Resiliency...Army Wives Know That Word....

Ugh, Stephen leaves next week...the deployment begins. I knew it was coming, but it was still weeks away, and now it's a week away. :(. We had our pre-deployment briefing not long ago...nothing much new, same 'ole info for the most part, but I thought I might lose it if I heard the word "resilient," one more time. Yes, yes, resiliency is key to surviving in the Army/Military and basically life, but all I kept picturing in my head to conceptualize resiliency was that clown punching bag from my childhood that kept coming back for more after I  know I totally knocked that thing senseless....not a fun image...kind of frustrating actually. So I guess our family is like the clown punching bag now, and the deployment is the punch that keeps us "resilient?" That analogy just doesn't sit well with me, so I've been trying to think of other analogies to help me process the concept more thoroughly....   

Resiliency is like the elastic in my underwear that is able to miraculously go back to its original shape after each washing. LOL, well, that's true for at least some of my undies...my others, well, they need prayer.

Resiliency is like continuing to wear a pair of fabulously amazing high heels because they make you look awesome even though each step makes you cringe with pain. I totally did that on Sunday--thought I was dying!

Resiliency is like my beautiful begonias that continue to bloom against all odds--a drought, and our dog who has made my flower garden his urinal.

Resiliency is like the first batch of cookies I ever made--tough, refusing to crumble even after multiple attempts to be eaten.

So if I put these analogies together it means, basically, that if I'm resilient I am rolling with the punches, stretched--but never too far, looking amazing even when it hurts, blooming in the least likely of conditions, and too tough to crumble. Hmm...I guess being resilient isn't so bad...it reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:8-10:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Now that's RESILIENCY!

Kids can be...distracting...lol

I've started a Bible Study on Romans...well let's say that I've been attempting to start a Bible Study in Romans. No kidding, I have been up an hour earlier every morning this week--with my cup of Tazo Awake Tea (so amazing)--Bible open, ready to dig in, and guess what happened each day? Oh yes, all of you moms out there know what happened--the kids woke up! Of course they did! Surprised? I shouldn't have been! How do they sense when my slumbering has ceased, and why do they feel the need to notify me so loudly when they wake up? Oh, the joyous mystery of children! 

Thinking ahead, I decided to have all of my Bible Study materials handy by my bedside ahead of time, so when morning came I wouldn't even have to get out of bed--they would never hear me when I woke up! Genius idea--in theory only. I'm pretty positive children--or at least my kiddos--have some freakishly in tune, highly sensitive ability to know when their parents are awake, and when to interrupt at pretty important/busy times. To prove my case in point, please consider the following two scenarios among many:

* While on the toilet, little hands appear under the door.  One kid attacks the other and you hear "Mom I need your help," but reply "I'm not much help on the toilet right now," or something along the lines of "Can't I go potty in peace." Ugh, yes, I say potty--you do too, admit it. :( lol.

* While you are on the phone your children decide to throw an epic tantrum, thus creating the worst background noise known to man, and you half threaten them with a sweet tone so you don't sound evil to the person on the other end of the line.

Kids just somehow know how to push our buttons when we have our hands full, when we are tired, when are busy, and sometimes it can be downright frustrating. As I was sorting through through the frustration of being unable to get through my Bible Study, the thought occurred to me that my kids are probably not trying to be "disruptions." They just want to be with me...they want my attention. They actually like me. They like me so much that I am the first person they want to run and see in the mornings (smile), and that makes me feel pretty good. So, I've decided that instead of just closing up shop on my Bible Study time when they wake up, I will include them! We can all  learn about Romans together, which will either be a great experience or enough to make them stay in bed until their alarm goes off, lol.

My Son, Mr. Courageous

Mclain ran off the bus, chest puffed proudly and a smile stretched across his face. "I stood up for a kindergartner today! I stood up against a third grader!" he said, pretty proud of himself. 

That's my boy--my little second grader already has a knack for justice! It does my heart good! I hugged him, twirled him around and asked for the details...

"Well," he said pushing up his little wire frames. "This third grader was doin' inappropriate things to this kindergarten girl..you know, say'n mean things and all..., and you know how kindergartners look up to the third graders, right?"

I nodded--everyone knows that, lol. 

"Well," he continued. "I just couldn't stand by and let him pick on her so I walked up, crossed my arms so he would know I was serious and said, 'hey, please stop doin' inappropriate things,' and he said 'ok,' and then I hugged the kindergartner girl so she would know she was safe now, and then guess what?"

"What?"

His eyes got big. "She asked for my autograph!"

"I'm not sure that last part happened...."

"Yeah, I made that up, but it would have been cool."

My son, Mr. Courageous--I love that kid! I'm proud of him. He did what was right even when it meant facing someone bigger than him...he's pretty bold--I could learn a lot from him.

The Most Romantic Evening

I'm cozied up on the couch with my hubby. The kids are in bed, the lights are down low--an ideal setting for a romantic evening...meh, we'll just sit here and watch the history channel--WWII is always interesting to learn about. 

I'm still all sweaty and gross from my time at the gym, so there is nothing really romantic about my appearance. Cycling is killer...it looked like I spilled my water bottle on the seat when I was through! I would so rather exercise on a hoveround, lol--if those things can drive you to the Grand Canyon (so says the infomercial), I'm sure it could burn a few calories...or maybe not. Stephen's not looking so romantic-ish either, lol, holding his Mt. Dew can and fighting the urge to sleep. Geez, it's 9pm and we are wiped out--parenthood & life do that to ya I guess.

Though this may not seem like a "typical" romantic evening, it has had its highly romantic elements:
* Stephen came home holding an Iced Chai Tea Soy Latte and a Cake Pop in his hand, just for ME, for absolutely NO REASON! It's official--I have the most amazing husband ever! Not only did he surprise me, but he remembered my favorite Starbuck's drink!!! I feel so loved!
*After supper, he Stephen got up and did the dishes!!!!!!!!! SOOOOO HIGHLY ROMANTIC! 
*When I came home from the gym, my wonderful husband had the kids in bed all tucked in and snug as a bug! 

A dozen roses, shiny jewelry, fine dining--MOVE OVER; nothing says Romance like thoughtful expressions of love.

First Car Wreck...it's been one of those weeks...

 School is in full swing, complete with homework, and I feel like I'm starting to get into the routine of things just in time to add Junior Pro Football the list of many things a full time mom puts on her agenda. I don't know why it surprises me how quickly the weeks fly by...I should have grasped the whole "time flies" concept years ago; it feels like I woke up Monday, packed my son's lunch and then fell through some time warp that spit me out on Thursday! 

It's just been one of those weeks, ya know? You know the kind--busy, hectic and then Murphy's Law assaults you. Early this week I found out my dad was in an accident at work, was hurt, but by the grace of God, was protected from far worse injury. On Tuesday, while on my way to PWOC (that's army speak for women's bible study), a lady pulled out in front of me. There was hardly enough time to stop. I braked, but still smashed into the tail end of her car. Thankfully, no one involved was seriously injured. My poor daughter was in tears! My first car wreck happened with my daughter in the back seat! Terrifying! Teenagers are supposed to wreck, not mothers! I am pretty stiff in the back area...I'm sure I wouldn't be feeling that if I was a teenager, not that I want to be--good grief, you couldn't pay me to relive my teen years! Anyway, the soreness is proof I'm getting older....boo.

This week has definitely been a lesson in the value of prayers and friendships! God has been working overtime protecting me and my family this week since Murphy has picked a battle with us, and he has provided us with amazing friends to pray for our healing and protection, sit with us on the side of the road after the accident, and lend me a vehicle until mine is fixed! God is good and so are the people He puts in our lives.

Raising Little Boys...

My little boy started 2nd grade this week...sniff, sniff, tear, tear. Where did the time go? It's strange for him to be seven. In ten years he will be a Senior, applying to colleges, driving (YIKES), maybe even dating (I will highly discourage this...any girl interested will have to apply first lol...lol not really kidding about the applying to date my son part). In ten years he won't be into star wars, transformers or the avengers...well, at 17 he may choose keep that obsession a secret. In ten years I will probably be totally uncool because I'm more than halfway there already....he doesn't laugh at my goofy faces like he used too, although he still rolls with laughter when we play chase by bunny hopping instead of running.

My little boy is growing up and it makes me crazy sad and happy at the same time!! Ugh...I need a tub of ice cream... :(...maybe I will skip on the ice cream as I flashback to this morning when my daughter was pointing and laughing while I got dressed...nice how a two year old can affect your self esteem. :)

As I think about my kiddos I can't help but notice how boys and girls are TRULY different; it's not just a theory. Raising little boys is...is...is...well, it's different than raising girls...for example...
*Mclain fell the day before school; totally skinned up his knee and dotted his eye. Yes, he cried, but then perked up at the thought of having a black eye 'cause the guys in his class would think he was cool. What kind of logic is this?
*Willa and I look at the Magnolia tree in our front yard and see the beauty....Mclain sees a urinal. It's nice when the neighbors go by and see your son in all his glory "watering" the tree--as he claims.

Boys are rough little daredevils, but also so tenderhearted, and at times passionate. I love how he still gives me hugs and kisses, and waits for a bedtime story. Recently he was reading about Rosa Parks, and couldn't understand what the big deal was about not giving up her seat on the bus, because, after all, according to 2nd grade logic, the back of the bus is where the cool people sit. I tried my best to explain how African Americans were treated back then; it's like this awful stain on American History that's hard to talk about. He was totally upset and moved by this information, so later that day he said, "Mom, I've been inspired to write a song for African Americans."  It went like this. "I'm an African American. I'm an African American. I'm an African American and I'm FREE!" Nice. Sweet. Innocent. I'm hoping he doesn't sing it in public...somebody could take offense, but the point is, he was passionate about the topic and was moved to write a song.

Oh, the joy of raising little boys... :)

I Accidentally Went Missing Today

I'm settling down for the night, getting ready to take my vitamins (because your body heals at night and I wanna give it all the ingredients to do its job superbly)...made a batch of the pinterest inspired Peanut Butter Protein Fro-Yo (DOUBLE YUM!!), and was browsing through the http://www.deploymentdivas.com/deployment-bucket-list site....UGH Deployment...I'm getting one of those persistent lumps in my throat thinking about it....ANYWAY, I have decided to make a deployment bucklist of my own, but not tonight, because tonight I HAVE to tell you how I had my neighborhood searching for me!

SO...after a long, wonderful day at the pool, I ran to the grocery store, came home, put the groceries on the counter, let the dog outside to do his thing and noticed that my neighbor's trash can was still by the curb and decided to put it away just to help her out a bit.  Her husband passed away a couple months back and I have been meaning to go see her, I just haven't :(. Today seemed like a good day to stop in...and I'm glad I did! She and I had a great time talking, so great in fact, that I lost track of time. Needless to say my hubby came home earlier than I expected only to find the door wide open, my shoes by the door, purse, groceries, and phone on the counter with no sign of me anywhere....yeah he freaked (hahhahaheehahaha). He should totally be a detective...he went through my phone records, checked my emails, called all of my friends in the area to piece together my whereabouts, EVEN checked my grocery receipt to see what time I had made the purchase....Genius! I had the man panicking....and yes, I do think it's kind of funny--yes, I guess it's sick and twisted but I couldn't help but laugh when he told me how freaked he was. He said his thoughts were 1: Who took my wife? I will destroy whoever took the woman I love ( I added that last part) 2: How am I going to tell our kids their mom is gone? Hannah was my soul mate! I will never love again! (I added the last two parts, lol).  It's sweet to think about the length he went to track me down . :) Our love knows no bounds...lol. :)

So anyway...that is how I almost ended up on unsolved mysteries....oh, and btw, I called my friends in the area to let them know I was just fine and they could stop their search. You never know how special you are until you go missing on accident lol.

Who's Picking on Chick-Fil-A?

Focus on the Family's Jim Daly posted his latest blog "Did Facebook Boycott Chick-Fil-A?" recently and it caught my eye because, well, Chick-Fil-A is just AMAZING--best chicken sandwich ever AND a soundproof kid's play area (GENIUS!).

Basically Chick-Fil-A has said that they support the biblical definition of a family unit--WHICH HELLO, THAT IS NO SURPRISE--and now social media, politicians, celebrities, and gay rights activists are all up in arms and ready to bring Chick-Fil-A down or acting like the whole food chain has leprosy. Craziness. Geez people! Chick-Fil-A is a WONDERFUL company that gives so much back to the community. Besides, who else says "It's my pleasure to serve you," (with a smile) at a drive through window let alone anywhere else in the world? These Chick-Fil-A boycotters need to wake up and realize that they are boycotting CHICKEN SANDWICHES...it seems a little sad to me...definitely a waste of good time.

Whatever happened to just agreeing to disagree over different perspectives/opinions? Why does Chick-Fil-A have to be punished for sharing their views...ugh, that's so unfair.

I am sorry if our nation feels like Christians hate gay people...that's so not true. Let me say that it should not be true, but some people, Christians or not are just hater kind of people. I'm a Christian and I love gay people; Jesus loves gay people--His whole message is about Love! Love doesn't mean you agree with everything someone does. I totally feel for the the gay community's cause, and if it were not for my faith and belief in God's Word then I would totally be in support of same sex marriage because it's their life, they can do what they want. However, God has a different view on marriage and family, so I'm going to stick with what He says because, well, He created everything so I figure He knows what He is doing.

All that to say:
It's going to take a lot more than a few frenzied public figures to keep my car away from Chick-Fil-A. In fact, I will be there Wed. Aug. 1st for a play date--you are welcome to come! I'm not giving up the children's soundproof play area, lol, and I like knowing that I am supporting a company that stands for something I can build my life around--Good Faith and Good Food.

The Blessings of Being an Army Wife

With yet another deployment lurking around the corner I find myself, now more than ever, focusing on the many positive things in my life--Momma always said to count your blessings...or was that an old hymn we used to sing at church?

I could go on and on and on about the difficulties of military life, especially when it comes to deployment...it's simply not fun to send your hubby away in a war zone and then keep it all together for the sake of your kids and your sanity--it's hard to do.

SO...I'm counting my blessings...all the positive things about being an Army Wife, going through a deployment and whatever else I can come up with that will be a silver lining...I'm going to think positive!

1: This deployment is only 9 months...rumor has it, it could be shorter...
2: Deployment means that I don't have to shave my legs everyday...lol...no judging, this is seriously a perk!
3: Deployment means I can order a veggie pizza (Stephen doesn't like veggies on his pizza).
4: Army Wife Blessing: It's nice to not have to be too concerned with the health care debate/issue...our insurance is pretty nice
5: Army Wife Blessing: I've met some really amazing women, some best friends, and great experiences through moving around
6: Deployment/Army Wife Blessing: I feel like this life gives me an opportunity to live in faith...so much of what happens in the military life requires a great deal of faith, and I have been able to see God do totally cool things when I put my trust in Him.
7: Deployment Blessing: There will be extra pay which means I can finally put my student loans to death ONCE AND FOR ALL (MWWAAAHHAAHAA!), or at least chop them up smaller!
8: Deployment: Absence makes the heart grow fonder...it's true, and I always seems to appreciate Stephen more when he is gone...sad to admit that :(
9: Deployment means there should be a ball coming up soon....I LOVE BALL GOWN SHOPPING....
10: Deployment means I get to be the master of the tv remote for 9 months, lol...you laugh, but this is a nice perk!
11: I live 2 hours from my family...SUCH a blessing, especially during a deployment....if I feel like I'm going crazy, I can just drive up the road and drop the kiddos off with Mom and Dad for the day


I'm sure there will be more blessings and perks to add, but right now I have laundry to do! :) OH,

12: Deployment means less laundry to do! lol :)
13: Deployment means that I will be buying less toilet paper while he is away...not that I use more when he is home, WE use more...this is just embarrassing to talk about...lol
14: While Stephen is away I will be able to fix breakfast for supper! HELLO PANCAKES & OMELETS!

I Stepped in Poo the Other Day...

Motherhood--it brings tears to my eyes for several different reasons. 

On many occasions, I find myself tearing up over the mere thought of my little boy and girl growing up, and on other occasions, I find myself tearing up, hair frazzled and fighting off an anxiety attack because my daughter has colored the carpet with a permanent marker (true story). 

I love making homemade play-dough with my kiddos. I love reading them stories. I love the funny things they say and do--that list is practically infinite. I love how they wrap their little arms around my neck and say "I love you Mommy," (I'm tearing up thinking about it!). I love the fact that my kisses heal any boo boo. I love so many things about being a Mom, but sometimes what I love about being a Mom can be overshadowed by the craziness of motherhood. Take for example, the other day, when I stepped in poo...yes poo.

I had scrubbed the whole house clean--Stephen had been gone for training and was coming home, so I wanted the house looking shipshape for his return. I was getting the last load of clothes in and was about to get my little girl ready for bed when it happened. I opened up the bathroom door--smearing the poo in the process--and then stepped right in a big heaping pile of it!! Yep, it went between my toes and all! Naturally, I accused our dog, screamed at him accordingly, and then banished him to the yard, where he stayed until I noticed that little Miss Willa was the one covered in poo and saying "Shoo, I stink Mommy."

Yes, I shed tears, but they were the "I'm about to lose it" kind of tears. My beautiful clean floor was no longer clean...the hall carpet now sported little poopy footprints, and my freshly bathed daughter was now filthy!  Stephen would be home in just a few hours and my house not only smelled horrible, but it looked like a poo grenade had gone off!!

What did I learn from this experience? Well...I learned a great deal about controlling my anger, and choosing to respond in love--even if it was through gritted teeth. I learned that the smell of baby poop seems to smell more foul, and has this ability stink longer than any other kind of poo. I learned the value of a steam mop (applause for the Shark!). I learned that even covered in poo, my daughter is still beautiful, and I learned that infantrymen are used to smelling smelly smells and don't really notice if a toddler had pooped in the floor--why did I even bother cleaning it up, lol?

Wellness Tip: Liver Cleanse!

So...I will do this if you do it--

Actually I will be doing it regardless, but come on, do it with me. Cleaning my liver sounds terrifying...oh, if only we were made like some assembly toy where we could take a part the limb or organ that needed a good scrubbing, but we are not, thus we must keep our bodies in fine running condition.

Why clean the liver? Well, it does a lot and we--with our American way of eating and drinking--do a lot to it. The liver helps to regulate hormones (including estrogen). It helps metabolize carbs, stores and processes vitamins, helps maintain healthy sugar levels and creates bile which helps break down the fat in the food we eat, among other really great things. The fact that the liver helps to break down fat is enough for me be all gung-ho in making sure it's functioning well.

How do you cleanse your liver? Well...of course we ALWAYS want to drink lots of water. The rule of thumb with water drinking--drink half your body weight in ounces of water, ie. if you were to weigh 100 pounds then you would drink 50 ounces of water.

Here are what my friends from Shaklee Natural Health & Wellness, suggest for a good, solid liver cleanse:


You will need: 6 quarts apple cider
6 teaspoons Epsom salts
½ cup cold-pressed olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
The liver & gallbladder cleanse is an important detoxifying agent. It helps restore normal functional capacity of the liver & gallbladder and if an individual has gallstones
NOTE:
A. This cleanse is NOT recommended for:
1. people under 25 years of age
2. pregnant women, or
3. people with known large gallstones (larger than a dime … this can be determined by an ultrasound). These individuals can still do this cleanse, but MUST FIRST have the large gallstones shattered by sound waves by their doctor.
B. Plan to stay home the evening of the 6th day.
LISTED BELOW ARE THE STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1. Day 1 through 6, drink 1 quart of apple cider DAILY (fresh extracted vegetable juices may be substituted for apple cider).
 It is preferable that you purchase additive-free apple cider.
 Keep your diet vegetarian style (fat free) for a more thorough cleansing. Eat as much as you like of fat free foods.
 Continue with your regular supplements.
2. At noon on Day 6 eat a normal vegetarian lunch.
3. Three hours later, take two teaspoons of epsom salts dissolved in about one ounce of hot water. That taste may be objectionable to some people. If so you may follow Epsom salts with a little citrus juice (fresh squeezed if possible).
4. Two hours later, repeat step three.
5. Four your evening meal on Day 6 you may have only citrus juices or citrus fruits (eg. grapefruits, oranges, etc.)
6. At bedtime, in a blender, whip ½ cup of warm olive oil (cold-pressed) with ½ cup of lemon juice. (It is better to use fresh lemon juice, but bottled juice is permissible.)
 Drink the mixture quickly – do not sip slowly.
 (Some people occasionally reported slight to moderate nausea when taking the olive oil & lemon juice. This nausea will slowing disappear when you go to bed. If the olive oil induces vomiting, you need not repeat the procedure. This occurs only in rare instances.)
7. Following step six, go immediately to bed. Lie on your right side with your right knee pulled up close to your chest for at least 30 minutes.
8. The next morning, one hour before breakfast, take two teaspoons of epsom salts dissolved in two ounces of hot water.
9. Resume your normal diet on Day 7 & continue your normal nutritional supplements.
NOTE:
People who have chronically suffered from gallstones, biliousness, backaches, nausea, etc. occasionally find small gallstone-type objects in the stool on Day 7. These objects are light green in colour. They are very irregular in shape, gelatinous in texture, and vary in size from grape seeds to cherry pits. If there are several of these in the stool, you should repeat the liver cleanse in two weeks.

Purpose, Purpose, Shmurpose: Author Jon Acuff Review

I'm totally loving Jon Acuff's--author and blogger of Stuff Christians Like--post, I want destiny, not a desert. You have to check it out--he cracks me up!

He hits on how we, as Christians, romanticize the idea of our calling...we think when we've been called to do something by God it's going to be this big adventure like you are in the starring role of some karate-chop, kick- action type of movie, but often times God will lead us into a "desert" place that has us totally confused! So true...I mean, I can't tell you how many times I have asked "God, what are you doing--I should be freeing slaves in India by now, what's the hold up?"

Yes, it can trip us up when we aren't where we thought we were going to be, but I think we can get even more tripped up about what our "calling" is. Maybe it's just me, but I hear a lot of church talk about finding our purpose, our calling, and what has God called you to do. No kidding, I spent three years of my life in a constant state of crazy stress because I was trying to find my divine calling, so afraid I would miss that one thing God had planned for my life. I would dare say that Christians everywhere have at some point freaked out about this too...I mean, after all, you have to have a calling, right?

It's funny to me how we have kind of equated our calling with our career too. Think about it... when we are getting ready for college or seeking employment we ask "what career is God calling me into?"   That's great and all because we should be asking God what kind of job we should take. We should be asking Him who to marry, and how to handle our money. We should ask God a lot of things, but I think we are putting a little too much emphasis on the "calling" thing and missing the big picture.

Does God have plans for my life? Yes. Does He let me know there are things He wants me to do? Yes. Does He have one specific calling/plan/purpose for me?  I don't think so or I would have said "Okay God, I married the guy you gave the green light on. Thanks for giving me that one thing you called me to do; I'll chill out now until I get to heaven."

My one and only "calling/purpose" is to love God and love others, and that applies in  every situation that I'm in--which as an Army wife, has been several different situations. It bums me out sometimes that I'm not always excelling at what I was designed to do, but, nevertheless, I keep on truck'n. My calling isn't really wrapped up in my career, but it's wrapped up in my life and how I live. God gives us choices, and we read His word--the Bible--and learn about His character which will enable us to choose wisely like He would choose whether it's a career, a spouse etc., but our calling/purpose is to love God and love others, and as followers of Christ, we are all called to that. So stop freaking out if you can't figure out where to spend your summer mission trip or which charity to give to or if God wants you to be an astronaut or a stay at home Mom...get to know about God and His character and make the wise choice. 

Fifty Shades of Grey Has Nothing to do with Sunglasses....

No, I haven't read the latest book craze, Fifty Shades of Grey-- why does everyone keep asking me? On an outing to the bookstore, I picked up a copy to read the back cover...meh...it didn't catch my attention, so I asked a few of my friends about it and...well...I blushed...well, giggled then blushed.

"Everyone" says the plot is a good one...that's great and all, but I can't get over the fact that it's erotica (that word sounds so eww dirty), which is a nice way of saying pornography, right? I just can't bring myself to read something I would feel uncomfortable with my husband watching--which by the way, I heard it through the google grape vine that there are movie plans in the making. Why is it okay for me to read sexually explicit material and expect my husband to pass on the latest hot-naked-ladies magazines? It's not.

Though I am no expert, and totally the sinner of all sinners, Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts because it is the wellspring of life. Doesn't guarding our hearts include what we watch, listen to and read? Like I said, I'm no expert at guarding my heart, but addiction to pornography is a slippery slope that has been the downfall of many men, women and families.  I feel like Fifty Shades of Grey has the potential to push someone down that slippery slope. My advice is to stay as far away from the slippery slope as possible, don't even toy with the idea of flirting with it. I say this fully understanding that my convictions are not necessarily your convictions, but for me, this is something I feel uneasy about reading. If you feel fine with it, then more power to you. :) 

All that to say, Fifty Shades of Grey is not about the color of my sunglasses and is not on my summer reading list ...and don't call me a prude. Hugs :) 

Teen Hannah's Ultimate Summer Goal

Who hasn't noticed the crazy heat wave sucking the life out of veggie gardens across America? Thanks to an awesome soak hose set on a timer, mine is hanging in there. :) 

Oh those Hot Summer Days....funny how we complain about them when they are here, and look forward to their return when they are gone. There is something almost magical about summer, agree?  It's definitely exciting, and it kind of gives off this lure of romance too--think of all the summer romance novels and movies that readers and movie-goers alike binge on.....hmm....it kind of reminds me of my teen years....travel to the past with me...

Ten years ago my summertime was focused on finding the perfect bikini, squeezing in ten more minutes at the tanning bed, and what flavor of lip gloss I should buy. My ultimate summer goal:  procure a summer fling just like one in Mariah Carey's music video "Always be my baby," (Click to watch and be inspired, lol). You know the one, where girl meets boy at a summer camp, and they sneak off at night to go swing on a tire-swing that overlooks a lake--yeah, that one. To this day I love tire swings! 

No judging my dear viewers, I'm sure, actually I'm positive, most girls have dreamed of a summer romance. So, you ask, did I ever achieve my goal? Well, after spending nearly every week of my summer vacations from 6th through 11th grade at Christian camps--all of which unfortunately had neither a lake nor a tire swing--I never found my summer romance prospect UNTIL, I stopped looking and realized there were better goals in life to pursue. :) 

My, my, how things have changed. My summer goals now are quite different--painting the kids rooms, making homemade play-dough, play-dates and pool parties. Now I'm like, "Ugh, I don't want to get in a bathing suite, who has time for the tanning bed--I don't want skin cancer--and I'll wear lip gloss only if I remember it and if I have a coupon for that."  

BTW, my hubby was my one and only summer fling...we've been summer flinging it for nine years now, well eleven if you count the dating years. :) 

Nerdy Hannah History Moment: The 5th of July

Has anyone ever thought of what July 5th would have been like in 1776?  Most of the colonies probably hadn't even heard that American Independence had been declared on the 4th, and probably not even on the 5th..When they did hear the news, were they shocked? I would dare to say no, however,  the British people were probably somewhat shocked--who knew those yanks would actually have made good on their threats? I mean, the British totally had seen the declaration coming, what, with all the riots and the tarring and feathering of many their troops--what else says "a revolution is coming" like tar and feathers?

Just because we declared independence on July 4, 1776, doesn't mean that's when we received it. Independence actually came in 1781 when we won the war, and then the British didn't really agree to leave America until 1783, which kind of means we--Americans--only thought we were our own country seven years before the Brits declared that we actually were. Hmm.

So anyway, for most Americans during 1776, who had not heard "the news," the 5th of July would have been no different than the 4th, but for those who had heard, I would say they must have walked a little taller than the redcoats on patrol that day.

Just a little nerdy historical rant...

First Kiss

Who remembers their first kiss? I'm not sure my first kiss counts. I was in the first grade, on a school bus, and the boy beside me leaned in, and then kissed my cheek. I punched him and blacked his eye--one of my finer moments, I confess. I'm not ashamed of the fact that I pack a pretty good punch--for a girl. :) So that was my first kiss...though, like I said, I don't think it counts.

There were other kisses, yes, but the one I'm thinking about is the first kiss my husband and I shared. I kind of had this moment of nostalgia the other day while sitting in the backyard at my mom and dad's home watching my kids play in the playhouse my brother and I used to play in as children. This is the same backyard where my hubby and I first kissed. Watching my son and daughter laughing and running struck me as somewhat poetic...I was watching the product of our love in the spot where Stephen and I first fell in love. Isn't that kind of beautiful? :)

I was 17...he was 18, about to leave for college and I was starting my senior year of high school. It was dark outside, nearing curfew and he would have to go home soon--I'm sure mom and dad were keeping an eye on the clock and on our location. :) The stars were out and that's where we were...sitting under them, making plans for our future...after college, after marriage...where we would travel, how many kids we would have, etc. He hadn't dared to kiss me and we had been dating for several months, but this night--I guess the stars and the talk of our future made him bold. Our first kiss was sweet, perfect and under the stars. Does it get any more romantic than that?

So, I'm curious...where was your first kiss or at least the kiss that counts?

The Great Lion Dream :)

First of all I want to take a second and savor the silence in my house...hubby, kids and the dog are all fast asleep, NICE.......ok, enough savoring.

So...for MANY weeks, if not months I have been having this dream that a lion, yes, like a ROAR kind of lion, is in my room, craziness I know, but the dream freaks me out every time! Who wouldn't be freaked out?  In the dream I just open the door to a room, any room really, but mainly my bedroom, and there either stands or sits this HUGE lion. He's not aggressive by any means, he just turns and looks at me with those large, yellow, cat eyes and then I quickly close the door and wake up like I'm having a heart attack!

Have you all ever had a dream that just sticks with you and you can't shake it or a dream that seems so real you actually feel like it is? This is that kind of dream. What does it mean? Does it have meaning?

I do feel like God can still talk to us in dreams...maybe He comes to comfort us, encourage us, give us direction, warn us or all of the above...I think it's just a cool way He can use to communicate. :) Not that I'm saying God is trying to tell me something, my subconscious could be just completely loony, which is probably likely....ugh, if only I had a dream interpreter like Joseph in the Bible who interrupted for the head honcho.

First Family Vacation!!!!

We just returned from our first ever official Conway Family Vacation!!! YAY!

 Like most military families our vacation days are spent visiting extended family in various states...but this year, with an impending deployment looming overhead, we decided to just focus on our family and HIT THE BEACH--Gulf Shores, Alabama!!

Not only was this our first family vacation, but it was the first time our kiddos had seen the beach--such a great experience to see their faces! Our little girl--who turns 2 soon...tears, tears, sniff, sniff--loved the waves almost as much as our 7 year old who found a new life mission in catching as many waves as possible with his wave-board. 

The kids LOVED the beach! 

Who doesn't? 

I don't mind that sand was everywhere--even in the sandwiches we packed for an oceanfront picnic--and I didn't mind the heat, which was offset by the salty breeze. Even with our squealing children running amok, hubby and I were blissfully relaxed. Three Cheers For Family Summer Vacations and a big round applause to our Creator for creating a little piece of beach heaven for us to enjoy!

Hacking Cough & New Age Beliefs

For two, maybe three days now, I have had this hacking cough. I'm not sick, but there is this crazy tickling in my throat that won't go away! I'm pretty sure it sounds like I have TB, but rest assured that I do not...in fact I was recently tested...not because I thought I had it but because it was required for my master's program, which is totally strange because all of those courses are online! So anyway I have spent my days hacking at iinappropriate times: late at night when hubby is or was sound asleep, during step aerobics class and now everyone probably thinks I am a smoker, and the most inappropriate time was at church last night. Not only was I at church , but I was at the prayer meeting before the class actually began. It's hard to focus during times of prayer anyway even when the room is silent so I know I was a huge distraction and annoying. Coughing is annoying, and last night I was annoying.

 I felt the tickle and held my breathe, drank water, and even chewed on gum, but the tickle persisted. My face was turning bright  red from straining to keep in the cough and my eyes were even watering...in the end my hacking escaped my mouth sounding like a honking goose being tortured. I'm pretty sure they added me to the prayer list. I tried to be cordial and escaped as quietly as possible out the side door into the foyer area where I continued to my hacking episode and only when it ended did I notice that the front foyer doors leading into the sanctuary where prayer group was in session. Seriously embarrassing! What's even more embarrassing was that I was one of the youngest ones in there...everyone else was like 70 and older! They should have been the ones hacking , not me!

So, our class was on Eastern Religions...I didn't hear much of it because I had to dart towards the restroom to hack way too often...but what I did learn was interesting. The New Age Movement is just an American version of Eastern Religions...I did not know this. Truth is relative, and right is wrong is relative...you can be your own God...these are common beliefs in the New Age Movement and quite frankly they seem to be beliefs that have been adopted by our society. So...if right and wrong is relative then hurting someone could be justified because to someone else, hurting others is not wrong. Where is the justice?Who creates standards to live by?  It seems to me these new age beliefs are selfish, self-seeking and include no consideration for others, which is no way to live. Jesus gave us two good rules to live by, love God and love others...those standards are solid, stable, worth living for...anyone living for themselves is in for a disappointment.

Biting Off More Than I can Chew Hurts More Than My Teeth

I totally bit off more than I could chew for awhile....I fell off the bandwagon with reading the entire bible in  year, but now I'm back with having to make a few adjustments to my schedule. My Master's classes started back and that kind of threw me for a loop learning how to juggle staying home with Willa Zilla, do the class work, get to the gym, be a Wellness Coach, clean the house, keep up with the bills and checkbook, get dinner on the table, grocery shop, be a hottie wife, amazing mom, and find time to shower and shave my legs....BTW you know you need to shave BAD when Harry Big Foot mistakes you for his own kind, totally joking on that part. Wink.

ANYWAY...I was just having a hard time finding time to blog after I read my Bible and got so stressed over not having time to blog that I just stopped reading because it reminded me that I didn't have time to broadcast my "shpeels."  Since this past weekend I have come to the realization that it's okay if I don't have time to blog about what I have been reading as long as I continue to keep hanging out with God and spending time in his Word. Why hadn't I thought of that before? Well, because I was too busy freaking out over my schedule that I totally forgot to ask God what He thought I should do...when I finally broke down and asked, I got an answer and it feels freeing....AND as this morning I was blessed with extra time to blog!! (Yay for the kids not waking up early! A big shout out for God for making that happen! Holla!)

So...while I won't be recapping everything I read, I will when I can. SOOO, I have just a few more minutes and I wanna talk about what i just read....I read in Genesis about how sin came into the world. I would dare to say we all know this story...The serpent tricked Eve, she ate  from the tree she had been forbidden to eat from, then Adam ate too because Eve made the suggestion. Ok...here's the thing that stuck with me...for their disobedience, God punished each of them and evidence of that punishment is still in existence today and is all around us.

Examples, you ask? First thing...look at all the Old People around us. I love old people...I will be an old person one day...but the older we all get we know death is coming. Aging past the point of fully developing is  kind of like evidence of "the curse" issued in the garden in which we die. Don't tell an Old Person that...or if you do, say it nicely...you know...just don't say it at all. Another piece of evidence...the ground was cursed...so the earth doesn't work the way it was intended...so earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes are evidence of the curse. Another thing that I found interesting was the whole part about how a woman's desire will be for her husband but he will dominate her. I could spend FOREVER on this but won't. However, isn't it true that even today women make less on the dollar than a man does...even after women's rights, equal opportunity guidelines this is still very true. Could this be evidence of the curse as well??

Ok...Willa Zilla woke up! By guys!