Just Do YOUR Best

He came running down the hallway, with sparkly eyes and a huge grin on his face. Finding me in the kitchen, working on breakfast, he asked me to come into his room. He said he wanted to show me something.

As I walked into his room, I saw his bed, the bed that he had just spent many minutes trying to perfectly make. Covers were spread out all over it, some of them were sort of straight. Maybe it wasn't how I think a bed should be made, but it was his best and he was so proud. I bit my tongue and decided in that moment that only praise would come out of my mouth. I smiled big and I gave him a huge high five. It was tempting to go in and straighten those covers later, but I didn't. He would know that his best wasn't good enough and what I want more than anything is for him to know that his best IS.

Daily, I'm learning that it's not about things being perfect. It's about just doing YOUR best. I can't ask for my  way, but I can ask for them to do their best and then I can praise the heck out of their efforts. I would hope that if you came to my house, that you'd find my kids beds made imperfectly, because they made them and not me. It's not about having a perfectly made bed, it's about having the opportunity to learn and knowing that your effort is good enough, in everything that you do.

Tonight I sat there and watched him get his preschool certificate. As he sang the songs with his friends, it felt like my heart was flopping around outside of my chest. Up there, he looked so much older and yet still so very small, with so much to learn and with such a pure, tender heart.

He fiddled with his button, looked at the kids behind him, wiggled, smiled, waved and lifted his shirt over his head. He did his best and his best was awesome.

♥ Angela

Nicknames

This girl. 

Between the kids and I, she has a ton of nicknames. We just can't help it. Silly talk just starts spilling out, when you hangout with this baby. Here are just a few.......

Honey

Honey bunny

Love

Little Lovey

Chunkers

Chubbers

Kissy cheeks

Kissy face

Boo boo

Baby 'Liza

And my personal favorite, given to her by Paisley: Baby Goobee (pronounced Goo-Bee).

 

 

♥ Angela

Goodbyes and a Birthday

Today was my 6 week follow-up postpartum appointment with my midwife. The appointment was totally uneventful and it hardly felt like there was a point in going, besides the fact that I love my midwife and I wanted to see her. Basically she just said "Oh Hey!....Wow, look at that huge baby!.....Hi Paisley!....So, how's it going with three? Well, you're doing awesome!......Ok, good luck!.....Bye!" And then she was gone and it was time for me to leave with my Eliza, who was asleep in her car seat and my Paisley, who had taken her shoes off and flung herself on the ground because she didn't want to leave. Both of those girls are predictable. Eliza sleeps. Paisley flings---food, shoes, herself, magazines, toys. You get the picture. Have I mentioned that two and a half hasn't been kind to us lately? That girl is just as sassy as she is sweet. And of course, she couldn't get any cuter, which makes it even more challenging.

Anyway. Getting back on track here, because this particular post isn't about two year olds.

Walking out of that office was a little emotional. I've had a lot of great moments in those rooms, between our 3 pregnancies, I've spent a lot of time there and I'm a bit sad to close that door. There's a possibility that someday we'll have more kids, but that's not guaranteed and if that does ever happen, I doubt it'll be anytime soon. Also, I imagine that if we ever have more, I'd deliver at home or at an off-site birth center, but again, three might be it.

Then of course, there's always the possibility that someday we might consider adopting. Even writing those words gives me that shaky, nervous, excited feeling. It's not something that I talk often about and really there isn't much to say about it. All I know is that God placed that desire deep down in me when I was very young and it's never gone away, even after having 3 beautiful kids of our own. It's in there and someday something might happen with it, if the right doors open and if it grows into something that my husband and I both feel like God is calling us to do.

I realized today that I'm not a fan of goodbyes. I actually don't even do goodbyes. I avoid them at all costs, sometimes unintentionally. On the drive home, I thought back to the first job that I ever really loved, when it came time for me to put in my 2 weeks and move on from that job, I didn't even tell a lot of my co-workers that I was leaving. I didn't want to say good bye, because it would make me so sad and I didn't want to even go there.

Fast forward to the job that I had up until 9 days before Judah was born. I never went back to work after he was born, but I never really quit either. I never went in to say good bye to those wonderful people, even though I should have. I loved them. That job was the best, but saying good bye didn't happen. I just couldn't do it. I had an office full of stuff there. Plants, pictures and all the normal stuff that people keep in their desk. I never even went back to get my stuff....weird, huh?

Saying good bye to my midwife today was hard because she's supported me on 3 of the best days of my life.  It's hard to close that door, but I'm finding excitement as I write this, knowing that God's plans our future are always for our best, even if that means that some doors need to close. As a big planner, I always feel like I need to have everything all lined up, but God's plans are always better than our own, so it's better to wait on Him and see what He has in store.
Our Pastor shared this verse yesterday and I just haven't been able to get over how good it is:

Jeremiah 33:3(NKJV) 

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

This weekend, we celebrated my Birthday with my Mom, step-dad, real Dad, sister, brother-in-law and their 3 kids. Filling our house with those guys was so fun. I'd choose them for family, even if we weren't related. My sister made the BEST Lemon- Blueberry cake ever. She has skills!

One of Paisley's many faces. Love this girl.

Sweet baby Eliza. Being her Mommy is an honor.

Sister, Grandma and babies. What a wonderful weekend it was!

Hoping your week is off to a great start,
♥ Angela

Be The Mom

Oh, you guys-I've been a wanna-be reader for so long. I'm that gal who's asked for book suggestions on facebook (I think I've done that at least twice), pinned lots of books that look good and put way too many books on hold at the library, only to just return them. I've had good intentions, really I have, but reading just hasn't been a priority and frankly, I haven't made the time for it.

A few weeks ago, an email caught my eye. It was from Family Life and it mentioned that with any donation, they would send you a gift, a book called "Be The Mom". Again, the wanna-be reader in me came out and I donated a small amount and requested my book. The book really did look so good and I was hoping that maybe this time I'd really read it and not do other way more (not!) important things like sit on Pinterest or watch reality TV with my husband.

Okay so, I'll get to my point here.....
I know I don't blog about books that often and yes, that's a good thing because I'm obviously not an expert in this area. However, this book is blessing my socks off and I just feel like I have to write about it. This post is most certainly not sponsored, the author has no clue who I am or that I'm even writing about her book. The point is that this book feels like it was written for me, in this crazy stage of life that I'm in with my little ones and I feel like I need to share that with you.

I've got dinner on the stove, a baby sleeping in her swing and kids playing outside while the husband mows. Maybe this isn't the best time to be blogging, but I'm popping on here to tell you that this book is written for us Moms, the Mom who's maybe a little tired of the daily grind and the Mom who's having trouble finding joy in the diapers, potty training, messes, sibling fights and normal life.

This book focuses on overcoming attitude traps and enjoying our kids. Lately, I feel like my entire personality is practically an attitude trap. I've had that "poor me, all I do is clean up after people", thing going on and that's ugly. God gave me 3 kids that were specifically handpicked to be in our family. I want to enjoy this time with them, not feel like I'm just "in the pits of motherhood".

See, we can't say that since this is the season of sleeping less, changing lots of diapers and cleaning up spilled food all day, that it's okay to not enjoy this time right now. We can't say that we'll just enjoying Mothering more later, when things are easier. No, we deserve to enjoy THIS season and our little ones deserve to see us ENJOYING this season as well. Believe me, they can tell if we're enjoying this or not. They know.

So, here's your book recommendation from a wanna-be reader. The book is changing the way I view Mothering.

And now....I should probably go finish that dinner.
Happy Weekend.
♥ Angela

P.S The book is still on special at Family Life. Just donate ANY amount and they'll send it to you. And again, this isn't sponsored. I just get fired up about good stuff like this and then I feel like I need to share.  

Rhubarb Muffins

This morning was Judah's second to last day of preschool for the year. How is it that his first year of preschool is already almost to a close? This whole growing up thing happens to fast, don't 'cha think? Summer is going to be awesome and it'll be great to have him home with us, but I've got to admit that it's been so nice to have these quiet mornings with just Paisley (and well.... Eliza too, but she just sleeps and eats at this point). 

Today Paisley and I went out in the yard and picked some rhubarb. This plant was from my friend Angie's rhubarb plant. Maybe it's weird, but plants from friends always seem kind of special to me. I love walking around my yard and seeing little reminders of my friends. It's hard to explain.....

Anyway. We picked our rhubarb and then Paisley helped me make our favorite Rhubarb Muffins. Cooking with this girl is fun because she LOVES cooking. And, cooking with this girl stresses me out, because she's a total free spirit, who holds nothing back. We're sort of opposites in that way, maybe I should learn something from her.

I love her free spirit and her go-get-'em personality, it just stretches me as a Mom. Long story short....she's perfect and cooking with her is so worth it, even if the mess that happens during the process makes my head spin.

The flour on her nose and that look of determination. I love it. 

Rhubarb Muffins

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb

• 
  
• Topping:
  1/4 cup brown sugar
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  2 teaspoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, melted butter, and egg. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until just blended. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling cups at least 2/3 full.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons of melted butter. Spoon over the tops of the muffins, and press down lightly.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing.

Recipe is adapted from All Recipes. 

I hope your day is wonderful and that if you're able to get your hands on some rhubarb, that you try these! Maybe have your kids make them and then afterwards, you can picture us sweeping up flour off of our floors together.
♥ Angela

I Turned 29

With Eliza in my arms, I stumbled out of our bedroom, only slightly after 6am, and found Jeremiah and Judah in the kitchen decorating this cake. Apparently Judah said that he wanted to make Mommy a Chocolate Peanut Butter cake. It's moments like this, where I see my husband helping our 4 year old decorate a cake, before he heads off to work, that remind me of what an amazing Dad he is. 

Judah did most of the cake decorating himself and it was so sweet to see how proud he was of his cake. After singing me Happy Birthday (still before 7am), he immediately dug his finger right into the center of the cake and stuck it in my mouth.

For breakfast, we sat at the table and had some of his Chocolate Peanut Butter sprinkled masterpiece. He was thrilled.

We ate way too much cake yesterday. 

The middle of the day was filled with all of the normal stuff:
MOPS
A baby that blew out her diaper on my leg.
Kids that spilled both of their bowls of cereal on their clothes, just before leaving for MOPS.
Laundry.
Bag pipe music that the kids turned on without asking. The problem is that they cranked the volume up to the highest level before turning on the previously mentioned bagpipes. My ears are still recovering.

The day was also filled with lots of sweet blessings:
My favorite coffee from my sister.
Hand written notes from the neighbor kids.
Flowers and a card from my MOPS gals.
And.....this picnic basket.

I've been slightly obsessing over old fashioned picnic baskets for awhile now. I want to take my kids on fancy picnics on a regular basis and have it be something that they'll always remember. I even have special dishes that I found on clearance at Target, that are perfect for picnics.

Well, look what my Mom showed up with. This picnic basket was my Grandma's and I love, love, love that we get to use it for our picnics now. After Mom dropped the picnic basket and flowers by, I literally stood in my kitchen and cried happy tears. I miss my Grandma and I know how thrilled she would be to see my kids going on fancy picnics with her basket.

As soon as my hubby got home from work, we loaded up and headed to the beach. We spent all evening there, having dinner, eating (more) cake, singing Happy Birthday and playing.

A little caterpillar stopping by to say "hey".

Paisley likes cake, can't you tell?

The beach was just ours and the evening was perfect. A seal was even out in the water splashing around!

Celebrating 29 with my family felt so perfect. A few years ago, I wouldn't have pictured spending my Birthday on the beach, feeding a tiny baby, and watching my two older kids play. Life sure has changed, but it's so good. I'm so excited for this year and for what's ahead.

This weekend, we'll party with more family and after that, I should probably swear off cake until at least my 30th birthday.

♥ Angela

Then and Now

Judah, 22 months holding baby Paisley (5 weeks old). She looks a little concerned, doesn't she? Oh, and don't you love my white hat and my arm reaching in from the side? Apparently, Paisley wasn't the only one who was slightly concerned.

 Paisley, now 2 1/2, holding baby Eliza, also 5 weeks old. No Mom arms sticking in and no white fuzzy hats this time. This time, I was actually the gal behind the camera. That's what happens when you have your 3rd kid.....

♥ Angela