Long weekend

We had an absolutely wonderful long weekend!!! Sometimes on Sunday nights as you think about going back to work on Monday morning, you look back at your weekend and just smile and thank God with the blessings that flowed and how full your cup is.  This weekend was that for me... It was nothing special, just good for my soul.

Friday work was cancelled for an "ice" day, so I got to savor my extra days with my boys at home. We didn't leave or do anything - just stayed home, stayed warm, played lots, cuddled lots, watched movies and ate all day... it. was. perfect.

    

 Saturday it warmed up to be a beautiful day! We had already planned on taking Grayson to his first movie at the theatres... I was soo excited! More so them him and Tony... I'm not really sure why, but I was. We went and saw Frozen. To my surprise G did really well.  When there was about 20min left in the movie he was done sitting - but still did great watching while standing still in his seat. It also helped that he ate his weight in popcorn and fruit snacks! ;)

The weekend was full of taking turns sleeping in, naps and cuddles - this momma's heart could not be more! It looks like we are going to have another day or two home from work tomorrow because of the weather, and I'm looking forward to extra time with my boys!

Let's get Real Thursdays

It's starting! One blog post a week on being real! It's confession time on Thursdays friends - mom confessions, tattle on yourselves, silly or serious - Let's just come together and be real with each other! So here I go... Each week on Thursdays I'm going to post some kind of confession, short and silly or long and real and I would LOVE to see others join me!

 

I have a new favorite part of my day. Every night I am the one who gets to put Grayson down for bed. Usually we pray as a family then me and G read a bible story, hug and kiss and he's down.  The last couple of weeks he's been asking to sing. We have started singing "Jesus Loves Me" together (he sings along with the cutest little voice) and I hold him all cuddled up like when he was a baby and we just stare and smile at each other while we sing. It's only a minute or two - but it is my most favorite moment of my day! My heart is bursting just typing it all. Can't wait for tonight!

 

 

Anyone else!? I'd love for you to join me on Thursdays or any day! Comment your blog or your confession each week with me!

For You

With the new year I've noticed a theme among some of my friends and blogger friends - that they have one word. I prayed over, God given word for them for the year. For some it is Simplify, for one it is Margin.... over and over I see friends with a very clear word for their life for this year. I prayed for my word for this year... God did not give me one word... Rather he gave me a verse and a theme for my year. He told me, reminded me really, that He is FOR ME.

Romans tells us that if God is for us who can be against us!? For me, this is hard to remember.  I have always had this everything is against me, no one is rooting for me attitude about pretty much everything in life. For no good reason really, but still. I have gone through life and situations of "of course, that's just my luck", when things go wrong. During the first two years of marriage when I was going through multiple surgeries and not seeing God, not seeing reasons or the "plan".... with each new surgery needed, my thought were "that's just my luck. of course the world is against me." I've always had this "the universe is against me" attitude about my horrible luck and how things usually go wrong. I'm always the one to get hurt; I'm always the one to mess something up; if something is going to go wrong in a situation, it will be for me. Even in my marriage, Tony has to remind me that he is for me .... Yet, I always assume that no one is rooting for me ..... Sheesh, I'm a mess! Why do I do this, why do I feel like this!? For no reason really....

For a few weeks now, the song "Our God" keeps being brought to my mind and my heart.

"Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God..."

 But what keeps singing through my heart is the bridge...

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

 

God has been sweetly whispering to me and reminder that I know already. I KNOW that He is FOR ME. Yet, I have this "victim" type attitude so often.  So this year, I am holding steadfastly to the truth of His words. My God is for me! My sweet Jesus sees me and He loves me and wants the best for me! It does not get any better than that! How could I feel like everything is against me, when My God, the God of the universe, is FOR ME!? He is on my side and nothing can stand in my way. He has a plan for my life! A great and beautiful plan for me. Through Christ, I have the confidence to stand justified as righteous, not because I am deserving, but because of his immeasurable grace and mercy! This is my "word" for 2014. A reminder that my Heavenly Father, my King DADDY is for me and wants the best for me.

 

Do you feel defeated? Do you find yourself thinking "why me" (like I always do)? Take this verse to heart, friends! Our God is for US! How sweet is His love!

Mommy Confessionals

I have a confessions, today is Mix & Match day at Grayson's school, and I just could not dress him to not match! Ha! I just could not bring myself to do it... and I usually let him pick out his shirt (between two options) and he didn't want to mix and match either! ;)  Lord help us if we ever have a girl!

So, this brings me to - How fun would it be to have a weekly mom confessional post on the blog!? I'm up for it! So, I need your help (the maybe two of you that actually read this thing)... I need a day/catchy name for this weekly post. Ideas? Thoughts? AND, if you blog on a regular or semi-regular basis, let's do it together! Join me in a fun, silly and sometimes serious post each week for a mommy confessional. Let's be real together! :)

I'm excited.... now gotta think of a name!

But God...

Tony and I have started making more of an effort and top priority to get up early and do our devotions and quiet times.  As I sit this morning journaling in my warm, comfy bed I write out my desire to be a better wife and mom. More patient, less flying off the handle, showing and communicating my love and affection more, more fun and spontaneous... The list goes on and on. Then I went in to wake up my son for school. He was not happy, he threw a fit about his outfit choice (hello, he's 1!), he threw a fit and got put in timeout twice, we rushed out the door to stay on time..... Nothing of my prayers and journal writing was in me once I put my bible and journal down and got out of my bed.... But God.

I come sit at my desk, feeling defeated (and it's only Monday) and open my email. My sweet Jesus who is so sweet and quick to comfort and assure me, there was my weekly devotion from Thrive Moms with the perfect timing and perfect message for me this morning....

I have this scripture hanging in our playroom, and I look at it constantly through the week. Every time I read it, I can't help but wonder if there was a typo in that scripture. When I read this for myself, it says "My flesh and my heart WILL fail.". There's no maybe about it. It will happen and does happen. I fall short on a consistent basis. I'm a failure. My heart fails me, my flesh fails me.  BUT GOD.  There's the silver lining. But God. Constantly in scripture we are given that beautiful shining hope. We are humans, we fail....BUT GOD. Today I will fail my kids, BUT GOD. Today I will fail my husband, BUT GOD. Today I will fail God, BUT GOD.  I find myself thinking "I will fail and I'm not good enough, so what's the point of even trying?". What if God thought that about us?? He knows we will fail but He continues to chase after us, cover us with His grace, pick up the pieces of us and turn us into something extraordinarily beautiful. That's what Him being your strength and portion are.   Every time I lose my temper, He is my strength. Every time I doubt myself, He is my portion. Every time. Every single time.  That's a promise that I need a reminder of daily. He is my strength because I can't do it on my own. He is my portion because I'm simply not enough.  Precious sisters, rest in that promise today. Walk into your week knowing that even though you WILL fail, He is your strength and your portion. Through Him we are the extraordinarily amazing mothers he calls us to be. Be intentional in the way you are a mother, wife and friend this week.  Our challenge for you: allow His grace to cover your flesh so that you can show grace to your children. Let them see you fail, and that you have to reach out to him for strength. Let the "But God" ring in your heart and know that you CAN do it all through Him and Him alone.  I had a not so great morning and feel defeated not having been able to hold on to what I had wanted and journaled and prayed for so hard... But God. But God knows my heart and He will do a work in me and in my heart... It's not going to come to me overnight (it may, but I doubt it)... It's going to take time and effort, effort and discipline for not exploding when I'm stressed and can't handle another tantrum.... But God will be there to help me. He is my strength and my portion. What a sweet promise! You can go to Thrive website and sign up for their weekly devotional.

Looking backward and forward

I cannot believe that it is 2014! I'm having a hard time thinking about 2014 and goals/resolutions and looking forward, as I cannot stop looking back at what a blessing 2013 was! God was and is SO good to us this last year and will continue to provide for us.

Grayson: January -December 2013

Before looking at 2014, I want to take a moment to reflect on what 2013 held for us...

Grayson just started crawling right and pulling up before the new year and said momma and dada and lots of other babble in January. 

 

 

In March Grayson turned 1!

He started walking and had surgery for tubes in his ear.

 

 

 

Through the spring and summer we bought/built our house!

 

2013 showed me the blessing of friends as we lived with friends for over 2 months while our house was being built.  WE will forever be changed and thankful for such kindness and generosity!

 

 

 

June and July we survived two long road trips and student camps.

 

  

 

We celebrated 6 years of marriage in July!

The end of August, through lots of prayer, we decided for me to go back to work full time and enrolled Grayson in daycare.

This was the biggest hurdle for me and looking at Grayson's development and how he thrives at "school" - we are so glad we followed God's will for us in this area!

 

We had almost the whole family come visit in our new home between September and November! And we had our last flight with Grayson being free to celebrate Christmas with family in Illinois.

 

 

We are soo blessed and God did so much in and through us this past year! I begin 2014 with a full and thankful heart! I cannot imagine what God has in store for us this coming year.... I look forward to Grayson turning 2; more family visits; creating and deepening new friendships; continuing putting personal touches on our house to make it our home; 2 big student camps this summer; investing more into our relationship and marriage; being a more fun mom (#morefunmomin2014); the possibilities of attacking and getting out of debt, possibilities of growing our family, possibilities of getting fit and healthy..... There is so much in my heart that I want...and yet, I am completely satisfied with what I have. There is room for growth in 2014... in me as a wife and mom and woman of God, in our marriage, in our family, in our ministry.... I am excited!... Are you!? What's God got in store for you and your family?

Illinois Recap #3

I know I sound like a broken record - but we made such sweet memories this year! I can't stop looking through all the pictures and smiling at how loved we are, how blessed we are by our family and how thankful I am that we got to see them, even for a short time.

 

 

Grayson got to play with his cousin, Koen, who he has only met a couple of times. It was so sweet to watch them be together. I hate they are so far apart.

 

 

Speaking of Koen... my sweet nephew is getting SO big!! I cannot believe he is 5.5 years old!

 

 

Grayson getting bigger means that he is getting much more fun! Aunt Eesha (Alicia) and her boyfriend, Brendan got to make some sweet Kodak moments with him.

One special moment I will remember and cherish is our Bianco women cooking lesson from Grandma Bianco! So thankful to be a part of these women and this family!

 And lastly, before we left we had to make one more memory.  Handprint ornaments for the family!

So thankful for almost 10 days in Illinois! Looking forward to Grayson's birthday in March when we get to see some of our family again!


Happy New Year! :)