August 2014 : A comeback?

So.....I'm back? Okay, given my past history this is probably not an entirely accurate statement. But I'd like it to be. Blogging to me conjures up happy feelings. I read blog posts from the past and think, "that lady was such a fun mom". Now that I'm somewhat out of the *honeymoon phase* of parenting, it's more of an effort to enjoy my children and not let the mundane overtake me. Is that bad to say? It's how I feel though. Yes, I love and adore my children but motherhood isn't always as enjoyable as it once was. Not the part that involves them as tiny humans.....more the part that involves wiping bums, cleaning up after messes, listening to bickering, etc.  Man, this makes me sound so jaded.....just keepin' it real because it's my blog and because I can.

Life has changed a lot over the past few months and without going into every single detail, here are a few highlights: 

*I'm basically working full time as a Realtor and still am very much a full time mama. My kids aren't in childcare unless I'm working during the day or having appointments. Most of my work happens on evenings and weekends which you'd think would work well because that's when Brett is off but since he's a full time student, this makes for an interesting season of life. We committed to being 100% faithful to God in our finances in 2014 and I'm beyond thrilled to tell you that God honors this kind of faithfulness. I am having my best year EVER in real estate. Like ever. Like better than in 2005 when everyone had their best year in real estate. I am humbled and overwhelmed! The deals just keep coming and I love it. I work hard and don't take my job lightly. 

*At the end of the month Emersyn will be 6 and Everett will be 3. I need to update you on their little personalities but I'll save that for their birthday letters. I feel like we are in a different season for sure, out of baby land and into bigger kid/preschooler land. 

*We are completely unsure of what we're doing for Emersyn's school this year. The neighborhood school that she is supposed to go to is unacceptable and we did request a transfer to another elementary school but won't find out if it's approved or not until the end of the month. As in the week before school starts. {Ugh} We are also on a waiting list for a charter school that is a short list but you usually don't find out until after school has started because then the school knows for sure which kids have actually showed up versus who registered but didn't show. I think I'm leaning towards doing an online curriculum in the interim and crossing my fingers for the charter school. If that doesn't work out, then our next best bet is to.....

*MOVE! We are hoping to move next year! We'll probably start looking for houses in January/February. We aren't in a huge hurry and have a pretty specific list of what we do and don't want. I'm very thankful to be able to act as my own Realtor....pretty sure I would drive anyone else crazy!! The most exciting factor of moving is being able to give our kids a yard to play in. They need it and so do we. For my friends that don't live in the northwest, yards here can be TINY or even non existent. We have an urban growth boundary that makes it so housing is very dense. My yard is very small, I think it's like 10 x 20? Moving is another factor that puts Emersyn's school seemingly up in the air. The good thing, it's only Kinder. She is a bright girl and I know she'll thrive in whatever environment she ends up in. We are in a position to keep our house as a rental and actually make some money so at least we won't have to deal with selling it, just need to find clean tidy tenants. :) 

Okay, that's a little update......hopefully I'll be able to jump back on this bandwagon and have something worth reading again. :) Next up, kids birthday letters!!

Emersyn's 5 Year Letter

To my dearest Emersyn Grace...also known as Emmy Lou, Emmy Lou Whoo, Lou Lou Magoo, Lucy, Lucy Lou, Ems, Sissy, Sister Bear....{did I miss any? there's definitely a Lou theme going here},

I was looking over this sadly neglected blog and realized that I owed you a letter for your 5th birthday!! Better late than never, right?

You are my sweet little angel girl, the best of your mama and sometimes the worst of her too. I marvel watching you with your brother and am so impressed with the loving, nurturing and caring big sister that you are. You protect him like a mama bear and he often runs to you for comfort when he hurts himself or needs extra lovin's. You are so helpful to me with Everett, always quick to help me when we get home from somewhere and I need to unload groceries or something...you will take Everett upstairs to get him ready for nap and read him stories. You make sure he has water in his sippy cup, you will sacrifice what you are watching to change it to something he likes better.....you are a giver. This morning you were looking at a scrap book kit that you got from Santa at Noni's house on Christmas Eve.....a scrap book kit that you told your Sunday school was your favorite gift from Christmas. You got a wistful look on your face and said, "I think I'm going to give this to someone". I asked you why and you said, "I just like giving more than getting". Oh sweet girl, this made your mama's heart burst with thankfulness. You really get it sister....I'm so so proud to be your mama.

 

You love your babies something fierce. Hair Baby is your beloved daughter and you recently acquired Dora, a present from Nana. You are equally hardcore with Dora and sometimes it makes me a little crazy how intense you are! We can't leave until you get your babies dressed, you get mad if I'm loud upstairs when they are sleeping, you give me very long detailed instructions when you ask me to babysit and then quiz me afterwards (I wish I was kidding), you refer to me as Grandma when you talk to the dolls....oh Ems, you are just too silly. I love how nurturing you are and I have to think that you are modeling behavior you must have seen somewhere, maybe in the way I treat you and your brother. Oh the desire of my heart is to be a mama worth modeling after!

 



Your imagination is amazing! The world is one big Starbucks or restaurant to you....not a day goes by where you don't take my order and bring me food from your play kitchen. You are hilarious with the way you play server and you know far too much about being a waitress than any other 5 year old I know. Perhaps we eat out too much? :)

You are an incredible helper. You realize that if you want to hang out with Mommy instead of having quiet time upstairs, you need to be a helper. You can totally help me clean up the downstairs, you put away all of the plastic dishes and cups, you empty the silverware tray, you bring me your dirty laundry, you can sweep and dust better than your dad (ha!) and it's a joy to work along side you when we're cleaning up the downstairs together. Cleaning up your room is more of a challenge because like your mama, you get distracted VERY easily. :)

 

You love to *be healthy*. Your favorite foods (as of right now, I just asked you) are pistachios, cheese and crackers, cucumbers, carrots and broccoli. Not bad for a 5 year old. I sometimes offer you a snack and you say, "can I have something a little healthier"? You have amazing self control...you stop eating when you're full, even if there's half a bowl of ice cream left. Your Nana took you to a movie last week and I packed you a few special treats to enjoy while watching. Nana got you an ice cream before the movie and you only finished half of it, saying that I had packed you some treats and you didn't want to eat too much sugar. You are amazing little girl!!

 

You are doing so well in school! You are in Kindergarten at your preschool and then will go to Kindergarten again in public school. Because of your age, your preschool wanted you to be in the Kinder class and your daddy and I prayed about it and agreed. This will hopefully give you a great advantage in Kindergarten next year. We call this year Preschool Kindergarten and next year it will just be Kindergarten. You love all the projects that you come home with and you are a delight in your class.

Oh Ems, there are a million things I could say about you and I will try to be better about updating. But more than that, I will try to tell you out loud all that I love about you each day and have you grow up knowing that I am your biggest fan in life.

You are brave, strong, hilarious, kind, loving, nurturing, you love the Lord with all your heart, you can sing on pitch {for the most part}, you're helpful, sweet, beautiful and I'm so so so glad you're mine.

Love,

Mommy

My word: Brick {by brick, by brick....}

Happy New Year!! 

I suppose one of these days I'll get around to doing a holiday recap. Or maybe I won't. I'll keep you waiting on the edge of your seat in suspense. 

Today what I want to talk about is my word for the new year....last year's word was "progress" and I feel indifferent to how that word played out. I suppose there were some areas in my life that had progress but still so many failures. I am learning though.....and when I'm tempted to throw in the towel and give up goals and desires, I remember grace.....grace that will pardon and cleanse within. My failures are just a constant reminder of how much I need Him.

 

My word for this year can't be really summed up in one word....but if it had to be a word it would be *brick*. I think your word for the year is supposed to be more of an action word? However, this is my word and I will tell you why. 

 

In Lysa Terkeurst's book, "Made to Crave", she says this....

 

"I paved my victory path by imagining every good choice I made was like settling another brick into place: bricks of prayer, wise choices, closeness to God, closeness to others, confidence, energy, and focus. Each and every time I conquered a temptation by making a healthy choice, I became stronger and stronger. And, brick by brick, prayer by prayer, good choice by good choice, my hope soared. I’m making positive physical changes, but even more importantly, I’m making wise spiritual changes. As Proverbs 24:14 reminds me, walking in spiritual wisdom secures my hope that this healthy journey will not end in defeat:

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

 

I love a good visual. A brick path or brick wall is a very good metaphor for life, especially my life right now. 

Patience isn't something I possess much of. Sometimes I feel like I was born without whatever gene it is that helps you work hard at something with a goal in mind. Sometimes I feel like I never stick with anything and it's because I'm impatient! I want results NOW! It's our microwave society mentality and I am guilty of being a member. 

I went to Home Depot today with Everett and bought two bricks, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. The one downstairs will go where I spend most of my time, in my kitchen. The one upstairs will go in my bathroom as a visual while I get ready and am often lost in my thoughts as I blow dry my hair. 

As I held one dirty heavy brick in my hand, I realized how daunting it must be to build a brick wall or path. The bricks are so small in relation to what they are designed to build. And yet, there are brick walls, houses, and paths everywhere you look because a mason knows that if you take the time to lay each brick, you WILL create something strong and functional. I remember laying our wood floors last year and thinking it would NEVER END. So many pieces of wood needed to create one floor. It was torture for this fast paced girl.

 

Yes, I am forever on the quest to lose weight and I know I will get there eventually. And that is specifially what Lysa was addressing in the above quote. 

The brick means so much more to me than losing weight though.....it represents my children, my marriage, my ministry......

Mothering doesn't come super natural to me sometimes. Sure, I'm fun and know how to be silly and enjoy my kiddos. I'm not great at the slower paced stuff, the story times, times of pausing and listening, showing my kids how to do things like keep their rooms cleaned, etc. Again, I want the instant gratification and it's hard to do the tedious things that seem like they won't add up. 

Oh but they will! Everyday with my children is a day that I can lay one more brick in their foundation. If I envision my children as brick walls, they will someday be strong and powerful and if I look closely at them, I'll see they are made up of all the little moments, the little investments that I made in them that eventually added up. 

 

And so this year I vow to treat each day as a day to build.....a brick on my path towards a healthier lifestyle, a brick on my daughter's future and my son's too.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" Galatians 6:9

The desire of my heart is to raise happy, healthy, God loving, world changing children.....to be an example of a wife and mother worth admiring. I long to serve my family, bless my husband, and nurture my children.....brick by brick.