What I'm Loving.....Birthday Edition

Everyone is actually looking at the camera at the same time. Wow!!

If you didn't wish me a Happy Birthday, no worries. It was 2 weeks ago and well, you're too late. Just kidding.

With birthdays there comes another year (Blah!), a few more creases (around the eyes.....They are laugh lines because I'm so happy! Blah!), and a few more white hairs (nothing a little brown mascara won't fix!).

There also comes....presents. And of course, time with friends and family. Which is what really matters. Got to admit, though. I do love me some Starbucks cards. (I got 2 this year. Score!!)

So here is what I'm absolutely loving this 32nd birthday. No really......I'm 32.

My iphone. Yup. I'm just like the rest of them. I love, love, love my phone.
I don't know how to do 70% of the things on my phone. But I love it.

Time with family. Eating brownies. Catching up. Watching the newest cousins.



Cousins Landon and Henry are just days apart. We've decided they must be BFF's.

Fun times with friends. We are at Pizza Gourmet, my all-time favorite pizza joint.

My super cool platter from some super cool friends.

It found a special place.

My newest cricut cartridge.

There were giftcards, lotions, and peanut M&M's and more.

The best gift of all was sleeping in on my birthday. Thank you, Andy!

Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to
God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Sleep? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Sleep!

Before you read this post, you must know 2 things. Number one: My husband is very helpful. He works nights but totally gets up with little H. when he's home. He's even been handed the cranky little guy as he walks in the door at 3 a.m., as I stumble to bed mumbling about all the sleep I'm not getting. Number two: Little H. is just having some hard days. I know this too will pass. But as most moms (make that all moms) know, sometimes a girl just has to vent.

See this sweet face? Don't let him fool you. He's dangerous.

Did you know that when you become a parent, you no longer need sleep? I know you thought I said, "You don't get MUCH sleep." What I said was, "You no longer NEED sleep." Need, yes; you heard correctly.

"That's amazing!" you say. Now jump up and down and clap your hands like a little school girl. This is great news!

What's that? You have found yet another bag under your eye? Oh, so have I. I'm working on my third bag under each eye. That haggish and goulish reflection you see in the mirror is all in your imagination. You look great! You look as fresh and young as the day you got married. Trust me.

You say you feel sluggish and slow in the brain? You can't finish a thought? No worries. This gets better in time. You see, when you don't get more then a few hours of sleep at a time, your brain goes on a diet of sorts. You've heard people say that when you start to eat less, your stomach shrinks, right? You train your stomach to eat less and then you need less food. Well, it's the same with sleep. You start to train your brain that it really doesn't need that much sleep to function. Pretty soon you'll be on auto pilot. You'll be doing things and you won't even remember they happened. It's awesome; you'll love it.

But you say you are cranky and irritable and don't feel the least bit romantic or fun-loving? Well, isn't that all over rated? I mean my infant son isn't going to be crying through the night when he's fifteen? Right? ....... Right? I'll just get more sleep then. I'll have time and energy to exercise later (when I have no hopes of regaining my girlish figure.) You can wait, honey, right? Right? Where did my husband go.........................?

I know you feel desperate, like if you don't get your precious sleep you'll just crumble where you stand. You just have to put your head down and power through. And if you tell yourself enough that the feel of your cotton pillowcase again your weary cheek isn't as sweet as a ripe summer peach, and that your eyelids don't feel like heavy slabs of concrete, and that the sharp shrills of your sweet baby's cry telling you it's time to drag your butt out of bed again is just the sound of heaven itself, and that being up at 2 in the morning rocking the sweet babe while watching reruns of Psyche while the rest of the world is asleep feels completely normal then maybe, just maybe, you'll start to believe.

I believe. I don't need sleep. I don't need sleep. I don't need sleep. I don't...............zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Mommy, I Like You.

We had family visiting today, my sister and brother - in - law. It was my sister's birthday on Tuesday, mine was last Tuesday and today is my parent's 39th wedding anniversary. Pretty cool, huh? Because of all that the kids and I were out late tonight. Driving home, I thought they'd both fall asleep; but they didn't. Just a few moments from home and I hear this quiet little voice pop up from the back, "Mommy, I like you."

"I like you, too, Sweetie."

A little quieter I heard the voice say, "I just like you."

There's this feeling I get sometimes. I don't feel it very often; because, quite honestly, I let the little things in life bog me down way too easily. But I felt it tonight. It came in like a quiet, deep rush and just filled me up. I felt completely happy.

I didn't feel lonely or misunderstood. I didn't feel overwhelmed or frustrated. I didn't feel the negative feelings I let myself feel at times.

My heart began to overflow with thankfulness to God for both of my children. I immediately thought of the gift I have in Andy and what an amazing husband he is. My thoughts always go back to the birth of Henry because it rocked my world. I thought of the last couple of years and how faithful God has been through the mountains and valleys. And I thought of a favorite song of mine by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Be still".

So I popped in the CD I had listened to earlier that day and I did exactly that. I pulled into my driveway just as the song began to play. I was still. My heart was so full of love for my Savior. He has never left my side. He is always faithful. He loves me.

The hard stuff, though it is painful and scary, is what makes us see so clearly how faithful He is. And it's what makes those sweet moments of pure joy so much sweeter.

If you read this and listen to the song, I encourage you for just a few moments to Be Still.