Things have seemed busy here lately, but I know they're only going to get more hectic as we get closer to the end of the year! Here's what's been going on in the recent past:
Mark It With a "B" Bakery has been keeping me on my toes! I've had several orders this month and it's been a ton of fun!
Randal took a business trip to California a couple of weeks ago. We missed him a ton and the kids were super excited to go pick him up at the airport. He does such a great job and I'm so proud of how hard he works at his job, but it is nice to have him home :)
Of course, Thanksgiving was this past week, so that was a ton of fun! I love the holidays and all the craziness that comes with them! We had the Schafers family get together on Wednesday evening and had a great time stuffing our faces. On Thursday, we drove down to Edmond for the Randall family's get together and stayed through Friday. We ate, we played games, we watched football, we ate lots more. All in all, a great couple of days!
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, we went over to Randal's parents' house and helped set up their Christmas tree and some of their other decorations. That Sunday, I put up our tree and got our house decked out. On Friday, on our way home from OK, we made a detour to A-town and helped my parents get their tree up (and drag out all their other decorations). My favorite day of the year has always been helping my mommy put up the Christmas decor while listening to wonderful holiday music. What a fun time :)
We have Madison's appt up at Children's Mercy on Dec. 7th. Hopefully, we'll get some answers for our sweet little lady and she can be a little more comfortable! Her birthday is next month, so I'm busy planning that party as well! I'm so excited for her Dr. Seuss party and know she's going to have a blast!
As an early New Years Resolution, I've decided to be more diligent about writing letters to the people I care about. I'm excited about making this more of a priority and plan to blog some of these to keep them around. Yay for technology!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The gloves are coming off.
I recently read a book about being a "happy mother". I can't say that it was earth shattering or life changing, but I can say that I think it's something every woman should consider reading, mother or not. I enjoyed talking with another mom who was reading it at the same time and discussing some of the points...one chapter in particular.
The chapter that hit home for me was the one about competition. I'm horrible about this, I'm just going to come out and admit that right off the bat. Most women are, let's be really honest. We are catty - it's one of our most well-known traits across all generations. We like to gossip and compare ourselves to those around us. As a working mom, I feel like I have to "measure up" to those that stay at home. Like I have to prove that, even though I'm not with my kids all day, we have just as good of a bond and my kids are just as smart and well adjusted. As a woman, I have to "measure up" with the way that I look. Well this has got to stop. Because if I really want to call myself a Christ follower, then I have to be making the effort to become more like Him. And He is not catty. He doesn't gossip. He doesn't compare. I am made in His image, so I need to stop with all the silly comparisons.
These comparisons, this competition, it's breaking us. It's stealing away wonderful relationships. The "I'm prettier than her" and "I'm a better mom than her" attitudes are keeping us from fabulous friendships. The "she's not good enough for him" attitudes are breaking up our marriages. The "I have to prove that I'm a better woman/mom than her" attitude is stealing time away from our families. The "I'm too good for her" attitudes are defeating our ministries. The "I need to lose 10 more pounds to look as good as her" attitudes are compromising our confidence and resulting in unhealthy body images for us and our daughters.
This cycle has gone on for thousands of years...and it's just going to continue unless we make a real effort to stop it. It's in our nature, so it's hard to fight, but it's worth the effort. We need to make a point of lifting each other up, encouraging one another. Find the good in the women around us. Stop comparing and just start seeing.
Then, I think, we'll be able to have the relationships that God is aching for us to have - the no-holds-barred kind of loving relationships we were made for.
The chapter that hit home for me was the one about competition. I'm horrible about this, I'm just going to come out and admit that right off the bat. Most women are, let's be really honest. We are catty - it's one of our most well-known traits across all generations. We like to gossip and compare ourselves to those around us. As a working mom, I feel like I have to "measure up" to those that stay at home. Like I have to prove that, even though I'm not with my kids all day, we have just as good of a bond and my kids are just as smart and well adjusted. As a woman, I have to "measure up" with the way that I look. Well this has got to stop. Because if I really want to call myself a Christ follower, then I have to be making the effort to become more like Him. And He is not catty. He doesn't gossip. He doesn't compare. I am made in His image, so I need to stop with all the silly comparisons.
These comparisons, this competition, it's breaking us. It's stealing away wonderful relationships. The "I'm prettier than her" and "I'm a better mom than her" attitudes are keeping us from fabulous friendships. The "she's not good enough for him" attitudes are breaking up our marriages. The "I have to prove that I'm a better woman/mom than her" attitude is stealing time away from our families. The "I'm too good for her" attitudes are defeating our ministries. The "I need to lose 10 more pounds to look as good as her" attitudes are compromising our confidence and resulting in unhealthy body images for us and our daughters.
This cycle has gone on for thousands of years...and it's just going to continue unless we make a real effort to stop it. It's in our nature, so it's hard to fight, but it's worth the effort. We need to make a point of lifting each other up, encouraging one another. Find the good in the women around us. Stop comparing and just start seeing.
Then, I think, we'll be able to have the relationships that God is aching for us to have - the no-holds-barred kind of loving relationships we were made for.
Friday, November 11, 2011
I’m a dweeb and I love it.
I’ve come to the realization over the years that I am a complete dork. Over the last few years, I’ve fully embraced my dweeby self and have learned that this is a wonderful thing! J Here are a few gems of examples:
1) I recently decided that minivan drivers should have a cool wave like bikers do. I’m still trying to come up with one that I can incorporate into my upper-body dancing that I do while driving. Any input is appreciated.
2) I consider time alone in the car to be time only well spent if I belt at least several songs and I enjoy the looks from other drivers while I do my finger dancing on the steering wheel and sometimes throw in some shoulder movement if I'm really feeling it.
3) I can’t accessorize to save my life.
4) I love cookbooks.
5) I would be perfectly happy staying cuddled up on the couch and watching Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart movies all weekend long.
6) I love movies like Spinal Tap. Did you know that 11/11/11 is Nigel Tufnel day? Crank it up.
7) I dance and sing around the house. The kids think it’s fun now and like to join me. Wait until they’re older and their friends come over! This is gonna be good.
8) I use jazz hands and air quotes on a regular basis.
9) I act like a 70 year old woman. I use words people my age don’t, I know who people are that I shouldn’t, and I am falling apart.
10) I hate being referred to as “ma’am”, but I refer to people one year younger than me as “kids”.
11) I cry at everything – tv shows, reality competitions, commercials, songs, you name it, I have teared up at it.
12) I love excel spreadsheets.
13) I get REALLY excited about really small things…like, can’t sleep, can’t get my mind off of it, excited.
14) I can rarely remember how old I really am.
15) Sometimes, when I’m baking and/or cooking, I like to pretend I’m on a Food Network show…yes, really.
16) I constantly have a song in my head and struggle not to hum all day long (sorry to my coworkers!).
17) I'm always getting hooked on iPhone strategy and puzzle games, like Drop 7 (my current addiction).
18) I am writing this blog and admitting all of these things. J
1) I recently decided that minivan drivers should have a cool wave like bikers do. I’m still trying to come up with one that I can incorporate into my upper-body dancing that I do while driving. Any input is appreciated.
2) I consider time alone in the car to be time only well spent if I belt at least several songs and I enjoy the looks from other drivers while I do my finger dancing on the steering wheel and sometimes throw in some shoulder movement if I'm really feeling it.
3) I can’t accessorize to save my life.
4) I love cookbooks.
5) I would be perfectly happy staying cuddled up on the couch and watching Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart movies all weekend long.
6) I love movies like Spinal Tap. Did you know that 11/11/11 is Nigel Tufnel day? Crank it up.
7) I dance and sing around the house. The kids think it’s fun now and like to join me. Wait until they’re older and their friends come over! This is gonna be good.
8) I use jazz hands and air quotes on a regular basis.
9) I act like a 70 year old woman. I use words people my age don’t, I know who people are that I shouldn’t, and I am falling apart.
10) I hate being referred to as “ma’am”, but I refer to people one year younger than me as “kids”.
11) I cry at everything – tv shows, reality competitions, commercials, songs, you name it, I have teared up at it.
12) I love excel spreadsheets.
13) I get REALLY excited about really small things…like, can’t sleep, can’t get my mind off of it, excited.
14) I can rarely remember how old I really am.
15) Sometimes, when I’m baking and/or cooking, I like to pretend I’m on a Food Network show…yes, really.
16) I constantly have a song in my head and struggle not to hum all day long (sorry to my coworkers!).
17) I'm always getting hooked on iPhone strategy and puzzle games, like Drop 7 (my current addiction).
18) I am writing this blog and admitting all of these things. J
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