutilated Like Play dDough"

And the reason I say that is only because the title to my latest favorite book is called "Blue Like Play dough" and that title totally went over my head! Add to that the fact that while the cover of the book is, in fact, blue...the play dough on the cover is ORANGE! Personally, I think Tricia just likes messing with me....but really the color of the play dough doesn't matter one bit. Because this book isn't about the color of the play dough at all! It's all about the manipulation of the play dough. The shaping of the play dough. The molding of the play dough into a useful vessel to achieve a certain purpose. Can you guess what the play dough is? It's a mom! Actually, it's all of us moms, but this is the story of one mom in particular...my Twitter/Facebook friend, Tricia Goyer.

Tricia and I are both moms, (duh!) but we both became moms under completely different circumstances. I got married less than 3 months before my 27th birthday (I know, an old maid by some standards...and a young chick by others!), I was married for 3 years before I got pregnant with my first child, and I gave birth to that first baby 3 weeks after I turned 30 years old! Tricia, on the other hand, was an unwed teen mom who married a man who was not the father of her child when she was hardly more than a child herself.

Two completely different stories, yeah? And yet I told Tricia that after reading just the first 4 chapters of this book, I was laughing out loud at how "the same" we are. :) Now, I could go not only chapter by chapter, but probably page by page, and share with you the different things that God spoke to me through Tricia's story, but I won't. You're welcome!

I am going to restrict myself to just one thing that I took away from this book because it hit me as the most accurate description of motherhood I've ever heard. And yes, that includes "It's the hardest job you'll ever love" which has, up til now, held that distinction.

Being a mom is the equivalent of being in Junior High....all over again!

That is not a direct quote. Tricia puts it much more eloquently...'cause, you know, she's a writer! Here is the paragraph that made me want to stand up and shout "AMEN!"

"What my son also doesn't know is that the awkwardness of that eighth-grade Madonna wannabe didn't go away like my hairstyle did. The truth is, being a mom brought with it a level of intensity to match the intensity of those junior high days. From the moment the two pink lines on the pregnancy test told me I was expecting, my body and emotions have been in a constant, awkward state of change."

I know, right? All those feelings of wanting to be liked, and accepted, and successful at the politics of junior high are now transformed into wanting your kids to be liked, and accepted, and thereby stamping a seal of approval on yourself as a mother. Whoa, that's deep.

In this book, Tricia tells her story. It is the story of a girl who struggles with making the right choices and learns to let God make those choices for her. She just says "yes" when she hears His voice and His call. And she reveals how every time she does that, He takes care of all of those little details that she thought she had to concentrate on to receive that stamp of approval as a mom. It's the story of how God redeemed a life of poor choices, and turned it into a life of helping others make better ones....mine included.

Reading about how God has formed and shaped Tricia, like a lump of play dough, has encouraged me so much. I am encouraged not to worry so much about the appearance of being a good mom, and concentrate on just trying to be the mom, wife, daughter, and woman that God wants me to be. Because you know what? His is the only opinion that matters, and when that is the one that we care about, He will take care of all the others! When I look at Tricia Goyer, I don't see an unwed teen mother. I see God's glory. And that's what I want others to see when they look at me.

Next week the ladies in my church are getting together for dessert and a book exchange. I wasn't really sure which book I was going to bring, but I think after seeing how much better I feel as a mom/person after reading "Blue Like Play Dough", I think I'll be bringing a copy of it to pass on to another mom who needs a lift! I just don't think it will be my copy! I think I need to hang on to it for awhile! LOL...

Read an excerpt from the book: http://triciagoyer.com/cmsdocuments/Blue_Like_Play_Dough_Prologue_CH_1.pdf

A note from Tricia: Are you a mommy who feels squeezed by Motherhood? Could God be shaping something beautiful in you?

In my new spiritual memoir, Blue Like Play Dough I invite women to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary! To learn to see God's hand lovingly at work in every aspect of your life---from laundry-folding to the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon.

And now I’m inviting YOU to come bring your stretched self and attend a fun Facebook Launch Party for Blue Like Play Dough! I know you’re busy (and tired) so I’m bringing the festivities to you! So grab your comfiest chair and slip away from that long To-Do list and join me for a two hour Play Dough Party. I’ll be sharing some of my mothering experiences (the good and the bad), hosting a fun trivia contest, giving away Mommy Play Dough Packs, answering questions, and getting to know YOU!

I’d be honored to have you as my guest – and to prove it I’ll be giving away 2 ginormous Mommy Play !Dough Packs to two party attendees at random! The winners will be announced at the end of the party. Grab your friends and let’s party! oh, and don't forget your camera! Snap pictures during the party and upload them during the festivities. I'll be giving a prize away for the best photo!

So come join me on July 27th from 5-7 pm (PST)! Friend me on facebook and join the fun!

FACEBOOK Launch Party (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=206503170034)

Want to get to know Tricia better? Go and check out her website!

Author website: http://www.triciagoyer.com watch a video and read the endorsements

Want to purchase your own copy of the book?

Link to purchase the book: http://triciagoyer.com/store.html

Want to read what other bloggers have said about this book?

Blog tour schedule! http://www.litfusegroup.com/latest/what-is-new/87-blue-like-play-dough-blog-tour

But Mom, I didn't mean to....

THE CRIME

THE PERPETRATOR

THE PUNISHMENT

REPENTENCE

FORGIVENESS

The End of an Era...

This is my favorite picture of my tiny little man. Exactly 2 years, 4 hours, and 13 minutes ago...that is what my little David looked like...

He was 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 18 1/2 inches of perfection. I had lost two babies and undergone surgery for endometriosis on my way to having this little bundle of joy in my arms. And may I just say...worth every single second of it! He is my last baby, and although I am looking forward to watching him grow and change, and become the man that God has planned for him to be, I'm going to miss that little lump of snuggly goodness that he once was and will never be again. He is two years old today and officially no longer a baby...but all you mothers out there know that he will always be MY baby. They all are.

Just for fun, (and 'cause I didn't have a blog back then on which to display such things) here are some pictures of him on his very first birthday when he was still very, very bald, and didn't quite have the mouth full of teeth that he now sports with pride!




And this year...desperately in need of a haircut! (Even daddy asked if he was going to get one for his birthday!) Here he is in his birthday chair although he is more interested in his Thomas balloon than in smiling for my picture!





And, yes, if you were wondering, he will be getting some of those Thomas the Tank Engine cookies that I made a few weeks ago...I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of it, but I keep telling myself that I only need to make 2 dozen this time, not six!

He will be getting the cookies for his party at the park on Saturday. Today, he will get a cake. It won't be fancy, but it will have a real Thomas train and track on it and Thomas will actually ride around on the track on top of the cake. I think he'll love it!

Now, I just had to share with you his gift from his biggest brother.



Benji worked and worked around the house to earn money, and he actually saved it, to buy this for his baby brother's birthday. He was still about $7 short, but has promised to work off the rest this week, so I spotted him the $7. For him to have saved $18 without changing his mind and spending it on himself, is HUGE, so I decided to help him out.

Maddie worked hard too, and got a set of Thomas the Tank Engine dishes for her baby brother's birthday. They can be so sweet sometimes! It makes me all teary-eyed when they do stuff for each other like that.

Okay, well it is time to get to work around here. I still have four cakes, 2 dozen cookies, and 7 cookie bouquets to finish as well as David's birthday cake and 2 dozen cookies. Oh yes, and we're having roast with potatoes and carrots tonight, so I need to get it into the crockpot! I told you I planned to actually cook this week! I let each kid pick a meal, so last night we had french toast with canteloupe. That was Jon's choice. Tonight's roast was my choice, but I chose it because I know David likes it, and it is his birthday after all! His choice would have been cookies, bananas, and the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms, (he doesn't care so much for the cereal part) but the very idea of it puts me into a sugar coma, so I chose roast instead!

I'll be back with cake pictures for your viewing pleasure. And I'm STILL working on the 7 Random Things Meme...it's not as easy as you might think!

Weekend Wind Up Part 2--Mother's Day

Well, the daisy cookies were a hit with the girls...and the moms!

And now, for the rest of my weekend wind-up...

For Mother's Day I made this for my mom, who likes apples and has her entire kitchen decorated with apples...even the wall paper is apples! I also gave her a copy of the "Glory Revealed" CD that Boomama has been raving about over at her place because I bought one for myself, and liked it so much that I bought one for my bible study leader as a gift on our last night, and she liked it so much that she bought one for someone else, and I thought my mom would probably like it too...so it just keeps going and going and going! I also gave her a copy of "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" that I heard about from Sarah at "In the Midst of It" and listened to on CD with my kids who loved it, and we just thought grandma would love it too!

I made this one for my mother-in-law, who loves flowers. Along with this we gave her a hanging basket with three different colors of impatiens in it, and a gift card to Sears Grand where she can get more plants, or clothes, or groceries, or movies, or whatever she wants!

We had Mother's Day dinner at my mom's house with my grandmother. I haven't seen my grandmother since I was very young...maybe 8 years old or so... I can't even remember it's been so long! My parents just moved her down here from Montana. I know the heat will be a big change, but being with family will be good. We had a great time Sunday visiting with her. She has no hearing trouble, so there was no shouting, or repeating of anything, over and over. We got to just talk and laugh together. And although her eyes get tired when she reads for long periods, her eyesight is excellent as well, so we were able to show her the photo-slideshow that I had made for my dad, her son, for his 60th birthday last year. It was a photo journal of his life and was lots of fun to watch again. At dinner, Grandma was concerned that the ladies at the nursing home had sent the wrong version of TUMS for her to take with her meal. It was supposed to be Extra Strength, and they sent Regular. (Yes, she could tell just by looking at the pill!) But when my mom offered to give her two, she immediately said, "No!! I hate 'em!" Which made us all laugh, and forced me to re-tell this story from my sister from another mother, Lisa, over at The Preacher's Wife regarding the dangers of mixing antacids with diet sodas. Everyone got a kick out of that one. Thanks Lisa!!!

And, since I know you are all wondering...

This was my gift for Mother's Day. This pot usually sits to the right of my front door, and for 10 years it held my "ficus benjamina", known around here as "The Benjamin Tree" which the man and I bought when we brought our little Benjamin (Benji) home from the hospital. It endured many freezes throughout the years and always came back in full force the next spring. However, the winter of 2005-2006 was just more than it could stand, and it never came back. I have been looking at that empty pot by my door every day with a very sad heart. So, when I saw these hibiscus trees a few weeks ago, I told young Benjamin that I wanted one for Mother's Day to fill my empty pot. And lo and behold, Sunday morning, I walked up to my front step to find my pot filled with a beautiful hibiscus tree in full bloom! I really should have taken the picture on Sunday because it had eight beautiful blooms on it. You can see from the second picture that it will have many more in the next few days. I'll be sure to post another picture if it gets lots and lots of blooms all at once again.

So that is it for this edition of the Weekend Wind-Up...better late than never, right?

And now, it is time to hit the list for today! Yesterday, we took out M's toddler bed, and D's baby bed and put in a new twin bed for them to share until he is big enough to join the big boys. Today, we have to go and buy bedding for it. We had one set of sheets for it, but no spread, or shams or anything like that. So, we'll be picking that up along with a rail to keep the little man from falling out while he's sleeping. I also need to get supplies for the 4 cakes, 2 dozen cookies, and 3 cookie bouquets I have on my plate this week. Oh yeah, and the grocery store hasn't seen my face in quite some time what with the whole, way too many cakes and cookies to make in one week, and then the plague which hit immediately after. Although the children are perfectly content to eat Burger King, McDonald's, and Taco Bell for two weeks straight...I am not. Therefore, I intend to hit H.E.B. and make some good, old-fashioned, home made meals for my family this week!

I'll be back with pictures of the cakes and cookies along the way, and maybe even a post or two...in my spare time, LOL! See you soon!

Prayer List Update

As you know, I keep my weekly prayer list in my sidebar. Some of the people I pray for have links and you can click on their name and get more information about what to pray for. I am moving Kelli to the TOP of the list today and adding a link to BooMama's post about the immediate danger that Miss Kelli is facing. Ya'll, this emergency happened about 2 am. Tuesday morning. Do you know what Kelli was doing on Monday morning? She was emailing ME to find out how I was feeling!!! She is my hero. We both have kidney issues, but hers are SOOO far and above more awful than mine and yet she handles hers with so much more grace and humor than I ever have. She encourages me. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for Kelli. She has some immediate needs, but the bottom line is that Kelli needs a new kidney. She just does. Also please pray for her husband and kids. They are so scared right now. And you mothers know that THAT is harder to take than your own problems! I know Kelli is more worried about her family than herself.

Also, I am adding Heather from "Especially Heather" and "Swank Style" and "Praying for Emma Grace" to the list this week. She has just been diagnosed with a tumor in her brain, but she knows nothing about where it is, what it means, or what's in store for her future. She says that her husband hasn't stopped crying...doesn't that just break your heart? So, I am praying that when Heather goes back to the neurologist for her appointment they will find NOTHING! That it will be one of those "What happened? Who screwed up?? There's no tumor here!" kind of appointments. Will ya'll agree with that? Thanks ya'll.

A Very Sad Day

"Lord, I don't think I can take any more..."

That has basically been the extent of my prayer time today.

A few days ago, I read this, which stirred my heart and lead me here,
which troubled my heart greatly.

Then, this morning I read this,
which lead me here, which broke what was left of my heart.

To top it all off, today would have been the 2nd birthday of one of the three babies that I lost, and that breaks my heart in and of itself. And as I'm spanking my not quite two year old baby boy for climbing out of his bed when he's supposed to be napping...what I really want to be doing is holding him and rocking him in "our chair" and kissing the top of his little blonde head that still smells so good to me even though he's not really a baby anymore...but I know that if I don't spank him and put him back in bed, he will not learn that he needs to stay in bed for nap time, and he will begin to push many, many more rules. So, I give him a half-hearted little swat on his diaper, give him a whole-hearted hug and a kiss, tell him one more time that it is nap time and he must stay in the bed, and I walk painfully out of his room.

Then, as I often do on these lost birthdays, I pull out the book that my dear neighbor, who has had two miscarriages of her own and grieves with me over mine, passed on to me after my first loss. And I read these words...

"YOU
Are the Mother--
the guardian of
your baby's memory.
Your heart will hold onto
that memory forever
and keep it in a special place
for you to visit."

...and on the next page...

"Even though I didn't carry you
long enough to bury you,
you have a very special
resting place in my heart.
I visit you there often."

And that is a my truth today.

So, today I will pray for Amy...and Ethan...and I will take my four most beautiful children to the park to release balloons up to heaven because Jonathan thinks the baby would want balloons on his/her birthday, and I think he's right, and I think it's a nice tradition for us to do on each of our lost babies due dates. And hopefully, I will stop crying at some point and just enjoy all that I have been given, and thank God that the four children He did entrust me with are all healthy and strong and that they have healthy parents to be here to love them and spank them when they climb out of their little cribs.

"Thank you Lord for my blessings...again, I don't think I can take much more!"

Thanks for stopping by.