The Sky is Blue

I love watching people grow (up). It is so cool to watch old friends, who were just as likely to get in trouble as I was, grow in to really awesome adults. People embracing the incredible gift of parenthood. People loving the Lord, and sharing it openly. People unafraid of admitting that they don't know everything, or that they need help. Facebook makes it possible to see little glimpses of their lives, and I cherish the opportunity to connect. I am sure many who knew me back in my days as a young woman, are surprised to see me sharing my faith. I like that. I am a perfect example of God's love, he doesn't love me because I am or ever was perfect, I was a rebellious , and wreck less kid. He protected me from bad judgement, over, and over. Evidently he has a plan for me that included living past 25. He has gifted me with a family, children who count on me, and the responsibility of raising men who know the Lord. That is a job I take seriously. As I continue to ...

In an effort to get my oldest son to open up to me about his thoughts on girls, I have been asking a lot of questions. He is a handsome boy, sweet and smart too. Reminds me a lot of a guy I knew growing up (Kyle Bartle - for those of you I grew up with). He is big, and athletic, and not really chatty, I would say shy, but I think he might come off as a little aloof. I know he is interested in girls, but he hasn't shown much interest in socializing outside of school yet. That is ok by me, no need to rush that in my opinion. I am very sensitive to the insecurities of young girls, having been one myself, but this is my first real exposure to what young men go through. I think he really believes that he is not cute, or funny, or smart, in the eyes of young girls. He thinks everyone is out of his league. This is hilarious to me, because I look at him and think, wow, he is a freshman girls dream. He doesn't get that though. He thinks I am just looking at him through the lo...

I love the quiet part of the morning before the morning rush begins. If I am smart enough to haul my butt out of bed before my brood, I get to treasure that time. It is my time, to pray, to read, to write. I should use it to work out, but that is another post. It is hard most days, to sacrifice that extra time to sleep. Like most sacrifices made willingly, it is worth it. A cup of coffee, and quiet time is a treasure. It starts the whole day off better. I find that I am more patient, more sweet, more willing to do my tasks with a smile-- when I start the day off this way. It feels like a gift to myself, but to be honest, it is a gift that is shared with everyone I come into contact with that day.

Have you ever noticed that children "cannot" see things right in front of them? My husband has coined a term for this, "Rat vision". It has something to do with rats not seeing or bothering trash cans put out after dark or something like that. I'll give you an example, boys cleaning their bedrooms. I will go into the room and detail what it means to clean the bedroom. - Make your bed - Put away your clean laundry - Take your dirty laundry to the laundry room - Clean off all surfaces (dressers, shelves, window sills) - Clean up the floor Simple right? Inevitably, when I go in for inspection, the floor is still littered with dirty socks, empty water bottles, shoes, etc.... especially around the edges of the room. When I point them out, the kids seem genuinely surprised at my disappointment . It is as if they really can't see the stuff till I point it out. Similarly, questions like "where are my shoes???", "where is the remote??", ...

A friend of mine will be speaking to a local MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) in upcoming weeks. I am hoping to go support her, though I have never been to a MOPS meeting before. It just occurred to me, that I have been in the Mother of a Preschooler stage of life for 14 years. I have always had a little one at home. Next year, barring any unforeseen pregnancies or adoptions, will be my very first year as a Mom to all school aged children. Granted, two of those school age children will be in High School, which is kind of funny in itself. Two kids in elementary, two in high school. I have mentioned before that given this long stretch, and the learning that occurred along the way, I am a different mother to my 4 year old, than I was to my 14 year old (at age 4). I am less fussy. Unfortunately for him, I care less about having him dressed super cute all of the time. I realise that jeans get holey knees, and t-shirts get stains, big whoop. I have to focus on the big stuff jus...

I am just enjoying this quiet and gorgeous Spring Day. Spring Break is over, so the kids are all back to school. Easter is over. Just Nick and I in our quiet house, enjoying the sunshine. It is so nice to have a day like this.

I just wanted to promote an incredible ministry. This is a wonderful resource for families who need to stretch their food budgets. It is an easy way to help a family or individual in need. Whether you are looking for an opportunity to help those in your community, or know a family that could use a hand. It is not charity, it is a bulk buying opportunity that makes food very affordable. The more people who order, the better the savings for all. Please pass this on to anyone you know who could use a helping hand, pass it on to the leaders at your church, just in case they don't know about it yet. Happy Easter! Angel Food Ministries

Three more days till Easter! I do believe this is one of my favorite days of the year. I am all over the Easter eggs, the parties, and yes I have been known to enjoy the Reese's Peanut Butter eggs. What I love most however is the time with my family. My prayer for that day, is that laptops will close, smart phones will stay put away, that family will talk. We will eat together, laugh together, pray together, and appreciate the enormous significance of Easter. How blessed we are to live lives in a world with a God who cares about every minute detail of our lives. A God who wants us to live lives so full, and so rich. What an amazing and incomprehensible future awaits those who believe in him. My boys get, that I believe. They make fun of me singing my praise music at the top of my lungs, but they will hold hands in prayer with me without hesitation. My prayer is that they get it. My prayer is that the joy of being His, will forever bring joy to their lives. Through m...

It is really kind of funny how your brain makes connections at it's own pace, and how we all learn so differently. Like how I can't remember names unless I really focus, or how I had trouble with memorizing things for school, BUT, I can remember the lyrics of every song I ever heard. The words just stick because my brain uses music as a tool. History was always a challenge for me. Sooo many boring facts to remember. When the teacher would speak, all I could hear was blah blah war...blah blah 1716.....blah blah defeat....blah. So you can imagine, come test time, I was not victorious. I have always loved to read fiction though. My taste has changed over the years. The first series of books that really grabbed me was The Anne Rice Mayfair witch books, then the Vampire Chronicles. What I love about them is that they have so many rich layers, from characters, to beautiful descriptions of period places, clothing, architecture . From there I realised, I loved historical f...

Did you ever notice how if you take one family member out of the equation, the whole household vibe is different? My household is typically wild, and very noisy. Dogs running about, children playing, phones ringing, you get the picture. I try to zen out, but it is a serious challenge most days. It is so crazy most days, that the mere mention to my husband that I might give up my evening glass of wine because I am worried about the calories, brought on an unpredicted, "hmm, honey, I don't think that is a good idea, I mean, you really need to chill a little at the end of the day." Crazy, right? Well, my 10 year old son has been gone for the past few days. He is vacationing in Palm Springs with his friends family. It is strangely sedate around here. The fighting is at a minimum. Brothers are hanging out together, walking the dogs, playing games, and weirdly, there isn't a whole lot of yelling. I am actually able to concentrate on writing a bit, which is unheard ...

When someone asks, "so what do you do?", how do you answer? I am never quite sure how to answer this question. I am proud to have been able to stay home with my children for the last 10 years, but that doesn't really describe what I do. I am proud of my professional accomplishments, but that doesn't really describe what I do either, that is ancient history. Domestic Diva doesn't quite cover it either, considering my failures in the housekeeping department. How do you describe in 30 seconds or less the life of a Mom, wife, and professional at heart? I was struck recently by the lyrics of a song I have heard over and over again, "How you live", by Point of Grace, I have embedded it in this post, so give it a listen. It says what I would like to say, what I do doesn't really matter all that much, it is how I live. ....

I am so glad it is Friday, and the last day before Spring Break begins! Woooo Hooo ! I am looking forward to a little relaxation, some fun, and a little help whipping my house into shape! I am admittedly not the best house keeper. I am not good at that, do a little every day, and all is well thing. I would much rather be out volunteering, or shopping, or working on one of my projects, anything but cleaning. My boys are incredible mess makers. Take off shoes, and socks, leave em'. Come in with backpack, drop it. Bring in hockey gear, drop. Play Lego's , build huge space ship, leave it. I find enough Lego's , and Nerf darts on my floor to supply most kids for a year. The dogs don't help much either, they are good, but they shed. They also add to the general sense of chaos around here. My brother in-law calls our house the " Bumpus house". Do you remember those Bumpus dogs from "The Christmas Story" who ran through the house and ate the ...

Wow, I am on deadline!!! That is a phrase that crossed my lips all the time when I was a working woman. It has been a long time since I was under the pressure of a real deadline! I am working with a good friend of mine to edit a bible study she has written. She has a speaking engagement and needs revisions in a publishable state by Monday! Whooo, the adrenaline is pumping! I have no quiet time, I am sharing my computer with my kids, and I have no Creative Services department to create templates, graphics, etc..... this is living wild! It is amazing how being reminded of what we are capable of refreshes the spirit! When your gifts lie dormant, they can get lazy, but just like muscle memory in your body, your brain can get it's sharpness back too, it just takes exercise! What gifts have you shoved in the back drawer while you tended to diaper changes, and grocery shopping? Do you need to dust some skills off, find a use for them, and give yourself a little reminder of what you...

I love all that Spring represents. The gorgeous flowers, signs of life everywhere, Spring sports, warm days, cooking out, the whole thing. I especially love Easter. I have really fond memories of this holiday from childhood. We always started the day with Sunrise service at our Church, we would wear special dresses. My Dad would set up an elaborate egg hunt, that got increasingly difficult with each passing year. We would have the family all over to our house, and have a traditional Easter dinner with ham (covered with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries) and deviled eggs, and the ever present macaroni salad. My sister and I would get baskets full of candy, and huge chocolate bunnies, I love those fluffy marshmallow chicks still. As an adult, I enjoy this holiday even more. My faith has given me an appreciation for Easter that I never fully grasped before. My children dress a little spiffier than usual for church on Easter, we color eggs , we do the whole egg hunt, an...

Just when I start to think that writing this blog is just me thinking out loud, keeping a record of day to day nonsense, someone mentions that they follow it, and that they get something out of it. I began this blog as a means of reaching out to women, like myself who are changing phases of life, stretching themselves, trying to learn new things, trying to figure out how they are meant to use their lives. We all have struggles, more than you might imagine. Rarely are lives perfect, even if they appear that way from the outside. We will have stops and starts. We will fail. We will have moments of joyful success. Some days our children will make us proud, some days they will scare us to death, and some nights they will keep us up with worry. We will struggle with making the right choices for them, and for ourselves. If we are not careful the choices, the worry, and even sometimes pride, will stand in the way of our experiencing the joy we are meant to enjoy with each day. Some...

You would think that a woman of 43, who grew up using baby oil and iodine to sun herself (bad, bad!) , who has studied and experimented on every skin care product known to man (to correct the years of sunning herself) , would have known better than to go to a carnival, in a tank top, with NO SUNSCREEN ON!!!!! I am soooo burnt. What was I thinking? Well, every now and then, we just need to humble ourselves with a big dose of stupid, right? So today, when I should be enjoying this gorgeous day, I am feeling crummy, burnt, and tired. Totally my own fault. Lesson learned, until next time. :) Enjoy your day friends, I am nursing my crispy skin.

The company where I had my very first "real" job, MCI Telecommunications in Hunt Valley, MD, is having a reunion soon. It is so awesome that these folks who worked together so long ago still get together. These were first careers for many of us, straight out of college. I made so many good friends there. I lost one of my closest friends a few years back to cancer (The gorgeous, smiling, and good hearted Colleen Farley), and I credit that crazy job at MCI with bringing her into my life. I met my husband because a fellow MCI'er (My dear old friend Terri Weis), thought we would make a good match and introduced us. One of my oldest friends and mentors, who I had the pleasure of working with many years after MCI as well, (Terri Nimmons) just this week, wrote me reference that almost made me cry. There are people that I am not in touch with still, that had such impact on me in those early years of my professional life. I think of them fondly. I met these folks between 1990-1995...

Hey there, I've been having a little trouble posting my blog to facebook. So if you like to follow it each day, you may want to consider clicking the follow by email box on the home page. It is on the left. Hopefully I'll get this figured out soon. This week is just a busy, task filled week. I am sure all of our schedules are filled with end of year stuff, as well as summer and fall planning. If only I could find inspiration to clean my house in the midst of all of the other tasks! My dryer broke yesterday, yikes. I have someone coming to fix it tomorrow, but in just two days, the pile in my laundry room has turned into a mountain. I am a little entrenched in the mundane of every day right now, so I am sorry this post reflects that. I hope you have a fantastic day, and an even better week. :)

I have been thinking about various projects of late, trying to move forward on some, table others. I must admit, I am all over the map, my brain is swirling. In an attempt to define my next steps, I am praying for discernment. I need clear direction, and peace of mind that I am making the right choices. As a mother, and a wife, many decisions & action on those decisions depend on me being able to make a plan, and step forward. Kids are depending on me to fill out the right paperwork, do the right research, make the right recommendations. My husband needs me to keep all things related to our household moving, and working properly. I need to handle all of that, plus feel like I am moving ahead in service to God. All the while, making sure food is on the table, everyone is healthy, clean and fed, and trying not to miss deadlines for this & that. Sheesh, I am exhausted. So instead of tackling a bunch of stuff at once and doing nothing well, I am going to breakdown my afterno...

Ladies, my husband is hosting a Poker Night at our house Saturday the 16th starting at 7:30 pm. The more players they have the better. We will have guy food, beer, and other yummy stuff. I will also have my Stella & Dot jewels set up (on the side, out of the way of course :) so that if they want to take care of their Mother's Day shopping at the same time, it is easy. I am also happy to consult with your husbands to help them pick out something FABULOUS. If you think your hubby might be joining us for poker night, drop me a line with your wishlist. Feel free to call me with questions 443-277-1322, or if your husband would prefer, he can call Jeff 818-251-6931.

Good Morning friends. I hope your week is off to a tremendous start. As always, lots to accomplish this week, right? Well my number one priority is finding a way to remove the air soft BB from my four year olds sinus cavity. He stuffed it up there good. We have tried saline, inducing sneezing (he loved that), good old fashioned nose blowing, and it is still lodged up there. My husband reminds me that a few months back Nick sneezed out a booger covered Lego (we didn't even know it was up there), so to relax. I am leaning toward a visit to the pediatrician. Poor kid. The same afternoon that he shoved the BB up his nose, he also created some lovely art with sharpie on my wall. I am grateful it wasn't worse to be honest. Before we know it all of the small toys lying about will have been devoured by our new goat (I mean puppy), so Nick will be out of danger. It's all good. I am processing a lot this week. As usual my brain is on overdrive, my body in slow motio...

Spring is here, and the school year seems to be speeding up. We are making plans for Summer, and even Fall already. I am still trying to nail down where 2 of my children will go to school next year. This is also the season when I begin planning my own Fall schedule. Potential commitments are starting to present themselves. I have really enjoyed being home and focused on Nick, and on my spiritual growth this past two years. I am feeling called to get back out into the world more though. That is in part, what prompted me to start my jewelry business. I am struggling now with making sure I make wise decisions, and step carefully and prayerfully. I am an impulsive creature. I jump. Fear of change is not one of the things I struggle with. It is really easy for me to get myself over committed , over scheduled , and exhausted. My challenge is slowing down, being prayerful in decision making, and not running ahead of Gods plan for me. I have taken inventory of my gifts, I have identif...

Wow, what a great night. My family has been running in so many different directions, that I thought that we could definitely benefit from a night out together. I booked the time in advance with my husband, because his schedule fills up crazy fast, and if he isn't working his day job (from home), he and his brother are scheming about how they will get their creative projects made. So I booked time with the family, told the boys to clear their social calendars, and we went out, all together. We went to Buca Di Beppo's , family style Italian , down at City Walk (Universal City). Then we walked all around City Walk enjoying all of the sights and sounds. If you aren't from LA, City Walk, is right outside Universal Studio's Park, it is a total tourist trap, but tons of fun for kids. It has tons of visual stimuli, loud music, street performers, Carnival type food, and tons and tons of people. This is where you go if you want to make sure you have Hollywood chatchKee...