The Car

"Mommy, do you still love my blue car?"

"Yes, of course.  Why wouldn't I?"

"Because, I can't get the play-dough out of it.  It's stuck." 

This short conversation with my precious Rhett revealed so much.

How often do we question our worth, our desirableness, our value?  How many time do we stare into the mirror and don't see a beautiful creation?  It's heart-breaking how many times I feel inadequate and IMPERFECT.  I consider myself some-what intelligent, but my mind fools me on a daily hourly basis.  Seriously, it's ridiculous how easily I fall prey to these mind tricks.

So, the next time your mind begins to play tricks on you and doubt creeps in, repeat this conversation:

"Father God, do you still love me?"

"Yes, of course.  Why wouldn't I?"

You are His beloved, whether you believe it or not.  Your imperfections will never change how much God loves you.  Now, go out and walk with your head held high.

My Reality

Here is a little glimpse into my reality...

1. I'm a working mom of 3.
2. My husband is a volleyball and baseball coach.
3. My love language is quality time. 
4. Since we're both teachers, we have very limited financial resources.
5. For the most part, I'm in great health. 

Factor in all the above mentioned aspects of my reality and the idea of "The Daniel Plan" had me terrified.  My hope was that Ryan would think like me and say, "There's no way.  We can't do it."  Well, I should have known my husband better than that, because instead he said, "We're going to do this and do it all out."  My thought was, 

"Seriously?!?  Do you know what season we're in???  BASEBALL - the craziest, busiest time of year."

You see, Ryan knows the power of community.  He respects this relationship and our role in it.  We may not be 100% on board in our personal life, but our community (our church) is 100% on board and that means we will 100% support it. 

So, here we are, 12 days into "The Daniel Plan."  Our first shopping trip took 3 hours!  We were only shopping for the 10-day detox and spent nearly what I normally spend for the entire month!  I thought Ryan was going to have a coronary, at the very least quit.  Again, I should have known my husband better than that, because QUITTING WAS NEVER AN OPTION.  We pressed on and have stayed with the food plan to a T.  (The only exception was a short trip to Austin, where we carefully chose our food.)  

Since starting "The Daniel Plan," our life has not slowed-down.  There have been baseball games, work, boring "ICE" days, and even a trip out of town. 

So, this brings me back to my reality...

1. I'm a working mom of 3. - I'M NOT ALONE.  Working mothers around the world, with far more labor-intensive schedules than mine, find a way to provide healthy food choices for their family.  
2. My husband is a volleyball and baseball coach. - Okay, the kids and I might not see the opening pitch or the first serve.  Or, like this weekend, I might be toting my large thirty-one thermal with a picnic lunch.  It is, what it is.
3. My love language is quality time. - Ryan and I have actually spent more time together talking while prepping and cooking dinner together.  The kids have had more play time because we are at home instead of in a restaurant. 
4. Since we're both teachers, we have very limited financial resources. - Food costs money, and healthy food tends to be more expensive.  There's no escaping this fact.  But, our quality of life has definitely increased in these short 12 days.  We have more energy, are better prepared for mealtime, spend more time together, and for the first time ever, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS IN MY PANTRY AND REFRIGERATOR.  If an economists would do a cost-benefit analysis on "The Daniel Plan," he would find the overall benefits definitely are worth the cost. 
5. For the most part, I'm in great health. - This is true.  But, I am not guaranteed my good health tomorrow.  More importantly, my kids are not guaranteed good health tomorrow.  As their mother it is my responsibility to teach them healthy habits that are honoring to God.  I am ok with being inconvenienced a bit if it means my children will grow up knowing how to make healthy choices. 

Several people have asked us if we'll keep up with "The Daniel Plan" after the 40 days are over.  The simple answer is, "Yes!"  We plan on maintaining an 80/20 balance.  This leaves room for the occasional treat without the guilt.  

If you are making changes for a healthier life like we are, let's talk.  If you already are super healthy, let's really talk!  I need some HELP.  If you have no plans on living healthy at all and think this is ridiculous, let's have dinner and I'll splurge a bit.  Hmm...PIZZA...YUM!

A fan.

I love this picture of Ryan's volleyball team.  It's a picture of 12 girls who are so different, who fight together and who at times think they hate each other.  Yet for a season of their lives they put all that drama aside to come together, to play together, to battle together, and to PRAY together.  For that moment on the court they are family.  They are one.

I'm proud to be a fan.

Easter 2013

Our annual Easter tradition is to go over to Ryan's cousin Carol's house, eat lunch and then have an Easter egg hunt.  The kids love going over to Carol and Lance's house.  They really love the egg hunt.  I love how close they are to their cousins.  They LOVE their Boston and Dash! 

 From school and church I know they have LEARNED the true reason we celebrate Easter.  My prayer is that Jesus' death and resurrection become more than just stories from the Bible.  I pray that when they hear God's calling, they choose to answer confidently, "Yes!"  Oh, that they choose Jesus!

3 HOURS

There have been few times since we moved to The Woodlands area that I have truly *wished* we lived closer to family.  That's not that I don't like my family, or that I haven't missed them.  I suppose it's just part of my independent nature.  I enjoy and thrive on doing things "on my own."

Well, in the course of about 3 HOURS yesterday, I WISHED we had the Trump Jet (heck, I would have settled for Air Force One at that point.), to jet a family member here.  Here is what happened... 

3 PM, I get a call from daycare, Addie's running fever.
4 PM I start my period.
4:30 PM I check bank account, someone's stolen my identity.
ALL afternoon, Rhett whining about EVERYTHING.
5:00 PM Deacon's nose starts to bleed, bleeding for 10 min straight, cleaning up blood everywhere.
5:45 PM Addie chokes on a penny, but doesn't swallow it, but gags herself.
6:00 PM BREAKDOWN

So, I get to stay home today with Addie, who by the way, is FINE.  She's getting her back two molars, so I think that is it the culprit of the fever.  I have enjoyed a much needed rest, taken care of some of the bank stuff, returned some items to store, and cleaned the house.  It's been a good day!

For those of you who do live close to your family, BE THANKFUL!  You never know when you might need them. ;) 

So...

So...Tonight I yelled at my children.  I had asked them to get ready for bed and on about the 5th time I had HAD IT.  So...I yelled at them.  It wasn't good.  I immediately regretted.  I did apologize, but the damage was done.

The truth is I get extremely frustrated when my children are disobedient, whether it be disobedient to me or another adult.  Part of it growing up in the south, where respecting your elders is not an option.  Another part is my own insecurity of needing to be perceived as a "good" mom.  Regardless of my reasons, yelling at my children in my frustration is a vice for me that I MUST fix.  Here's why...

1. Perfection is unattainable and expecting perfection out of my kids is setting them up for disappointment. 
2. They are ONLY 5-years-old and 2-years-old.  
3. They still depend on me for their emotional security.  By yelling at them, I am actually making them emotionally insecure.
4. I am their example of LOVE and yelling at them is giving them a false idea of how to show someone you love them.
5. My children are a precious blessing!

I share this with the blogging world because I need your help to keep me accountable.  If I start to lose my cool, please remind me of this...

I Survived High School

I have a friend from high school who is competing in the Iron Man next weekend. I was leaving her a comment tonight on Facebook and it got me thinking about high school. To top this off, I discovered this week that one of my Pre-K moms and I graduated from the same high school, about 5 years apart. This has left me extremely nostalgic of my high school days. Now, I was not part of the "popular" crowd, although I had a few friends who would qualify as such. I was in choir, played a little softball and took an unhealthy amount of AP classes. I was a good-girl, I didn't party much. I went to church. But all these things together did not make for a great high school experience. The thing that got me through high school was a group of girls who were my family for 4 years. We did everything together. We fought like sister, made-up, and moved on. We drove down Cole Lane at ridiculous speeds, took long walks stalking boys we liked, made up scavenger hunts at a drop of a hat, and laughed more than any group of friends could. We planned each other's weddings and named our future kids. Since then, most of us have scattered here, there and everywhere. Some I haven't even spoken to in a decade. But, that's ok. Because for a snapshot of my life they were there. For that moment it was as perfect as it could be. And because of them, I can honestly say I survived high school fairly unscathed.