Joy in the Journey

  stock.adobe.com I had a conversation with someone last week that really got me down. It was not her intention to make me feel like an idiot, but that's where I went after thinking it all over.  The conversation was about the increased risks that are more likely statistically to exist in a pregnancy of a women over the age of 35 (I turned 36 this last spring). I think that it was this conversation and the lack of sleep that created the perfect storm for me to feel foolish and condemning of myself.  As the baby increases in size, my pain also increases, especially at night lately. I sleep in a slightly wrong position and wake up with a burning pain where the new hernia is forming. It's a pain that takes my breath away and I have to rub some balm on and try moving in different positions to get it to decrease. Eventually it does, but sometimes it takes a while and often I have a hard time falling back to sleep. This, on top of starting school with the kids a couple weeks ag...

Hey ladies! How are you doing?  I am having a hard day. OCD meltdowns, toddler peeing on the floor, nasty pre-teen attitudes, sickness...its all happening today. I don't know about you, but whenever I'm having this kind of day I am always bombarded with lies that make me feel even worse. I've decided to counteract some of these lies with some truth, and I thought I would share it with you because you probably need to hear it too. You are unique. dailyverses.net You are special. bibleversestogo.com You are lovely. You are precious. bible.com You are strong. You are chosen. God values you, mama.  Even when you're a mess. Even when you feel like you are getting it all wrong. He created you for a purpose. He loves you with a love that is unconditional .  Go to Him for the comfort and strength you need.  Lots of Love, Lee P.S. Some homemade cookie dough is always a good way to reset the day, too. ;)

image from 123rf.com Good morning, mama. I'm just dropping in to say, " You be you ." A friend reposted this on facebook this week: Boy, did she get a lot of reaction from it! Some were positive, but some people were also offended. I guess I liked it so much because it validated the choices I have made in my life by recognizing that there is nothing wrong with being " just" a wife and mother. After reading it over carefully, I realized that the people who were getting offended over it where thinking that the post was saying that getting married, having children, and being a stay at home mom were the only way to live. That's not how I see what it was saying. I feel like "Life is about family, not work." is a good summery of what this lady is trying to say. Who is really going to argue about that? Especially since "family" is really a term that has no bounds. It can mean any type of community you have around you. Those who are called to sp...

 Hey mamas! So, I've been a good girl and spent more time at home this week. It has been nice. I read two books and crocheted a blanket for my dad. The kids and I finished reading The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and watched the old Disney movie, so they spent two entire days in Sherwood Forest (aka our back yard), dressed in medieval garb and having archery contests and quarterstaff fights. It was so fun to listen to them through the open window! During this week I had to fight some of my familiar giants. One of them is the one that always taunts me and tells me that I should be getting more done around the house, that I should just do the work and deal with the pain afterwards. "You're a terrible housewife and a lazy slob. A real woman wouldn't have such a messy house, she wouldn't have so many unfinished projects!" is his favorite accusation. The other likes to tease me about missing out on things because I'm either choosing to stay home and not parti...

You may not garden, but hang on, this post is still for you. I grew up with my family gardening, and it has always been a source of joy for me. And delicious food, of course. It took my husband a bit to understand my enthusiasm about it (maybe he still doesn't). Why do all that work when you could just buy the produce, all clean and bug free, from the store? Do you really save money when you consider the fertilizer and water that has to go into raising it? I don't know. But I still think gardening is worth it. I like this quote: I feel closer to God and more peaceful when I am gardening. Pulling weeds is a constructive way to get out some frustration, and standing with your bare feet in the soil has been scientifically proven to be healthful. Not to mention, it was the first job that God gave to mankind. I guess that isn't technically true. As soon as I wrote that, I realized that there was a command given before God told Adam to tend the garden. And that is what my post is...