Getting Out the Door

~The Culprits of My Not So Leisurely Morning~

I have to admit that 4 short years ago I was quite prideful in the fact that I could get out of bed and out the door within 20 min. And I wouldn't look like a complete disaster.

Flash forward to today...wow...getting out of the door is now the bane of my existence.

This is usually what it looks like in my house...

6am- James alarm clock goes off and James takes a shower

6:15-6:30 The boys and Ella wake up

James gets the boys and I get Ella

6:30- James will turn on some cartoon for the boys and get them milk

I will nurse Ella

6:45- Diapers get changed (this is my favorite part of the morning) *note sarcasm*

6:50- I'll make the boys breakfast (and by make I mean pour a bowl of cereal or throw pancakes in the toaster or nuke oatmeal).

6:51- Make some coffee for me and offer to get some for James and tell him "sorry he has to get his own lunch together, because I didn't pack it the night before".

~awesome wife award~

6:52- Tell the boys "no" they can't have something else than what I already made for them

6:54- Tell them "no" they can't have juice and pick up Ella, cause she's getting fussing laying on the floor by herself

6:58- Tell them to stay in their chairs while they eat. Then we all kiss James good bye and he heads to work.

7:00- Pour my cup of coffee and mix with a lot of creamer

7:05- Tell them they better start eating or they'll be hungry later and to stay in their chairs and stop fighting.

7:06- "No" to juice

7:10- Go get the kid's clothes for the day

7:20- Reheat oatmeal because it's starting to get cold and tell them to eat

~yes, I'm a nag~

7:21- Tell them they better start eating and stay in their chairs and "no" they can't have juice

7:25- Try to keep Ella entertained while I am getting dressed (this does not usually include a shower, but I've found baby wipes and body spray to be my saving grace)

7:45- Tell the boys they have 5 more min to try and finish their breakfast and if they do I'll give them some juice

7:55- Have an internal debate whether or not I should let Ella have a quick nap before I have to take Josiah to school, and usually just end up dressing her and keeping her awake.

8:00- Tell the boys their hour long breakfast venture is over. They put their dishes in the sink, and tell me their still hungry (imagine that). I then run Micah under the faucet to clean him off.

8:05- After explaining to the kids why they should have ate at a quicker pace, I tell Josiah to get dressed and wrangle Micah to get him dressed (which is another highlight of my morning).

8:10- Micah is dressed but now I'm arguing with Josiah on what t-shirt I picked out for him to wear. They ask for juice (can you see the theme with the dang juice)

8:15- Put Ella someplace high where the boys can't get to her and I attempt to eat breakfast and start to drink my coffee.

8:20- Come downstairs and tell the boys to get their shoes on, only to realize Josiah is still naked. Start to lose my temper with Jo (say a quick prayer), and tell him he'll get no juice if he doesn't get dressed RIGHT NOW

8:22- Pick up Ella, she's really tired now and try to find Micah's shoes

8:28- Find Micah's shoes. And now I'm stressed because Jo is still working on getting his socks on.

Ella is crying so I put her in her carseat. Now she's screaming.

Tell Josiah to put on his shoes.

Pour juice into sippy cups for the car ride.

Tell Jo to put on his shoes.

8:35- I'm stressing out because we need to get in the car NOW. I tell the boys to go get into the garage and they are crying about wanting their juice before they get into the car. I put Ella in the car first, wrangle the boys to get in.

Make sure I have all of our bags (and I usually forget one of them).

8:38- Leave the house to drop Jo off at preschool, and realize I'm going to need to reheat my coffee when I get home, I never drank it.

And that's just the start of my day.

I'd tell you about the rest of my day, but let's be honest...it'd take forever just to read it!

P.S.

After all of this...

I wouldn't want to trade a morning like this for a morning where I get to shower and get all fancied up.

I'm pretty sure I have the best job.

Even if it means I have oatmeal stuck to my booty when I walk out the door.

Potential

Another amazing sermon at church yesterday. The pastor spoke about potential and asked us if we thought we were living up to our own potential.

He talked about how God must see us as a world. He must be heartbroken to see His people not living up to their potential; with all the war, hatred, hunger, neglect, abuse, sin, and depravity that our world possesses. Knowing He created His people with amazing potential.

It was then that I felt like God has created me with great potential that I am not living up to. He has given me the potential to be an amazing wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and so much more.

I am often faced with the thought that there is so much more I could be doing for my children. I'll be the first to admit to you that I don't think I do all that I could do for them. I am not the mom that plans out the day with fun activities, nutritious snacks, and learning games. I wake up each morning without a plan, and just roll with it. I don't play with them the way I could. I justify this by saying that I have so much to "do".

I am not the wife I believe James deserves. I can be extremely selfish with my time, and my priorities. There is so much more I could be doing for him.

I am not the sister that calls as often as I should. That goes out of my way to help my brother and sister the way I could be. I don't pray for them the way they deserve and need.

I am not the friend that gives up everything to be with you. I don't return phone calls in a timely matter. I don't know favorite restaurants, movies, music, or hobbies. I am not living up to the full potential a truly great friend can be.

But the one that makes me that saddest and most convicted about is being a Christian. I am not living up to the potential Christ has given me to fully love Him. I don't spend enough time reading His Word, or praying, or helping the needy. I don't put Him first. I fill my life with "good things". Like my family, my Church, and my MOPS group. While these things are good things, He has asked that I put Him first. He asks me to put Him first in my thoughts, actions, and intentions. He has given me the ability to talk about Him to other, and I don't. I let fear of rejection cloud my mind, and I shut down.

This is not what I was created to be. I was created to be bold, outspoken, loving, kind, compassionate, and selfless.

While this post may sound like I'm being really hard on myself, I'm really not. In fact, I'm probably not being hard enough.

He has gifted me with talents that are just laying aside. It's time I use these for His glory and not mine.

I am so grateful for the sermon. I intend to live my life to my potential and I vow to listen to His directions, not mine!

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

~We chose this verse for Micah before he was born. Little did we know it was going to be a verse for our entire family~

Happy 28th to my Hubby

Here's to you James:

I've know you for 7 years.

Fell in love with you 2 weeks after I met you.

Engaged 21 months later.

{Best decision I've ever made}

Married 6 months later.

Aruba for our Honeymoon

College graduation

{Didn't know it yet, but we were pregnant with Josiah}

2nd Anniversay trip to Denver

{Didn't know it yet but pregnant with Micah}

Trip to Nebraska to watch the Huskers ~WIN~

{Pregnant with Micah}

My first trip to San Diego

~LOVE~

1 day after Ella was born

How unexpected has our life been?

I wouldn't trade 1 second of it for anything.

So here's to being with you for the

REST OF MY LIFE

Happy birthday!

How much do I love you?

"Too Much"

I Heart Autumn

I just LOVE everything about fall in Colorado.

I love the way the air smells and feels.

I love how leaves change to yellow, red, brown; it's brilliant. And how they feel when you walk on them.

I love a pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread, and pretty much anything that has pumpkin in it.

I love that I can wear sweaters, boots, and scarves.

I love that my handsome hubby wears a sweatshirt with shorts {it's just the cutest thing}.

I love going to football games.

I love dressing my boys in hoodies.

I love hay rides, picking out pumpkins, corn mazes, and apple cider.

But my most favorite thing is the decor I can use for my home.

Dare I tell you that I'm "cheap", so everything I use in my decor has been purchased the year before on clearance.

Yes, I think putting a pumpkin on a candle holder is awesome {and cheesetastic}

Craft pumpkins found at Micheal's on Clearance for $.75

Made this "pumpkin" a few years ago at MOPS. It's one of my favs.

Well aren't you just adorable!

Michael's Clearance $.97

Homemade {not that you can tell ; ) } for about $2

This is my everyday table centerpiece, only filled with candy corn $1.98

I would love to see your decor ideas for the fall!

Today I'm linking up with Brooke @ All Things Thrifty

Ella Bevy, You are Naughty

Today I'm linking up with Emily for "Embrace the Camera"

My sweet little adorable daughter is driving me crazy! She is regressing when it comes to sleep.

And I as put it {here} I cannot let my babies just cry it out at night.

When we brought her home from the hospital she was only waking up once at night to eat. I thought to myself, "Finally! A good sleeper who I don't even have to sleep train". I just knew I wasn't going to have to train her at all.

Well...flash forward to 2.5 months:

She hit a growth spurt and started waking up 3-5 times a night. Yes people, 3-5 times. She went through that for about 2 weeks, then went down to about 2 times a night. Since then she has figured it out that I will come and get her whenever she cries.

So I've been giving her a while to cry it out. Not working, and she's waking everybody up.

I think it's time for her to get it.

She's just so darn cute. How could I ever say no to her sweet little face?

So until then, I think I'll just be sleep deprived. Oh well, babies are worth it!

~And as a side note. I put those jammies on her when she went to bed. This is how I found her after nap. She wiggled her way out of them. Amazing!~

Also linked up to Miss Mommy

for "Tag Along Thursday"

I Am

Being a mom looks completely different to each mom. Just like each mom has her own fingerprint, she also has her own unique way to be a mother. I was talking to my sister to other day about how we have little ways we do things different; but we know in the end our kids are going to turn out just fine. So this is how I am:

I am a Mom who:

Makes my kids take pictures, even when they don't want to

Is not good at "sleep training" my kids

Can't let my babies cry at night

Breastfed my babies until they decided they were done

{which was at 9 months, not 36months : ) }

Lets my boys get really dirty when they dig in the mud

Makes them wash their hands when they are done digging in the mud

Gives a spank on the booty when deemed necessary

{but doesn't do it as often as deserved}

Talkes to my kids about Jesus {all the time}

Daily reminds my kids the importance of family and what that looks like

Cries when I send them off to preschool

Can be just as hard headed as my 2 year old

Lets them watch cartoons in the morning

Is not afraid to look like a fool when I play with them

Makes them eat oatmeal when they watch cartoons in the morning

Never gives in when they are whining

Makes them eat what I make

{with a few substitutions...like ketchup}

Who's closet and laundry room will NEVER be clean

Gives lots of cuddles in my bed

{but won't let them sleep in it, but I get really sad when I kick them out}

Has dropped them off in the childcare room at church since they were babies

Lets them run around in public and act like kids

But mostly I am a mom who will NEVER JUDGE another mom for how she raises her kids.

Never, never, never!

Still Small Voice

James and I attend a non-denominational Christian Church. And I have really been loving the sermons lately. They have been preached with passion and conviction. And truly the Holy Spirit has been at work there.

On our car ride home from Nebraska, James and I had some amazing time to just chat in the car. This is a rare moment of peace and quite when we can just have a conversation. It was the perfect time for us to talk to each other about what God had been speaking to us about.

I have felt God telling me in a still small voice that He has something big planned for my life. I knew that if God was telling this to me than he had to be saying the same thing to James. So I asked him:

"James, what's God telling you He has planned for our lives?"

James: "I don't know, I was hoping he was telling you the specifics".

*Frustration Settles In*

Here we are, listening to God's call on our hearts, and He has not spoken to either of us about what these specific things are. I asked James if he thought it was his calling to be a pastor one day (because I think he would be AMAZING at leading a congregation closer to the Lord). His response was (as it has been for the past 5 years) no, not now.

So what are we to do? Right now we are making these everyday, little decisions and we are praying that God will take those tiny decisions and guide our paths the way He wants them to go.

James is especially frustrated not knowing what God's calling is on our lives. I know that right now God's calling on our lives is to be husband and wife, father and mother, teacher and friend. He has given us an amazing family that we are to be takin

g care of. But that's now; it would be so nice to know what He has in store for us. Until then, we wait on the Lord. We pray he directs our paths, and then we trust him. He is good, and he will show us when the time is ready.

~Faithful~

*On a side note; if eyes are the window to a person's soul. These are some amazing souls!*