COURAGE

There are so many ways that moms have courage..........

But here is the latest, most poignant for me.

COURAGE is a mother who will bury her 3 year old son this week.  Her courage strengthens me as she continues to wake up each morning and face a new day with FAITH in her eyes.  Courage is continuing to hug and comfort her other four children, giving them hope that she is trying to hold onto herself.  

COURAGE is grasping to know there REALLY IS life after death.  She has always believed it to be true, but now she must KNOW for herself, for her children, for everyone that she will strengthen through this trial.

COURAGE is letting the tears flow, but moving forward each new day.  Everyone can feel the peace she has in her heart even though the pain is overwhelming.  She gives us all hope that we can face any trial that this life will bring, always trusting God as she always does.

COURAGE is never easy.  I love you Crystal!  As you face the hardest days of your life, may you know that you are a light to all of us.  Your courage lifts many, and your FAITH will strengthen many.  You are truly amazing..................

Good old fashioned birthday party!

I am all for the good old fashioned birthday party.  Do you know the kind?  

Where you hang up streamers and balloons that you've blown up with your own air.  Cupcakes for everyone and games to play.  Little fun favors to take home and a great time for all.

We had one today for my four year old.  I think that 90% of the fun today was preparing for the party.  My kids got to hang the streamers, blow up balloons, put out the plates.  We played PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY, and had a TREASURE HUNT.  

We opened birthday presents and blew out candles on the cupcakes.  They played on the 

slip n slide outside and jumped on the trampoline.

There didn't need to be a rented bouncy house with catered meal for all families involved.  There didn't need to be expensive presents or clowns performing after a magic show.  I have read articles recently that parents are spending THOUSANDS on their children's birthday parties---getting bigger and better every year.  Amazing.............could that really be true?  Check out the linked article.  It really IS true.

It makes me remember a story I heard last year.  There was a family.  They saved their money to have a SUPER memorable family vacation to a famous theme park.  They spent a few weeks traveling to see many major land marks on the way there.  They spared no expense so that their children could have a "once in a lifetime" experience.  At the end of the summer the father was sitting out with his son on the porch, reflecting on their summer.

"What was your favorite part of this summer, son?"  Of course, the father expected the son to reminisce all of the amazing things that they had done.

But his son said,

"My favorite part of the summer was that night that we laid out under the stars and talked."

It really is the SIMPLE things that our children crave and love.  

It made my day today when my four year old said before he closed his eyes to go to sleep,

"Thanks for the super awesome birthday party mom!"

You are welcome.......

I chopped up the cat....

How do you tell your kids that you chopped up the cat? A baby kitten at that.


One of my worst nightmares has now come true. I have always heard that cats sometimes crawl up inside the engine area of vehichles to stay warm, especially when you have parked a warmed up car in the winter. And THEN, if they are still asleep there when the engine propeller starts up.................it is just more than you want to imagine.
But it is summer. That can't happen, right? Well, it did.

I loaded up all of the kids to head over for a swim at the City Pool. Threw in the towels, locked the house, jumped in the car, and started it up. THUNK, THUNK, THUNK,..............my mind raced as to what could be wrong with the car. And then I screamed (inside my head) as I looked out of my window and could see puffs of fur. Sorry for the graphic details, it was a scarring experience! I started to cry, and the kids ask what is wrong, all I can say is, "No one look out in front of the car, look down."

All I can think is, "I am going to back up and my kids are going to see there own pet chopped up on the ground in front of them." There was just no good way out of this situation. I slowly backed up the car .....back......little more back................back........no kitten.........still no kitten......but I did see the fur puffs????................................

Nothing fell out. An answer to prayer! But it is in there. At least the children and I didn't have to visually witness it. I called the dad of our house. I told him that in the fine print of our marriage contract it says that HE is responsible for pulling out dead kittens from inside the hood of the car. I know, that is just terrible to say out loud! Just be glad it didn't happen to you!

Can Moms re-model?

I like projects. And when you live in an older house, there is always a PROJECT to be done. You just have to love re-modeling. Actually, I do. Today was tiling the front entryway. How do I fit this into my day? Well, as you know---a mother's day is already full of many responsibilities. There is NEVER extra time. So, some responsibilites have to be dropped for the day........


Such as rag-a-muffin hairdos (at least she put on matching clothes!), and babies unheld sitting in the walker.........



Unattended photographers taking pictures of their brothers..........




Make your own lunch day, and leave the mess all over the counter.......




Leftover food still sitting on the table at the end of the day..........

But WE did it! (Me and my 6 assistants!) We tiled the front entryway. Moms can do anything. For some reason, it is not quite like this for dads!

To all Moms--you are amazing!

I just want to say to all moms out there--you are amazing! I know that you don't get that a lot. Practically never. It is a job that goes unthanked every day.

For some reason, no one notices when the laundry is DONE, but everyone notices when it ISN'T. No one comments when the house is CLEAN but they have something to say when it is DIRTY. No one wants to call you when your child is WELL-BEHAVED, but they sure do when they ARE NOT. Everyone raves when you "make" CHICKEN NUGGETS for dinner, but they turn their noses up when you slaved for hours on a HOME-COOKED meal.

It is just our lot in life. We won't be noticed until we are gone. But we are making a difference! A great friend of mine posted this week about to "Please Praise the Mothers."
I am taking her advice.

I watch each of you every day. You work so hard. You are so talented. You give and give and give and give and give and give! Your work is worth it. God is watching. Others are too. Your children are the precious diamonds that take years of work to make. Your sacrifice will be worth it.

I have noticed. Others have too!

The 5K

Today, I made a phone call. My fingers began to sweat as I dialed the phone number. My heart started beating fast and a lump moved upward, inhibiting my breathing.

I registered for my first 5K. This really shouldn't have been a big deal. Oh, but it is.........

I imagine myself running along looking like this.....

But the reality is that I will look more like this----

with a lot of sweat running down my face!

That girl in the top picture has definitely NOT had 6 children. She isn't in her 30s, and she doesn't have to wear two sports bras to hold up the nursing ladies that are substatially heavier than normal if the baby hasn't fed for a few hours! (or even just one hour : )

Nor does she have the fear of wetting her pants because of those 6 vaginal deliveries that have left the bladder oh so not the same.

But that is OK. I can dream of looking like her. I am just glad to be running in my first 5K. I have never been a runner. I really still am not one. But some other mom friends and myself have been running (or should we say jogging and walking) three times a week to get our bodies into a little better shape. We are joining the 5K because the fear of humiliation keeps us exercising regularly. We are on our 5th week of the "Couch to 5K" program. You should try it. Apparently, it says that in 9 weeks it can get any couch potato ready to run a 5K. And since busy moms are moving much more than a couch potato, we figured we could do it!!!!

And most importantly.......................we are getting a free T-shirt to prove our craziness!

First Post

This is my new blog, for moms...............or anyone who's had a mom, or would like to be a mom, or maybe you are married to one.  I am mom to six kids, ages 9 and under.  How did I get here?  I chose it.  I have a college degree.  I was good at what I was doing, but I chose to be here.  Some days I wonder if I have lost my mind, but I never regret being a mom.  Some days I feel like I am going crazy, but I never regret being a mom.  Being a mom isn't easy, ask anyone!

I have another blog.  It is for the scrappy book part of life---posting pictures of the kids for grandma and grandpa, showing pics of the latest quilt or house project.  But this is my new place for the ups, the downs, the crazies, the stresses, the joys, and everything else in between of the job I call "mom."

Really, it is just a fun little outlet for me!!!