I haven't been blogging for a number of insane reasons...
My parents are divorcing...Need I say more? As an adult or a child, I don't think this process will ever be easy.
A head - on collision with a drunk driver. I'm alive, whole, healthy and the only major scars I have are in my head from the memories, but it surely has been a difficult process.
A brand new baby - He's the joy of my soul...along with the other two. Masen takes up so much of my time I haven't had a lot to spare.
I'm lazy...I've been busy. Really. And I've been too lazy to write.

So it's Valentine's Day. I'll post our home-made valentines to show. Pinterest gave me the ideas, but I came up with the printables on my own! Super proud of myself here.

I'm making Ina Garten's Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, heart shaped bacon, heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes, and fruit dipped in chocolate for dinner.

My Valentines for the kids haven't arrived thanks to the not so on her game school teacher...So I feel bad not having their books at the table as a Valentine Treat. Maybe her teacher will get her stuff in order and they'll be here in time for Easter? Ugh...Book orders that were due in January that still haven't arrived are on my annoying list today!

Until Next Time America...

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

I'm currently 5 weeks away from my "due date" and hoping today doesn't turn into a real "Labor Day." We'll be spending the morning cleaning, chopping corn, then off to a picnic, and then home to get ready...You see tomorrow will start the overflow of tears. My son starts preschool and my daughter starts 1st grade. Where does the time go? As for now we're going to enjoy the official last day of summer eating picnic food and laughing with family!

Hope you have a blessed day!

 

Lord, Please Don't Let Me Be A Hoarder

I am a pack rat by and large. I save everything until that fateful day that I can no longer take the stacks and piles and start pitching. It's in my genes. Sort of like being a procrastinator. It's something that I inherited. My Grandma Jane was a pack rat, but a neat one. I remember her neatly cutting open her mail, just to save the envelopes. She'd put papers, soup labels, whatever in those envelopes and they became useful again. I'm not that kind of a pack rat. I just save things, because I cannot bear to throw things away...

Insert Grandma W. She's a blessing by and large to our family. She spoils my kids, loves on them, and is the epitomy of a Grandma. She's wonderful to have around. Lately, in the past few years, her mind is going...slowly deteriorating. She's forgetful and she hoards. I'm talking we're getting to the point of having TLC drop by to film it's getting that bad. But she's a stubborn woman. Stubborn to the core. It's a gene my husband and FIL inherited from her. So when you're shopping with her, and she thinks she needs to buy more, it's really hard to argue with her. She just gets upset. And who fights with an almost 80 year old? Yeah. Not me.

So my SIL and I have been planning a sort of attack on her house the past few weeks. It was decided by and large, because I'm pregnant, and my kids are having birthdays, I would take her shopping for the kids birthdays. A sort of tradition she had started a long time ago, but I decided this year that I wanted to go. While we were gone my SIL would clean her house. The plans were set and we were ready. So, after a long day of errand running yesterday, as I'm making dinner, my SIL calls. "Want to help me start cleaning tonight?" Um, Nope. No, I don't. I really really don't. I'm scared. I went anyway. We left the supper dishes and drove down to Grandmas. When I got there I was amazed. Just floored at what we ended up doing. Out of respect for her I didn't take pictures. But picture counters piled high with boxes of food. Food on the floor in boxes, bags, and cans. There was stuff EVERYWHERE.

We threw away almost 14 bags of rotten outdated - like from 2010 outdated - food. We made a donate pile for a soup kitchen. We took stuff for ourselves. I still feel like we robbed her house. I couldn't sleep last night, because I felt like we just caused some unruly damage to her. She's no longer allowed to cook. People make her dinner. She has frozen meals. But for the most part she eats junk and just keeps buying more. Grandma used to cater. She was an amazing cook. Having that taken away from her due to her mind has been tough on her. So she buys food anyway, hoping she can cook it. Only, she never does. So by me and my SIL taking stuff out of her cupboards that she can't used helped. We cleaned counters, swept floors, and by the time we were done it looked like a new place. But there is still more to do. I have to call her soon to make plans for today. I'm scared. Dreading and praying about this phone call. I don't want her to think we robbed her. We were just trying to help. And in the end, I know she won't miss most of what we threw away. But I still feel awful.

Lord, please don't let me be a hoarder. Ever.

Turning 26!

I turn 26 today! WOO HOO!

When I look back at my life over the past six years, and think about all that God has done in my life I'm astonished. Literally. The list overwhelmes me! I generally think that MY birthday should be the most important day of the year. It should be spent relaxing, doing the things that I love with the ones that I love, and presents, lots and lots of presents. God has really humbled me this year, as I realize gifts aren't important and that at the end of the day, I'll really be happy if my kids were smiling and we had fun doing whatever we did. Tonight we're going to a local Minor League baseball game. We've been trying to get to a game since summer started, but haven't been able to due to the business of life. I'm looking forward to it, even if the weather isn't supposed to be that wonderful.

But for now, I'm going to make part of my list of life accomplishments in the past six years. The things overwhelm me, and these are just the BIG things. Not the oh so significant little things that we do on a daily basis. So I leave you with my list. Yours might be better, or bigger, but I learned this morning that God gives us gifts and talents that are individual to each of us. We shouldn't be jealous of other's accomplishments, but be proud of our own. And I am proud!

In NO particular order...

1. Had daughter #1. My first born. My sweet girl. The one who has given me multiple gray hairs, and lots of love.
2. Went back to nursing school and graduated. If you've ever attempted to go to college while working, having children, and a husband - it's not easy!
3. Started my first real grown up job. Benefits, long hours, the accomplishment of knowing I'm using my degree to take care of people everyday. Kind of exciting!
4. Had child #2. My precious moments baby. Who recently showed me just how much he is growing up by getting his baby hair cut off, peeing in the potty, and sleeping in his big boy bed. And now he's giving me multiple gray hairs too.
5. Bought my first "home." Our home is a "mobile home." I've spent years fixing it up, decorating it, and making it our own. I used to hate it, but find comfort walking in the back door at night knowing that this is where God wants us to be right now. And for now, I'm going to make the best of it.
6. Bought my first BRAND NEW car. Its a mess now. And as I've grown up, I've learned to appreciate things more. I should have never gotten this car at such a young age, because I'd never appreciate it, but I'm thankful it runs. She's gotten me through a lot of snow storms.
7. GOT HITCHED! Woot woot. When I married my husband four years ago, I didn't realize how much we'd grow together. Or how much I appreciate him. Or how much he really does for me. I'm so thankful he's mine. We joke that we both had to go across the state line to find someone (our home towns were across the state line, but only 15 minutes away). I'm so thankful for him.
8. Changed jobs. I left my first grown up job, for grown up job #2. I prayed over this for 2 years. I am so thankful God's timing is best. I couldn't be more thankful to be working 15 minutes from home. We're about to move to a BRAND SPANKIN NEW hospital too! How fun?!
9. Having baby #3! I haven't had him yet, I'm due in October. But carrying him for 7 months is an accomplishment if I do say so myself. And in a few short months he'll be gracing us with his presence. I'm excited.
10. I'm leaving #10 open. There isn't a huge accomplishment left that I can think of, but there are many small things that God has opened doors to, suprised me, and made my life complete. For those, they will all get lumped in this number.

I think I've done quite a bit in 6 years. So thankful for my life! Off to eat some cake!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Life has handed me some lemons lately. I'd like to take those lemons and start throwing them at people rather than "make lemondade." Literally. When you're on the verge of losing it, when you have more than enough piled high up on you and people continually keep adding to the pile until you're so loaded down that it'll take a year to clean the mess up...What do you do? I haven't figured out a solution to the problem yet, but today, I'm in a mood. A mad, sad, hurt mood. I think I'll go get my lemons, and get busy throwing them at the people that are adding fuel to the fire. Maybe then I'll feel better? Doubt it.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Lord, I need some strength today!

TEAM PARK

*Note: These pictures are from last year. My man is much cuter, and my kids are a little bigger.


My husband is a devoted baseball fan. It's in his blood. He can't shake it and never will. He played all through school and every summer through fall we spend our evenings watching his favorite team whenever they're on TV.

And now I will tell you a sweet little story about how God works in crazy ways.

A few years back my brother-in-law was playing church league softball for his church. He asked my husband if he wanted to play on the team. Keep in mind - Bro in-law's church is massive. Huge. So big that when church league softball time comes around, they have to have 2 teams. So, Travis started on the team late, and didn't get much playing time. A farmers work is never done, so he'd still have to do chores some nights instead of playing, because there was no one to work for him. He missed quite a few games. The very last game of the season he was catching and got a little bit of playing time. The Ump that night happened to be a guy from Travis' hometown. And because Travis can strike up a conversation with a mule, the two got to talking. The game ended, we went our seperate ways, and thought the summer was done.

Flash forward to winter. A family friend had passed away, so my in-laws (T's parents) were at the funeral home. Who do they run into? Bart - the ump from the last game and his wife Anne, who coincidently no longer lives in our town, but were here for the funeral. Bart got to talking to a father in-law, who can also strike up a conversation with a mule. They started talking about Travis and baseball that summer. Long story short, Bart got Travis' number, so he could call him in the spring to play on his team.

Flash forward three years - Travis has been playing on Park United Methodist Church's team and is loving every single minute of it. The first few years, I'd miss a lot of games. It's so hard to drag kids to these things, because they don't sit still and all I want to do is watch the game. Sorry - bad mom moment. This year I'm making more of an effort. As in every night that I don't work, we go. But last night they had a game and I worked until six. I asked Travis if his parents would keep the kids a little longer so that I could go - ALONE. They agreed and I sat and enjoyed the game, chatting with the other spectators and laughing, clapping, and cheering. I just love these games.

The game is close. Neck and neck and tied up. Poor Bart. I don't think he could stand the suspense, so he walked back toward where I was sitting and had his back to the game for a minute. He said to me, "I don't think that I could do farm work all day, and then come here to play in this heat." It was 98 degrees last night. Hot. Like the band. I replied, "It's his passion. He loves them both and when you love something, you just don't mind doing it."
"That's why we love having him on our team. He's just happy to be here, and makes things fun."

 
- Tear. Literally almost cried. I was so proud in that moment of my man. He gives something his all (as long as he wants to) and people see it and love him for it. I'm so proud of him and who he is becoming. I'm glad to call him mine. And - seeing him in his baseball pants every week isn't a bad bonus as I'm a sucker for a man in uniform! Go Team Park!

Freaking Out Just A Little

I tend to freak out A LOT. Like, scream, cry, don't get my way freak out. Or I just keep it to myself, casually mention it to my husband, and fret for hours, days, and weeks over something. This is currently what I'm doing. So - here is my freak-out story:

We're having a BABY! Woot Woot! I'm so excited about this. But in all honesty, the reality that we're actually having a baby in October has not set in. I'm dead serious. I did this with the last baby - My Max. I just went about my business, buying maternity clothes, some diapers and wipes here and there, maybe a few blankets, and didn't really PLAN on having this baby. So by my due date, I hadn't really given a ton of thought to freezing meals, saving money, stockpiling things if you will. I had my daughter when I still lived at home, so this being on my own with a baby thing was new. WHEW. What an eye opener.

So my freak out - yeah. Here goes. I'm scared in my boots about the fact that I will be off of work for 6 weeks with no paycheck to look forward to. Yep, because I left my stable, always had hours to work, 2 weeks vacation, 90 + hours of sick time, and short term disability where they pay 80% to come to this job that provides none of that security - I'm sort of freaking out. Had I known what was going to happen I probably wouldn't have ever left. I would have sucked it up, kept plugging along, and just dealt with the drama.

This is where I'm trusting God. I have to. That/HE is my only option. I have no others. I know that he put me in this place/position for a very important reason. I may not have a paycheck for six weeks, but he IS faithful and will provide.

Isn't this the way we do things...have a back up plan. I kind of do have one. It's not really a backup plan. I think it's actually strategy. Smart thinking if you will. I'm stockpiling. Hoarding. Whatever you want to call it. Couponing and buying extra every week, so that we don't run out of toilet paper, paper towels, and shampoo while I am off. The necessities are UBER expensive. I figure if I can atleast do that, then maybe it'll help a little. I compiled a list and will feel better when the whole thing is crossed off and stored in some random place in my trailer!

But in the mean time, I'm praying and trusting. My God shall provide all of my needs. Every.single.one will be met I just know it. He's got a plan and a purpose for all of this. I'm anxious to see in December how things work out, but for now, I'm going to trust...and TRY not to freak out.