Monday Morning Music

This week my M3 is a song that I was introduced to by a friend during a church service :)

just a thought...

I stole this article from another blog and appreciated the honesty in it. If you read the article this blog will make a bit more sense. Now, I'm not writing this to make anyone feel bad, or to throw my politics in your face, but I'm writing this to share my heart. Josh and I have long felt that hopefully we would at some point add a child to our family who did not share our DNA. Both of us have always felt a call to it and with his having 3 adopted sisters it was never a shock, or even a real discussion, just always a plan. I have no idea when that plan will happen, or maybe even if it will, now is certainly not the time for us to intentionally bring a child into our family who may need special needs, be it physically or emotionally, but hopefully someday we will be in that place. However, I know more than one couple, who have adopted children out of deep love and desire to have a family, regardless of how it is built, or what color it is.

"Adoption is an option" is this lovely quote that church-going individuals love to march around with, and YES, it is an option...but personally I remember very clearly those same individuals making an 18 year old, pregnant 'church brat' feel like her only option was to walk into a clinic. Adoption IS an option, one that is beautiful and selfless, but it is also one that requires an immense amount of support and guidance. It is a taboo subject that people are scared to discuss, and I don't understand why...

So, before my soapbox gets so large that it takes over this page, I will simply tell you to read the article and maybe a few of you will be willing to stand up...

Monday Morning Music

Ok, I get it, not Monday morning, but 3pm will do! Ok, this song was actually discovered by E and her constant search of Elmo on the ipad, but I thought you might enjoy!

Flower girl!!!

This is from a few weeks ago, but still to cute not to share. Elliette was asked to be the flower girl in a wedding for a beautiful who I have known since she was 8 months old. I haven't seen Kelley myself several years, but my mom has kept in touch with her and we were honored to be asked to be a part of the wedding. So, the last day of school my mom and I sent Jackson to my aunts and loaded up the car for a long ride to Atlanta! I'm not going to make this post long, because I'm sure you are more interested in the pictures, but I can say the wedding was hot, chaotic and beautiful! We were quite worried about whether Elliette would even go down the aisle but she pulled it off and got her reward in the end. Take a look...

(the rehearsal -the only time she threw the petals!)



(watching Elmo to keep from melting down)






(the baby was her reward for making it down the aisle)

one of those people

So, last year my MIL got us a bike trailer to attach to Josh's bike and go riding with a toddler. Now, I say this like there was some real motivation to go out and ride before she bought the trailer, and the lack of a bike trailer was the one thing holding us back, but that would be wrong. It was one of those, "yeah we should do that" type of things that was easily excused because what were we going to do with E?

Anyway, it's been sitting in the box in the garage since she bought it, collecting dust with most of the other things you store in a garage. So, I told Josh a few weeks ago that I would like to get it out and put it together to go riding on the trail that runs a few blocks form our house, but he kind of shot me down. So, Tuesday I decided to take a walk with the kids and clear some fog from my mind. When we got back I had quite the industrious feeling and decided that whether he was interested or not I was putting it together! Josh came home early from work and I magically convinced him to pull out all the bikes, air up all the tires, check the brakes and go for a ride as a family. Tuesday night we did about 1.2 miles, Wednesday morning Jackson and I did 1.2 miles before Josh got home, and then 1.8 as a family. Last night we did about 4 and Jackson, Elliette and I just got back from another 4 mile ride this afternoon.

Now, I have never been an "exercise makes me feel good, let's do it some more" type of person, however I will say that I enjoy going to bed with a good tired. A "my muscles hurt from exercising something other than my mouth and typing fingers" kind of tired, and I have begun noticing that when we take night rides, my body comes home tired, but there is a certain energizing feeling that makes it hard to sleep. Now, while I am still not one of those "yeah exercise" kinds of people (believe me my legs are ready to see our house at the end of each ride), I will concede to enjoying the benefits of a ride well done! Let's hoping we can keep it up when the typical STL summer temps roll around soon..

One of those days

Yep, today is one of those days. One of those pity party, why me, just want to cry type of days. I've been doing pretty good and haven't had one of those in a while, but then today showed up. Nope, no real reason for it just one of those days. A day where I lack patience with my kids and can't understand how there could possible be more laundry still to be done. A day where I spent half the morning cleaning and yet I feel like it is all still one big mess. A day where I feel like I'm the only one who ever does anything, and resent that my husband is working while I'm 'stuck' at home with the kids. A day where I blame my husband that he was driving my car last week when it overheated and now isn't running and am jealous that he is getting ready to buy iphone number 2 while I still have a piece of crap phone to call my own. Whine, whine, whine...

BUT, NOTICE IT'S A BIG ONE...

IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS!!!!!!!

I know I'm blessed. I have 2 beautiful, intelligent, well behaved children who I live my life for. I have a husband who I love more than I did when I married him and who I am blessed to have known for almost my entire life. I live my life in situations I may not have planned, but I have a roof over my head, a college education and a job that means something. I have people in my own life who are dreaming of having beautiful babies of their own, and are struggling with the big NO that God keeps handing down. I watch loved ones struggle with crappy relationships, searching for someone who loves them just they way they are. There are people who have been told today that a loved one isn't going to make it, or isn't coming home, and for them it is more that just one of those days.

So, instead of snapping at Jackson when he yells "mom, come see this" for the millionth time I am going to try and rest in his creative ideas and that he desperately loves his mom and wants to make her proud. When Elliette tells me NO or tests any other toddler limit, I am going to try and remember that independence is a good thing, and that she is so uniquely herself. When I feel overwhelmed with the laundry I will feel thankful that I have a washer and dryer to clean those clothes, and a dishwasher to wash that pile of dishes. When I am annoyed with my husband, I will be thankful that he comes home, happy to see me even when I'm not happy to see myself. And when all else fails, I will pour myself a Dr. Pepper and look at pictures of these faces and smile, because today is one of those days, but tomorrow is a brand new adventure...

Monday Morning Music

Ok, I wish I could say this was an original idea, but it's not. I stole the idea from my friend Michael, but I'm sure he won't mind. The idea is to each Monday (hopefully) to post a song/video that I want to share. I will try and give some reason behind why I chose the video, but can't promise that I will always be able to be that creative! Today's song is from Sugarland and I love that it speaks to standing up and speaking out. I completely think I will be able to use it in my class next year and that excites me! So here you go...

Sugarland "Stand up"