Owning My Happiness

The other day, my stepdaughter and I were about to run into the store for a few groceries, but as we were getting out of the car she hesitated.

  

She said that she wanted to bring in the stuffed animal her mom had bought her the previous day and the fish that I just got her, but she was worried that the people in the store might think she was spoiled.

Our 9 year-old was worrying about what people would say.

It really caught me off-guard. When I told her to bring them both in and not to worry about what other people think, she said, "Yeah - if they say I'm spoiled, I'll just tell them that's what happens when you have two moms!"

Haa- It was pretty darn cute to hear her find her ‘positive’, but the unfortunate side to all this was that our little girl is beginning to worry about others think of her.

As adults, we all know that people are going to have opinions. Even when we find ourselves happy, there will always be someone, somewhere, that can find the negative in a situation.

My job as a mom? It’s to remind our kids

(like we should remind ourselves)

to focus on the positive

&&&

to enjoy our blessings!

She IS spoiled -

because she has a lot of people in her life who love her very much!

She IS spoiled -

because God has blessed her in many ways.

Recently, I heard Joel Osteen say,

"Wear your blessings well."

It was such a good reminder.

At times, I too, find myself concerned...

What if my words don’t come out right and I hurt someone’s feelings? What if someone twists my words? Maybe I shouldn't mention the vacation we are going on, does it sound like I'm bragging? Maybe I shouldn't express how happy my marriage is because it might make someone else feel bad about their situation? Maybe we shouldn’t do this for our kids because we might offend the other parents?

Or maybe I should?

What does “Wear your blessings well” mean?

It means…

Owning our happiness!

We shouldn’t feel guilty about being happy.

We shouldn’t second guess ourselves - if we meant well.

There are going to be



those days when life gets to us...



 when we are stressed and have a hard time finding the happy thoughts,

those are the days we should fight what we are feeling.

We should always fight to overcome the negative.

BUT

 when we are happy...

We shouldn’t hide our happiness -

Because then we are just minimizing God's goodness -

no His GREATNESS!

If we want to carry, share, wear, say, do, express the things that make us happy -

WE SHOULD.

God has blessed me.

He has blessed you.

Just in different ways - on different days!

Whether we choose to focus on what is good (or not) is up to us!

Whether we choose to praise Him for it (or not) is up to us!

We might run the risk of giving people something to talk about,

but my guess is that people will talk regardless.

I’m happy today.

And guess what --- I’m owning it!  J

I hope you do too.

xo 

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Yesterday, when I picked the girls up from school they had a hard time finding their positives for the day. I was a little bummed, because we have been talking about how each day has something wonderful to offer for a few weeks now.

Later when the girls and I took our dog on a walk after school we passed a neighbor who was giving away free lemons.

Free lemons? Score!

We decided to take a bag home and make some lemonade.
This was the first time the girls made homemade lemonade and they really enjoyed it.

Trinity doubled her recipe, because she thought it was so delicious. Jocelyn spent more time creating herself a new friend named, "Lemony." :o) Then the entire family enjoyed a glass during dinner.

Yesterday, turned out to be the perfect example of an ordinary day turned

extraordinary.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Saddle Up and Enjoy the Ride

As I sit here doing laundry today I am wondering a few things. The first one is why my daughter took it  upon herself to cut holes in the knees of her jeans?! lol!!

She is seven not seventeen, but some days I feel like I am raising a teenager. Isn't it funny how when we are children we can't wait to grow up. Then once we become adults we cherish the memories of the carefree days when everything was fun!

Last night my hubby and I used my birthday gift card for Texas Roadhouse. Next to us was a booth filled with 80-something-year-old people celebrating a birthday. They were having such a good time!

They were talking and laughing and when it came time to sing to the birthday boy, who just so happened to be the oldest man in the group, he gladly climbed on the saddle while everyone sang to him. He sat there on that saddle and he looked like enjoyed every minute of it. 

I don't know about you, but some days I don't feel all that grown up and I wonder if when I'm 80 I will feel any different. I have learned a few lessons from experience in my life, but at 33 I am still making my fair share of mistakes. 50 years from now, what will I have accomplished? Where will I be? What kind of people will my children be?

I'm sure the people at that table had lots of advice and wisdom they could have passed on, but just the birthday boy's actions were enough to give us something insightful to walk away with. We were reminded how precious every day is. 

We are never too old to enjoy what the day has to offer. Good friends, good food, good times and of course, more than that...things like doing the laundry and pulling out a pair of your daughter's cut up jeans. It's about finding the blessings in the things that make you giggle AND the things that make you cry.

So my final thought for the day is inspired from a line I remember in Married for Life, by Bill Morelan.

Life is full of challenges. Life is full of blessings! Deal with the hard times and embrace the good times. 

"We haven’t been confined to a corral; we have been saddled up to enjoy the ride of our lives!" 

Thankful Thursday

As of today, we are 9 days away from Christmas. I cannot believe it. My calendar is pretty filled up for the rest of the month. I ran to the grocery store to get a few things for the house this morning and it is cold outside! The last week it has been warm here. it really does not feel like Christmas to me when we are not bundled up drinking hot cocoa. Finally, the sky is cloudy, the air is foggy and I am feeling awfully Chilly J hurrah!

I am thankful that my shy little girl did not seem so shy at her school performance.

I am thankful for my niece mya who always comes up and gives me hugs and love even when I am not expecting it.

I am thankful that my husband is so loved by all of the kids, they actually stand in line just to play with him!

I am thankful for the time I stay at home, because it allows me time each week to spend with my grandma.

I am thankful for my stepson, Who remains responsible, respectful and kind.

I am thankful for my mom who has taught me there is a time to hustle, but also reminds me that slowing down and enjoying a day now and then is okay too.

i am thankful for my neighbors who share their christmas joy.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for all of my blessings!

Please continue to keep my family in your care.

Keep us all healthy, happy, safe and strong

for the remainder of the year (and always.)

Bless all the little children in the world.

Amen.

Let us be Grateful



May we be filled with peace and love today.

May we understand that today is good.

Yes, it could be better.

Yes, it could be worse.

However we choose to feel

about this particular day,

Let us recognize that it is ours.

To do with it as we please.

To hug our children.

To love our spouses.

To smile at strangers in passing.

May we trust in God's plan.

Let us not be burdened by our daily struggles.

Let us not attempt to change the things we cannot,

but focus on the things we can.

May we simply...live.

Completing our every day chores

with a happy heart.

Loving.

Learning.

Praying.

Enjoying.

May His presence surround us.

May our souls be blessed, cleansed,

renewed, free.
May we be grateful today and every day.

Plans That Didn't Work Out & Other Blessings

This weekend, my husband and I were planning a slumber party for our daughter Trinity’s birthday. On Friday, I went to the store for the food and gifts, prepared the ornament crafts and put the candy bags together. Jocelyn and I stayed up late drinking hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music and wrapping individual smores for the party. 

A few hours after going to bed on Friday, I woke up feeling terrible. On Saturday, my hubby and Jocelyn completed the remaining chores for me. They cleaned up the kitchen, baked the cupcakes and helped me decorate when I finally made it out of bed. I knew that I wasn't going to be much help, but I was hopeful that we would still be able to pull it off! Unfortunately, a few hours later my husband started feeling just as sick. We decided to cancel the slumber party. We knew that there was no way we could care for, feed and hike the mountain with ten girls!

We managed to pick Trinity up and drive over to my parents' house to sing to Happy Birthday to both dad and Trinity. My husband didn't make it and slept in one of the bedrooms during the dinner and gift opening, and I barely moved from my spot on the sofa. The girls did get invited to spend the night at their cousins’ house so things still worked

out for them.

Yesterday, while my husband finished up some of the chores, I was thinking about how lucky I am.  I have a husband who willingly picks up where I leave off. Had he not gotten sick, he would have been happy to assume all responsibilities for the party and would have gladly taken the girls on the hike alone the next day.

I knew how disappointed our daughters and nieces were going to be when they found out the the party was canceled. Then a few hours later, I felt so blessed,  because my brother Ernie and sis-in-law Vanessa offered to take our girls home so that they could still have a fun night.

When I picked the girls up they were tired, but were happily  sharing stories about the fun they had. The best part is that in four days they will get to have that fun all over again on Thanksgiving. A holiday that is designed for families to come together to focus on their blessings. However, if we are wise, we are grateful for these things everyday, all year long!

It was raining just before I left to pick the girls up and on my way I came across a rainbow. Rainbows are my absolute favorite miracle! I never get tired of sharing the fact that years ago, I went through the end of one with my grandma. Because of that experience, I always look at the rainbow as a very spiritual reminder of how blessed I am.

It is not hard to find blessings. In moments of sickness when nothing seems to go as planned, we can find them. During the months that we are scrambling to pay the bills, we can find them. When we are having relationship difficulties with spouses or other family members, we can find them. 

Plans do "have a way of falling down in midflight" and life doesn't always work out exactly the way we hope, but it does work out. Whenever I am in need of a reminder to show me just how blessed I am, I don't have to look very hard to find one. In fact, most days I just open my eyes and one is laying next to me in bed.   

Today I am linking up with Julie for Marriage Mondays.

A Wonderful Wednesday

I thought I would share a few wonderful things today! 

This morning I stayed at the school for the Character Counts Assembly at our girls' school.

Jocelyn won an award for Respect.

Trinity was on the Honor Roll.

How wonderful is that?!

Yesterday, on the very same day that I posted about the opportunity by CSN to have a giveaway on my blog, I also received an email that I won a giveaway on another site! I entered to win a

Faith Book & Box on Good Morning Girls and I did! I can't wait to hold it in my hands and start using it!

How wonderful is that?!

A few weeks ago, I read some of the challenges used to inspire our family on Women Living Well. One of the challenges was to light a candle and remind family members to say a prayer every time they see the candlelight. I loved this idea! I decided to tweak it a little to work in my home.

I have always posted up bible verses and quotes on our fridge near the water dispenser. I do this to get the kids to read encouraging words and to give us all small reminders about living better. I told everyone that each week, I will post a new prayer on the fridge for everyone to read as they fill their glasses with ice or water. This is my second week and the girls look forward to reading them! Last week the girls came up with the idea that they will read it aloud as we say our dinner prayer. 

This week's prayer in case you can't read it:

Dear GOD,

Please let me live for You and not for me.

Please don’t let me be influenced by others in a
negative/bad way, but help me influence
others in a positive/good way.

Help me to live how You want me to live.

In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Amen.

How wonderful it that?! 

On Monday, Jocelyn and I woke up to a sky filled with Hot Air Balloons. We always  see the Hot Air Balloons in our area as we drive to school, but on this particular day, there were about 9 balloons floating right over our house.

It was a beautiful sight and these Balloons will probably always give me a warm & fuzzy feeling for the rest of my life, because 2 years ago my husband proposed to me on one! 

How wonderful is that?!

I am sure the week has many more wonderful things ahead

for all of us.

~Blessings

Rose-colored Lenses (On Our Children)

Once a reporter stood in front of a fire as it consumed a house and then he turned to see the homeowners and their little son watching it burn. The reporter fishing for a human-interest angle, said to the boy, "Son, it looks as if you don't have a home anymore." The little boy promptly answered, "Oh, yes, we have a home. We just don't have a house to put it in."
 ~Barbara Johnson


What a story! I just loved that little boy's answer. Where did he get such a positive outlook? Probably from his parents! Children may not always turn out exactly like their parents, but for the most part, they do! My first thought when reading that was, I bet his mother had already had an encouraging talk with him. Poor boy, I didn't give him much credit did I? :) However, that was my first thought! This mother was training her child (Proverbs 22:6) to be positive!

Don’t you just love being around positive people? I do! I love happy people. Now, let us not confuse the party people with the positive people. I am not talking about the loud, “I’m here, ready to have a good time, and be the life of the party” type of people. (Very sorry, if you are one of them!) I am interested in talking about people that are positive everyday of their lives! I am talking about the people that are happy before the party, even if it means blowing up one hundred balloons, baking dozens of cupcakes and barely having anytime to get dressed. I am talking about the people that love their life even when it is not all fun and parties. People that are passionate about their sometimes boring, sometimes chaotic, sometimes backwards life.  The people that feel fortunate, grateful and blessed.

The other day when talking to my cousin, I was telling her how weird it is to look back at certain times in my life, like birthdays, weddings and family reunions and feel a twinge of sadness. Almost, like I missed some very special moments. Moments that should have been filled with happy memories, but they were not, because of my disposition and the relationship that I was in. Thinking about those days now, seems like it was a completely different life and I was a completely different person. I can find myself starting to look back and think, wow, I wasted a decade of my life being unhappy. 10 years of my life that I will never get back! However, instead of dwelling on the negative, I find myself feeling grateful to have learned so much.

If I had not gone through what I did, I would not be the person that I am today. Those times were tough and I fell down many times, but I kept getting up because I knew that better days were ahead. I survived, because of prayer and positivity! Our situations vary and our circumstances can sometimes seem bleak, but a positive outlook can make all of the difference. I truly believe that! My life got happier once I started looking at my life, my future, and my circumstances through rose-colored lenses.

We are human and life can be painful some days. I believe that it is okay to give ourselves a mourning period. It is okay to vent to our friends and even tell God, we do not understand why “this” is happening to us, as we ask him for strength, but then, enough is enough. We must get up and get on with our life, because this world has too much to offer.

My mom was always one of those happy people! She was like a happy little bird chirping in the morning and singing her songs, telling us, “Rise and shine. It’s a beautiful day!” Although, I didn’t always understand her happiness and my response was usually "Mom, seriously?!" Now I am going through the same thing with our kids! Yesterday, my hubby and I were joking with our son and he was so serious! He never even cracked a smile, but I kept joking and laughing, because I know that even if he does not appreciate it now, in a few years he will. Then this morning, I walked into the girls' bedrooms singing, "Good morning! It's a lovely daaaaay!" Both of the girls groaned, complained, and gave me grumpy looks. It made me think of my mom!

Kids are going to be grumpy. Kids are going to find something to complain about, but as their parents, we are going to continue to give them all the reasons that they should look forward to their life. To their day. To whatever comes next!

Much like that little boy’s mother did in the story above.  That way when our children become adults, they understand that bad things may sometimes happen to good people, but positive people never let the bad things keep them down!

Kisses between Phone Calls

Seven years ago, when I had my daughter, Jocelyn, I wanted to be at home with her. I did not want to put her in daycare or leave her with my mom. I was sure she would have been fine, but I did not want to miss any moments. Those moments that were important to me. I have wanted to be a Mommy for as long as I could remember and it was essential that I be there each time she woke up, each time she needed to be changed, and each time she wanted to be held. I understand that some mothers love working outside of the home and enjoy their careers. I applaud them for doing what they love, however, my heart's desire was to be at home raising and starting a family.

I soon found out that while it is great to set goals for our life and make plans, it is also imperative that we remain flexible. Life has a way of showing us that we are not in control. I was home with Jocelyn for the first 3 months of her life, because I was healing from a cesarean. My (then) husband was going to school full-time and working part-time so we needed the supplemental income. I quit my job as a Preschool Teacher and went to work for my family's business. This allowed me the privilege of earning a living, while spending my days with my child.  I was able to have her with me each day at the office and I did not miss a single moment!

When I look back at those 5 years I spent with her before she started Kindergarten, I remember how busy, chaotic and unpredictable my days were. I also remember how they were blessed. I could sneak hugs and kisses in between phone calls. I answered the door with a baby on my hip, made phone calls with a baby in my lap and typed up documents with a baby on my breast. I was there for her first words and her first steps. I got to rock her to sleep and I took breaks to sing her lullabies and read her stories.

As she grew, the swing, playpen and baby toys were eventually replaced by a desk, a Dora sofa and shelves that held books, toys and art supplies. I printed out worksheets to prepare her for Kindergarten. We had calendar time, we practiced the names and sounds of the alphabet and hung up miscellaneous art projects all around the room. Somedays, we ate lunch at McDonalds while she played on the equipment.

There were stressful moments. I breastfed until she was about 11 months old, so there were many times that I would have to pull the car over on my way to work, while running errands or on my way home to feed a hungry, screaming baby. There were days when I was the only one in the office and I had to soothe a crying baby fast enough to answer the phone or help an applicant out with his new hire paperwork. I couldn't put her on a schedule, because our days were filled with last minute errands. There were times when she was sick, fussy or just wanted to be held, but I struggled to give her the attention she needed, because I was on a deadline at work.

I made dinner and packed diaper bags by night, earned a living and cared for my baby by day and washed clothes and cleaned house on the weekends. It was the not the June Cleaver life I had planned, but it was close! I knew that I was lucky.

I am amazed at how fast those 5 years that we spent together at the office went by. When I watch my little girl get dressed in the morning, help with chores around the house or hear the conversations she has with her siblings, I cannot help but to smile. That little curly headed office baby has grown into a beautiful, bright, independent 2^nd grade girl who has her own ideas, dreams and plans.

If she is like her Mommy, as she grows she will look back at the last five, 10 or even 15 years and she will know how fortunate she was. Though the details of her life may not always work out exactly the way she planned, she will continue to dream and to set goals for her future,

 because, while her life may be full of challenges and uncertainty, it is also filled with blessings and possibility, and life, always has a way of working out.  

*******************

I am linking this post to 

 

The last picture is of Jocelyn and I at the office. Her arms are wrapped around me so tightly and her expression says it all. I am in love with my baby, and lucky for me, she loves me back!

P.S. The video below is an old favorite from the office as well. :)