Sock Fights and My Nasty Mouth.

I lost my temper.

Yes. It happened. I mean, of course this is my first mistake like, EVER. I'm raising my first child and I always do everything perfectly! HA!

Thursdays at 5, Isabelle has dance class and for some reason, getting ready for it always ends up disastrous for some reason or another even if we start plenty early. Today was especially disastrous. She was all ready to go, but I noticed the socks I had put on her earlier were now missing and we had already had a slight disagreement about how she needed to wear a hat since the weather was absolutely frigid today. So I begin to look for her socks (the clock now says 4:54, dance class is across town and my frustration level is quickly rising) and she is not the least bit interested in helping me on my sock hunt. I know she took off these socks completely mindlessly and probably really cannot remember when and where she removed those darn things. I keep asking her anyway, to no avail. Now it is 4:59 and my temper is boiling... I could have gotten more socks but THAT is exactly how I end up buried in laundry and I knew they had to be close! Finally, at the end of my rope, I yelled at her. About socks. I yelled at her, like really YELLED at her. I think I blocked out exactly what I said, but it was along the lines of keeping her clothes on throughout the day and helping me when I ask her for help. But my tone was totally demeaning and very angry. It hurt her feelings, she burst into tears and right after that, I spotted those rainbow socks under the couch. No time for crying, we've got to get these on and get to dance!!! So out the door we go and she was done crying by the time we got into the car at 5:04. We got there and she joined her little friends on the dance floor while I stood at the window and watched her twirl around like a little princess. I felt terribly awful inside. Just as I'm thinking that I probably deserve the Worst Mother of the Year Award, Izzy turns and waves at me, smiling and blowing kisses at the same time. Is there anything more humbling? She loved me and wanted to know I was watching her after she saw one of the ugliest sides of me. The thought processes after that simple gesture of love for me were numerous... I hadn't even apologized yet for yelling, I didn't deserve those precious little air kisses or sweet smiles, and most of all how unforgiving I would be if someone treated me that way! I learn so many lessons from my sweet children, but her small gesture hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a huge reminder of God's love and how forgiving and loving He is, even knowing every single one of my flaws. I am so undeserving of the Heavenly Father's love, but He still loves me, and so does Izzy. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. This is something I won't forget next time I feel like I am about to boil over. After dance, I apologized profusely with tears in my eyes and thanked her for those kisses. She sat meticulously picking marshmallows out of her hot cocoa, then looked at me and said, "It's okay mommy, but can you build me a tent in the playroom?" I think she knew the all-over-her-face kisses were a yes. :)

P.S. I know I haven't been blogging lately....this past year was busy, big, and there will be an entry to come about that :)

It's a lazy afternoon...

Here I am again slacking on my blog....and it's never because of a lack of things to post about. It's always because my mind is swirling and I'm pretty sure if I posted everything that I am thinking about, anyone reading it would be completely lost in the randomness of such a post! I can never seem to pick one thing to really focus on but today I just need to put out a little update and let anyone who reads know I am still here!

Still here...and still pregnant :) Little Jonah is a big boy and measuring 2-3 weeks bigger than he is supposed to be! I am 35 weeks and so glad he is healthy. Yes, my ribs are sore, my back is achey, it hurts to walk, and yes- I'm ready to be done. But I also try to remind myself often how precious this time is with him. Not only is he still developing, but I remember my freak out after miss Isabelle was born about 3 years ago. I came to the realization that once she was here, I couldn't protect her from everything like I could when I was carrying her inside me. So I am focusing on that these last few weeks when I feel like sitting down to cry because my body doesn't feel like mine anymore. And I am also enjoying the simplicity we still have for about a month more. I am nervous about the change in the structure of our little family. Of course, I have heard from everyone who has experienced their second child and the story really varies from person to person. Some say it was the easiest transition to make, especially compared to the first child. And some say it was shockingly difficult. I want to prepare myself to feel either way. I don't want to expect it to be bad, but if it is, I don't want to be completely surprised either. I am glad that soon after he is here, winter will be on its way out and we will be able to go on walks and get out to play, hopefully make some friends and enjoy the area more.

Off the topic of BABIES and PREGNANCY- what seems to consume my life these days, even gets annoying to me so I can imagine others would be tired of hearing about it :) I am in love with Pinterest and boy, does it make me feel motivated to get crafty and be a DIY Queen! I have a whole list of things I need to get started on. And I have a couple bags from Hobby Lobby with stuff in them that I intended to start on weeks ago. I will from time to time share some of my DIY endeavors on here! Good and bad, maybe? lol I haven't had any terrible fails yet, but I'm sure there will be some. I need to figure out how to put a link to Pinterest on my blog here... I swear sometimes, I feel like I can't fully take advantage of this blog because I am wandering around it in the dark trying to figure it out.

Lastly, for today- I am really getting impatient with how long it is taking my hair to grow out. I am hoping to get it down almost to my waist, and it is just taking ages! And no I do not think pregnancy speeds up my hair growth, which is pretty dissapointing, considering that is supposed to be a plus of having a bun in the oven. So, if anyone has any tips on making hair grow faster I would love to hear them. I will not be making the new mommy mistake I made when I had Izzy- I went and got the shoulder length I'm-a-mommy-so-I-need-something-quick-and-cute cut. It was cute but actually I felt like short hair was more work. Long hair here I come! :)

Well, Happy Monday :) I'm off to brave the wintery elements to get ingredients to satisfy my craving for cheesy hashbrown casserole!!!

It's been awhile....

It has been months since I had a blog entry here...actually 4 months shy of a whole year! The main reason I haven't been back is because I can never quite decide what I want the main focus of this blog to be. I guess I consider my day to day life a bit too mundane for blog entries? But lately certain events have really made me appreciate the small stuff a little more, and so, I return.


Lots has happened in the past few months that I guess might have made my blogging a bit more entertaining. We moved about an hour and a half from where we were living before, and now reside in my husband's hometown. May not sound like much to some, but for a girl who has basically lived in the same town since she was about 3, it was a bit of a transition. I am still adjusting and but it has been two months now. I reconnected with some old friends, made some new, and hope to meet more, which is not easy being a stay at home mom. The occasional trip to Wal-Mart or the grocery store has been about as social as I get lately, although we have been blessed with a very mild winter so far, enabling us to get out a lot more. Also- in about 9 weeks, we will be welcoming a new addition to our family- Little baby Jonah! I am so excited for his arrival, although nervous at the same time. It will be a new adventure. I am ready to have my body back though, that is no doubt! But God has been so merciful to me throughout this pregnancy just as He was when I was pregnant with Izzy. I have much to be thankful for!


Speaking of that little town I grew up in, it's been a difficult week for many there and that has been weighing heavy on my heart. Two girls that were just a few years older than me passed away within a few days of each other. Both were beautiful women, inside and out, and have left behind many grieving a loss that doesn't seem fair. The one that hit me closest to my heart was Christen. Christen was a stay at home mother and she left behind two precious children and a husband with faith that could move mountains. I had the privilege of reading her blog, mainly about her faith and her family. It made me realize a lot about God, my faith, about life in general. But mostly, that some days, being a stay at home mom can seem so small, uneventful, and even repetitive. I get bored, I get lonely, I get worn down, frustrated and unmotivated sometimes. But it's all in how you look at it. The things that seem small will be huge in Christen's children's memory of her. Every day I am forming my little girl's foundation for her entire life (and soon my little boy as well). I have no idea how many days I have left on this earth and right now I have every day, all day to teach her what she needs to know and to share my time with her. What an incredible, amazing privilege I have! I will try my best to remember that each morning I am able to wake up to my beautiful family is a blessing. I will take the tears, time-outs, messes, and frustrating days because I know some people would give anything to have that back. As I sit here and write this, I can't wait for my 3 year old to wake up from her nap. We have memories to make <3


R.I.P Christen and Courtney... you will be missed. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

Another year older :)

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I don't know about you, but I have definitely taken notice of how different it is to have a birthday being an adult as opposed to when I was young! I don't even mean it in a bad way...it's just, different. Birthdays when I was young meant looking forward to my family and friends coming to my house and being so excited to see what gifts I would get, or looking forward to being in the DOUBLE digits!!! I still look forward to my birthdays, and still look forward to having some cake (although I may have to make one myself, haha) and even get to have a party with friends this year, but birthdays for me are now a time of reflection as well. Remembering my most memorable birthday, thinking how years ago the age 24 sounded forever and ever away, looking back on all that has changed through the years! This year, the craziest thing to me thus far in my life is that I never dreamed I would be hearing "Happy Birthday Mommy" from my own little girl upon turning 24. I love the added joy she and my love bring to my birthday, I couldn't ask for anything better!

I really have nothing else to say today, except that my heart is brimming with happiness. This past year was one of the most tumultous of my life, with some of the worst times and some of the best. But I am happy to say my heart is at peace and so is my spirit.

Switching topics...I have been looking a lot at spring fashion...and I am LOOOVING what I am seeing to say the least!!! I am still on the prowl for a birthday dress, my taste just isn't conventional :) But a brand I love... Free People, posted a blog today about their New Romantics line they are launching and it is going to be suuuuuper!!! I will link the vid here, it is such a happy little video :) The description of that line and I quote- "New Romantics grew from the love of the ocean. The beach dream and the summer feeling. The muse is a romantic...drenched in the sea, salt, and sand. The collection is made up of dreamy fabrics- slubby textures, light crochet, and intricate wovens mixed in with uber sheerness- delicate and whimsical." I am in love already! I feel like I am coming alive with spring right around the corner :D



Other things I adore.....(not from the NR line, just in general)

Photos:Reproduction