Spiritual | Motherhood Confessions

Full of Grace and Truth

OK…so I guess now is the time for one of those more “serious” posts that I don’t want to write but feel compelled to write. I recently posted an article ( a rant really) on my personal facebook page regarding the transformation of Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner. Despite its “ranty” nature, it contained some interesting discussion points on issues regarding femininity, beauty, and the culture’s view of both. I appreciated the issues he raised and thought some were valid…or at least worthy of discussion. I posted it mainly to get people’s thoughts (which I knew I would most certainly get!) The problem is that I don’t typically support this author and have found his writing often to be disrespectful and a bit careless. This article was no exception. I appreciate being direct, but you can still do so with kindness. This author has made me angry on more than one occasion by his harsh tone. It’s just not my style.

But I overlooked all of this in this instance and posted the article anyway. I gave fair warning of its nature and made it clear I only supported certain points he was making. But at the end of the day, I regret posting it…because I don’t ever want to compromise grace and compassion for truth. I’m sorry for anyone that it hurt. I removed the post because I felt that any truth that might be found in it was going to be WAY overshadowed by everything else this author represents…and that’s not what I want. I also didn’t want people to wrongly assume I was partnering with this author in all of his opinions. And I did this based on my own convictions not because of pressure from anyone else. Continue reading Full of Grace and Truth

3 Reasons Why I Stopped Writing

So it’s been like 147 years since I’ve written. Apparently, I took an unintentional extended vacay…and many mini-vacays before that.

So much has happened in the past few years. We moved again. My three big kids are all in school full time. And…they are called “big kids” now because we added ANOTHER baby to our family.

I am being reminded why I started this blog in the first place. And it’s basically because babies make you nutso and writing helps me cope. And I do love it. Like a lot.

And I hate it a li’l bit too.

I’ve been wondering for a while why it’s gotta be such a love/hate thing for me. And why the “hate” part took over and caused me to hit the pause button for so long. There are probably many little reasons I’m unaware of, but here are the Big Few.

Continue reading 3 Reasons Why I Stopped Writing

No Greater Love…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after being a wife and mother for a certain period of time, it’s that I don’t know that much about what it means to love. It seems simple enough when you first think of it….but am I the only one who feels like loving well can actually get really complicated in certain situations???

I mean, if you had to describe what love was, how would you explain it? Many couples have a reading of I Corinthians 13 at their wedding – I did! But I can’t tell you I had any real idea of what it meant at that time. Or how to apply it! It states that, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”.

That’s a lofty list!

Continue reading No Greater Love…

I Could Have an Affair…

How’s that for a attention-grabbing title??? Now…I know I didn’t specify WHAT I might have an affair with. Maybe I am talking about a love affair with chocolate…or peanut butter…or chocolate AND peanut butter…Ooh! Like in the peanut butter chocolate silk pie I just had at Baker’s Square a few nights ago…

Yumm….OK sorry, let’s dial it back in.

SO…what if I went even further and said, “I could have an affair with another man?”

Do I have your attention yet? Well, if you’re waiting for the punchline today, there actually isn’t one. This is a more serious post (I just HAVE to do it sometimes!)

Continue reading I Could Have an Affair…

Game on!

I am SOOO excited I am finally back “up and running”. You guys are not going to believe one of the reasons that I’ve stayed away so long.

When I started writing “just for fun” a while ago, you all were SOOO great about encouraging me and telling me how much you loved what I was saying. I started getting some great feedback and my blog started circulating and ‘getting around’.

So I started to wonder if maybe this might actually go somewhere….and then guess what I did?

Everything that I talk on here about what NOT to do! I started googling “how to blog” and trying to figure out how to make my website “look good” and all this crazy stuff…

Just like I’ve done with motherhood, I started to let my perfectionism drain me of the joy of writing and why I began doing this in the first place! How STUPID…and terribly ironic isn’t it?!

WOW. So guess what? Not doing that anymore. I picked some random pre-made template that wordpress offers, figured out a couple new features that I really did want, and that’s it. I’m done trying to be something I’m not. In motherhood and in the blogging world.

So here it is – simple, basic and all about the content. We’re back in buisness! I’m going to REALLY try to write more often now. I’ve got SOOO much on my mind.

I also have another blog for the more serious side of life. I LOVE laughing and joking but sometimes I’ve got things to share that fit more in another category. So if you’re interested in THAT side too, be sure to check it out.

Finally, I’m excited about a new feature (I did actually figure out a couple of good things). You can subscribe to my blogs via email now. So cool!

If you like what I’m saying and what to keep up with it, please subscribe. That way I don’t have to manually send out emails anymore when I make an update.

Thanks all! Can’t wait to start laughing with you again!!!

GOD said there'd be days like THIS…

I have been putting off writing this entry. I don’t know exactly why but even as I’m typing now my heart is beating faster than usual and I feel a bit anxious…

A fair warning up front: it’s no secret that humor is largely my focus on this blog but this entry is not going to be as much fun…I guess some “motherhood confessions” are of a more serious nature. But I said I would share the good, bad and ugly, and I suppose this is part of that. Continue reading GOD said there'd be days like THIS…

Welcome Baby Garrett Ryan Howe!

SO…he’s finally here! Baby Garrett Ryan Howe joined us on July 25, 2009 – 11 days early! (I was SOOO happy about the early part) I had started preparing for labor to happen “any minute” at about month eight. Perhaps I was a little over-anxious…and I was DEFINITELY exercising some wishful thinking, but he came through for me… (atta boy!) But, before I talk about all the good stuff, I absolutely HAVE to talk about the storm BEFORE all the good stuff….that beautiful thing called Labor and Delivery. What a trip! As they say… “every woman’s labor is different”…and that has been true even for my own labors – all three have been vey different. But this one takes the cake. I think if I had to title the whole experience, I would definitely have to call it “What the Crap”.

Here we go… Continue reading Welcome Baby Garrett Ryan Howe!

Holy Smoothie, Batman!

Ok it’s been a LOOOOOOOONG time since I’ve gotten a chance to post updates on here! As everyone knows, I’ve recently added number three to the mix – Garret Ryan Howe entered into the world on July 25, weighing in at 8 lbs 5 ounces…BUT more on that later. I first have to backtrack a bit to share something that happened a few weeks BEFORE Garret arrived. Everyone who’s had a baby knows that the last few weeks of pregnancy, you are ready to reach in there and pull the baby out yourself if you could just be sure you wouldn’t get arrested…or locked away. And with baby number three, that feeling started in with me at about month 5. SO that’s how I was feeling this particular morning…very, very pregnant and very tired (and also pretty hormonal but what else is new). I was also (of course) in a mad rush to get out the door. I don’t even remember now where I was trying to go but apparently it was important. I decided to be a “good” mom on this day and make home-made smoothies for the kids…fresh blueberries included. Continue reading Holy Smoothie, Batman!

A Day in the Life Part 2…

So now that the weather is getting nicer and people are beginning to emerge from hibernation, I decided it would be nice to have some friends over for dinner last night. I have ALSO decided that IF I wait to have company until I have the energy or the time to plan an amazing meal and present a spotless house, I will live a life of complete solitude. SO… I recently made the decision that I’m going to invite people over into my life AS IT IS. I will not kill myself trying to present a home that is mis-leadingly clean or a dinner that is to DIE FOR. I just want food, friends and company and to be able to focus on the important stuff. SO…that’s what I did last night. I had some dirty dishes in the sink and I made hamburgers and frozen french fries. AND IT WAS GREAT! I did, however, question my new-found philosophy when in the middle of dinner, we all glanced over to look at the kids playing by the window. Our house faces the west and the setting sun that pierces into our living room is really REALLY unforgiving. I’ve never cared much for how it brightens up the dust bunnies in the corner or casts a spotlight on the layer of fuzz on pictures or tables. BUT I was completely unprepared for the show it was going to give everyone this night and I began to think MAYBE there were SOME things I should have thought of tidying up before company came…. Continue reading A Day in the Life Part 2…

A Day in the Life…

So…it’s been a while since my original post. Thank you so much to all of you for the awesome responses – I had no idea there were so many of you out there as crazy as me!!! This is going to be fun

For this entry, I’d like to share some random things that have happened the past couple weeks that I find come with the territory of Motherhood. Some times it makes me want to laugh, other times it make me want to cry. But it’s all just a day in the life…

The following stories star myself, my husband Ryan, My three year old Mackenna and my two year old Grayson: Continue reading A Day in the Life…