The Good Life

I started a 15 day "random challenge" here on The Good Life to help me talk about something besides my ordinary "Mommy days" for a while. I didn't make it past day 5 because truthfully, I loaded my plate pretty good last week. So, I might have failed my little self-challenge but bigger things were happening for this stay at home Mommy. :-) I spent last week in Columbia, South Carolina- kid sitting! All week, I was responsible for Colton (age 14 months), Tyler (age 12), and Taylor (age 10). So needless to say, it was a big week for me. Even though I was very tired, it wasn't all work. We had a lot of fun too. We went to a place called EdVenture in downtown Columbia and we also got to visit Riverbanks Zoo (Colton's first time). By Saturday morning, I was very ready to see Matt and I know he was ready for us to be home. Colton and I made it home safely and had a great weekend as a family of 3. So - what's happening for this Mommy? I am very excited ...

Day 5 - Short and Sweet First of all, happy birthday to my Aunt Paula...love you! Colton and I took our first road trip together. Just the two of us. We made it to South Carolina to visit my sister, Josh and two of his kiddos (Tyler & Taylor). T & T are on spring break so I am here to help out this week. I'm excited to spend time with these guys, I don't get to see them very often! I had a fun idea to blog about today, but after riding in a car with Colton, I'm beat!  Until tomorrow...

Day 4 - things I have learned from my toddler -when he gets really quiet, it's not a good thing -not all sippy cups are created equal -it isn't until I reach the point of "no hope" that things start to get better -Mom friends are really hard to come by -the best gift I can give Colton is to love Matt -the only reason I look at the calendar these days is to make sure I'm not missing a birthday or anniversary or eating food that has expired -no matter how many toys the kid has, he wants whatever I have in my hands -never run out of blueberry waffles or french toast sticks -I would be lost without Amazon.com -most babies/toddlers sleep in the car but driving with mine is pretty much like hell on earth -winter sucks even more -when taking apart a sippy cup, pay attention or you'll never, ever get it back together -dirt on crackers had become a delicacy -little arms around my neck and a little head on my shoulder is a little slice of hea...

Day 3 -  10 things that I would tell my 16 year-old self (if I could) 1) you don't know it, but Dad is following you to school to see how fast your driving so slow down! 2) try harder in school 3) be nicer to Mom 4) save your money and if you have to spend it, spend it wisely 5) this is an awkward time - it will get better 6) don't take boys to seriously, you'll find out what real love is 7) volunteer your time to a good cause (missions/charities/organizations) 8) I know you hate math, and you're not good at it but study to be an accountant (you'll thank me) 9) don't lie to mom & dad about where you've been or where you're going - they know everybody and they will find you! 10) be more patient and understanding with your sister,  she's your best friend

Day 2 - What is my love language?   I guess I haven't really paid attention to this "love language" thing but after some research, I learned that in 1995 a guy, named Gary Chapman, wrote a book called "The Five Love Languages: how to express heartfelt commitment to your mate". The book outlines 5 ways to express and experience love, that Chapman calls the "love languages". The five languages are 1) gifts 2) quality time 3) words of affirmation 4) acts of service and 5) physical touch. In the book, Chapman states that, emotionally, people need to receive love and that people should not use the love language that they most like, but the love language that their loved ones can receive. I haven't read the book, but it sounds interesting. I got curious, what is my love language? I went online and found the "love language profile for wives". I answered a list of questions. Once completed, I got a profile score. The highest score indicates m...

I've been posting a lot of serious "Mom stuff" lately so I'm taking a break and being totally random. 15 day challenge starts now... Day 1 - 20 Random Facts About Me 1) I have been to 23 States and 5 different countries 2) One of my shoulders is higher than the other 3) I have a lazy eye (you know you're going to try to notice it now!!!) 4) I have to sleep with a fan on 5) I count everything (letters on signs, bricks, slats on doors, cars on the road...EVERYTHING) 6) After a shower, I dry off in the exact same order every time 7) Coloring is still one of my favorite things to do 8) I love Jeopardy 9) I have 7 piercings 10) My Zodiac sign is Virgo 11) I prefer odd numbers over even 12) I have never had a broken bone 13) Texas Roadhouse is my favorite restaurant 14) I still have my original cabbage patch kids 15) Bagpipes and the Irish whistle are two of my favorite sounds 16) I love HGTV 17) I love documentaries on Lions 18) I...

When I became a parent, I started to view life completely different. Maybe some parents don't, but I would say the majority are with me. Life took on a whole new meaning. I have a whole new priority. I'm responsible for, not only providing for a little person, but for setting a good example in my words and my actions. There's nothing more eye opening for me than to think about how I don't  want my child to be, and then see those very faults in my own self. I have always known that I wanted to be a Mom. I think some people just know that they want that direction for their life. Sometimes, it doesn't work out due to different circumstances and sometimes, when it does work out, it's not what was expected. Even though I was a person who "knew" I wanted kids, there were moments I doubted Parenthood. Was I willing to give up sleep? Was I willing to put someone else's needs before my own? Was I able to provide for this person? Was I willing to give up m...