Getting Real: A Little Ramble

I'm going to be honest.

I have felt like a crummy mother lately.

Crummy mother, wife, friend, person...frustrated, defeated, worn out...

There could be many reasons for this but there is one that trumps them all.

Where is God in my life?

Sure, I go to church, pray with my kids at meals and bedtime, listen to Christian music and so on.

But when was the last time I prioritized Him over TV? or the computer? or sleep? or thanked Him for all the good in our lives? or told Him how much I love Him just because?

And that is when things start to fall apart.

And I have to say "Duh!' to myself.

That's right, "Duh!"

I NEED Him. More than almost anytime before. And I am neglecting Him the most now.

Does that even make sense? What am I doing?

Seriously.

I linked to Meg's post about this very thing not too long ago and it is sinking in even more this week.

Yes, I am a wife and mother, but I am a child of God first and I need to put Him first before anything else has a chance of falling into place. I need to SURRENDER. I can't do it all. And when I try to on my own, I end up feeling like this.

Crummy.

But when I put Him first, I can be confident that what my kids are seeing and learning is the real deal. Even when things get rough.

And I have to be the real deal because, as Missy over at It's Almost Naptime says, I am their bible study. Isn't that amazing?! You have to read Missy's post - it had me in tears. Convicting and inspiring at the same time.

I want to be a good bible study for them. Make that great.

Thanks for letting me get real with you for a little bit. Feels a little bit like therapy, I would think.

Now I am going to get real with my faith.

Blog Hop Tuesday: Favorite Kid Pictures

Sorry I've been M.I.A. for a few days. There was a good reason. I promise. I'll tell you about it later. A few other things in the mean time...

#1 - Please be praying for Stellan (go here if you don't know about him) as today is a very crucial day for his little heart.

#2 - Today is Blog Hop Tuesday!

Now, the topic was Favorite Kid Pictures and I think that is just mean. I could fill up several blog posts of all my favorite kid pictures! But I did just pick two - the first two that came to mind. And they are pretty special :) I love these boys!

Frugal Friday

I think this is so fun! Sharing cheap...I mean, inexpensive...ways to do cute things in your home!

This Frugal Friday is hosted by The Shabby Nest so check out all of the fun ideas there!

And here's my frugal idea for whatever it's worth...

I love door hangers. I think they are fun, especially in a house with kids. I painted this one at MOPS earlier this year...


But what I really wanted was a sign supporting our local football team.

Do you know how much those cost in a store?

Between $30 and $40!!! I want a sign, but not for that!

Well, lucky for me, I have a father-in-law who is good with cutting out things like this and we made a deal. He would cut out two signs (one for them too) and I would paint them - and total it would cost us WAY less than $30!

So here is my unpainted sign...

Isn't that a nice N?!

I will post as soon as it is painted! Before football season starts for sure!

A Home in Progress

I just have to tell you about this great new blog started by a friend of mine.

It's called A Home in Progress and it is a collaborative blog all about the ways we make our house a home - decorating, DIY projects, cooking, etc. Here's her description:

This blog is for those of us with homes in progress! We are not professional interior designers or even experienced decorators with unlimited budgets. We are learning as we go. Learning things like repurpose, repaint, reuse, reupholster... This is where we can share our latest home design projects - those that worked AND those that didn't.

And today the guest post is from...me! (My first guest post - kind of exciting!)

It's a recipe from my Cooking for the Boys section, but you should go check out the other stuff she has posted there! So fun! I am already inspired!

And if you have a great project you have done, submit your ideas! It's all about sharing!

And stay tuned for my Frugal Friday post...

Thoughts on Proverbs 31

I've been thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman a lot lately. I have a lot swirling around in mind concerning my role as a woman of God, but you will have to wait for a post on this until I have a little more time to put my thoughts together. Busy times!

Until then, you should check out Meg's post about this very topic. Exactly what I needed to read this week. I hope it encourages you as well.

Blessings to each of you! The weekend is almost here!

Wordless Wednesday

Pool Time!

Stephen's parents were here last weekend so we went swimming with them. It was perfect weather to be in the pool - hot and sunny! Joshua enjoyed being pulled around in a floatie and Jeremiah wanted to swim "all by myself!" Don't think he's quite ready for that, but we can tell he is a water lover just like Daddy and Grandpa Mo!