WOOO HOOOO It's friday! Let's celebrate!

Okay - I think Mondays are a great day to count blessings - especially the little things (because sometimes - is it only me?? MONDAYS can be HARD!)
But Friday - OH DEAR DEAR FRIDAYS those are days meant to celebrate!

I REALLY want to find things to celebrate to post on my FRIDAY BLOG!

SO - I will be looking for fun opportunities - things to do as a family - things to do as a couple - things just to make you smile - then you can send me comments on FRIDAY CELEBRATIONS!!!

WOO HOO!!!!! OR AS SOMEONE WISE ONCE SAID...........YABBA DABBA DOOOOOOO!!!!!! :)LOL

http://happynews.com/news/7282010/good-friendships-key-healthy-living.htm

Okay - there's something to celebrate! Good friendships are KEY to healthy living - :) THERE'S PROOF! :) (as if we didn't already know)

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NIV)

sing along with me now....friendship..friendship...just the perfect blendship...

So - for my Friday Celebration Blog- I choose to celebrate friendship and all the wonderful benefits of having such fabulous friends!

Funny how the mind works...

The other day I was in a car accident. OUCH! Not something I planned on my lunch break from work - guess that's why they call it an ACCIDENT! Here I was with my car in the middle of the highway, the drivers side rear door SMASHED in...and all I could think was "I need to let my family I'm gonna be late for lunch!"

I kept thinking the baby was due to nurse.....my daughter was probably keeping lunch warm and wondering what in the world was keeping me.

My husband was due home around the same time and I was so dissappointed that I'd miss a "family lunch". Not that the car was really really messed up...not that the other driver was screaming at me. Not that the officers who really were SUPER were trying to explain things to me (paperwork and such) just that I missed my family time because of something so...ACCIDENTAL.

When it was all done and over with, I took two hours "sick time" to nurse Mykai and snuggle with him - half napping and half replaying the crash over and over in my head. I spent time reassuring my other kiddos that I was okay - that my guardian angels had been working overtime and the Lord had really kept me safe. This required extra snuggling with them as well.

sigh...

The car is messed up - but all in all - I am SO VERY THANKFUL FOR BEING SAFE....

and for the extreem yet effective reminder of what TRULY matters to me.

So....on those days when I have "just one more phone call.....or just one more paper to type before I leave for home"....I'm outta here - it'll all be here waiting in the morning!

On that note - I'm off to lunch with my babies and my "man"

Remember what's important today!

Remember what truly matters!

It can all change in an instant -

value what is truly valuable!

I cried for you today

You do not know me. I am just another phone call you made today to let "the powers that be" know that your baby didn't make it.

You were due last week and with all the excitement an dreams....you left for the hospital - only you returned home empty handed and broken hearted.

What could I possibly do to show you love? As I listened to your story with tears running down my face I had to be "business professional" yet caring.

Your husband is working so very hard to be positive and pro-active. Over-smiling and encouraging with words of "we'll try again real soon".

He means well.

He loves you.

He's hurting too.

I cried after the call because I had no words.

I pray that you have a mom/friend/sister nearby to hold you and let the storm rage. Someone who will show you love and give you hope. Someone who will allow you to mourn and sob and weep. Someone who will prop you up and help you to find your balance again in life. To confirm your loss. To give you time.

I have not been in your position - but I have had two miscarriages - short term pregancies that brought excitement and then pain. They devistate and somehow we grow stronger - more aware of what is precious in our lives. we do survive but we remember the grief.....

So my many prayers go out to you - my heart goes out to you -

Adventures in Babywearing: I have stuff to say.

Adventures in Babywearing: I have stuff to say.

side note.....

Check out the blog Adventures in Babywearing - Isn't it funny how we moms all think alike? :)


www.adventuresinbabywearing.com

It's a whole new day

Each morning I look forward to some of the blogs I'm "subscribed" to - Ann Voskamps blog Holy Experience is a touching journal of her family's challenges and celebrations. I find myself longing for a couple hundred acres of farm land often when reading it. More than that however, I find myself touched by her honesty and the beauty of her writing. I absorb the photos wishing our home looked and felt like hers - a "nest" of love and worship. More often than not my own home is more like a "nest" of hornets - everyone bellowing about someone touching someone, someone doing something worth tattling on or even worse in the sibling book of law - someone SMILING - gasp! I know...the horror!!!! :)


All too often I re-act rather than pre-act.


I yell before I think


I think and think and think and act and act and act WAY before I pray....


sigh....


my consolation on those days is a quote I once heard about "perfect parenting"...


If God - being perfect - is our parent and yet can have such wild, willful, whiny (and often rotten acting) children like us....how can we expect to have perfect children? sigh....


At least we know HE understands! :) And that is good enough for me :) (most days at least)

From my heart......

Michelle

P.S. you'll note that the bigger brother is actually holding the little one by the ear to keep him still - I assure you arguing broke out just after the photo was snapped :) OY!

What? You thought breastfeeding got easier? ME TOO!

Okay - I just wanted to point out that for some weird reason I thought that baby #6 would be a breeze - you know....I've had breastfeeding "issues" with each of #'s 1-5 so #6 couldn't possibly throw anything new my way right? WRONG! He's 6months old now and we're JUST NOW settling down into a nice (virtually pain-free) nursing pattern! You name it - we faced it in the last 6 months. Anyone who thinks nursing is "super easy" is either 1. a bold face liar or 2. So amazingly blessed. Generally I think that nursing is for the extreemly hard-headed among us! :)

Inspite of *colic*thrush*acid-reflux*low low weight-gain*poor latch*blisters*yeast infections*blisters*cracks that looked like ....CRATERS*did I mention blisters???*supplementing*pumping*teeth(4 of 'em by 5mo.!!)and oh...blisters....we are STILL nursing.

Now I will be the first to tell you that my entire family has probably been scarred by the first two months of crying (mine - not the babies ;) and who knows if they would recommend breastfeeding to their future spouses (hopefully all my grandbabies will nurse inspite of my "challenges")

I do sincerely hope that they'll realize how very important it was to me - to the baby - to us all in the end :) I pray that they see the good for all of the crazy :)

I just want to let others out there know....if it isn't easy - you're NOT alone :) and yes....I'm still looking for the instruction booklet that I'm sure was supposed to come along with each of these kiddos who are each SO different!

My heart goes out to you -

Michelle

p.s. doesn't the graphic look lovely? and easy? tee hee!

Hello!

Welcome to my blog! I think the name says it all - :) Very undeserving and yet SO overblessed!

We are a large family living "on the edge" of Paradise.... Every day is filled with laughter and struggles. I hope to use this blog site to remember to count my blessings - even on the days when I am overwhelmed with all the juggling that life sometimes requires!