Parenting Tip 101:

By all means I am No parenting expert and I rarely if ever give advice because I have no clue what I am doing 99% of the time. I pray, move forward and then pray some more. ha! Have you heard the old saying,"You are the best kind of parent before you have kids." It's true right? I mean here is just a few of my BK (before kids) thoughts;

1. My kids will NEVER eat at fast food.

2. My kids will NEVER sleep in bed with us.

3. My kids will NEVER be home schooled. 

4. My kids will NEVER sit in front of the T.V. for hours on end.

5. My kids will NEVER roll their eyes, talk back or act like that in a store.

6. My kids will NEVER have more than one earing hole, dye their hair or wear make up before (insert some random age).

Fast forward 14 years and I've learned a few things. #1 My kids will do all of the above and more. #2 They are kids. #3 I care more about their hearts than how many times they want to pierce their ears. #4 You learn life and obedience to the Lord by doing life, and that includes making mistakes.

So when our rather (how should I put this super mildly?) independent, daring, free spirit of  a 10 year old asked to dye her hair I thought,"Heck, why not?"

I know with Ryanne I have to pick my battles and it's just hair.

I'm thinking we should have done blue which is calming an maybe not so much the fiery red. Ha! So anyways that's my parent story the week. Some days I'm barely surviving and wondering if my brain/heart can take any more battles, dirty laundry, late nights with sick kids, bad attitudes etc. Then God gently reminds me that we are all fallen sinful kids of his and our kids are not any different. So I put my eyes that see my kids like Jesus sees them and it all makes sense.
I would like to say for the record because I know my mom reads my blog and doesn't know how to comment; not in a MILLION years would my mom let me EVER do this to my hair when I was a kid. In fact I just last month went and got a second hole in my ear because my mom wouldn't let me ha! See, still rebelling! Well except she took me and paid for my ear piercing this time!! :)

The Image...

Do you ever look around and think,"Man that Christian has it all together. They know the right answer with the right scripture at the right time. They always have a story about an amazing adventure they took with God. They are always in the right place at the right time." I'm not saying that it's good to compare yourself to others but we have all been there right? Like maybe we are missing the mark or we aren't enough. I spent a good part of the beginning of my marriage looking at other husbands and thinking,"huh, I wish my husband did this or that. I wish my husband was more sensitive and home more." I have done the same things with other moms, thinking how patient another mom is when I'm yelling at my kids.  But you know what God has impressed upon my heart the last few years that has given me this deep unmovable joy? That this life, my marriage, my kids, my friendships are not about me. When I get caught up in focusing on myself, my needs and wants then I quickly lose sight of what God really has me here for. I manage to feel sorry for myself about the most ridiculous things and spin my wheels over things that have no value as apposed to asking God,"What can I do for you today?" I know that no one person has it all together or always has the right answer, but the difference between a Christian who is just sitting on the side lines and a Christian who seems to always have a new adventure to tell you about that God took them on, is that they go when God calls. They obey. They react. They realize that being Christ like is actually a verb. It requires action. It requires that we look at our husbands and see them as Christ sees them, love them as Christ loves them. That we see our kids as Christ sees them and love them as Christ does. Yes even when we don't feel like it. Why? Because Jesus did it first. He loved us first. I want to love my Lord, my husband and my kids like Christ. I want them to be following Jesus when they follow me....to see Christ at the head of our motives and our hearts desires. I want to have daily adventures with Jesus that move me out of my comfort zone and make me take risks for His purpose. Even if sometimes I end up taking the long route like Jonah; I am certain that if I step out and say Yes!! God will grow me and use me and make me more into His image. Be brave today! Love someone up! Serve your husband and kids because you "get" to! Stop worrying about things that have no eternal value! Talk to a stranger and love them! Do something out of your comfort zone for the Lord! Go on an adventure with Christ at the lead and see where it takes you! Be blessed!

Sneaking Away....

I love Groupon! I also love grabbing my husband and kids and getting out of town for a quick trip. So when you find an AMAZING deal on a room right on the water in San Diego you sneak away. I've discovered that sneaking away even for just a day is good medicine. Everything else will still be here when you get back...you only get to do this life with these relationships one time.

Why is it that I C-A-N-N-O-T get a "normal" picture of anyone in my house?

I told her that her face was going to freeze like that...ya' it didn't work on me as a kid either...

We were so fortunate to be able to spend all Sunday down by the water riding our bikes, trying a new restaurant, swimming in the pool and just being together... 

We found this really fun dessert and coffee place that was open until 11pm and packed full of people, coffee, tea, chocolate, gluten free and vegan desserts and more and more chocolate!!

If you are ever in San Diego look it up, you will not be disappointed. Be patient because I'm guessing this is a very popular place.

We walked around Little Italy which has AMAZING places to eat and so many cute shops etc.

View from atop a hill in Point Loma...

We stayed at Humphry's on Fiesta Island....great place!

I am crazy in love with the sea...

We are refreshed and back to the books and enjoying the beautiful Spring weather! Be blessed!

March Madness....

Hello. Happy March! For us it came roaring in with lots of rain, wind and hail. But now it's all clearing up and we are left with beautiful green hills and white mountain tops.

So clear and amazing!

This is our youngest daughters side kick Milo. He follows her everywhere and in the mornings when I peek in on her, Milo is asleep on top of her. I guess here he has decided to help with her laundry.

So raising Ryanne is going to be the title of the first book I write. Here is what is sure to make the cut as one of my entries:

Ryanne: "Oh mom I finally got that boys number from church."
Me: "Umm... what boy and no you aren't allowed to call boys and sit on the phone talking to them."
Ryanne; "Seriously mom he is not even my type. He's all computer and game geek. I want a man who can pump his pecks."
Me: (Choking on my own saliva) "Excuse me? A man that can do what with his what?"
(My husband feels the need to jump in at this point)
Dan: "You do realize she gets this from you?"
Me: "Oh really? Since when can you pump your pecks?"

My cats sit outside of the shower and watch me shower every. single.morning. Ya I know creepy. Anyways, they wait and they wait and they wait for me to be done and then they sit and watch. Yup' that's it they sit and watch the last drops of water drip.drip.drip.drip.drip.drip.drip. Every.single.morning. I'm not sure why it's so fascinating but this is how they roll.

I saw this in a store and had to take a picture of it because really, some days I just want to say,"Forget it all!" And then shove an x-large pizza down my throat. Don't worry I won't. I'm getting therapy for these outbursts.

I'm loving so many things about being a mom right now. But before you log off because you think I am going to brag about how great and perfect my girls are; be comforted in the fact that THIS is NOT that post. I just want to say that life/parenting is funny. It's like the most humbling job you could ever have. The minute you think you might actually have a handle on one area of it, the rug is ripped out along with the mother of the year award you could almost see sitting on your mantel. Sigh....I'm in this weird transition place of counting down the days until my kids can move out because I'm certain they are sucking my last living brain cell and then feeling badly because well, I really do love them and think they are awesome people. But let's be real, I home school. I am with them ALL OF THE TIME. So when our youngest asked if she could go to winter camp with the youth group I obediently(cause that's how I roll..wink-wink!) answered,"I think that is probably okay but you need to call daddy and see if it's okay." All the while writing the check as fast as my little hand could go and mailing the permission slip before she even dialed my husband at work. Whaaattt? Then our oldest asked to go out of town with her friend and her parents for the weekend and again obedience first ladies :) I told her to call my husband at work but was offering to buy her a new bathing suite for the trip I was shoving her out the door for ha! I love them. I love them so much. I just am also loving that they are spreading their wings. They are trying new things and wanting to go out and succeed and fail on their own. I also love that God has given me a peace about it. A peace about my oldest asking to get her work permit and working for someone that has nothing to do with me. It's good. It's the order of things. I'm excited to see what God has for them. I'm excited to grow old with my husband and have that time but this, this crazy season is good. The letting go a little more and a little at a time and watching them seek God in even the little things is good. It's a sweet time. Mostly I sit holding my husbands hand convincing them it's all going to be okay and they are always going to be his little babies ha! He's taking the growing up part very hard.

I also parent a 180lb. dog who by the way wants to be at my feet every single minute of every single day. She's not spreading her wings at all ha! She had to have 5-6" of her tail amputated and is on the mend.She looks even more silly than she did before but lucky for her a mothers love does not go void. Have a happy weekend be blessed!