Grateful

Today I am grateful. I am grateful for a family that loves me. I am grateful for a warm home with food and the ability to create things in my home that make us happy. I am grateful for my faith and the freedom that I have to believe what I want to believe. I am grateful for my sweet little children who are each uniquely wonderful.
I am grateful for my parents who have made me who I am today, for all that they do for me, for the way they love my children more than anything else. I am grateful for girlfriends and good times. I am so grateful for a man who loves me and brings out the best in me and even though he absolutely drives me nuts sometimes, I wouldn't trade him for anything or anyone.
What are you grateful for?

You do not know your strength until it's tested. You do not know the capacity of love until it's tried. You do not know how you will respond in a crisis or how it will feel until you are there. You do not know who really cares until you are alone.
Does everyone feel as old as I do? I feel young at heart and yet I feel as if I am 100 years old in wisdom. I wonder if people 50 years ago felt this way? It's as if every morning I wake up, I step onto a battlefield of choices. You may say that sounds dramatic or depressing. It is neither. It is reality. I choose to focus on the positive things in my life, the bright moments. I believe it would be easy to look around and list off all the suffering, there is so much but I want to look around and take note of all the miracles. I want to stop and stare at my children and take in the moment and have it forever. I want to rest my tired body on the soft cool grass and watch the stars. I want to have the strength to lift another and avoid the next opportunity to judge them.
I heard someone say, what you focus on grows. It has.

July 2010

I love my family. I have this aunt, (far left) and for some reason, we are more like sisters than aunt and niece. She is my Dad's younger sister by 14 years. We look alike. She is the South Carolina version of me. We have a great time together. We have three boys, blond hair, similar in so many ways. She is a little ahead of me in life but we still have a great time together. I love her and her kids.

We went to visit them in July. She had just found out she was expecting their 4th baby, so we went down to check out their new pool and help cheer her up from her dreaded morning sickness. My Mom went with me. My Mom is also wonderful and she puts up with me and my children on road trips. I think she really likes it.

We are at the local peach farm with a petting zoo. It was comfortable to be in SC in July. We had a great time. Leslie's boys are so helpful and loving to my boys. I hope that my boys grow up to be as sweet and nurturing. I am looking forward to our next visit.

Technology "Break"

Seriously. In the last couple of months (more like the last month) my cell phone, camera, computer and printer all have died. I would say that I am pretty techno savvy. I don't cheap out and always buy the bottom of the barrel products and I do not let my children play with my technology. I take care of my stuff. Heck, I still have the first generation ipod and when the missionaries saw it, they mocked me openly and said it should be in the smithsonian...... thanks guys.

What is the deal? We so rely on these technology tools. They are expensive and is it just me or do they never work like they are supposed to? I am sick of it.

The only way I have made it lately because I know you are suprised but I don't have the funds to go replace it all at once, is to limp along with some of my parents old stuff (thank you Mom and Dad) and get a free phone, thus the comment on facebook about Luder's phone being better than mine.

A few years ago, it would have absolutely sent me into grumpville to have any one of these break. Now, I just try to think outside the box for temporary solutions and think of it as a little "break" from the world.

Business of Being Beautiful

So, I was thinking the other day....yes I do that sometimes, and I think that we as women have outsmarted ourselves. Men clearly haven't. Women compare ourselves to other women. We wear makeup, jewelry, accessories, purses and style our hair. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a man. You get up, get your clothes on that your wife probably picked out for you at some point, take a shower, shave your face and do your job. 

I am not even going into the whole realm that some women find themselves in of endless working out, eyelash extensions, botox and plastic surgery.

If we, as women all did not wear makeup (no, I am not kidding myself, I don't think this would really happen, nor would it be good for the world necessarily) we could save ourselves a lot of time and money.

I am all for taking care of yourself but there should be healthy limits. I see women (mostly ones I don't know)  spinning out of control. Eating less, running more, more beauty products, procedures, more more more.   Maybe the men have it right.

For now, I am happy to boycott makeup on occasion, eat heathy as much as possible, get a little exercise and not worry about all that business of being beautiful.

Facebook. I am not sure how I feel about facebook. I like that I get to keep in touch with friends and family. I find some things strange about facebook, not judging, just observing. I think that most people have figured, if we can't beat them, join them. So, they are on facebook, lurking, commenting and posting with the best of them. I recently got a friend request from my Grandpa. I am glad to stay in touch with him via facebook, it's just not what I expected. Facebook has reached all generations, all people, sane and insane. I think it is interesting and sometimes funny when people choose to get on facebook and have an arguement with people they do not know. Talking with strangers about something that you have strong feelings about is not "smart" in my mind. I think we all end up there sometimes. 

The older I get, the more I am repulsed by drama. I would rather hide out, not listen and for sure not be a part of any drama that may be brewing. I don't have time. There are times when I want to write an occasional crazy or funny thought on facebook, then I think of the previous crazy status updates I have read and I cringe. I think to myself, "it isn't worth it."

I wonder how long facebook will last. What will replace it? Part of me thinks it's sad that we use facebook to get to know each other or to stay in touch. Really? Has life gotten that out of control? Appearantly, it has.

Motherhood

It's official. I am Mom. I drive the van I said I never would, don't knock it. It has several DVD players, auto everything and I LOVE IT because it makes my life easier. I have three kids. It's more like, they have me. My life revolves around them. Everything I do is devoted to being a good mom and helping my children have the best lives. I know that I am imperfect and I sometimes wonder what they will say about me between the time that they "know everything" and then have their own children and "realize how smart and wonderful I was/am" like most new parents do.
Being a mother, I have learned, all has to do with balance. Emotional, spiritual, physical. Everyday I think about all these things. I focus on trying to keep all of us healthy in every way possible. It is also so important to have fun along the way. Luder has forced me to learn that and I appreciate him for that. He has me stop and just sit outside or take a walk in nature with the boys. We all end up feeling better. I get through life a lot easier with a sense of humor. If you can laugh about it, it makes it a lot more fun. So to all of my mini van driving sisters, the next time you want to die of humiliation in public because of something your kids do, laugh and live it up.

Declan turned one this month. He is a charming little man with lots of personality. He is the most laid back baby I have ever seen and I thank God for this every day. He can talk, almost walk and crawl. He loves to eat everything we eat. He is so fun and he listens! It's amazing. We have so enjoyed having him in our family and I look forward to watching him grow, not too fast though! Happy Birthday Declan. We love you.

Declan's Blessing

Beautiful baby Declan was blessed at church on December 6, 2009 by his father. In our church, the baby is brought before the congregation and given his name and a special blessing for life that is specific and unique to each child. It was a wonderful day for our family!

Declan McCoy Milton. Declan is the name of an Irish Saint and it means, "man of prayer" and McCoy is my mother's maiden name. It is special to me because it was Nan's name.

The "A" Team and no they didn't plan matching outfits.