In All Circumstances

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2016.
What a year.

In this year, I have been reminded more than ever to give thanks in ALL circumstances.
The good and the bad.

It is so much easier said than done.
I have struggled at times to truly, honestly give thanks.
Personal and selfish desires are such strong emotions.

It is easy to give thanks when things are going well, when blessings seem to pour forth.
It is not easy when things are not going your way, or the way you planned.

So, today, I am challenged again.

Give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Because when the dust settles, the blessings are so abundant. So excessive.
Health, family, love, laughter. They are all there. They are all around us.

So, on this Thanksgiving day, I choose to give thanks in all my circumstances, today and every day forward.

What are you thankful for?

Giving Thanks

My blessings are multiple. Health, family, love, life. All chocked full of blessings.

The day to day can makes those blessing hazy, getting out of focus as the latest accident needs to be cleaned up, or the same warning of getting off the counter has been issued 12 times in a row.

One of the things that I like best about Thanksgiving is that the important thing comes back into focus and those daily annoyances fade to the background where they belong. A entire day to think about your blessings, the be thankful for those who are around you. While so much bad seems to be happening, there is always, always good. Roofs over heads, clothes on bodies, smiles, laughter, food in the fridge. All worthwhile blessings to count today and every day.

Since I could write for hours about the things I am thankful for, I decide to just pick the main 4 reasons of my life. The reasons that my world spins round and that makes all that daily grind more than worth it.

I am thankful for my husband. He is my best friend and partner in life. His integrity is true and deep. Maybe I was naive, but the longer my husband has been in the business world, the more shocking the lack of integrity and lack of basic honesty abides in business, even businesses run by people of faith. Regardless of what was said, promises or how he was treated, Ryan has remained true and faithful, never wavering in his integrity. I love many, many things about him, but this is one of my favorites. I am so proud to have my children watch their dad and how he deals with life and work. Ryan is showing them what it means to be honest and true to your word, regardless of if it is the easiest or fastest path in life.

I am so thankful for my oldest baby, my Jack. His love for learning and discovering is inspiring. He is thriving in school, eager to lead his peers and excited about any academic challenge. His teachers speak highly of his bright and fun personality and we couldn't agree more. He likes to tell jokes, dance, and entertain those around him. I love my little book worm who asks for biographies on inventors for Christmas and eagerly anticipates Monday morning's new list of spelling words. He is a friend to all and we love that just as much!

I am so thankful for my Colin, lovingly nicknamed Boo Boo by his sister. My middle man is kind and sweet, shy to those he first meets but fiercely loyal to his friends. He is navigating Kindergarten well, leaning to engage with those around him and growing in confidence.  His natural intuition with sports has been fascinating to watch. He is a coach at heart. Colin understands how a sport should work and controls the field or the court. He always looks for the open player, directs teammates to the best place and competes fully. He is the only 5 year old I know who can look at a full field or court and than decides what is the best thing to do. Put him in a large room with a lot of people and he will be quiet and shy, playing only with those he knows. Put him on a soccer field or basketball court and he comes alive, engaging with everyone. Most importantly, he laughs and has the most fun. We love our silly, emotional Boo Boo. He does everything at 100%.

I am so thankful for my only girl, my little momma on the go. Macy is loud and funny and determined to never, ever be left out. She is talking up a storm these days. There is never a doubt about what she does or does not want. She loves to sing and will sometimes answer her dad and brothers by singing a motivational or instructional little jingle from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. They really appreciate that, especially when it involves eating their dinner.  ("You gotta try new foods, cause it might taste gooooood. Gooo ooo ood!") She is sassy and definitely TWO. She asks where we are going every day and always takes either a bag, a baby and some sort of accessories. She loves to play with kids and every child she sees is her "friend". She gives great hugs and kisses. We are so happy to have a little lady in our life. We love our Macy so.

So, count your blessings, big or small today. I know that holidays can be hard, especially when there is a loss in the year. We lost my Grandma Andrew on my birthday this year. It is hard. It can be difficult to see past the pain and to see any good at all. But know that you are never truly alone, it is never truly hopeless.  There is Hope in the One that sacrificed it all for you. (John 3:16-17)

Happiest Thanksgiving, friends!

Turning Two

Dear Macy,

Today you are two. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that you blasted your way into the world. Sometimes it feels like you are so much older, like you have always been here with us.

You make us laugh every single day. Every night your dad laughs and marvels at the personality that keeps coming through.

You are so silly and love to make jokes and tease your brothers. You like to dance and shake your little hips anytime you hear music. You like to pick on your brothers and do whatever they do. You always want to be included and yell "and Macy, and Macy" for anything that your brothers are doing.

You are our little parrot and repeat everything you hear. If it is not appropriate, your brothers laugh and laugh and you keep repeating whatever you are not supposed to say, hoping for more laughter.

You love your baby and your purse. They come with us everywhere. Every day we get ready to pick up Colin and you bring baby and your purse with you. Into the store, into the school, to soccer practice, they come with you everywhere, usually accompanied by a necklace or sunglasses of sorts.

You like to rock and sing to your baby, putting her to bed like a good little momma. You like to play with my purses,  carrying them everywhere, waving good bye and telling everyone that you are leaving when you exit the room and than come back in and let everyone know you are back.

Your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds every day. You say full, complicated sentences all the time. We are continually amazed at your descriptive words and observations. You always want to know what the sound is and where it is coming from.

You are sweet and kind and beautiful and I could not be more proud to be your mother. I don't think your dad will every let you date, as he does not believe there could possibly be any boy that would be good enough for his girl. He loves you fiercely.

So, today, on your second birthday, your dad and I can't wait to snuggle and kiss you and let you know how much you are loved. Your brothers can't wait to eat your birthday cake. You, my little Macy Lu, have brought us so much joy. I am excited to see you grow, to watch your thoughts and ideas unfold and to see how the Lord uses your dynamic life.

Happy Birthday, my Macy girl. As you would say, (which is my very most favorite sentence, by the way) I love you SOOOO MUCH!

Love,
Mom

Bountiful Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. An entire day to contemplate your blessings, give thanks for what you have and {hopefully} be surround with those you love.

We have spent many years having Thanksgiving away from family and found much happiness and contentment with joining in with friends of all backgrounds and nationalities. We have also enjoyed Thanksgiving with our family.

Either way, it is a day to give thanks and to count your blessing.

Everyone has something to be thankful for. Everyone.

Blessings abound, especially when you are looking for them.

Did you get dressed today? Blessing.

Did you eat? Blessing.

Does it matter that it is not your mom's whatever recipe or that it is left over cold pizza? Nope.
You ate today. Blessing.

Do you have a roof over your head? Blessing.

Do you have someone you love? Blessing.
Tell them that you love them!

Did you laugh this week? Blessing.

While life is not a rose-colored garden and sad, horrible things happen everyday around us, the fact of the matter remains. We have SO much to be thankful for. It can be as simple as the air that fills your lungs, or the blood that pumps through your heart. You may have gotten to sleep in an extra 15 minutes or it was not your turn to change the diaper (that happens to be poopy). Whether trivial or impacting, life gives so much to be thankful for. So many blessings. Bountiful blessings.

So today, on this Thanksgiving day, let's embrace those around us, be thankful for all things and count our many blessings.

And don't stop today, this mindset can continue every day and beyond.

8 the great

Happy Anniversary to my dear husband.  8 years!  It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but when I look around me and see these little people that are the fruit of this relationship, time has an ever-growing face.

We are spending the evening home, feasting on fresh pasta, cannolis and pumpkin cake. A pretty mellow anniversary, but we are hoping to get out this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. My husband lucks out and we usually only celebrate the birthday and he gets a pass for the anniversary.

I am happy to say that we are just has happy now as we were when that picture was taken. Our love has grown and deepened over the years and I look forward to spending many more years together.


If you are interested, you can read about our story here.

 Thanks for walking through life with me, babe. I love you.

Firsts

First Easter basket for the baby! She may not be AS excited as her brothers, but she does don those bunny ears like a champ.

First Easter spent with family in 7 years! The boys loved their special egg hunt!

Macy and I missed the egg hunt in attempts of a nap. It was a failure, but definitely not the first vetoed nap by this little Miss.

The obligatory Easter best family picture! I sure do have a handsome crew.

 

Baby's first Easter dress, picked out by her brothers.

 

6 days after getting family all together for Easter, we all gathered once again.

This time is was because the first spring thaw had come through and the ground was no longer frozen. We were finally able to bury my Grandmother and have a small graveside service for her on a cool, sunny day.

It is not the first time that I have been to my grandparent's house since my Grandma passed away. I was there the following day, helping plan her funeral. I was there before the visitation and than after the funeral. It is sad. It is weird. It is normal. It is my grandparent's house.

But always that first swing of the door, the familiar smell, the glow of the wood, the sound of talking, that first step on to the threshold, it hits me like a load of bricks. I strain to hear her voice, to hear her beckon me in. That first step into the house takes my breath away. By the time I have put the carseat down, taken off little shoes and hung up coats, I have recovered and can breathe. But oh that first step, that first breath... it hits me every single time.

This grieving thing. It is a first for me. I have lost family members before, and I was deeply saddened and affected. But the loss of my grandmother is still processing in my heart and mind. Never before have I lost someone so close to me, so close to my heart, so intricately involved in my life.

I am so very thankful that I have the family I do, the grandmother I had, and the love that we all share for each other and those around us. It helps. It helps to heal. It helps to be able to watch my kids play outside with my Grandfather. For him to build the first bonfire of the season and sit and watch the embers glow. It helps to know that everyone is happy to be together, even if there is a gigantic hole missing. We all just miss her so very much. Family time was her very favorite thing. I know that she would be so happy to see us all together. And that makes me smile and miss her all the more. 

It wouldn't be the first time and it certainly won't be the last time.

It seems like yesterday...

Yesterday I was changing Macy in her room and Jack asked about a picture that I have on her bookshelf. He wanted to know how old it was. It was one of our engagement photos and it made me stop and think. 

What day is it?

Wait.

Tomorrow is April 8th.

I got engaged on April 8th, 8 years ago.

 Stillwater, MN. April 8th, 2006.

I kissed my husband for the first time 14 years ago.

Holy crap.

That is a really long time ago. We are getting so old. (Good thing he has the gray hair to prove it.)

It is funny how it seems like yesterday, yet so very long ago. We both have changed so much, endured love and loss, fought, came back together, moved, worked and laughed together. We created 3 beautiful children together.

I am glad I let you kiss me 14 years ago today.

I would say "Yes!" to you again, 8 years later.

Thanks for walking with my through this life, my love.

Upward and Onward!

2013.

What a year.

The highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

My head is still reeling from most of it.

2014 is really a fresh start for my family, in every way possible.

New state, new job, new house, new school, new baby. Every major area of our life is starting from scratch again.

Last Christmas, as we drove through the mountains in Pennsylvania on our way back to Virginia, Ryan and I discussed 2013 and how we really wanted it to be a year a change. While we loved our friends and church, Ryan needed a change in his job for many reasons.

Well, change we got.

Loads of it.

I am ready for all the changing to stop for a bit.

In 2013:

Ryan got a job offer in Detroit, Michigan.

We sold our Virginia house to the first people who viewed it.

We fly to Detroit and put an offer on another house.

We packed up everything we owned and the evening before our trailer left, we found out that our house was given a bad appraisal.

The buyers broke contract with us, even though we fixed everything they asked for and the appraisal was illegal.

We lived in my parent's basements for 7 weeks instead of 2.

Ryan worked in Detroit for 6 of those week and was only around on the weekend.

We moved to Novi.

Jack started Kindergarten at an incredible school.

Macy Elizabeth arrived!

We sold our Virginia house, 6 months after the original close date.

Our faith has been tested, we have struggled, but we were never abandoned. The Lord has been faithful to us, even in the little things. We are believing for a year of Bounty in 2014. Bountiful friendships and relationships. Bountiful finances. Bountiful actions of love.

I am looking forward to what 2014 has in store for us.

Life is always an adventure!

Today I Choose

 Real life photo: convincing Colin to take pictures. I was not successful.

Today I Choose:

~To tickle and kiss my 3 yr old instead of folding that load of laundry.

~ To play on the bed with him instead of rush out the door, trying get groceries before Kindergarten pick up.

~ To feed them pasta and applesauce packets because I have not one single fresh item in my house.

~ To talk with a friend and listen instead of multitask.

~To {try} not stress out at the mess that is my house.

~ To not look at our savings account and freak out, instead be joyful that we sold our house.

~To be at peace with life, even when it is not going in the direction I think it should.

~ To {try} to enjoy the little daily things that make up life, glamorous or not.

~ To not compare my life through the rose-tinted, instagram -filtered life of others.

~ To be joyful in all things, faithful in the little things and intentional with my actions.

Some days you just need to choose your attitude, regardless of the circumstances of the day.

Today was one of those days.

Give thanks in All circumstance; for this is God's will for you, in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Good Idea/Bad Idea: The Maternity edition

Pregnancy always brings it's own challenges and benefits.  Changing, shifting bodies that usually coincide with changing, shifting emotions can sometimes wreak havoc on one's self esteem and outlook on life.

Instead of waxing eloquently on my trials and tribulations of this pregnancy, let's look at both the good and the bad things of pregnancy.

Good Idea: Eating lots of yummy, spicy food.
Bad Idea: The heartburn that always seems to come after it.

Good Idea: Bountiful bosoms.
Bad Idea: Bountiful everything else.

Good Idea: Stretchy pants.
Bad Idea: Only fitting in to stretchy pants.

Good Idea: Buying new sandals.
Bad Idea: Buying new sandals because your feet look like hobbit feet, pregnancy style.

Good Idea: Having cute maternity dresses like this one for sale. It is super comfortable and I have received loads of compliments on it, which always makes a pregnant lady happy.
Bad Idea. This. Someone who has never been pregnant must have thought it was a cute idea to put a pregnant women in a onesie with legs that you have to pull ALL the way down to use the bathroom. Cause pregnant ladies NEVER need to use the bathroom...

Good Idea: Gummy prenatal vitamins. No more horse pills to gag over.
Bad Idea: The side effects of prenatal vitamins...and I am not talking about your hair and nails growing at a superhuman rate.

Good Idea: Having the boys actively involved in naming of the baby.
Bad Idea: They insist on using the name Noodle.

Good Idea:  Shopping for little lady clothes!
Bad Idea: You have 7 full bins of baby clothes already...for boys.

Good Idea: The boys can now feel the baby kicking.
Bad Idea: Colin trying to kick the baby back.

Always a Good Idea:

 Being pregnant with a dear friend. We have been pregnant the last 3 times together...all the same sex! So, two little boy buddies and now little lady friends!  (She is ready to pop, I am 21 weeks.)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 Christmas Eve night

Christmas has come and gone, as well as the beginning of the New Year.

We spent 15 days in Michigan, visiting both sides of the family and celebrating everything listed above.

The reality of Christmas Day. Jack was so excited he literally did not go to sleep till well after midnight, got up early and did not nap. He was exhausted by this point. Ryan was starting to get sick. Colin was a hot mess from the moment he woke up and looked like this for most of Christmas day. At least they are handsome?!

Unfortunately, between Ryan and I, we spent 6 solid days knocked out in bed sick and the rest recovering. Not exactly the ideal way to spend your vacation, but we had lots of help with family around. It was so nice.

But through out the fevers and the coughing, wonderful memories were made. It is always so nice to be home.

The only family picture that we got this trip.

 Jack and Great Grandma Andrew. They are buds, coloring away.

 

The boys meeting their cousin Audrey for the first time.

The reality was that she only had eyes for her Uncle Ryan. Really. She adores him and he can calm her better than anyone else besides her mom.  She will probably never date now.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2013!

A Thankful Heart: Jack

My Jack. First born. Inquisitive. Caring. Silly. Smart. Verbal. Imaginative. Perfectionist.

I am so thankful for my first baby boy. Jack really is SO smart. It kind of overwhelms me how much he absorbs and processes in a day. I take no credit for his brains.

He prefers books to toys any day. When given a choice to get a new toy or a new book, he will always choose a book. Usually that book is some sort of a fact book. We have a few animal fact books and a dinosaur fact book. We have been told that he needs the space fact book and a body fact book for Christmas. ( They are a really great brand of books that teaches the kids information in smaller bites, with size illustrations and so forth) That is really all he wants. He caries his books with him to bed, to the bathroom, to the car and would take them out to the park or store if I would let him.

He likes stories and imagining scenarios with his very willing little brother. Most mornings are spent in the his room pretending to be animals, transformers and superheros. Sometimes all three at once. The stories usually progress to full-body wrestling and someone ends up crying, but that is expected with two little guys.

He is so loving. Throughout the day I am kissed and hugged and cuddled with. He will ask for hugs and kisses and loves out of the blue. Definitely my most snugly child, he wants to be right next to me or his dad at all times. He willingly tells me he loves me, and often. I love that.

I am so thankful for this happy, brilliant little creature that I get to call my own. It doesn't seem possible that he could be this old. Words can not express my love for this boy and he makes my heart beat with joy. And for that, I am so thankful.