Easter Egg Traditions

Our weekend was FULL of festivities.  After Little Man's birthday on Saturday, we were excited about Jesus' Rising on Sunday.  I was truly amazed at Little P's understanding of the day.  If you asked him about Easter he would tell you,

"The mean people didn't like Jesus because He was the team leader and they wanted to be the team leader.  So they hurt Him and put him on the cross and he died.  On Easter, He came back and we have to have our hearts ready!"

Pretty darn good for a four year old. 

Little C on the other hand, well, she informed us in the middle of Easter Mass that her heart was not ready...sooooooo....Again, I say, THAT GIRL!  She is incredible.

As we moved through the day, it was fun to see the different traditions unfold.  As I have said before, one of my favorite parts of being married is negotiating and combining different traditions from both of our families.  One of the big Easter traditions for me is Easter Egg Hunts with the eggs that we dyed.  I have so many memories of dying our eggs on Holy Saturday (making sure to have a watermelon eggs...duh) and then spending most of the day hiding them on Sunday afternoon while mom cooked.

Well, apparently, in my husbands family, they hid plastic eggs and ate the dyed ones.  And I don't think they had multiple hunts.  Just one, maybe two. 

Thankfully, my husband already knew how much this meant to me so we set out on our afternoon of hunting.  It was so fun to watch the kids as they hunted through the back yard.  But what was even more fun, was watching the competition between my mother-in-law and father-in-law.  I was really thankful that they got into it and really had a good time.  I think its reasonable to say that they might be just as competitive as P and me. 

And that brought me to the biggest competition of the day. 

Mom vs. Dad

Oh yeah!  Let's just say that it got a little heated.  All I have to say is that sometimes offensive tactics need to be utilized in Easter Egg Hunting.  I mean, if you want to win and all.  In the end we ended up tying but we sure did have a good time. 

Notice the chair that is completely vertical behind him...he was throwing chairs...haha.

It has been said many times before but it really is true, holidays are a lot more fun when you are a parent.  I look forward to the memories that we will make throughout the years bringing our different family traditions together to make a new ones.  And even more, what traditions my kids will eventually take into their futures with them. 

What are your favorite Easter Traditions?  Is it the Easter ham?  The egg dying?  Going to sunrise Mass/service?

Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Dr. Denmark - Rest In Peace

I have told you about Dr. Leila Denmark several times on my blog.  Well, unfortunately, at the age of 114, Dr. Denmark passed away on April 1, 2012. 

I am forever grateful to Dr. Denmark because she really gave me a base line when it comes to having newborns.  For those of you who don't know who she is, she is a pediatrician from Cumming, GA, who is renowned for her newborn/infant routine.  Her 'old school' ways really gave my husband and I the ability to enjoy the first months of all of our children instead of exhaustedly getting through them. 

While some of her practices my be looked upon as 'out of date', the woman knew what she was talking about.  She wanted to make sure that parents understood that babies are not born knowing what to do.  Our role as parents, teaching and guiding our children, begins at birth, teaching our children to eat and sleep.  She also made it very clear that our families should be family centered instead of child centered. 

I am so thankful for all of the wisdom Dr. Denmark has imparted on me.  I am a better mother because of her hard work!  I can only hope that more pediatricians will have the courage to stand up for truth and follow in her footsteps.

Happy Birthday!

Saturday was Little P's 4th Birthday!

We have decided not to do birthday parties until the kiddos are older so for now, they get to pick the meals and activities of the day.  Little P puts a lot of thought into his birthday.  He has had it planned since February.  His plans were as follows:

*Waffle House for Breakfast

*Hiking

*Peanut Butter, Banana, and Gold Fish Sandwiches for lunch

*Pizza for dinner

*Yellow Castle Cake

When I say that he had it planned, I do not mean that he told us what he wanted and then waited for his birthday.  What I mean is that we heard about his plans, especially the yellow castle cake, almost EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!!!

When you asked him what presents he wanted for his birthday, he would sweetly but very seriously respond, "I only want a little. Just one thing. I want a Finn McMissile car who shoots missiles at all the bad cars. That's all I want, mom."

So, when this weekend came, I knew I was up against high expectations.  I set out to live up to Little P's birthday wishes and the joy that ensued was worth every single ounce of effort.

He was so happy to have his first chocolate waffle and TWO apple juices at Waffle House.

After waffle house he was so excited to be the 'team leader' on our hike.  Followed by our Peanut Butter, Banana, and Goldfish sandwiches (don't worry, the adults had meatball sandwiches).

While the kids napped, I set out to make the infamous yellow castle cake.  I have no clue where he came up with the idea of a castle cake but man was it a big deal.

After about an hour of working, I was reasonably pleased with the finished product.  It didn't come out exactly as I had hoped but it was still pretty good.

The afternoon was definitely my favorite part of the day.  While everybody played outside, I set all of Little P's presents out.  After this little boy talked so much about only wanting a little bit for his birthday, he was genuinely SHOCKED when he came inside to see a MOUNTAIN of presents waiting for him.  (Having lots of Aunts and Uncles really pays off!)

It was really fun to watch him open every present with such sincere excitement and appreciation.  When everything was unwrapped and there was no Finn McMissle to be seen, we asked him if he liked all of his toys and received everything he had asked for.  He politely said, "YES!"  Poor kid, you could tell he was a little disappointed but he didn't want it to show.  Seriously, this little boy has a ridiculous understanding of other people's feelings. 

It's crazy!

So, after a couple of minutes, we couldn't let wait any longer.  We asked little P to get up in the rocking chair as my husband drove his new remote control Finn McMissle into the room.  Seriously, I've never seen the boy move so fast!  He jumped out of his chair so fast that we couldn't even get a good picture of his reaction...it was AWESOME!  He was so excited!

The rest of the evening was full of bike riding, pizza, egg dying, and more!  After we finished eating, I was so excited to surprise him with his 'Castle Cake'.  We gathered everybody inside and called him in...

SUCCESS!!!

As I laid in bed that night, I couldn't help but think about how grateful I am for this little boy.  It has been so much fun to watch him grow from a baby to a little boy.  I am so thankful that he is the oldest with two little sisters.  He has this innate protection and love for his sisters that wow's us beyond belief.  He has such pride for them and even more when they learn new things.  He asks me for a new baby sister multiple times throughout every week.  He wants to name her 'sissy'.  He has a genuine love and appreciation for his siblings.  He wants to be just like his daddy often talking about what he is going to do when HE'S a daddy.  He already has a sincere love of Jesus and takes going to Church very seriously.  He thanks me EVERY NIGHT for making him dinner.

For some reason, God chose me to be his mommy.  I am humbled at the opportunity to raise him to be a fun, loving, responsible man.  But, for the time being, I pray that his dad and I can retain his incredible innocents and pure heart for as long as possible. 

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Fantastic Resource: Lenten Adventure!

On Fat Tuesday, I told ya'll about my husband and I's Lenten resolution to do a better job preparing our family prayer time in the evenings.

A few weeks before Lent started, I received a postcard in the mail about Lenten Adventure.  My curiosity was peaked and I actually managed to keep up with the postcard for a solid week before getting around to going to the website.  The first thing I read was:

"What is Lenten Adventure?FREE video, music, and fun activities delivered to your email inbox all through Lent! Join the Holy Heroes Adventure Guides for your Best Lent Ever!"

SCORE!!!  Even better, it's FREEEEEE!!!

I signed up and was excited to receive my first e-mail.  When I did, I was so pleasantly surprised!  It came with video's, stories, coloring pages, cross word puzzles, etc.  It seems to be run by a family with the kids doing the instructions and videos.  My kids really respond to seeing the other children so excited!

While the whole program does not apply to my kiddos (we're still learning letters, not quite putting them together), it provided this creatively challenged mama a platform to teach my kids about preparing our hearts for Holy Week and Easter.  They have loved the video's, listening to the stories, coloring their pictures, and talking about what is going on.  My kids look forward to it every single night!

What I have loved the most about this program is that it is teaching ME how to teach my kids about Christ.  It takes it farther than saying the blessing, night prayers, or going to Mass.  It has given me the opportunity to teach them about LIVING their faith, not just doing it. 

Little P is very serious about making sacrifices to 'prepare his heart for Jesus'.  I wanted to do something so the kids could see how much they are doing to prepare their hearts so we have started a paper chain.  Each time they purposely do something to prepare their hears for Jesus (i.e. listening the first time, not whining, letting the other sibling for first), we right it down on a strip of paper and attach it to the other links.  As the weeks go on, we can watch the chain get longer and longer as the excitement builds for Christ's Rising.  Then, on Easter morning, we can open all of them up and read everything we did to prepare our hearts for Jesus.  They LOVE it!

Even if you are not Catholic or do not usually celebrate the time leading up to Easter, still look into Lenten Adventure.  You can weed out anything that you do not want to use but man the benefits are endless!  My kiddos, especially Little P, is really understanding that there is something so much bigger than the 'here and now'.  It is really cool! 

And quite frankly, because of this program, so far this has been one of the best Lent's I've ever had!  I am re-learning so many basics that you tend to skip over as an adult. 

IT'S AWESOME!

So, what are you waiting for?  Hop on over and sign up!

www.lentenadventure.com

A Housing Update

It has been far too long since I've updated ya'll on the current status of our Log House Adventure.

This whole thing has been one of the most stressful experiences of my life.  As you all know, we were not looking to move.  When we came upon this house, I immediately shut it down.  It didn't fit with the picture that was in my head.  But just as with anything that is good, my heart softened and I was willing to listen to what my husband had to say.  As we prayed and talked about it, we both felt very called to slowly move forward.  Through the whole process, we kept the same mantra,

"We'll give it our all, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work."

So, that's what we did.  We negotiated, we went under contract, we put our current house on the market, we wrestled with the bank, we cleaned and showed our house, we met with contractors, we met with inspectors, we figured out financing, and we waited.

With all of these steps, it was very hard to continue to trust in a plan greater than my own.  Being a planner at heart, this whole ordeal went COMPLETELY against everything in me.  I couldn't plan a darned thing and it made me so anxious.  All I could do is trust that we were doing what we were called to do for that day.

As time went on, and we were nearing our 30 day's until closing mark, P and I had to make a decision.  If our current home did not sell in the allotted time, do we close on the log home?  We had a few offers for renters, could 'technically' afford to keep both homes for a little bit, but was that smart?

After a lot of talking, arguing (mostly on my part...thank you anxiety), and praying, we came to the decision that we should let the log house go.  We decided that we were too young to be carrying two homes and if for some reason our economy got even worse, it would negatively effect the rest of our lives.  It would ruin everything we had worked for thus far.

So, for right now, our current home is still on the market and we are hoping that it sells sooner than later.  It could go a few ways:

1) If we go under contract on this house and the log house is still for sale, we'll go back to it and move forward.

2) If the log house goes under contract before we get an offer on our house, we'll take our house off the market.  We're not looking to move 'just because'.

3) If by mid-April, our house is still on the market and there have been no offers, we will take it off the market.  This can't go on forever.

So, there you have it.  We are at complete peace with our decision but still hopeful that it will work out.  We are learning a lot about being called to something 'only for a time'.  All we can do is listen to the inspirations that we receive and follow.  No matter what the big plan is, I know that it will bring me and my family fulfillment. 

But, I will admit, I would REALLY like to be filled in, if possible.  :-)

Happy Fat Tuesday!

I have never been to New Orleans or attended any sort of a real mardi gras party, but I LOVE Fat Tuesday!

For me, Fat Tuesday serves two purposes.  One, it's another mini-holiday to do fun things with the kids.  Today, we are making our very first King Cake (thank you Nana).  Secondly, I feel like its the calm before the storm that is Lent.

As a Catholic, Lent serves as a pretty big season of the year.  It's 40 days of preparations for Christ's rising from the dead.  Over the years, I have come to really love Lent because of the sacrifices that you do in preparing your heart.  As much as I always tried to convince my mom that I should give up school or homework when I was younger, that never really worked.  I always ended up giving up Coke, fast food, or chocolate. 

Now, as an grown woman, wife, and mother, it has turned into so much more.  I understand that the sacrifice or added commitment during Lent needs to be something that will open up more space for Christ to fill.  It's time for me to purge my heart of the things that shouldn't actually serve as such a high priority.  I need to make room.  Moreover, I need to find something that will help my family also prepare their hearts for the Risen Christ. 

So, in my discernment for lent this is what I have come up with.  During deployment, my laptop became of utmost importance to me.  It was my connection to my husband and my closest friends.  It also served as a journal and stress relief through my blog.  It became my companion.

Since P's return, I have struggled to put it back in it's place.  I know it sounds silly, but similar to many people and their I-phones, I am addicted.  (This is why I refuse to have a smart-phone.)

So, for my personal Lenten resolution, I am giving up my laptop.  I am not giving up Internet or facebook or blogging, but I am giving up doing those things on my laptop.  We have a desktop computer upstairs and that will serve as my new 'portal to the world'.  Using the desktop will really force me to prioritize my computer time and not spend so much time doing absolutely nothing.  Moreover, I will spend more time being completely present with my family rather than half there, half waiting for a returned e-mail, etc. 

Secondly, my husband and I have committed to better preparing our family prayer/bible/holy time in the evenings.  I have signed us up for this awesome program called Lenten Adventure.  I will receive e-mails with activities, stories, and other materials to get my kiddos involved in Lent and the preparations for Easter.  We have realized that the more we put into our kids learning about Christ (on a toddler level), the more we learn and grow ourselves.  We're supposed to be child-like, right?

So, there you have it.  As of tonight at midnight, I will no longer be writing via my laptop.  With this change might also come a learning curve so bear with me.  The desktop is in our guest room (which is where Little P naps) so I am going to have to be really smart with my time. 

So on this Fat Tuesday, we'll party it up with King Cake, Pancakes for dinner, and some Marti Gras coloring pages.  Are you doing anything special as you begin your journey to Holy Week and Easter?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you find a fun way to enjoy the day.  Since becoming a mom, I have found that I really look forward to these smaller holidays.  It's a fun day for me to put everything else aside and come up with fun activities to do with the kids (and show some extra lovin' to my man). 

Today will be full of heart shaped foods, special crafts, pretzel m&m's, and possibly a special Valentine's Day visit to dad at work!

My mom taught me a lot about celebrating these holidays.  Not a St. Patrick's Day went by without green milk in our cereal, heart shaped balloons waiting for us every Valentine's Day afternoon, and black eyed peas every New Years Day.  Mom taught me that taking the opportunity to add some enthusiasm to the day was a great way to let those around you know that you care enough to go the extra mile just for their smile.

Little C -Vday 2011 (Isn't she CUTE!?!?)

I have told you in the past that I really work hard at teaching my kids enthusiasm.  I want my kids to grow up knowing that putting enthusiasm into things shouldn't be a burden, rather a opportunity.  It's an opportunity to give love to those around you in a simple yet very special way.  It can be anything from answering the phone with 'umph' to having a valentine ready for the morning.  On a day like today, when I am completely covered up with everything under the sun, it's a good reminder for me to put it all aside and make some special memories with my kiddos.  I want them to know that even when mom is frazzled out the wazoo (hence the lack of blog posts), I still want them to know that I love having fun with them! 

So, do you have any special plans for Valentine's Day?

Let's Do Something Fun!

For the past month or so, Little P has approached me at least once during the day to say,

"Let's Do Something FUN, mom!"

When he first started saying that, I wanted to drop my shoulders and ask what he was talking about!  We've been building castles with blocks!  Coloring!  Dressing up! 
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT 'SOMETHING FUN'!?!?!

It took me about a week but I finally figured it out.  He wasn't asking for me to move mountains, he just wanted me to shake up the routine a bit.  While our routine is very functional for me, the one who has a bazillion other things to do in the day, it can get boring for them.  So, whenever he's asked, I've been trying to be creative with coming up with something different. 

This morning, he asked first thing and, in light of the fact that we're leaving for a trip today and I need some time to finish preparations, I suggested that they eat their breakfast at their little table in the playroom while watching a movie!

THEY FLIPPED!

He was so excited to do something different (aka 'fun')! 

My kids are great at pushing me to break my mold.  I am such a woman of routine that sometimes I lose sight of the fact that, while it may work for me, it could bore the heck out of them.  I'm trying to learn how to be a little big more 'loosy goosy' and just go with it.  Routine's are great, but even they need to be adjusted sometimes!

So moms, break your routine, forget your laundry for a bit, and GO DO SOMETHING FUN!  They aren't little for long, right?

Pocket Surprise

After the Crayon Catastrophe I had a few months ago, I have become very diligent about checking pockets before putting clothes into the washer.

Today, while putting in a pair of Little C's super cute skinny jeans, I laughed when I saw what she had stuffed in that oh so small pocket of hers...

A car. 

Of course!  Girls should ALWAYS carry cars around, right?

I think its time I get her some pretend make-up or something.  

Living the Island Life

A few years ago, while we were living in Italy, P and I got the chance to go to Paris for the weekend sans kids.  While we dated often (we aim for a date every other week), we had never left them over night.  We jumped at the opportunity.

Naturally, P had zero worries and was super excited to spend the weekend with me and I, while very excited, was anxious beyond belief.  I had zero worries about the safety of my kids but rather I was nervous that they would wake up to early, whine the whole time, and just basically make the weekend very inconvenient for the family that was keeping them.  Well, that didn't happen and WE. HAD. A. BLAST!

After that weekend, we made a promise to each other that every year we would take a weekend (3 nights) vacation.  It didn't have to be anything special but our marriage needed that one-on-one time to re-check ourselves and get a chance to take of our mom and dad hats.  In addition, every 5 years (convenient to the big anniversaries), we would take a week long vacation.  Something that we would save for little by little over the course of the 5 lead-up years and then be able to go all out and have a ball.

We made a deal.

A side note: Our weekend vacations are no less than three nights for a reason.  The first night away from kids, while I am enjoying my freedom, I am thinking about how they are doing, if they went to bed easily, etc.  By the second night, I am so tired after not sleeping overly well the night before and a full day of fun that I pass out and sleep great.  To have to get up and head home would be a drag.  I just relaxed!  So, that last night ensures that mom and dad actually gets a day or two to really relax and connect.  That last day is usually our most fun day and the day when we have our best conversations.  I know my kids are having fun and I am completely focused on P.

So, last week, was our first 5 year vacation and boy did we enjoy it!  I booked a 7night/8day cruise to the Southern Caribbean.  We had saved a certain amount of money so we could do whatever excursions we wanted.  Unfortunately, laying on the beach just isn't our thing, we love to DO things.  So we did.

One of the best decisions was our balcony.  Holy macaroni, I will never cruise on an inside or windowed room.  For just a little more money, we were in HEAVEN!

We cruised with Princess Cruise lines and it was GREAT.  During the whole cruise, I only saw maybe 10-15 kids and they had a great spread of ages.  The food was INCREDIBLE!  Well, maybe a little TOO incredible since my pants are fitting just a little tighter these days.  Anyways, our first stop was St. Thomas.

For the first time in years, I was going on vacation and was not pregnant!  It was awesome to finally get to do all of the things that I couldn't.  So, in St. Thomas, we decided to go Scuba diving.  We had never been before and it was awesome!

One of my most favorite things about Princess cruises is that they often "Movies Under The Stars" which means that next to one of the pools they show movies on their HUGE (think football stadium) screened all throughout the day.  I am not a 'layerouter' (I definitely made that word up) but I LOVE to watch movies.  So, while we were in Tortola, instead of doing an excursion, we planted ourselves in two lounge chairs watched a few movies, ate some ice cream cones, and had an awesome time!

The next day, we stopped in Antigua.  I was super excited about this stop because we were going ZIPLINING!!!  So cool!

The next day we stopped in Dominica where we went on an 'Off the Beaten Path' private tour with our tour guide Woody. 

One of my most favorite memories from this trip was stopping to speak with some of Woody's friends who have moved from the States down to Dominica.  They are building a home down there and living in tents in the meantime (they have a pretty cool set-up).  I got a chance to ask a lot of questions about their experience!  So glad we got to meet them!

As we got back on the boat that evening, we captured one of the coolest pictures!

The last port that we went to was Barbados.  We went on a thriller snorkeling trip.  We got to swim with the turtles, snorkel around a reef, and three ship wrecks.

You know that beautiful 'windblown' look these swimsuit models talk about?  Yea, this is mine!  I think I'm in the right line of work.

Our day at sea was an awesome one!  We slept, watched movies, hung out on our balcony, slept some more, got room service, and then slept a little more.  It was perfect.  For people who never get to lounge, it was the perfect day!

This vacation served us so well.  It gave P and I the opportunity to really recap last year and  talk about our hopes and excitements for this year.  We are starting a new budget, trying to buy a house, hopefully get a new job, and, dare I say, maybe getting pregnant with #4?  We got a chance to talk about the things that we want to work on and the things that we want to completely change.  Every year throws ridiculous curve balls but we are starting as a team.  As long as we're on the same page ready to support each other and our family, we're not scared about what could come.  We're excited to see where we are this time next year and the experiences and lessons that we have learned. 

So, here's to mommy/daddy vacations!  THEY ROCK!

Beginning With The End in Mind

P and I got home last night from our cruise.  It was such an awesome week is so many ways! 

 While I get everything back together today, I wanted to share this post written by one of my most admired mom's.  I have read Lindsay's blog, My Child, I love you, for several years.  She is a mother of 6 with another babe due in April.  She has the perfect mix of faith, humor, encouragement, and practicality.  Without knowing it, she has taught me so much about being a wife, mother, and woman. 

Without further ado, here's Lindsay!

Thank you, Jeanne for offering space on your blog to share thoughts.  In reflecting upon our gratitude for your husband and all our military and their selfless service, I cannot help but be grateful for you and your service towards your family and our country while your husband was away. That being said, you both must have "the end in mind" with your ability to serve in such a selfless manner and understand a deeper motivating love.  Thank you. 

Beginning with the end in Mind

Oddly, what motivates and drives me most days in motherhood and life in general is picturing myself on my death bed or on judgment day. I even say often when questioning a decision, "Will I be glad I did this when I am dying?"  Someone once told me this advice regarding parenting. She said you should picture the kind of adults you want and work backwards.  I tend to picture the kind of life I want to have in the end and work backwards.

I know on my death bed, I will be grateful I kept my faith.  I will be grateful for all the rosaries said, times stopped by to make a visit, hours spent in prayer instead of doing other distractions, time reading God's word, and ultimately the sufferings I either endured and offered up and even greater the sufferings through the grace of God I willingly took on myself for the greater glory of God.  As hard as suffering is AT THE TIME, I know I will leap with joy that I ENDURED and USED it to save my soul, my children's souls, and poor souls in purgatory.  I will be glad I used suffering to help others who are suffering. 

It will be like training for a marathon.  Day after day, you wake in the morning to run the allotted miles amidst all conditions i.e weather, fatigue, lack of motivation.  It will be so gratifying on race day that I trained and trained well.

I cannot recommend enough the book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus" by Michael E. Gaitley.  I am not all the way through this work, but the message is so very powerful.  He reminds us once again the purpose of our lives and the things in it be it people, children, spouses, jobs, friends.

"Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to SAVE HIS SOUL.

The OTHER THINGS on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created.

Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment OF HIS END, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.

Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition.  Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.

Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created."

On my death bed, I will be so grateful that I was a good wife to John and kept the promises that I made to God however many years back that I would be with him UNTO DEATH DO US PART.  I will be so glad I took care of all his needs each day because I love him, but ULTIMATELY because I love God.  The days as a wife, mother, and human in general are just routine.  We wake to laundry, food, meals, discipline, correction, food, naps, food, prayers, and bed.  At first, I think we do things out of love for ourselves for the other person.  We are trying to impress THEM to like US so we bend over backwards to win their heart.  It is not real love because OUR end goal is still being sought after.  Next, if we let our love mature, you start doings acts out of love for them and not necessarily our benefit.  You may not want to, but you press on out of love in hopes of making their life good.  Finally, you reach the final stage of love which is you do all for them out of LOVE FOR GOD.  The joy that takes over your life is immeasurable.  Even if you are married to a difficult spouse, you press on out of love for God whose love for us is constant.  John's grandfather told him this before we were married.  He said, "I will share with you a little secret.  The more you serve Lindsay out of love of God and putting aside your own desires, the more your marriage will grow and blossom."  Our ultimate hope is in the end (or should I say beginning if our real lives in HEAVEN), the wayward spouse will see God's love shining through and be moved to love God and be with Him in heaven.  You read it over and over in the lives of the saints namely St. Rita and St. Monica.  Sure, by today's standards they have every reason for annulment, BUT they stayed married out of love for God and they were made saints because of it.  What a heavenly reward for their years of suffering, sacrifice, and loneliness.  No deed given to God goes unseen.  We must remember that when enduring trials.  He sees every tear dropped out of love for Him and will remember them on our judgement day.

On my death bed, I will be glad and thankful for each child we had by God's grace.  God could have chosen any way he wanted to bring forth new life and yet he chose the way he did.  It seems so simple in my (our) minds that it be left of up to HIM who states "Before I formed you in the womb, I KNEW YOU.  Before you came to LIFE, I consecrated you."  If HE knew you before you were even formed in my womb, then it seems so funny that I would try to think I have control over the people He already knew.  For some reason, He allows us to participate in the creation of new human life.  It seems so funny that I think I control it when God is the ultimate giver of life.  He deems every person ever lived.  I believe He desires us to be like Mary, Our heavenly mother and her simple "Yes."  Imagine her circumstances. Not married.  Stoning as a punishment.  Having to tell her parents.  Confusion of knowing she was not with a man.  And she said "Yes."  So to you my Heavenly Father, I say "Yes.  Let it be done unto me according to thy will."  We say the words in the Our Father "Thy will be done."   My grandparents (2 people) had 13 children.  From that 13 children, came 70 some grandchildren.  From that 70 some grandchildren has come a hilarious number of great-grandchildren and still growing every year.  If we back it up, from those two people came hundreds and hundreds of generations of people and souls in heaven.  Two people=hundreds of generations and souls.  For me to say "No" to another child, I would have to say "No" to hundreds of generations of people. If my grandmother's parents said "No" I would not be here.  Fascinating to think about.  It is not about numbers to me.  It is about God's plan for salvation history if we listen to the words in scripture.  "Before I formed you in the womb, I KNEW YOU."  When I look at each of our children, I see generations.  I see a soul who will pray.  I see a soul who will suffer for others and bring them to heaven.  I see a soul who probably will hold their own child's hand and teach their own child about God and try to lead them to heaven.  That is why each one is so important to me.  Their life is so valuable not only to John and I, but valuable and essential to all humanity and its survival.  God has a specific plan for EACH PERSON. 

Childbearing and child rearing have no guarantees.  I do not know what God has planned for their futures.  I do not know what He has planned for their life spans.  There is much pain physically, spiritually, and emotionally involved in parenthood. I have felt the pain of miscarriage several times.  I have felt the pain of wayward siblings who were raised right and chose to turn their backs on God, BUT I do know each soul has a purpose. 

I know I will be grateful on my death bed that I gave God the dominion over my fertility to use as He sees fit for all eternity to bring forth the lives He has chosen to be with Him forever in heaven.

On my death bed, I will be glad I was home to watch my children grow everyday.  My grandmother recently told me, "I wish I would have realized how they are BIG for most of the lives and little for just a few short years.  I would have had more patience knowing that."  I will be glad for the books we read, the meals we cooked, the birthdays we celebrated, the walks we took, and the times I just sat and listened to their stories.  I will be glad I didn't miss it and somebody else saw all their firsts.  In the end, it will be all worth it.  It will be worth every financial sacrifice made for the TIME we were together.  I know I will be glad I wasn't somewhere else while they grew up everyday before me. 

To get to these points of death bed vision, I think I (we) must first understand that just because we are struggling either mentally, physically, or financially doesn't necessarily mean you are doing the wrong thing.  In the END, it is probably quite the opposite.  It is in the struggle that we are closest to Christ.  It is in the struggle that are efforts are most worthy to Him.  It is in the struggle that we are able to console Him the most.  So, I would gander to say if you are struggling you are doing just fine and right where God wants you to be.  The world will preach to you the opposite that IF you are struggling you must change something or MUST be doing the WRONG thing when really it is Christ calling you to closer union with HIM if you let HIM and know of HIS love for you.  The ultimate act of love.

Being that we aren't guaranteed a full 80 years in life, I want to live my life right now with those visions and that motivation.  I know that when I die, I will be well-satisfied that I finished strong, struggled, failed, consoled, and used all sufferings to show God how much I loved Him.  We must get to this point that we see our work as saving OUR soul.  We must get to the point that we see OUR marriages as saving our souls.  Everything we do is out of love for God.

Beginning with the end in mind, how do you care to view your short earthly life?  What do you want to say on your death bed you accomplished out of love for God? 

Handmade Thank You Notes

One of my New Years Resolutions is to write, and help the kids write, thank you notes ALL YEAR!  This means Christmas, birthdays, surprise gifts...ALL YEAR!  In a time of e-mail and texting, I want them to understand the personal touch of HAND WRITING notes. 

So, I decided to come up with a fun way to write them.  I figured that everybody would know that I filled in those 'fill in the blank' thank you notes so I went for something that had more child involvement.  This is what I did.

First, I shocked the kids when I pulled out the paint to get hand prints and footprints.  They had such a good time doing it and it also alleviated the stress of a particularly whiny day.

After they dried, I got the kids ready to color.  I folded pieces of card stock and had them color on the inside cover (a bit of personalization).

While they colored I cut out all of their prints and a glue stick.

As they finished up each card, I glued their hand and foot prints on the front, had them help me write 'Thank you', and name and dated each print (not pictured).

One by one, we started talking about what each person gave them and what they wanted to say.  They had some funny ideas.  I put their ideas into complete sentences, helped them to sign their names, and they were done!

I was impressed at how much they understood and remembered.  This was definitely a fun craft to help the remainder of Christmas break go by and teach them something that I am still struggling to learn.

Now...to write MY thank you notes...

The Penalty Box

If you haven't noticed already, I am a woman who thrives on order and plans.  I get overwhelmed so easily that having a set schedule or 'plan of action' is my key to a successful day.

When Little P started getting to the age where he was CHOOSING wrong or disobedient behaviors (obviously age appropriate), I knew I had to come up with a plan.  This sporadic discipline was not working.  I needed to have a plan of action that ALL of us knew about.  He needed to know his causes/consequences and so did we. 

So, my husband and I talked about different ideas for a few weeks and then decided that we were going to do our own version of Supernanny's Naughty Step.  Call me a feel good mom, but I wasn't so thrilled on using the term 'naughty' so we decided on

The Penalty Box.

The key to this system was that we had to remain cool, calm, and collected.  We had to remember that these behaviors, as irritating as they were, were not personal attacks.  Little P was doing this TO ME...there was nothing for me to be offended by.  We had to change our way of addressing discipline from punishing to training.  So, now that we had the right intention behind our plan, this is how it would work when a behavior needed correcting:

1) Down on eye level; Warning in a stern but collected voice.

(Little P, I asked you not to throw your toys.  If you do it again, you will go to the penalty box.)

2) Once the offense is done again, without saying anything, sternly but not aggressively take them by the hand and lead them to the penalty box.  No words.

3) Get down on eye level, in few stern but collected words, explain why and how long they are there.  Walk away.

(Little P, you do NOT throw your toys, you will be in the penalty box for 3 minutes)

Age = Time in Penalty Box

Do NOT stand there and hold them/guard them in the box.  This is a lesson in self control and obedience.  You are doing the training, not being trained.

4) If they leave the penalty box, you say nothing, put them back, and start the time over.

The first few times, it may take a while, but stick with it, it's worth it!  I know once mom who battled for 45 minutes, never lost her cool, and it worked!

***The KEY is to remain calm.  Do not show one ounce of disgust on your face.  If the child knows they are getting to you, it defeats the purpose.  You are addressing the behavior, not the child.****

5) After the required minutes are over.  You go to them, get down on eye level, explain the 'offense', ask for an apology, and give them a big ol' hug.

(Little P, Mommy asked you not to throw your toys but you still did.  Next time you need to listen to mom, okay?)

Everybody has different opinions on asking for an apology but from my personal experience, I found that it taught them about being sorry.  I rarely have to ask anymore, even when it's not a penalty box situation, because they understand the concept. 

Lastly, introducing it in a fun way is always crucial.  If they see that you have put the effort in, they know you are not playing around.  We followed Supernanny's recommendation and made up our house rules and posted them in the kitchen. This way, we were all on the same page as far as expectations.  It's not fair to hold them responsible for a million rules that may or may not have been previously covered.  We then made a sign and taped off an area in our dining area. When the kiddos got up from their nap that day, we went over the rules (giving silly examples of every 'wrong thing') and explained to them how the system would work.

This system has been a lifesaver in our house. There are days when it is used often and then we can go weeks where a warning is good enough. If you are going to use this system, its extremely important that you are not only consistent but that mom and dad are on the same team! The system has to work the same way during the day, evening, weekends, with mom, or with dad. With a united front, they will take it seriously.

I can say that we have a much happier house now that the kiddos know their boundaries and we know our response.  There is no hesitation, only confidence.  Good luck!



Soaking It All In...

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is carrying out our different family traditions.  There are things that both P and I have brought to our family that make our Christmas Season awesome. 

This year, we made a consistent effort to put the emphasis on Jesus instead of Santa.  I can officially say that for probably the first time in my LIFE, I was successful at focusing equally, if not more, on the reason for the season instead of Santa/presents/food/etc.  I found it so much easier to do that this year because I was so conscious of my kids understanding WHY we were celebrating.  I didn't want them to scream out 'SANTA COMES' when someone asked them about Christmas, I wanted 'JESUS' BIRTHDAY' to be the first thing to came to mind.

We had a lot of fun making it a super fun weekend and they really did understand.  I realized that they understood when, on Christmas morning, while running downstairs, before going to see their presents, P brought them straight to see the Nativity.  I knew they'd be chomping at the bit to look at the tree but they weren't!  I was shocked.  They were so enthralled with the fact that baby Jesus was laying in the manger and my shy son sang 'Happy Birthday' louder than I've EVER heard him sing!  Definitely a proud mama moment!

All of these moments really got me thinking about how simple it is to teach our little ones.  They are like little sponges WAITING to soak up what we have to offer.  Oftentimes, we overlook this amazing opportunity to form our kids because we're busy or tired or just don't want to have to put forth the effort.  But the fact of the matter is that if we don't teach them, society will.  If we don't value the true meaning behind the Holidays or praying throughout the day, how will they EVER learn to value it?  These are things that will not just suddenly click one day...they have to be taught. 

As deep as it sounds, we are forming the future.  We are laying the groundwork for our world in 20 years.  I want to put forth adults who understand that there is a deeper value to life and things.  I want to raise little adults that understand what it means to be generous.  I want my children to be grownups who seek personal responsibility over comfort because they know that it is right.  All of these things, they have to be taught.  They are watching us.  Are we living those qualities that we want them to attain? 

Being a parent is rarely comfortable.  It means constantly giving of yourself, realizing that usually your children's behavior generally reflects directly on your decisions, and stepping up to the plate to follow through on those examples for them. 

So, now that I have veered so off course of my original objective for this post, I will wrap it up by saying that this Christmas has been an awesome one.  We enjoyed each other, celebrated the birth of a King, and it kicked my rear end in gear to do what I am called to do as a mother and form my children into loving, responsible, and generous adults.

They are like sponges, what am I going to give them to soak up?



Packing - Day 2

Day 2 is definitely the lighter of the two day packing system.  On day two, the first thing I do is get down the suitcases.  I use one suitcase for all three kids for a few reasons.  One, if I don't, there is far too much room to over pack.  Secondly, there are three of them and two of us...we can't be toting tons of little suitcases everywhere.  And lastly, it is so much easier to keep everything organized and together at our destination when I don't have suitcases all over the house/hotel room/etc.

So, once I get the suitcases, I put them to the side in my 'packing room'.  When packing my kids clothes, I am very systematic.  The first thing I do is go through the days that we will be gone.  I figure out the 'special outfits' that will be needed.  For this weekend, we'd be going to church on Sunday and we were going to be celebrating Mini C's birthday.  Child by child, I lay out everything they would need for these two occasions.  I laid out all of their church clothes, socks, shoes, belts, tights, bows, etc.  Then I moved on to Mini-C's birthday outfit, socks, shoes, and bow. 

After I have any 'special occasion' clothes laid out, I move on to the every day clothes.  This is where the open table or bed becomes VERY important.  The first thing I lay out are pajamas.  I use them as place markers for each child. 

After I have their pajamas out, I move on to their clothes.  For the older two, I pack one extra 'everyday' outfit.  I start with Little P and move down the line from there.  So, this is what I do. 

First, I lay out P's CLOTHES.

Then, I add socks and underwear to every outfit (plus one extra).

And lastly, I lay out any shoes that he will need.

Once I do this, I repeat the same process for the girls, taking it step by step.  This is what my table ends up looking like.

Once I reach this point, I can breathe a sigh of relief.  The hardest part is over. 

Next, I finish off my first day bag.  For this trip, we were going to be changing them into these clothes at our breakfast stop.  They needed to be comfy for car riding but cute for arriving at Nana and Pepe's house.  So, I take one outfit/socks/underwear/shoes for each child and pack it into my 'First Day' bag.

Now, if you remember, our first day bag should last us through the first twenty four hours.  So, since we will be leaving at 3AM, I have the clothes that they will be changing into, their bath soap, diapers, wipes, extra underwear, tooth brush, tooth paste, and pajamas for the following night.  Done.  Zip it up and add it to the pile of things to get packed.

Lastly, we just have to pack up all of their clothes.  Like I told you, I put all three kids in one suitcase.  I put all of their socks and underwear in the mesh compartment and then line the rest up child by child.  Little P usually has the right side, Little C usually has the middle, and Mini C has the left side.  This is what it ends up looking like.

Once everything is packed up, I get to pack up the car.  My husband usually packs up our car for other things, but he is so awesome at letting me do it when we go on trips.  There is something about knowing that it is all organized. 

First I get everything into the back (suitcases, stroller, food for our destination, Christmas presents, etc.)  The last day bag is the last bag to go in so I can easily access it when we stop.  Then, I move to the front of the car.  I place the snacks in between the console and the dash board, the diaper box directly behind the console, the toys right behind the passenger seat, and the DVD player behind the drivers seat.  I also adjust their car seats so they are leaning back and place a blanket in each car seat so they can go back to sleep once we load them up in the morning.  They also each have a sippy cup of water but those stay in the console unless they ask for them.  With two potty trained kiddos, less water = less stops.  They know they can take sips but we won't be chugging water...haha.

So, that's about it.  I can't tell you how nice it is to get in the car and drive off knowing that I have everything I need. 

I hope these ideas have helped you in your packing this Holiday Season and beyond.

Merry Christmas!