Saturday, August 24, 2013

Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day!

One phrase that I seem to utter often with three kids is, "I just cleaned that up!". Today was a horrible day. That may even be an understatement. It was awful in many ways.

When I woke up this morning I thought it was going to be a great day. It was the baby's birthday. She turned two and was so excited about it finally being her birthday. We had a great breakfast together, laughing and enjoying family time. I thought we'd get a ton of cleaning done in preparation of family visiting next week. Boy was I wrong.

We did get the family room cleaned up, toys organized, carpet vacuumed and shampooed. Furniture was rearranged, hopefully creating a little more organization as we prepare to start homeschooling in a few weeks.

My now two year old has really hit the terrible two's hard this past month. She has deleted the contacts on my cell phone, found parade candy sneaking some into her room with her sister (some of which was chocolate which she is allergic to), bit the parade Tootsie rolls apart and got them stuck to the carpet on our closet floor, and so many other little things.

Today was no better. She was in to everything and anything that seemed to cause trouble. The more I cleaned the more of a mess she made. It was a moment in time where you feel like you are running top speed and then you realize you are on that hamster wheel and no matter how fast you run, you'll never get anywhere.

With kids this feeling never seems to go away. The job of a mom is never done and no matter how often you mop the kitchen floors it will always be dirty. Dirty dishes and dirty laundry multiply faster than you can clean them. It is a fact of life. 

What is important to remember is that not everything in your day is going to be bad. My birthday girl got so excited about her birthday cake and her sisters loved being able to sing to her. These are the moments I want to remember about today. These are the moments that matter.

It is now the end of the day. The girls are in bed trying to fall sleep. The kitchen is still a mess. The dinning room floor is a disaster area. I am sitting on the couch with the hubby finally feeling some relief from this long and tough day. 

A few snuggles with my daughters before bed reminds me why it feels so good being a mom. Hugs and kisses make everything feel worth it. 

It was a hard and long day, but I am a mom of three beautiful girls who shower hugs and kisses on those they love. I am very blessed and very honored to be their mom. There will be hard days in the future but each day will also bring joy to my life. That is what keeps me going everyday.





Friday, August 23, 2013

Book Recommendations: The Shepards Heart Series




I love to read. My favorite genre would be westerns set in the 1800s. If I can find Christian authors it is even better.

One day when searching through the free Kindle books I came across Rocky Mountain Oasis. It was well worth my time. The story reminds us of the redemption given to us through Jesus. A woman so broken and hurt in almost every way possible learns not only how a husband can love his wife but also how God loves His children.

After finishing it I found out there were three more books. Each story is connected, following a family and their journey in faith and love.

What I love about the stories is that each story deals with a different aspect of the faith experience. In book one you learn about redemption, book two deals with trusting that God will provide, book three you learn more about trusting that God's plan for you life is often different from your own, and the last book shows us that sometimes we need to let go and let God. 

What is nice about these themes is that they were woven in the story in a natural way. It was part of their everyday life rather than the reader feeling preached at.

There is excitement and adventure of the wild west in every book. There are murders, fires, kidnappings, gun fights, romance and faith. Each book offers a new and exciting wild west adventure that is believable and keeps you invested in the characters and their plight.

Check out Lynnette Bonner's website at http://lynnettebonner.com/.