Archive for June 2010
Truthful Thursday – Philippians 1
Posted on: June 17, 2010
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ — for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 NLT {emphasis mine}
Earlier this morning I emailed some sister-mamas asking for help. I’ve been feeling burned out, overwhelmed and with a short fuse. I needed reassurance, a loving word, a helping hand. You know what I got?
I got the Word poured over me.
I had sister-mamas pray for me.
I had God use these women to reassure and help me.
As the girls napped I prayed. Actually, that’s a understatement. I poured my heart out to God. And in the midst of that, He brought to mind the verses above. Resounding in my heart was “I want you to understand what really matters“. What really matters is Christ. What really matters is His love. What really matters is living this life as worship to Him.What really matters is loving my family the way Christ loves them. Honestly, I loose sight of that. Sometimes I think a clean house, doing the laundry, cooking, blogging, me-time is what matters. I forget that Christ has called me to be a light. I forget that Christ has called me to live my life for Him – and my life is being a wife and mother.
And while the last few weeks have been hard, and while today started out rough, God used my sister-mamas to speak to me. He didn’t say “It’s gonna get easier”. He said “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” {Hebrews 13:5, NLT}. And that is what really matters.
A passion for fashion
Posted on: June 16, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
A couple of weeks ago, I told Jonathan if I could do college all over, I’d major in fashion design. That might make several people laugh {don’t feel bad if you do, Jon did too}. My typical outfit is jeans and t-shirt. Oh, and a ponytail. If I buy something new, I usually double triple check with Jon that it looks good. And if I feel the least bit self conscious, I usually will never wear said outfit again. That is until now.
After I confessed my deep desire to Jon, I thought “Why can’t I just do fashion design now? Why can’t 2010 be my year?” So, ladies {and gentlemen}, I’m declaring 2010 to be my fashion year. And my two latest fashion statements?
Aside from having to get use to wearing 5 inch heels, I’d say I’m getting off to a rocking good start with my new fashion self. Even my parents were so impressed, that “Dampa Dave” wrote a post about the shoes.
{Hoping I make Emily proud with these big ol’ earrings!}
My Hannah, My Precious
Posted on: June 15, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
One year ago today, Hannah Michelle graced us with her presence in this world. It has been one amazing adventure and I can’t imagine life without her laughter, smile, and snuggly hugs and kisses. The first 6 weeks of adjusting to life with two children were rocky {that’s being polite} and I seriously thought I would not make it. But as time progressed, things got easier {actually, does raising kids get easier, or do we just learn to cope better??}.
I must admit, I was smitten with Hannah from the beginning. Her features reminded me so much of Julia but her temperament was almost opposite {she slept 6 hours straight the third night she was home – Julia didn’t sleep 6 hours straight till she was 4 months old}. And now? Now, she continues to remind us she is her own person in every right. Hannah loves to eat and will make it known when she’s hungry and you aren’t getting her food fast enough. She will sit in her high chair and growl/grunt/scream until you hand over the food. It’s quite a sight.
One of my favorite things about Hannah is her cuddling. She wants to lay in my lap and just hug and snuggle. Not all the time, but when she does, it melts my heart. She’s becoming quite the walker and talker. Her favorite words are “mama”, “papa”, “bye” and “moll” {short for Molly, her bear}. Hannah has started to attempt “Julia” but mostly gets “ju” at best. But, she loves her big sister and when they get to laughing, I see a joy that makes any hardship in mothering completely worth it.
Reading Dr. Seuss' ABCs to Grandpa
Hannah, my precious daughter, you are a delight and joy to my life. Your presence in this family is irreplaceable. The joy you have brought Daddy, Julia and me can’t even be described. This last year has been amazing and we look forward to many, many more years.
Super cute card giveaway!
Posted on: June 14, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
Gayle over at McReal Estate is doing her first ever giveaway! She’s got some adorable greeting cards made by W.E. Giggle {isn’t that just the cutest name?!?}.
Here’s one of my favorites:
Gayle’s going to choose 2 winners, so be sure to sign up!!
What a weekend, what a party
Posted on: June 14, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
We hosted the “Party of all Parties” this weekend. We wanted to celebrate the remodeling of the kitchen {and show off the new place to those who hadn’t seen it}, rejoice in making it a whole year with two kids and to, well, party.
Here are some highlights:
Kids playing soccer
Hannah showing them how it's done
Balancing acts
Mingling
Cute babies
A bear cake for The Bear {Hannah's nickname}
Debating on eating cake
Sampling the icing {Omi giving her some encouraging words}
Digging right in!
"Omi, did you try this cake? Holy cow, it's good!"
And no party with the Windhamettes would be complete without a little crying.
It's my party and I'll cry if I want
Of grandparents and kids
Posted on: June 11, 2010
- In: Life
- 4 Comments
My parents came into town late Wednesday night to celebrate Hannah’s birthday with us this coming weekend {still in shock that she’s turning 1…}.
Grandpa is a professional photographer and this is how the girls know him best:
Which I love because by the end of every trip we have some amazingly awesome pictures of the girls.
And even though the girls haven’t seen my parents since Thanksgiving, when they woke up on Thursday morning you would have thought it was as though we spend every day with Omi and Grandpa. It’s been a wonderful two days and I’m looking forward to an even better weekend.
“That’s it, I’m done”
Posted on: June 9, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
While there are about 3 good things to like about having Jonathan gone this week, there are about 3 million to love about having him home. Today, after reading a wonderful post on discipline by Emily at The Adventures of Miss Mommy, I thought I’d share the 4 things I do when I’m just done with parenting.
1. Tickle like crazy
I know that might seem weird, but when my kids are driving me crazy and I think I might lose it, I tickle them. Why? Because it relieves all sorts of tension. They start laughing, which makes me laugh and before we know it things seem a lot lighter and easier. It might not last long, but it helps get us by for 15-20 minutes {which honestly makes a huge difference}. So, if you see me tickling the girls a lot one day, it’s not because I’m just that awesome of a mama, but because I’m trying to keep it all together.
2. Scream
Ever felt like screaming at your kids? If not, you really must be a super-mama and have taken all my super-mama powers from me, because some days screaming seems like all I can do. And, actually, I’ve started screaming. Not at my kids, but with my kids. I read once in a parenting magazine about a mom who would have Tarzan screaming contests with her kids, so she could release some frustration with them without releasing it at them. When we do this, Julia gets the biggest kick out of it and we all walk away feel a little less stressed.
3. Walk away
Let’s be honest, mamas need breaks. I’ve locked myself in the bathroom before because I just had to have a moment alone. Sure, the girls were screaming at the door, but I needed two seconds to decompress. Walking away helps me reassess and recompose myself so that I can stay focused and in “control”. It also gives me a chance to pray like mad.
4. Pray, pray, pray
I’ve taken to using the 5-10 minutes while I’m nursing Hannah before naps to pray. I ask God for grace and direction for the rest of our day. I pray for peace and strength. When I walk away, I pray. I check my own heart to make sure that I’m staying the course and parenting with grace. I ask God to reveal sins and to help me stay in the Spirit while I battle the world {which can at times be the tantruming of a 1-yo}.
If you’ve read many of my posts, you’ll know I’m not perfect. Far from it. I’ve screamed at my children, I’ve not walked away when I should have, I’ve not prayed when I needed to. I’ve failed a 1,000 times over. But, I know God is still here, still guiding me along. And I keep going because I know that parenting is one race I don’t want to give up on.
What do you do when you’re done?
Reasons I like Jonathan being gone
Posted on: June 8, 2010
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
I decided rather than wallow in self pity about Jonathan’s absence this week, I should write a list of all the reasons I like him being away from the house. Here are the three I came up with {the first two came really easy I might add…}:
1. I get a lot more sleep
By nature Jon is a night owl and I am an early bird. Since Hannah was born I have taken to staying up late with Jon so we can spend more time together. But, I still wake up early. Meaning, I get less sleep. However, while he’s away, I normally am in bed asleep by 9:30 {and I’d even consider that on the late side}.
2. My house stays really clean
One of the things I loved about Jonathan while we were dating is that he was a clean guy. His room was clean, he was organized, etc. And while that’s transferred to our marriage, it seems like when “Daddy’s home” our house is a mess. Not that he’s doing it, it’s just that typically speaking, we aren’t nearly as concerned about how our house looks as we are about spending family time together. But, while he’s away, I get into ultra-organized-mom mode and our house stays in pretty great condition {which is a plus this week, since my Mom will be here tomorrow night and we are hosting a party on Saturday}.
3. I get a cooking break
I love to cook. Yet for some reason, if Jonathan’s not eating with me and the girls, I just have no desire to cook a big meal. So all this week, my menu plan looks like this: bean and cheese tacos, quesadillas, beans and rice, oatmeal, cereal, spaghetti pie. Impressive, don’t ya think?
I came up with a few other reasons, but I didn’t think “Sleeping with a baseball bat in my hands” or “Getting to drink a full pot of coffee” were really valid reasons to celebrate my single motherness for the week.
Why I love Iowa in the summer
Posted on: June 7, 2010
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Every summer, Iowa City hosts Summer of the Arts. Each weekend the city holds different events or festivals. They all prove to be pretty awesome and we’ve really enjoyed them more and more each year. This weekend was Arts Festival – a celebration of local and regional artists. On Sunday they have Children’s Day, with different {free} activities for kids to do. The biggest hit was a 5/6 ft tall cardboard castle set up for painting:
Julia could have stayed at the castle for hours she loved painting so much. The only draw back? The paint wasn’t washable. Seriously. Who gives kids non-washable paint?? Like my friend, Leah, said “Clearly a mom wasn’t in charge.” Never the less, the castle did give us the idea to make our own last night for painting this week while Jon is out of town. But, I can guarantee I’ll be buying washable paint!
The thing is, I’m kinda a brat
Posted on: June 4, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
I’ll be real honest, I can be a brat. I won’t sugar coat it for ya – some days I’m down right selfish and rude. I like my way on my time at my say. It ain’t pretty and it sure ain’t godly. Part of me wonders if I don’t look a little like this:
Jonathan is leaving Monday for a business trip to Chicago and won’t be back until Thursday night. Over lunch yesterday, I was giving him a hard time about being gone {especially since we’ll miss our normal date night}. Even though I could tell it was annoying him, I kept on going, kept on being bratty. Finally Jon just said “Aren’t you happy that I provide for you?” Say what? This business trip is for me? All your hard work and effort is so I can stay at home? Yes, yes it is.
The thing is, I’m kinda a brat. And while I was pouting about a business trip that my husband is taking, I failed to realize he is taking it for me. He is going to ensure that I can continuing staying at home with our daughters. He is going to ensure that we have a roof over our heads and live comfortable lives. He is going to ensure that he holds true to his words – that he will protect, provide and care for me and our family. He is going because, well, he’s just plain awesome at his job and his boss wants him to go. How can I pout about that? How can I be upset about having such a great man?
By the end of our conversation I was struck with this verse: “It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. {Proverbs 21:19}”. I apologized to Jon and before lunch was finished the air was cleared. I walked away with this one thing in mind: “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.” {Proverbs 18:22}.
I want to be the kind of wife that my husband treasures. One that lifts him up and allows him to do what God has called him to. One that is supportive and kind. One that speaks with love and humility. And I am grateful that I have a man like Jon, who is always understanding, continually pointing me towards truth. Thanks for all you hard work babe. I love you.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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