Thursday, November 10, 2011

30 days: Day 2

Day 2:

I am thankful for my daughter, Gabriela. For the past 3 years being her mama has brought me more joy in my life than what I have ever known in the past 28 years. She is such an amazing little girl. At three years old she amazes me so much at the things she already knows. I am truly in awe of her each and everyday.

When I was younger I never knew if I wanted children. I thought the idea of it sounded good but I never knew if it would really ever happen to me. My faith in God reassured me that when it was his timing it would happen if it was meant to be. And what amazing perfect timing God ALWAYS has! After Johns long deployment was finally over and he was home again safe and sound we found out that we were expecting. It was truly one of the greatest days of my life. I couldn't believe that God would chose me to carry such an amazing blessing. It has been nothing short of spectacular being chosen for this exciting journey.

Of all the things I have been called in my life (and yes, I have been called A LOT of things) being called mama is the best.

There truly is no greater love than the love from a mother to her child.

And for God to chose me as Gabriela's mother... I will always be grateful.



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

30 days: Day 1

So along with this new commitment to blogging, I am going to try something. For the month of November I am going to pick 1 thing every day to be thankful for and blog about it. It may just be a sentence, perhaps just a picture. Maybe it is a whole post. But I want to do it every day this month.


Since its already the 10th of November, I have a little catching up to do already :) So here we go.

Day 1:

I am grateful for my husband, John. Not only is John my husband but he is truly my best friend. He has been there for me for so long and never turns his back on me. He loves the Lord, and seeks to find him everyday. He makes me a better Christian. He loves his family and adores his little girl. I couldn't ask for a better daddy for my children. He is honest and kind. He is gentle and patient (WHY can't I be like that?) When we are together I really feel like he makes me a better person.

In the past 9+ years that we have been together, we have been through so much. Just like any couple you have your ups and downs. We loved, we laughed, we cried, we screamed, we made up. But its where you are at this point in your life that makes all the difference. These past 5 years being married to John have been the best years of my life.

We have survived 2 long deployments, a new baby, several moves, and we made it. I know that NO MATTER WHAT happens John and I will always put God first and the rest will work itself out. We will get through anything that life has to throw us ... TOGETHER.



Life is so great with you by my side and I can't wait to grow old with you. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. <3









Saturday, September 17, 2011

Happy Birthday, Gabriela!!

Oh how three years have gone by too quickly. You aren't our little baby anymore but our little girl. You are such an amazing little girl, you are so funny, so smart, so beautiful. You are so curious about the world around you and love asking lots of questions, reading and finding out more things. You are such a loving, sweet, gentle little girl. I still catch myself sometimes just staring at you in awe. Awe that God would SO graciously allow me to be YOUR mama. The greatest blessing that I have ever been given. God truly blessed our entire family the day you were born sweet, Gabriela Eden. Thank you for being our greatest joy in our lives and Happy Happy Birthday angel ♥









Sunday, February 6, 2011

What an awesome read! So funny and true!

I found this as an article in the Charlotte Smarty Pants. It kept me reading and kept me laughing the entire read! If you are a parent then you can truly appreciate this! ENJOY!


11 step program to those thinking of having kids, by Amy Lawrence.

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their…
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel…
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive).

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out…
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this – all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, Barney, Disney, Dora, and Thomas. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or ‘Noggin/Nick Jr. for at least five years. (I know, you’re thinking What’s ‘Noggin’?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Picnic time?

Today is another beautiful weather day with a high of 65 and tomorrow is forecasting pretty gloomy and 46 (blahhhh)
.....

Oh well, I think an outing at the park and possible picnic sounds like a perfect afternoon with my little family today! Now lets see if I can get everyone else on the same page.. :)

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Love is in the air.... ♥

My sweet hubby just surprised me with flowers delivered! What an exciting surprise! :) Ah, I love him!! ♥ Thanks baby for keeping me smiling! You are such an amazing man and I feel so blessed to be your wife!



Thursday, January 20, 2011

Missing you.

Its been 12 years today that my my life was changed forever but it seems like just yesterday. So much has changed since then but its amazing how sadness can linger in your heart through the years no matter how much time has passed. Its definitely not like the enormous amount of pain that was there then but the pain that has hung on to me, I really think that unfortunately will last a lifetime.



On January 20. 1999 one of my dearest friends Michelle passed away. It wasn't my first time experiencing a close person pass away but this one was very different. Michelle was so amazing in so many ways. She was only on this earth for 16 years yet everyone who she came in contact with was a better person because of it. She was SO friendly, SO cheerful, SO full of energy and life. She was always there for anyone that knew her and was such a breathe of fresh air. She, like all of us at that age were going through personal demons that I think all teenagers go through at one point or another. We all are going through a trying time during those years, and I know even for myself that was an awkward stage for many of me and my friends. Trying to find out who we were, what we were here to do, and would we EVER finish high school and MOVE OUT of our "dreaded" parents houses.



Unfortunately, that time never came for her. When she passed away she left so many questions (that still have yet to be answered), so much hurt, so much pain and so much sadness. I still feel this way even though many years have past since I've seen her smiling face. The tears still come down knowing that I will NEVER be able to share certain things with her ever again. WHY? WHY? WHY? Why did this have to have happen? Could we have done something different? I know that is just the hurt in me asking WHY because I know there is nothing we could of done and the outcome would of been the same because God really makes it so EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.And its okay that we don't know the answers to it because obviously, everything in life isn't so that we understand it.



I think losing Michelle so young has made me a better friend, a MUCH stronger person, a better listener, and has made me treasure my time with my loved ones EVEN MORE because you NEVER know when the last time you are going to see them again.



Time waits for no one.


But until then, Rest in Peace Michelle Dawn Godfrey! I miss you beyond words can describe, I love you so much and I will NEVER EVER forget you! ♥


They say time heals everything..... but I'm still waiting..