Poop!

"Child rearing myth #1: Labor ends when the baby is born." – Unknown

I don’t think I could have ever fully prepared myself for “poop”. I mean, it’s everywhere! I expected there to be poop, obviously, but assumed it would be contained to the diaper or toilet! But no, there’s poop on the floors, covering the children, smeared on the pack n play, and most importantly NOT inside the diaper. These aren’t the types of stories that people generally gloat about. I can hear it now, “awe my baby girl just painted a canvass of poop on my newly mopped floors! I will take some pictures and make sure to frame you one for Christmas; I am certain this one will make headlines.” I mean lets be realistic we would rather boast about them drawing their first picture or counting to three.

I on the other hand am blessed with not one, not two, no-no, but THREE toddlers. I think the Lord found humor in continually blessing me with children back to back. I mean He couldn’t gradually introduce me to motherhood. Of course not – He had to THROW me into motherhood. I was not prepared for my toddlers to grow up so quickly. Three girls age 2 and under has been a rollercoaster ride for me. And that’s not even taking into consideration being pregnant most of this past year.

I went from single to married with children in what appeared to be overnight. A family of one quickly turned into three, then four, then six, and now seven! My once beloved Red Dodge Truck no longer holds our growing family. In fact it doesn’t hold anyone now! Ha-ha, the piece of junk is collecting dust in the garage. ANYWAY, I am not saying that I don’t feel truly blessed and honored to be their mommy, I am just saying I was not prepared for the poop.

My family and friends quickly introduced me to cutting the feet and arms off of footie pajamas. Who would have thought about dressing your children, deliberately mind you, in backwards pajamas? Genius. I mean GENIUS. By far the greatest thing ever to be introduced into my life was cut-off pajamas. I do sit and wonder though why this idea – this AMAZING idea has not been patented. I mean seriously, I would have bought the store out by now. I hated the idea of maiming beautiful footie pj’s, but I was desperate!

I sit and watch as my girls dance around in their backwards pajamas to a young girl singing on TV, and giggle at the thought of them once again in pajamas before bed! Hey look, I don’t have time to be cleaning up POOP out of their pack ‘n play following their nap.

Well I guess that is my great word of wisdom on this rainy day. When you have children INVEST in footie pajamas and cut them apart!!!!

Feesha: "Mommy.uh really?!"

Prayer, Perseverance & a Whole Lot of Patience!

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther King Jr.

I am often reminded of the following two scriptures when I feel like God isn’t listening to me:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “pray without ceasing [coming to an end/to stop]”

Galatians 6:9 – “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

There are times when I feel like a spiritual warrior, and then there are times when I feel like no matter how hard I pray, I’m defeated. I wasn’t going to make this blog all spiritual or religious, but let’s face it I am who I am. A huge part of my life is based around my faith (be it sometimes as little as a mustard seed). Then again this post isn’t so much about having a life of prayer (etc) it’s about my quest with the company Thirty-One.

A few years back I had been looking into different money-making opportunities that I could do from home. At the time I was working full-time, and it was just something I was playing around with. I came across this Christian based company called Thirty-One. At the time of my search there were no other Reps in this area, and to be honest there wasn’t one even within an hours drive. I decided I didn’t WANT to be the only one. There would be no support system and no other Reps to discuss things with. A year later I had thought about it again and emailed my Pastor’s wife and told her about my ideas and asked them to pray with me.

Upon praying, I decided that I would wait and not move forward. Okay, so yeah it is $99 to enroll, but I wasn’t quick to jump into a company that, for the most part, no one had ever heard of. The idea kept returning to me and I would gently brush it aside. I attended a community shower earlier this year and met a woman we will call Susie Q. The moment I met her, there was this spiritual connection like something drawing me to her. Come to find out, she was a counseling minister at a church in town. In addition, she was selling Thirty-One! I was quick to get her information, and then after a few moments of talking my sister and I continued on our table-stopping journey.

After several emails back and forth with Susie Q, we decided I would try a catalog/online party. I was still undecided about whether or not to join the company. Here I was again, with the same Christian-based company stood on Proverbs 31 (a chapter I LOVE) and still, I questioned whether or not this was for me.

For several months I was met with barriers, obstacles, and any other kind of crazy junk you could imagine. I had tried to host a catalog/online party and received no orders. Maybe this was God’s way of showing me that He didn’t intend for me to sell Thirty-One. Susie Q and I decided we would try this party thing again, and host a party at her home this time. Thought it might be easier to actually see the product in front of you, instead of looking at pictures online. But, I was still wary that it wouldn’t work out, and that I would be wasting her time. Leading up to the day of the event it would seem as though everything was falling apart. We decided something bigger was at work, and we continued to pray and believe that God would open doors.

The day of the event rolled around, and once again we were faced with obstacles. I was discouraged to be honest with you, because it seemed like NOTHING was going right. Lover told me that even if I was the only one there I needed to go, because something bigger was at work. Now I knew my butterfly girl was coming for sure – so even if it was just the three of us it was a go ahead!

I packed up snacks and lemonade and headed out the door. On the way I continued to pray that the night would go smoothly and that whatever God wanted to do I was game for. I told Him that like an earthly Father He desires to give His children good gifts. I explained to Him that I know sometimes blessings do not come in material form and that I was okay with that too. Then of course I had to tell Him that we were looking at double free products if we hit $500.00 in sales and wouldn’t that be frugal of me?! I think God enjoys my subtle humor at times. I closed by giving Him the night and thanking the Holy Spirit for His presence while we were there.

The night went over great and there were six of us total (including Susie Q). There was no huge marching parade and fireworks, but it was a relaxed and enjoyable couple hours. I had brought a couple orders with me and by the end of the night I was more than half way to my goal. I left the party thankful for a great night and continued to believe I would meet my goal.

The next day I once again had the thought of joining Thirty-One. Why do I keep coming back to this?! So once again Susie Q and I began praying. After talking to Lover, we decided it was a win-win. By this point I had reached my $500 goal and would be receiving the $180 in free products! Then the commission off the party was already at $125 so that would reimburse the enrollment fee. In addition, I had several offers immediately come in to host a party or do a catalog party. It’s amazing how once you step out in faith and persevere how quickly the walls fall.

I think the online dictionary says it best: “Perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” I am thankful for the continued prayer of those around me and that the walls have crumbled and we can move forward in faith that God is up to something much bigger than purses!

A Fly in My Yogurt! The Nerve.

“God in His wisdom made the fly and then forgot to tell us why.”

Ogden Nash, “The Fly”

What started off like any other Monday morning was met by this incredulous scream. Abbers, with this look of horror on her face, runs out of the room to find her Daddy. I look back to the couch where she had previously been sitting eating her morning yogurt. “hmm” was my reply, not really knowing what prompted the scream. Then I see this fly go by. “Could it have been the fly that scared her?”

She returns moments later with her Daddy and begins to quickly, and in words I have never heard before, describe the incident that had just taken place.

I proceed to tell Lover that she must have seen a fly by her yogurt.

He walks over and picks up the yogurt container off the table looks inside and finds nothing there. He takes a few bites to show Abbers that indeed her yogurt was fine. She would not accept this and refused to eat her yogurt.

Daddy told her that he would let her have a new one.

Within minutes they return not only with a new cup of yogurt, but with an oversized fly killer! I mean fly swatter J

“I guess, NO ONE is gonna mess with her yogurt again!”…………………………........................

Dreams Do Come True?!

"We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up." - Phyllis Diller

I, like so many others, had always dreamed of one day becoming a wife and mother. There were goals and expectations that I was certain to accomplish when I fulfilled those roles. There is the dream of having this amazing home with clean floors, glass tables, and scented candles burning. To be this housewife, who wore a cute pink frilled apron, made homemade desserts for dinner, and baked bread every morning. That the home would be filled with loving and obedient children who listened to every command - this is the dream I had.

I never dreamed of endless piles of laundry, markers on the wall, toys everywhere, and snacks under my cushions. Adorable toddlers who would quickly learn the word NO and soon learn to strip down to bare tooshies. The swift stench of poop as its being painted onto the hardwood floors, dishes that overflowed in the kitchen, and dinner that would never be prepared on time. Quickly you go from this glamour princess to zookeeper. Your hair becomes all kinds of frizzy and is then twisted into some concoction on top of your head. Make-up is a word of the past. Sweats, tanks, and flip flops have overtaken your skirts and high heels wardrobe. This was NEVER part of “The Dream”.

There has never been a manual written that could have prepared me for the task of becoming a wife/mother. I had always been around children, so taking care of them came naturally. However, I always got to send them back home. My home is now filled with these new-found little people who are so amazing, and yet, so determined to make my hair turn grey. Ugh.

Moments go by and I watch in awe as my little monsters amaze me with their determination, perseverance, and strength. That moment quickly passes as I realize they are moving furniture, painting with markers on the wall, and ripping through all the nicely folded laundry. Yet throughout every day and night I give thanks for these precious lives that have overtaken mine. I am so blessed God has allowed me to care for them and love them. Now if only He would give me an extra set of hands or more hours in the day to take care of them!