September is proving to be quite a challenging month.



We're in the groove of back to school and all the activities have started back up. Thankfully, we don't have a whole lot going on. It's just enough to wear us out, though, for sure.

As a mom to 3 kiddos, you may imagine it's pretty easy to feel like you're getting pulled all over the place with their lists of activities they would like to do. My hubster and I choose to not get yanked around. We allow the kiddos to pick one activity...and for now they're all taking swim classes. As soon as they can swim independently they don't have to take any further classes. (unless, of course, they would like to continue.)

My 6 year old daughter would like to be an olympic swimmer.
We'll see how level 2 goes. ;)


Earlier in the moth, we were camping in Mackinaw City, MI. I need to write a completely separate post on how we enjoyed our trip in Northern Michigan. It was gorgeous. A few highlights from our time up there was the morning I got to go running with the hubster from our campground, through town, to the Mackinac Bridge, and back. It was challenging since I'm not the one used to running between the 2 of us, but it was nice to have that time with him. One other highlight was walking over the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day. There were SO many people but the only ones who mattered to me were with me. My 3 kiddos, my hubster, and my father-in-law walked across the 5 mile bridge together. If you ever get the chance to get to Mackinaw City for Labor Day, you must walk the bridge. It's a memory worth making.

On a more personal front, this month has been tough.




Following my announcing our desire to adopt from foster care and the beginning of our licensing process, we have been hit hard in other areas of our life. It all seemed like it came out of nowhere. I don't really want to get into the details of all that went/is going on, but I can say it's painful and stressful to live through. I've had stomach aches from stress and a few restless nights. I've had a few times when I had to just let myself cry and release some of what I was feeling.






But listen.

No matter what I feel, no matter what is going on around me, I'm careful to keep myself from staying stuck in the stress. I keep my mind set in positive places as much as possible. I enjoy time with my kiddos, I rearrange furniture and decorate my home, I stay on my workout plan, I fill my home with worship music, and spend time literally counting my blessings.

This is the only life I get to live and the truth is, life itself is a gift. I get to choose how I approach each day. I get to determine my attitude. I don't want to waste this one life being bogged down by things other people are doing or things that are out of my control.

And believe me. It's easier to type this out than to live it. But I choose to let it go. (Somedays I have to let it go over and over again). I choose to believe that I'm strong enough to continue forward. And I also choose to take care of myself by allowing the tears to fall and saying the words "Things aren't OK right now" when I'm speaking to someone I can trust. Being honest with myself and those who can support me is really important.

One day at a time, things will begin to look up. I believe it with all my heart.

Life Lately & How I'm Keeping My Chin Up

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Moving into a bigger home is great to say the very least. Having more space to run around, rooms to be alone in, and easier ways to find a place for everything certainly has it's perks. In fact, I quickly found that I didn't miss that old 900 sq. foot condo at all once we moved out.

That is, I didn't miss our small condo until around dinner time each and every day.


Our new home is wonderful. We have a room designated for toys, the hubster and I each have our own "office", we have a living room, a kitchen, and a nice big dining room. In our condo, the dining room was more like what I would call a "breakfast nook". It's a space at the end of the tiny kitchen where you could just fit a small table and chairs.

It's not that tiny space that I miss. I just miss the closeness. You see, in our new dining room, we have room for a large table and many chairs as well as a buffet, china cabinet, an old radio, and room to walk around. It's beautiful but when I sat down every night to eat with my family, I could barely reach the hands of my little ones when we would say grace.

What a tough adjustment it is to have such a bigger home than we knew as a growing family.

One night, I just couldn't take it. I told the hubster, "I don't like this. I'm stretching to reach the kiddos when we pray. I miss...I miss the huddle."


Following that meal, the hubster went away on business for the better part of the week and I wanted my little ones by me. I took the leaf out of the table and made it a small pedastal table again. That night, I ate with my kiddos and loved how close we were together. It was wonderful to be within reach of them as we ate and talked about our day.

I'm learning to not take this space for granted and my prayer is that anyone who enters my home will feel a part of the huddle.

I Missed The Huddle

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As a stay at home mom to {now} three little ones {ages 4.5, 2, and newborn}, I have to admit how easy it is to allow my TV to come to my rescue from time to time. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. On those days when I'm not feeling well or one of my kiddos aren't feeling well, it's almost a "no brainer" to allow things like Comcast and Netflix swoop in to save the day and pacify the situation. My husband and I aren't always weak to this temptation, though.

After reading research articles and speaking with the pediatrician, we came to agree how important it is to actually put a cap on how much exposure our little ones get to things like TV or even electronics/video games. We now know that 2 hours a day should really be the most "TV time" our kids have. This will help them to build important skills they need for school and everyday life. We've decided, in our home, to abide by this 2 hour maximum and have found a technique to make it easy for our little ones to keep track of their own screen time.

{I'd like to add that screen time for us is not just TV. We also consider items like the LeapPad, V.Reader, and other video games to count toward screen time.}

Upon recommendation from a fellow co-worker of my husband, we've implemented the "5 Penny Rule". It's been very simple to use and we've had no issues with transition to this. Basically, the rule is that each child is given 5 pennies a day. Each penny counts as 20 minutes of screen time that can be used toward watching a show or part of a movie {if the child chooses to not use multiple pennies to watch the whole movie}, playing on the LeapPad or V.Reader, or playing a video game {we have a V.Motion system for the little ones}. If, for example, my son wants to watch a show on Netflix, he gets a penny from his dish and politely asks if he can watch one. I take the penny and put it aside and set the timer while he settles in for his show. As soon as the timer goes off, the show goes off. It's as easy as that. And if he uses up all of his pennies in the morning, he doesn't get any more.

Also, in the Five Penny Rule, there are NO ROLL-OVER minutes. This means that he can't use today's minutes tomorrow should he have a penny left over. We don't want him to go over the time we've allotted for him. I've learned to beware of the temptation to give in also. If I stick to the boundary, my kiddos will learn to respect it and me.

I'm a HUGE fan of this rule and am so happy we've started using it. I'm not the bad guy anymore. If the pennies aren't there, they aren't there. It's no longer seen as my saying "No" because I'm in a bad mood or I don't like my children...my son used to suspect that I didn't like him if I told him "No". This has eliminated battles in my home and made room for more constructive play and together time.

I can't forget to add that we DO enjoy special nights like "Movie Nights" in our home. These nights are always parent initiated and don't cost any pennies. We pick up the tab on that. ;)

How about you? How do you handle things like Screen Time in your home? Are there any other battles you face that you've developed strategies for? {I love trading tips with other moms so don't be shy.}

**I received no compensation for this post. Also, this is not a review for any of the mentioned children's electronics. This is strictly based on my opinion and my experience in parenting my children. Others may not agree.**

The Five Penny Rule: Managing Our Young Ones' Screen Time

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I'm SO excited for this year's Holiday Gift Guide! I've been able to team up with some great brands to offer a little bit of something for everyone.  Also, since I'm expecting my third child at the beginning of January, I've decided to piggy back the baby reviews with the gift guide making it even bigger and better!

Please flip through my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide to see the products being featured and keep checking back for the product reviews {and yes, even some giveaways}.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide & Baby New Year Celebration!

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I spent from Thursday afternoon until Tuesday morning in Mackinaw City, MI camping with my family. We had a lot of fun while we were there. Here are some things I learned or observed while we were camping.

• Camping while pregnant with two kids is A LOT harder than just staying home.
• I'll never get over how beautiful Northern Michigan is.
• Doing a self-initiated fudge tour and taste comparison on Mackinac Island was SO worth it. My favorite fudge on the island was May's Fudge {and I brought some home}.
• Riding on the top level of the ferry is way more fun then the covered area below. Especially if you get drenched from the water spraying up from the lake. {Let loose and laugh a little.}
• Even if there may be scary moose and bears in the woods, it's worth braving the hike to see Tahquamenon Falls.{And totally harmless, might I add.}
• People with straight hair will never fully appreciate or understand the process of getting curly hair ready for the day. {I got a lot of strange looks from using my blow dryer with a crazy, huge diffuser on it.}
• I may be too girly for "roughing it". My chipped and rough nails were making me crazy all weekend.
• I don't like it when people step on my "Mommy toes" with their opinions. I don't like it one bit.
• When it rains while camping, there's no such thing as a camper/trailer big enough to keep kids busy without getting hurt.
• If you have T-Mobile, they're service is worthless in Northern Michigan. I had an entire weekend of no reception and roaming on AT&T's towers.
• There's nothing like a shovel, a bucket, and a pile of dirt to keep little ones entertained for hours.
• I wish people locked doors on single use bathrooms. {The last thing I want to see is a woman I don't know sitting on a toilet, thank you.}
• Souvenir shops in tourist towns stink.
• Most campers on the campground are the kindest people I've ever met.
• I love fall weather but the breeze from the lake made fall feel like winter.
• Camping equals family and family equals joy...exhausted or not.

Things I learned While Camping

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I've talked in the past about having BIG ideas and having my heart broken into pieces for the children in Thailand.

I know that I know that my "call" in life is to work with orphans and foster children. I've simply never had anything else weigh so heavy on my heart. I've never felt as though anything else could be the one thing I'm supposed to do with my life. Aside from career aspirations. Aside from hobbies. This one topic is at the very core of what makes my heart beat.


After much thought and prayer, I've decided to not go on the trip to Thailand this October. Yes, I feel strongly about that area of the globe and what goes on there. Yes, I want to go. The good news is, this is something that I will have many opportunities to do while at my church as they work closely with the orphanage there. For right now, I just don't feel like this is the trip I'm supposed to go on. So, I'll keep my ears and eyes open for other opportunities to serve there and I will wait for the right time.

The better news is, the hubster and I may be closer to bringing things into focus for our home and family. By that I mean our conversations seem to be pointing toward something specific and we'll be seeking out information soon. Once we have that information, should we decide to move forward, I'll be happy to share about that here.

As for our home renovation. Well, (lol) things have been moving. They're moving slowly (which is not at all the way I like to see things done ) but they're moving. We bought some great pieces from IKEA to help keep things organized and create a "home" for things like diaper bags, shoes, toys, etc. Then, we came to the issue of flooring/kitchen/bathrooms. What we've decided is that we want to pay cash for whatever we do and we want to do it right. With that in mind, as well as a family vacation to Florida, we've set our eyes on redoing the kitchen next April and who knows when on everything else. For me, the kitchen is the most important area to renovate so the other areas can wait. I've virtually designed the kitchen so we know what we're looking at as far as cost is concerned. Now, we just save money and wait. (P.S. Gift cards to IKEA would be great anniversary and Christmas gift ideas!! wink, wink)

Beyond all of that, we're busy here with 2 wonderful, growing children who are a constant blessing to me everyday. Eliana's been on the move for about a month now which means we're even busier. LOL She says "Mama" all the time and is trying her hardest to learn sign language. Alex is getting ready for Pre-school and he's very excited to get started. I suppose I should bottle up this excitement so I can remind him of how excited he was to go to school when he gets older. ;)

I think that sums things up nicely for now.

Any questions?

So, Mrs. What's The Scoop?

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I'm not trying to bombard you with foster care information today. I just saw a video that I have to share with you. At the end of it, when I saw the little boy playing at the park with his foster parents, I lost it.

I don't know when or how but someday...someday, we will have our own story of bringing in a foster child. Someday. 

 

While We're On The Subject...

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The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus are coming to Auburn Hills, MI and I have a discount for you and your family!

**click the image to open it in a new window and enlarge**

Here are some details that you need to know:

The coupon code is MOM to get  four tickets for $44 for ALL performances!

The tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in the “MC promotion” box when purchasing tickets.

Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.

Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity, Front Row, or VIP seating.

Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.

This show never disappoints! There is always something amazing going on to hold your attention, entertain, and amaze you. I hope you get a chance to take your family!

**This post is based strictly on my experience with the mentioned event and my opinion of that experience. I was not compensated for my review beyond receiving tickets to see the show. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of my blog page.**

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Present “Over the Top”

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5 years ago this month, my husband started treatments to help battle the cancer that was spreading in his body.

It all started in the Spring of 2004 when a cancerous tumor was found that needed to be removed immediately. He went into surgery to have that taken out. The doctors kept a close eye on his blood tests and scans only to find that the cancer had spread to his lungs months later.

*How could this be happening? He had just turned 21 years old. It didn’t seem right at all.*

I should mention that the first tumor was found right after the hubster and I had moved in together. I thought God was punishing us but I know better than that now. In any case, this was something that would either bring us together or tear us apart.

When we learned that the cancer had spread, we went from doctor to doctor to get opinions on how to treat it. Luckily, we found a great cancer center at the University of Michigan Hospital and it was decided that he would face chemo and radiation.

The day that decision was made was the worst and best day of my life. I was working when he called to tell me what he had decided and when his treatments would start. I cried all day at work and went home to hug him after the work day was through.

Right when I got home, the hubster asked me to marry him and told me that he didn’t want to go through treatments if he couldn’t spend the rest of his life with me when it was over. ( I said “Yes”, of course.)

So, he went through his treatments. I watched him get very, very sick and cared for him the best I could. I watched his hair fall out and saw him get more thin than I had ever thought possible. Through it all, though, I saw him keep his chin up and stay positive. This inspired me to no end. How can you be so weak and sick and still care more about the people around you than you do about yourself?

His positive attitude got him through his treatments and the treatments worked their magic. Now, he gets to celebrate being 5 years away from when he started his treatments.

This experience not only brought the two of us together, but it taught us about God’s grace and how even the darkest of situations can be used to help us grow in character and faith.

You see, the great miracle here comes after the surgery and the treatments. The doctors told us that children may be impossible as he could very well be sterile from the treatments. They also warned that if we did conceive a child, he/she could have some sort of deformity due to the chemicals that may still be in his bloodstream from treatments. On my side of the world, I had my doctor telling me that children may be impossible due to the ovarian cysts I was continuously getting and the endometriosis I had.  It didn’t look like we should even attempt to have a family of our own.

Still, the hubster and I believed that there was a child that God had for us. After we were married not even a full year, we decided to try and conceive a child. I found out I was already pregnant with Alex the very month we were going to begin tracking my ovulation. God had a plan for us and look at us now. We’re the parents of 2 children (one who will make her appearance very soon) and we know that they are both blessings and both miracles. There is not a day that we don’t thank God for choosing us to be parents.

**Here’s to 5 years of being cancer free, love! I look forward to the many, many years we have left together and watching our family grow. You inspire me and have taught me so much about being a stronger person and how to lean on God when I can’t be strong any longer. I love you!*

Here’s To 5 Years!

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Aloha! Aloha! Aloooooooooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Happy Friday to one and all!

It’s time for a simple question/answer post to go along with Kailani’s Aloha Friday post on her blog. If you’d like to play along, visit her blog for more details.

OK. Here’s my question:

If you were to be packing for a camping trip for my little family, what would you make sure we had before we left? 

I’ll be working on this all week next week so every suggestion would be very helpful!

Thanks! Now it’s time to Hula!

Aloha Friday ~ July 17th

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Today, my little family met up with good friends to see Disney On Ice. We had an amazing time and I will share more about it soon. (I'm still getting my pictures together).

We were so blessed to be able to share this day together. :)

Such A Blessing

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