A child always KNOWS their own Mother!

I haven't posted for a couple of days. I have had a bad flu and honestly haven't felt like doing anything. Most days seem to fly bye but for some reason time slows way down... when you are sick. Making you feel like you have been sick forever! It has only been 4 days, but a very LONG 4 days.

Just wanted to share this sweet little video clip with you. It is a great reminder that kids really do know and love their Mothers. Watch carefully the ladie's faces, you can almost tell which child is there just by their reactions.

My Mom has been gone almost 16 years, there are so many times, I wished I could call and share something with her, or ask her a question.

For all of you with your Mother's still here, don't forget to let her know just how much she means to you, and be thankful she is still in your life.
Have a wonderful day dear friends!

Watch it HERE:

Saying goodbye...again!

Today was the last day that our son Lee and his friend had here. They drive out in the morning. We had dinner with Amy, John and kids ( who were all sick ) and we asked our neighbor over too! It was such a beautiful day that we decided we needed to have a  BBQ and celebrated Lee's Birthday ( it is a week early ) but this is the last time we will see him till probably this summer.
We missed Brad, Krystal, Kai, Lauren and Nik! Then it truly would have been a perfect day!
Just reminded me how I much appreciate my family and I am grateful, so grateful to have them in my life!
But saying goodbye has never been my strong suit! I love my family, I am so blessed!
Good Night dear friends!





Uncle Lee is like the child whisperer... with all his neices and nephews! They will miss him!

Believing in yourself!

From the time I was a little girl, I always imagined that if I lived through my ordeal...that some day, some how I would find my true love; and he and I would make a better and safer life for our kids. That the next generation would break away from the other generations of Abuse. That was something that drove me to not only to survive my abuse, but to thrive in my life as an adult.
 I have to admit that I did not survive without some scars. It is those scars that I continue to work on. I continue to not only make my life better... but teach other victims out there, that there is HOPE for them too!
What a crazy and amazing journey this life has been. When I read this quote, I thought that is so true, we don't want to live our life with regrets. We need to believe in ourselves and then learn to love ourselves, when we can do that...our LIGHT begins to shine and then and only then, can we be able to help someone else!
Thanks for sharing your light with me!
Good Night dear friends!

VeryWise Wisdom!

This was a great article, and something I think that could be helpful for any marriage.
Good Night dear friends!

Fidelity starts outside the bedroom

There’s a song in heavy rotation on the radio these days that goes something like this.

You look good, I will not lie. But if you ask where I’m staying tonight. I gotta be like oh baby, no baby, you got me all wrong baby. My baby’s already got all of my love.

The artist, who is undeniably talented and who has a few great tracks in my iTunes library, goes on to resist another drink. “So nah nah, Honey, I’m good. I could have another but I probably should not. I’ve got somebody at home, and if I stay I might not leave alone.”

The song is everywhere. I’ve heard it at the gym, the gas station and at the car wash. Because it represents the death of decent music, maybe it ought to play at funeral homes.

Last week a friend and I dissected the song by text message. It was a classic Lincoln-Douglas debate, but without the intelligence or cool outfits.

We decided that at first listen, the song almost sounds noble. Isn’t the singer saying he has a sweetheart at home that he can’t wait to get to? Aw, he’s so loyal. Here he is engaging with another woman at a club, telling her how attractive she is, but resisting her advances because his soul mate waits on the couch. Isn’t that tender?

Sorry, fictional song guy, but fidelity starts outside the bedroom. And yes, it’s just a song, but the message is dangerous and destructive.

Nearly everyone I’ve known with a broken marriage attributes the death of the relationship to the birth of another.

Does this sound familiar?

A man begins confiding in a female colleague several times a week and they have lunch together. They laugh at one another’s jokes and feel valued.

No big deal, right?

Soon they share frustrations about their own marriages and begin highlighting all the attributes they admire about their new friend that, perhaps, their spouse may not be offering. “You really understand me,” one of them says.

Nothing to see here, right?

They’re not holding hands. They’re not really lying to anyone, are they? They’re just developing a close friendship. Maybe they’re just emailing, texting and emotionally winking at clever inside jokes.

Then, one day, these two chums have a discussion that leads to tears and a long hug. Relax, it’s just a hug. Just a bit of compassion and comfort. It’s a simple, tender touch.

Nothing to stress about, right?

Have they been disloyal? Have they crossed a line? Have they broken marriage vows? Have they had conversations they would never carry on in front of their spouses?

Perhaps that’s the best test. Is the discussion — whether in a crowded deli or by private message — something you would feel completely comfortable sharing with your spouse? Are you confiding things that should be reserved for husband and wife?

Certainly men and women can and should be good friends. In fact, some of my dearest friends from work, church or around town are women with whom I am very comfortable.

There’s Laurie Paisley, a friend in Indiana who coordinates many of my speaking engagements. My wife and I love her like a sister.

Then there’s Chrissy Funk. She’s a great friend who lives a few miles down the road and who alongside my wife has endured plenty of husband hijinks. Along with their kids, they’re among our favorite people on the planet.

Or what about Jennifer Oringdulph? We’ve worked together for years in church assignments and I have tremendous respect for her as a teacher and leader. We playfully tease each other often and I remind her that if we were really siblings, she’d be the slightly older one.

There are many others from all walks of life, both men and women I love and consider like family. But none of them supplant my wife as my best friend.

I wish I could sit down with fictional song guy and buy him a soda. I’d want him to know that while I admire his desire to leave the club early, he’s dancing on very thin ice. Somewhere at home, fictional song gal is wondering why he’s drinking and flirting with a tan, long-legged woman in the first place.

And if you wonder whether you’re emotionally dancing with someone else, turn down the music and talk. Fidelity starts outside the bedroom.
You can find the article HERE:

Hope needs to be ...in us!

Today I gave a talk in Church, I thought I would put that as my post tonight. Got to see or facetime each one of my kids today. My heart is happy!
Good Night dear friends!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the Christmas Season.  I love how everyone seems a bit kinder, and happier. I love the attitude of SERVICE and SELFLESSNESS that seems to abound, but most of all I love the spirit of HOPE that fills the air.  

 But every spring I am reminded that…

There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe, Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby… without being the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.

In 2 Nephi 25:26 we read "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ...that our children may know to what source they may look"

So it is vital that we talk often of Christ, to our kids and grandkids… not only at Christmas time, but at Easter too!

 Brother Steven E Snow in the April 2011 General Conference,  recounted this story …

"Our family grew up in the high desert country of southern Utah. Rain is rare, and hope abounds that there will be sufficient moisture for the coming heat of the summer. Then, as now, we hoped for rain, we prayed for rain, and in dire times, we fasted for rain.
   The story is told there of the grandfather who took his five-year-old grandson for a walk around town. Ultimately, they found themselves at a small grocery store on Main Street where they stopped for a cold soda pop. A car from out of state pulled up and the driver approached the old-timer. Pointing to a small cloud in the sky, the stranger asked, "Do you think it's going to rain?"
   "I certainly hope so," replied the old man, "if not for my sake, for the boy's. I've seen it rain."

If I could think of what the letters for the word HOPE stood for, I would say this...

I think the H …stands for HEALING

Jeffrey R. Holland said “ There is no anquish or sorrow or sadness n life that He has not suffered in our behalf and borne away upon His own valiant and compassionate shoulders.”

There have been many times in my own life that I have been given small portions of hope, as I felt comforted and blessed during a hard trial in my life.

The O I think could be for Optimism…

When you get an answer to your prayers, or strength to handle something that is bigger than you …it seems as if the Lord gives us a little bit of  light… and with that light we can see a little farther, and things differently … and maybe even a little more optimistic!

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said this about hope, “The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come.”

P is for Personal…

In Oct. 2008  I wrote this in my blog...

Why is it that the night time is the hardest when you are sick, lonely, sad or concerned about something? It is like the whole world is asleep and you are left completely alone with your thoughts.  All of these things just kept racing through my head and I couldn't seem to stop them long enough to let sleep come in.

So here I am again, it is early in the morning and I have been awake for hours. Now this blog was not meant to be a reality type blog, but a motivational blog. But it seems for the moment that I need to express a couple of personal things that have come front and center in our lives.

Yesterday we got the results back from my MRI, it wasn't good, I have been diagnosed with Cancer once again, the same cancer I had 7 years ago. I am not sure what I accomplished yesterday...not much, but the reality, that I am going to have to go down this road again is becoming all too clear.

Almost 7 years ago when I was diagnosed, I remember crying and being depressed for the first few days, and the kids did the same. It didn't take me too long to remember that I was the mom, the heart of the home… and that I needed to somehow pull myself together. Yesterday when I asked Amy  (our oldest daughter ) if she was really alright, her reply was classic "I'm ok MOM, if you are ok?"

And so I need to be ok, for my sake, for my families' sake. We have fought this battle before, and I am sure we can do it again.

 I keep thinking to myself… what I tell other women who I counsel with, when things of this magnitude hit their lives? I would tell them to get back to the basics, find out what their core beliefs are? Do they believe in a God or not?

That is real important, because these situations make you face exactly how much you can take, and it is vital to know that you don't have to do any of this ALONE, unless you choose to. And last but not least, I would say to them have FAITH, faith to know that we all have the answers inside us to the tough questions that come in our lives. Faith that your Heavenly Father will be there and will help you fight these battles. Faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, He truly understands what we are going through and will help comfort us and He will give us a peace, that the world doesn't have to offer.

So I will try to remember all these things that I have shared a million times with other, and apply to my own life!

The sun will be up soon, and hopefully I will be ready to take on yet another day. They say “THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE FUTURE IS …THAT IT ONLY COMES ONE DAY AT A TIME!”  How grateful I am for that. ( close quote )

Last is E, I think it could stand for Eternal…

Emily Freeman in her book (Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter) spoke of the story inLuke 24 when she said…

“They left the city in the early afternoon of a spring day just after the crucifixion- two disciples traveling to Emmaus, talking of all that happened as they walked. For almost two hours they traveled. In all, their walk probably encompassed six or seven miles, and surely every mile was filled with conversation about Jesus Christ- the memories, the miracles, and the mystery of the empty tomb.

Somewhere along the way, a stranger joined them on the road. The men were so caught up in conversation they did not at first acknowledge Him. The stranger asked why they were sad. Cleopas  answered by asking if the man was a stranger and wondering how it was that he did not know of the things that had happened in Jerusalem. “ What things/” the stranger asked.

So they began to tell the story, laying out the details and pouring out their hearts. They told of how Jesus of Nazareth had come, who was mighty in deed and in word, how the chief priests and rulers had delivered Him to be crucified, and how they had trusted that it had been He who would redeem  Israel. It was in this moment that their pouring out turned to testimony,  “ And what is more, it is the third day since this took place”

They spoke of certain women who had been to the sepulcher and returned astonished, and the women who had seen angels who testified that Jesus was alive.

Then they talked of two men who ran to the sepulcher and saw that it was empty, “ but him they saw not”

There must have been a silence hanging in the air in the pause that followed. The astonishment, the desperate hope, the wonder- all of it too great to put into words. It was in that moment that the stranger began to speak. His words were filled with scriptural verses that defined the mission of Jesus Christ. By now it was almost evening. Having reached a fork in the road, that signified they had arrived in the village that was their destination, the disciples asked the stranger to tarry with them. “Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent”

So the stranger went with them to their home. It was as they partook of a simple meal that the eyes of their understanding was opened. They suddenly recongnized the resurrected Lord, “ and they knew him;  and he vanished out of their sight. Realization dawned in that instant: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”  (close quote )

The lesson from this story of these two disciples is simple, but profound- it is through the scriptures that we can come to know the Savior personally. Do we read them, do we know them? So that we might be able to show our children to what source they can go to for Peace and Hope?

  Gordon B Hinckley said…

...."We know not what lies ahead of us. We know not what the coming days will bring. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith."

In 1 Peter 3:15 it says…

“ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to  every man that asketh you a reason of the HOPE that is in you….”

We can’t give away Hope…if it is not in us!

I love the quote that says…

"Man can live forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope"

How grateful I am for the Easter Season, as well as the Christmas Season!

It is my testimony that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, that through His amazing gift of the Resurrection that we never have to live without Hope, unless we choose to.

For this gift and knowledge I am truly thankful!

A child's heart!

As a Mother, I remember when my kids were sick and how I worried about them. Now I am a Grandmother  ( Nana )  and I realize that I still worry just as much. Angie came to stay with me for a 3 day Sleep Over and she has been so sick. She really didn't do much at all while she was here. I stayed right by her, checked her temperature,  tried to do all that I could to make her feel better or at least comfortable. She didn't want to eat much at all, so I just tried to keep liquids in her and I did get a few Protein drinks in her. Her fever would just go up and down often. We were able to do something fun for about 20 mins, then you would see her lay down her head a lot and just go to bed. Poor thing, finally this morning she woke up with a high fever so I got ahold of Amy and we got a Doctor appointment for her, then I took her to home in time to go to it.
She was so cute, she said "Nana,  are you going to be ok by yourself while Poppa is gone, since I can't be there?"  I smiled and tried to explain to her that I would miss her but I would be fine. I just wanted her to get better.
She never complained at all, what a sweetheart and still it was a fun 3 days, because I got to still be  with her.



Then I got an text from Brad and Krystal saying that my little Grandson Kai had an accident today, and they have been sitting at the ER trying to get stitches in his head. Poor little guy, how I wish could fly to Texas right away and be there to take care of him and just hold
him. Oh how I love these grandchildren of mine! And I hurt when they hurt...just like when I was a Mom.

This photo that I found on Pinterest, reminded me how sweet these little children's hearts are. They love their stuffed animals and dolls and they are so sweet. I loved being a Mom and I really love being a Nana.

I am tired, I am beat but... I am blessed!

Good Night dear friend!

It gets better!

Well, today went different than we had planned for Angie's 3 Day Sleep Over...she is still very sick. So we just laid low again, tried to get a lot of fluids in her and just sat around and talked. We watched a movie and then just headed her to bed early. I pray that tonight she does better than last night. She is such a sweetheart and hardly complains at all. Still no matter what she still wants to stay for her Sleep Over. It does my heart good!
Loved this letter that Jason F. Wright, great reminder to us all ...that "It gets better".
Good Night dear friends!

Letter to a stranger in a cemetary

Dear Sir in the cemetery,

I saw you last Sunday.

I was driving home from a church in the northern part of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

You were visiting a different kind of church. Wearing a dark suit, you stood at the foot of what appeared to be a fresh grave in a quiet, sunny cemetery. You looked younger than me, but your face and posture breathed experience.

You were alone.

I admit that my heart suggested I slam on the brakes and approach you. But my mind argued otherwise. Yes, I did pull into the cemetery’s side entrance, but I observed from a safe distance and did not leave my car.

As I sat, I reminisced about my own graveside visits to those I’ve loved and lost. And I lingered on three words heaven has whispered to me over and over again.

It gets better.

Obviously, I do not know the circumstances of your loss, your relationship or your grief. You might have been there to mourn a mother who lived to 82, a brother who perished at 52 or a wife who passed at 32.

Or, perhaps most tragically, a toddler taken at just 2.

As an adult, you probably already know that the grief for every kind of death is distinct, like crayons in a box that are all the same size and shape, but when streaked across the paper are unique.

But perhaps in the postscript of a funeral, you don’t yet know that those three words are as real as the pain you feel.

It gets better.

I’m almost certain people who’ve been there surround you on all sides. Maybe not living the exact same shades of grief, but they’ve likely lost someone they loved more than anyone or anything. When you wonder about tomorrow, you wonder if they believe in those three words, too.

If my assumptions are correct and your own loss is recent, the grief might feel like a bright billboard that no matter where you turn or how fast you drive, is always right in front of you. It seems inescapable. Even when you close your eyes, even when you dream, your personalized shade of sadness finds you.

That’s part of the plan. Though today it may sound out of tune, grief is good. It means they lived, it means you loved, it means they left behind a piece of their soul inside yours.

Many years ago I invited one of my brothers to visit my father’s grave with me. Unlike the grave you watered with tears last week, our dad’s has seen only rain and sprinklers for a long time. My brother smiled and reminded me what I already knew. “He’s not there.”

I realized that day that for my brother, it got better. And, eventually, it got better for me, too. We miss him, of course, but our grief has turned into brighter shades of memories: the cheesy T-shirts, the bad jokes and a thousand lessons learned.

During this Holy Week, the days that lead to the victory of Easter morning, I’m reminded again of the many visits to gravesites that tugged at my heartstrings. I remember how cemeteries can be peaceful, healing settings and I don’t regret a single second spent there.

I also remember the billboard I couldn’t escape. I recall the pain that waited for me each morning like uncomfortable shoes at the side of my bed.

Perhaps like you, I wondered if the sun would ever rise again.

In time, I learned the most foundational and fundamental truth of eternal life.

The sun will rise again, because the Son rose.

Friends come and go, families grow, relationships end and 101 hearts are broken and healed every second of every day. But this Easter truth is constant.

He is Risen.

Just like Mary who sat outside an empty tomb, the graves we visit are simply symbols. The only life there is our own. The ones we mourn, the one you miss, is not there.

No, they’re not yet risen. But they will be!

Because he was.

And even though I don’t know you, because he is risen, I know these other three words are also true.

It gets better.
You can read it HERE:

Spring break

Yesterday Angie came home with us after dinner for her 3 day Sleep Over. That was the good news but the bad news was that she started feeling bad before she went to bed. By this morning she felt a lot worse and had a fever and a nasty cold starting. So we decided that today was going to be a lay low kind of day for our 1st day of our Sleep Over.

Everytime her fever came back I could tell...her eyes got glassy looking and she started layering up with blankets and even my hooded sweatshirts. Then when her fever broke...she start shedding everything. Felt so sorry for her but I asked her if she wanted to go home but she didn't. So we just laid low...
We watched a couple of movies, then her fever broke and she wanted to go outside. She found a bird's nest


 and then when she looked closer and we found that there were 3 little eggs ...she was sooooo excited!

 Oh how I love being around these grandchildren of mine... they truly enjoy just the smallest of things of life. How blessed I feel with Angie, Jenny, Kai and Audrey in my life. Can hardly wait to see what wonderful things Miss Oakely will teach us when she gets here.
Jeff flew out for a business trip this morning, and I was so grateful that Angie was here with me. I am really not much of a loner, so I was grateful for her company.
Then we worked making some doll clothes. Angie and Jenny both are saving up for an American Doll for their birthdays. They are trying to earn half of it before her birthdays. So we decided to look at the patterns that I had and then we worked for a little bit on teaching her how to read patterns and how to cut them out.


 She only lasted for a little bit, then her fever and headache came back.
Her cough is worse tonight so we read our scriptures, said our prayers early and got her to bed. She really wasn't feeling good at all. Sure hope tomorrow she is feeling better.
Tonight I worked on my afghan some, almost ready to crochet the border on it. This one seems to be taking me forever, but Jeff tells me that is has been faster than I realize.
Then I watched a movie on Netflix, it was called Unconditional...it was great. Clean, uplifting, inspiring and based on a true story.

You truly should watch this movie, you will be glad you did, I promise!

Happy Easter!

How grateful I am for the Easter Season and especially for the amazing gift the Savior gave us.


Here is an amazing Easter message, enjoy!
Please watch it HERE:
Have a wonderful Easter Season!
Good Night dear friends!

Sewing, sewing and more sewing?

Today I sewed and sewed and sewed!  Amy, Jenny and Audrey came by to help. I first started out making an Easter Basket/ Drawstring Bag for Audrey. I had made one for her sisters a few years ago and so she had to have one too! I didn't have the cording for it, so I will have to show it to you later. Then I finished the Story Time quilt that I am teaching tomorrow for my April Demo Class. It turned out pretty good, and I was grateful to have it finished in time!
Good night dear friends!

  


I am soooo glad this quote is true! My house is s mess, especially my sewing studio! 

Why?

This was a great article.
Thought it was a good reminder for us all!
Good night dear friends!

Follow God’s example and say ‘no’ to your kids — sometimest

As you read this — no matter where you live — this scene is available in a store near you.

A child looks up at Mom or Dad and asks for something they want, but almost most certainly doesn’t need. If the answer is “no,” the child often asks again in a different tone and rhythm.

Like a composer, they add another instrument each time they ask. Sometimes, the begging and pleading and become so loud it’s like a symphony heard across the store, or worse, the ZIP code.

We’ve all been there. We were the child, the parent or the stranger in line behind them.

The theme appears everywhere: The kid who wants a sleepover. The movie your son wants to watch that he’s just not ready for. The school dance where your daughter wants to make an appearance, but with a boy you’d like to actually disappear.

Contrary to what our children might believe, we don’t say “no” because we delight in their distress. We say “no” because it’s the best answer. But do we say “no” often enough?

Here’s another scene unfolding somewhere near you, but much more reverently.

A mother prays for the son who raged and barged out of the house two years ago that she hasn’t seen since. Mom just wants him home, and she prays that God will say “yes” and deliver him to her doorstep.

Three streets over, a woman is also asking God for a child. She’s been trying to get pregnant for years and fears the window is quickly closing. She asks every single day, but the answer has not changed. Like a child in the store, she’s also crying. But her tears come not from disappointment — they spring from grief.

Across town a teenage boy is likewise on his knees. He’s pleading and bargaining with his Heavenly Father that his earthly father will come home from yet another trip to the hospital. Dad has been battling cancer and more than anything, his son wants him to attend his high school graduation, his wedding and to be back at the hospital in a happier wing — labor and delivery — to one day meet a grandchild.

Every day we call out to God — our father — and ask him for things we both want and need. In his own time, he has a way of meeting those needs, and, occasionally, even our wants.

But he often says “no.”

Every day our children come to us and ask for things they both want and need. Sometimes we believe that to show love, or to end the asking, or to end the tantrum, we must say “yes.” But if we believe that there is a heavenly pattern to parenting, shouldn’t we say “no” more often?

Next time you’re the awkward stranger watching one of these dramatic family moments play out next to the candy bar rack, glance in the cart and see what you find. There are exceptions, of course, but you usually see exactly what the child needs. Bread, milk, eggs, perhaps new socks and maybe an item or two they want.

It might be their favorite cereal, a new coloring book, or that bag of chips Mom doesn’t normally buy.

If you believe in God, if you believe he is our literal Father in heaven, the next time you’re faced with the decision of getting something your child wants but does not necessarily need, try saying “no.”

No matter how badly they think they need it, consider all you know about their life that they have not yet learned. Consider that you’re taking care of their needs and helping them grow through the “no.”

Say it with love. Say it with compassion and patience. But say it.

God loves us. But sometimes, despite our deepest desires, he says “no” because he sees more than the here and now — he sees what’s best for us over an eternity.

Likewise, we love our children. But sometimes, despite their deepest desires, we should say “no” because we see more than the here and now — we see what’s best for them along their earthly journey in our care.

Don’t be afraid to say “no.” If it’s good for God, it’s good for us.

I found the article HERE:

A True Friend!

What a great article and tribute to a TRUE FRIEND!!!
I found the article in a blog HERE:
Take a few minutes to read it...it is soooo worth it!
Good night dear friends (who many of you, have been this type of friend to me! Thanks! )

Last week I had my good friend and her boys over for a play date. What I love about getting together with her is that there’s freedom to be real. I didn’t race around my house minutes before she came to make it look presentable. I didn’t attempt to create the allusion that I had time to do my hair. Instead, this is how it went down.

I greeted her with sopping wet hair. I was wearing yoga pants and carrying my twin girls in their bath towels who had decided to jump in the shower with me minutes earlier. The breakfast dishes were barely cleaned up and the toys were already covering the floor for the day.

And the best part? She didn’t care. Because she gets it. She gets that sleep was probably interrupted the night before and that I chose to rest a few extra minutes instead of waking up early to dry and curl my hair. She gets that showering alone sometimes isn’t an option and that I had to drag the kids along just so I could wash myself. She gets that dishes are never ending and there’s no such thing as all the toys being put away. She gets it all. 

She understands that more than anything, what I need during this season isn’t the stress of preparing for a get together, but that I need to know I’m not alone. So she continually meets me where I’m at.

We chat about the good, the bad, and the unknown, while our kids run wild and destroy the house. We pretend not to notice it. Because honestly? We’re willing to sacrifice just about anything, including a controlled environment, for a couple hours of adult conversation.

When one kid dumps an entire bag of cereal on the table and the next one throws it all over the floor, we laugh and enjoy the chaos. Then, she grabs the broom while holding my baby and starts sweeping it up.

She meets me in my mess. Time and time again.

My hope for all of us is that we’d pursue friendships in our messes. That we wouldn’t wait to reach out until we have it all together. When you welcome someone over to your dirty house, I guarantee it’ll make that friend feel even more loved to know you trust her with your real life stuff.

The truth is, none of us live in a perfect house with a white picket fence. There’s always more to the story, and there’s nothing better than to let someone in to YOUR story. That’s where life gets rich, it’s where we learn that we were placed on this earth to bring light into each other’s darkness.

You are loved today, friend. Even in your messiest darkest hour, you are worthy of love.

XOXO,

Amber