Working Moms

Man. Sometimes being a working mom is hard. Especially a working mom with several jobs. Now Granted.. I did part of that to myself, but its still hard. I've run out of hours in the day.. some days I have great success filling all of the hours with meaningful, magical time.. Some days I don't. Some days I feel like I'm winning at being a Wife, Mom, and Employee.. Some days I'm not.

This week is Vacation Bible School, and Vacation bible School at Crossings Is LEGIT. I mean they have full size bounce houses INSIDE the church.. Amazing singers that teach them fun songs.. ITs LEGIT. I waited till the girls were old enough to go with excitement because each year we'd watch the videos and think "Oh man, that is so amazing" so they got to go for the first time last year, and I wanted them to get to go this year.. but this creates a few issues for the working mom.. For one, I go into work at 7am.. Bible School starts at 9, so I either have to wait till 9, then take them.. Or Go to work for 2 hours, send them to their school.. then go back and pick them up and take them to VBS.. Then they get out at 12.. So then I have to leave work..get them lunch.. and pick them up, then take them back to school.. and take myself back to work.. Its hard, but its worth it, because they love going, so we'll make it work.. just like we do everything else.. but being a working mom is hard.

However.. I know being a stay at home mom is hard too..and that is a job I'm just not able to do. I admire those that do it, and I'm in awe of their patience and tolerance! I've always just known that I wanted to be a working mom. Would I love to have a job that allowed me to do both? Sure.. Or only work a few days a week? FOR SURE.. Have endless amounts of money? Um, yes please.. But that is not God's plan for me.. and thats ok. My plan is not anyone else's plan. My plan is for me.

I want my girls to know why I work hard.. What I'm passionate about. What I'm good at.. Why I try to do better.. Why I went back on the radio to do something I love even though it requires more of me! I used to feel bad because I was not the kind of mom that said things like "I never lived until I had children" "My children are my World".. Yeah.. I've lived.. My college experience alone was legit.. lol And don't even get me started on some of the amazing times I've had on the radio!

I've had a pretty incredible life. My kids are incredible, but I'm a child of God, I'm a wife, I'm a daughter, and I'm a mother.. My kids are super important to me, but they do not define me, and I do not make them the Center of My universe. I want them to understand that we answer to someone bigger.. I want them to understand we all have to do crap we don't want to do.. we have to get along with people that aren't worth getting along with.. That I love their daddy and its important that we have time together by ourselves.. That We have to fall down and get back up.. That sometimes the world is Mean and Unfair.. We have to be disciples.. we have to be warriors.. we have to be supporters.. We have to be sympathetic, understanding, caring, and Kind..Even to people who don't deserve that..  And If I make them the center of the universe, do everything for them, Shelter them from everything scary, and move all obstacles out of their way, they are not going to learn that. Those are hard lessons to learn.. but I'm going to help them, and the Lord is going to help me through it all. But.......Its still hard.

IN a society of Busy.. I realize.. I'm busy.. I'm working two jobs, and I don't get to do a lot of things I need/Want to do.. For example, right now I'm neglecting my work as a Hospice Volunteer with my therapy dogs.. I just don't have the time to get to the nursing homes right now.. but I want to. I'm supposed to be taking Payslee & Sawyer on monthly visits to the Assisted Living Center.. but I feel like I run out of time. I'm leading a small group at church, but I am not able to research the lessons for us, because I run out of time! These are GREAT things to do! And I want to do them! But dang.. I just don't have the time right now, and....... I'm TIRED!!! lol.. Tired as a Mother is a real thing..

 I've had to really look at my life lately and decide What my Big Priorities are.. So as a result I've had to cut down on going to a lot of social events at church.. therapy visits.. hospice visits.. even though they are all important to me.. I just can't get to them right now, and you know what? Thats ok. Because eventually I'll get back to them.. But its hard to say no to them..

So whatever phase of life you are in.. busy.. not busy.. working.. not working.. momming, not momming.. Realize.. that Your plan is for you. Not anyone else.. Don't let others make you feel bad because you are not doing 'the norm' or filling a status.. God has a plan for me, and for my girls, and I'm excited to watch it unfold. I can't believe they are Five! Seems crazy.. its like some days stood still, and some days flew by in the blink of an eye.. Being a parent is hard.. Being a wife is hard.. and sometimes following God's plan is hard.. But we have to remember that through trials comes Grace, and while those little eyes are watching us, we can show them what it means to walk to the beat of our OWN Drum.. the Drum God created just for us.. not anyone else.. And I'm probably going to screw it up some days.. Because I run out of patience.. and time.. But all I can do is start over the next day and try again.. because as we all know, I'm not quitter.. and I hate losing..except for Weight.. and I've lost 65  pounds.. so Boom.. there's that.

New Years REALsolutions

OH my gosh. . I get sick of hearing about New Years Resolutions.. Mainly because I never keep them.. So I quit making them.. However, I have decided on something worth doing.. my New Years Real-solutions.. These are things that I'm going to KEEP doing, 1) because I like them 2) because I know these things are good for me.. and 3) Because its something I can actually keep. Plus, I think its better to celebrate what we are able to do, instead of what we can't keep up with!

So here we go..
Plus, I want everyone to know. I love My God. We have an amazing relationship, and I speak with him daily.. I visit him in Church.. and I want you to know, that if God can love me, (doing all the ridiculous stuff that I do)  He can also love you! So don't let any of the things you do, or don't do... Keep you from having that relationship! Ok.. onto my Realsolutions..

1) Loving Glitter and Bling.. Yes, yes.. I know.. I've heard the saying "Glitter is like Herpes".. Just stop it. I love Glitter.. Glitter lipstick (my lipsense glitter gloss) glitter hair bows.. glitter pants for the girls.. Glitter paper.. I just love it. I also love bling, even better, bling that looks like glitter.. I like sparkly fun, shiny things.. Crosslee does too, and I let her like it. In fact.. I LOVE that she loves it! Her Michael Jackson party was laced with all things glitter.. and it was fantastic! Oh, and big, gaudy jewelry with fake gems? YUP. I love that too!

2) Big Hair.. Yes.. I know that "Jackin your hair to Jesus" may have went out in the 80's.. guess what? I DON'T CARE.. I like my hair set on lovely hot rollers, and then I like it to be big.. I don't like flat hair on me. I've had a million people try to get me to change my mind. Tell me "Straight hair is in" I don't care. I'm not doing it. My hair looks good like this..This also includes my super tall mom bun.. Yup, its still happening. Err'Day..  MJ likes it.. My mama likes it.. and I like it.. so its happening. Sorry, not sorry.

3) Going to bed at 8:30.. I could lie here and tell you that because I'm a twin mom I have to go to bed at 8:30 because I'm exhausted.. but if I'm being honest, I was in bed by 9 most of my life.. Yes, my life is a bit more tiring these days with two 3 year old toddlers.. but I was lame before I had children, and I'll continue to be lame now. However, I like being in bed by 9. I'm a morning person, so it makes it easier to rise and shine by 5:30am each morning!

4) Drinking Wine.. Yup. Not apologizing for this one either.. I like a good glass of wine (or two) in the evenings. I drink it at my house.. I am not a drunk.. I do not drive..I do not endanger people.. I'm responsible.. So I'm not going to feel guilty about this. I work hard and if I want a glass of wine in the evening.. or at a party.. or at dinner. I'm going to have one. I mean as a mom we've all heard the expression "Oh child..you will drive me to drinking".. yes, sometimes that is true..

5)  Creative Cussing. Sorry.. I may have offended you there.. but I like cussing. You should know.. I never cuss AT people.. or in front of people who don't like Cussings.. or where cussing is not appropriate. I like to call this cussing "Creative Cussing".. Like ways to describe things.. Or when you stub your toe or hit your head and you curse to make yourself feel better. I never use Curse words in a way to disparage someone, be mean, or anything like that.. I Just like to be creative with my wide variety of my vernacular sayings! Its a creative outlet for me!

6) Not dressing my girls like twins.. Ok.. I get it, I have twins.. thats awesome.. and magical.. Yes, yes it is.. but have you seen them? They are certainly NOT identical.. and they do not have the same taste in clothes, or the same opinions about pretty much anything known to man.. So while I get it, its cute to dress twins alike.. mine don't really go for that.. and I never really have either. Most people can't even tell they are sisters! Sure.. sometimes they want to wear the same things.. but that is like a 1 out of 50 time! (Like when they both want to wear Princess clothes because Princesses and Mermaids are where its at right now!)They came out of the womb two little separate people with completely different looks, and completely different personalities, so if they don't want to dress alike.. I'm completely ok with it!

So there you have it.. I plan on doing a videoblog of these shortly.. I got a GOPRO for Christmas, and I'm super excited to get it started.. but I haven't had time to get it all setup yet.. so that is fourth-coming.. But I just don't want people to feel like you have to be 'this' or 'that' to get it right.. we are all working hard to get it right in different ways all the time! We screw things up.. we get back on track.. we do things great! We celebrate that!! In this little round of life, we have to do what we can do to survive, and be great.. So whatever that is for you.. make it your own.. embrace it.. don't worry about going against the grain, or not fitting in with everyone else.. Don't worry about someone else's unrealistic expectations for you! Just do you, and do it well!!I've realized that when I'm the happiest.. its just BEING ME.. Weird..OL.. ME.. Because you know what? That is who God Created me to be.. ME.. Not anyone else, and he loves Me.. Just like I am. Will I always try to be better? For sure.. But even when I fail, I know I can get back up.. and move onto the next!

In other news.. Jordan got a new Job! So thankful for that! He started last Thursday and its going really great...We had an amazing Christmas.. the girls loved every single second of it.. Its making me a little sad that this year they will turn 4.. I have truly enjoyed them being 3. Its been a fun, entertaining year. They do and say something different everyday that makes us laugh. They are also pretty good kids!  I feel like the time is flying by in their little lives, and I recently had a friend Recommend a book to me that is really great.. Its called "Don't Miss it"..  And here are a few of my favorite little pages from the book so far..

People always say "The Days are Long, but the Years are short" and that is very true.. I only have 365 days of my girls as 3 year olds.. and after that they will be 4 year olds, and I'll never get to know them again as a 3 year old. So even though sometimes its hard, and I'm struggling, I've always tried to make the most of every day that I have with them..

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to being Real, and Present in 2017!