Day 33: Music to my ears ;)

I have written before about my daughters and their amazing writing talents.  Tonight, my oldest shared with me some of her most recent song writings.......I was blown away!  She amazes me that she can write with such eloquence and conviction at such a young age.  She has an uncanny ability to write from the heart and passion of an experienced adult when she's merely a 13........and she's been writing since she was 4!!  We laughed at that memory of her very first song (Because of You) and when Kelly Clarkson came out with a hit that same year......she said "mommy, she stole my song!"  :)  The music was completely different but to a 4 year old.....it was her title, so it was her song! 

I've been encouraging her to keep all her writings and even record them so she won't forget the melody she had in mind and she's found a way to get all her songs on the computer now, which is wonderful!  I love listening to her work on a song or share one as she's developing it.  Truly music to my ears!!!

Day 32: Wicked

I took my girls to see the Broadway Musical Wicked this weekend!  It wasn't on Broadway but it was in a beautiful theatre in another town so we made a day of it!  We went out for dinner and did a little shopping too.  It was so nice!! 

I had never seen Wicked before but grew up watching the Wizard of Oz, loved it and my children are fans as well so we thoroughly enjoyed it!  It was very funny and had an interesting storyline of all that went down before Dorothy lands in Oz.  The show was great! If you haven't seen it--I highly recommend it.  They've been doing the tour all around for nearly 10 years now.  I had only recently heard of it within the last few years but come to find out--it came out around 2003. 

Our dinner was at one of our favorite restuarants and as usual, it was delish! But my favorite part of the day was the long car ride home, where my girls and I sang our little hearts out to some Taylor Swift (and other) music!  I so enjoy spending time with them and while the boys were enjoying some manly football......we girls were enjoying some WEtime! 

So I found this one on Pinterest......and just had to include it with this post.  I found it too cute not to share ;)

Day 31: Homework Help

Experienced a wonderful thing tonight.  While my oldest was working online at a scholarship application, his younger sister was working at the same table on Algebraic equations.  She wanted him to check over a couple of her problems and he paused what he was doing long enough to see if her skills were on target.  It was a sweet gesture--and I'm certainly glad older brother recently had Algebra and can offer assistance!  ;)

While this was going on, youngest cub was practicing for an upcoming talent show.  She has written a medley song routine with dance, piano and music and I am so proud of her creativity.  She's been eager to rehearse!  I love it when everyone is home, doing the day-to-day things and life is perfectly, normally, blissful!!  It's one of my favorite times of the day.  Mornings can get hectic, but evenings are so nice.....especially when we all have dinner together at the table (yes, that should be the daily routine but sporting schedules can deter from those routines all too often).  My kids laugh at me for saying this but I love it when everyone is getting along.  (Actually, they say "mom, we always get along"!  And for the most part, they do.  But I just relish in the day to day-peaceful conversations, when everyone is being nice to each other.  Now, in their defense.......they truly do get along well.  And it is rare that we have a flare up or issue with anyone being unkind.....but I enjoy so much the day-to-day happenings of family.  We know they won't be "ours" for much longer.......and they've grown up so quickly already......so I am very much aware and living in the moment.  Which means I am blogging about the most mondane events--which to me, are anything but ;)

Day 31: Little moments

This picture says it all.  I am fully aware of the speed of childhood and how much I treasure every day but I can always use a nice reminder to really relish the little moments! 

So I'm on my way downstairs to breath and notice and touch their (not so tiny anymore) faces.  We've had a nice weekend.......house cleaned and managed to make it to church......also baked a new pinterest recipe for pumpkin cake (which was delish btw) and we danced and laughed but I mostly listened.........to the girls play barbies.....and relished the little moments that make up their childhood.  Thank God for them!

Day 30: Prayer

I found this prayer on pinterest and instantly knew it would be a fav!  It pretty much sums up everything in one clean sweep-

I am continually trying to teach my children the power of prayer.  I am also trying to instill in them the practice of going to God for guidance and direction as well as praising daily for the many blessings we have.  They are teaching me as well.  The other day my youngest was stressing about an upcoming piano lesson and having soccer practice.  She was concerned with doing both things and we stopped to pray.  Instantly the stress was lessened and she turned and said "Mom, I think God is glad we asked his help with this."  

Today she was trying a new recipe and wanted to complete the directions totally independent of my help.  As hard as it was to resist, I watched as she proceeded.  She did a great job and I told her these may be the best snickerdoodles we've ever had.  I could see the pride on her face!  She's such a sweet, energetic bubble of goodness.  I prayed while she was reading the recipe and getting ingredients out, not for the recipe to turn out, but for God to guard my tongue so I wouldn't interfere!  So to her, I say, I think God is really glad I came to him over it.  It allowed her to learn on her own with my support and not with my direction ;)  (always a challenge for me!)

Day 29: F.R.O.G.

You are probably wondering F.R.O.G.??  Let me explain...... earlier I posted about the GET TO outlook on life.  Well the second part of that book is the F.R.O.G. motto which means Fully Rely on God.  (I told you it had a strong spiritual message :)

It's another lesson learned from reading Denise Taylor's book (Heavenly Birth) and it has great impact if we choose to do it! 

It means fully--that is in everything--the good, the bad, the amazing!  It's easy to come to God when we NEED something......when we are struggling....or when we are lost.  But we must remember to rely on God even in the good times and when things are going well. 

Speaking of amazing....I posted about Denise's book and her daughter Jonnae's struggle with leukemia......but after her daughter died, Denise went back to visit her grave site and a frog literally jumped out from under a rock as Denise was placing flowers down!!  WOW!  How amazing is that?  I love it! 

Ok--so now you know......and can apply the F.R.O.G. acronym to your life along with we GET to!

Day 28: My wish

I know there are a lot of sarcastic comments from some parents who say to their children... "I hope one day you have kids just like you" and I cringe because I know they are speaking with sarcasm and their intention is often tongue and cheek, perhaps harmless in nature but it is still contrary to my feelings and view on children.  To me,  is my ultimate wish for my children to have the JOY and GIFT of experiencing even half of what we have experienced in parenting them and I mean it with utmost sincerity.  Our children have been such PURE joy and such amazing blessings.  I truly do pray that they get the joy of experiencing sweet, lovable little blessings who have filled our lives with such awesome experiences and goodness --just like them! I hope they have sparkling personalities and adorable manerisms that delight, and ignite a passion for parenting just like our sweet children did for us! I hope they have sass and a free spirit to be their expressive, individual little selves.  I hope they are inquisitive and creative and cuddly and coy all wrapped up into one.   I cannot even fathom saying that to my child with sarcasm.  Nothing could be further from my heart!

 So--my dear children--know this:  I hope and pray that you are blessed with your own children that bring you as much joy and happiness as you have brought us!  You were perfect little blessings and I hope you get to experience sweet little bundles of goodness--JUST LIKE YOU someday!!

Day 27: Star gaze

I know I've posted before on how my daughters love Taylor Swift and how I am pleasantly surprised that she writes clean music, loves her parents and dresses very classy so I'm glad they have a good role model in popular music.  We've been to her concert and she writes her own  music (which my girls love because they are writers too) but she has an innocence that is adorable.  Well a couple nights ago my girls were so excited for the release of a new TS song and Mtv was premiering the music video. (Actually, I had a flashback to being about their age when Michael Jackson's premiere video for Thriller came out and it was mayhem!  My teachers even let us watch it at school-which was beyond cool for the 80's!) 
Their enthusiasm was contagious so of course I had to join them on the couch and we watched the premiere together.  I must say--it was so sweet watching my girls' excitement build and the gittiness they had over the whole 3 minute segment.  To be young and so enthralled!  It was completely cute!  It occurred to me that they won't always have this child-like excitement for their favorite singers and I'm so glad I can enjoy their music with them.  I am grateful that I enjoy their taste in music and like to listen to it with them.  We've had so many "best days" with Taylor Swift music as the backdrop over the years and her music will always be part of the soundtrack of their childhood.  I love that!

Day 26: GET TO!

I read a book this summer, well I actually read several books but summer is kind of my chance to GET TO read because the schedule of 3 kids can be a little more relaxed in the summer. And I always like to read books that inspire, teach, or uplift in some way.  I have to tell you about one of my summer reads--it will completely have you counting your blessings and holding your children tighter.  It will also likely inspire you to change your attitude and outlook on life!  Even if you have the best attitude.....this book will remind you of just how precious life is and it will make you appreciate life more.
On a side note--I have a personal connection to the book because I know the author and interestingly enough, we went to college together.  She was in a different sorority than I was and she was a little older but it's interesting that our lives would reconnect through her book, her organization and facebook some 20 plus years later.
The story is of her daughter's battle with leukemia and it will make you cry but it will also lift you up and touch your heart <3. 

 

 

I happened to be reading it when we were on vacation so my husband was utterly confused when the tears started flowing and he couldn't understand why I would want to read a book that makes me cry on vacation!  But I told him that I just couldn't put it down and it had a very strong spiritual message (which I shared with everyone in my house).  In the book, the author's (Denise Taylor) daughter Jonnae (who is sick  with Leukemia) poses the question to her mom something like "why does everyone view life in the 'have to' frame of mind? .....why can't they see life as a GET TO?"  and from that point on the GET TO outlook was born.   The author shares her daughter Johnnae's perspective with everyone and immediately they realize the power of flipping just two words!  I won't say more about the book (because you really should read it!) but the author is a mother of 5 children and she has gone on to found a non-profit organization aptly called GET TO. 

So I shared this concept with my family--and wow!  Children have the GREATEST ability to grasp concepts and run with them!  They started using the GET TO attitude in everything!  Sometimes they would catch themselves beginning to gripe or complain about their chores and we'd just look at each other, pause and instantly they'd say "I mean, I GET TO do the dishes" :) 

I was so impressed with the effect that I had to contact the author, Denise on facebook with a message about how her story, her daughter's legacy and her positivity had touched our lives.  She was delighted to hear it!

I'm so proud of our children for so many things, but I am extremely humbled by their connection to Jonnae's story and that they could emulate her positive, spiritual outlook at their ages.  It really is true, what they say about==gratitude changing attitude! 

And that is kind of what started my whole blogging venue (combined with just wanting to mommy journal) so I knew when I finished the book, that I would devote a post to Jonnae, the book, and the WE GET TO foundation.  We often take being healthy for granted.  But when you read Heavenly Birth--you will appreciate your life and the lives of those around you.  Our time here on earth truly is for a purpose.  It is small in comparison to eternity and while heaven will be bliss......we don't want to miss the joy of life while we're here.  Sometimes a negative attitude actually robs us of that joy in small, accummulative ways.  We can change our outlook and we GET TO!

For more information on the foundation-visit http://wegetto.org/

 

Day 25: a new quest!

Hello long, and hopefully not lost friends.  I've been working on my "other" blog so much that I have kind of neglected this one and after looking over my last post, a twinge of guilt popped up ;(  bad mommy!  I really need to get back to this blog more often!  PLUS--my amazingly -talented- blog author -oldest -daughter shared with me a new entry in her own blog today and we ALL know she is always inspiring!!!  So....

I found another cute idea online in the form of a book called My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife

and another idea hit me.  I was already kind of doing the gratitude thing with this blog.....and the book might be a good fit.  We'll see.  One of the ideas is a 10-day challenge to be a Poverbs 31 wife.  The book is cute and it was inspired when the author's pastor began a marriage series at church.  From that series, the author says that basically the bible calls men to follow  Ephesians 5:25-28 ~ with just ONE thing to remember, love their wives as much as they love themselves, while women have Proverbs 31, with 21 RULES to follow to be a good wife! :)  Sounds about right ;) huh?  Hence the challenge! 

So I'm not even going to try to make a 10 day posting goal but I am going to intertwine what I was already doing with my blog to include some of what I discover as I embrace this Proverbs 31 Wife challenge ;>   Let's see how this goes.......together!