Down Home Country Mom

Not Open

2013-10-03T10:32:00.003-07:00

This is an all true reality of how things are for me in my life. I know everyone has a story but for me it is really hard for me to open up about things because I have been hurt. Yes by people who have told stories about me, my husband, my family. Yes people who have shared things about me that aren't true or have said things out of spite or out of context. Also, I have just been hurt by things that have just happened to me and I am scared to share. I don't want to be judged. I don't want people I guess to know the real me and walk away. People are so hard on people and I don't want the things in my life that I have lived through and going through to be even more painful because I decide to open my heart and share with someone. The thought of that pain just isn't worth it to me some days. I have already lost to many people in my life I don't want to lose anymore because of things I decide to share.

Love Ourselves

2013-10-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

These days I have been thinking can what can we do or what is the best thing to love ourselves or others? If we actually love ourselves, first we would feel the need to not judge, compare, or criticize others. How often do you feel or hear of someone being mean to someone else? How often do you say " Well, it's just because they are insecure" or " They may be intimidated by you"? Well I think this or hear this from my husband all the time. Really it is hard to hear or think these things when you know that others do these things to others everyday. We give these answers to help give perspective and to try to help make us feel better or to make us feel right about a situation.

I have to ask myself everyday would a woman who is loved and who God made her to be treat others in a mean way? Probably not. I feel that just like Christ's example that we are not suppose to leave others out, make them feel bad, that there is no need to make yourself feel better than someone else. I feel that we are to love others no matter what their shape, size, color, disability, or anything. We are to love all because we were all made in Christ's image.

The sad reality to life is that we don't do this. People don't follow this and they do judge others. This really hurts people and is a huge reason that we don't have many close relationships or trust people. When we can't love ourselves and love others as Christ loved us then we are not following his word. When we don't we hurt the ones we want in our lives, the ones we have in our lives, and the ones we love.

So, I think we should do whatever work we need to do, counseling, support groups, time in prayer, to figure out how to accept and love ourselves as the beautifully unique women God has made us to be. When we put God as the center of our lives and follow his example we will start to learn to love others and ourselves.

Beyond Ordinary Marriage

2013-06-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

I normally don't have time for books because I am busy with my family, life, kids, and well can usually find something else to do other than reading. I usually NEVER have quiet time to myself. I know most of my mom friends we have all talked at least once together about never having a bathroom moment alone.

For some reason I get to see some of my friends go on girls trips, weekends, or even a moment to get their toes done. I have never had that. For some reason I have even offered to cash in air miles to take a friend some place with me, offered when I knew they were not able to afford the extra money but had the time to get nails done to just pay so that I could have time with them and hang with my friend for the day. I really wish that I didn't have to make them feel bad or anything about money because it isn't about that it is about time away. Why is girl time so hard for me?

Oh well. Since I have all this time to myself and I fill it with other things and I never know or pick out a book that might interest me or that can hold my attention.

I know that the amount of recipes, things I find on pinterst, the ideas I have for redecorating, the constant to-do list. With all of these things I just don't have the time or interest to be the romantic I was.

True romance does not have a recipe it just is. It is a feeling and things just happen just because it is right.

I just well have had a hard time at times understanding and going through all of my emotions and understanding where things are in my life. I started to look for songs, blogs, poems, something to help me express how I was feeling. I knew someone had to feel like me but I just could not imagine someone else expressing it in a way that others could ever understand.

I knew my marriage was not one that was going to fit in the perfect box and that really no one was going to understand what I was feeling or going through. I knew reading some of the things and outlines that were suggestions well I was so far out of that I knew that I didn't know what to do or where to turn. I was feeling lost.

I didn't want to follow a script that someone else did and was written by someone and hope that I would come out like them. I knew that I was not in that kind of position.

After all my marriage is unique.

Listen...

One day I just didn't know what to do. I had thought for years about talking to someone, my pastor, a friend. But I just stuffed it all way. I knew that I just could not I knew that I didn't want to be judged or something worse I thought so I just moved on. I started to meet some really cool people and I started to pray. I started to have the doors to my heart open up. After trying to think, read, understand what was going on in my life and marriage alone I knew I just could not keep at this alone.

So one day I walked up to a friend and with little words just asking for prayer she dropped everything and prayed for me. That moment was the door opening in my life. She introduced me to a couple of amazing women. One had a book about her story and the other had a newer website with just a document on it.

After years of not reading anything I read these to things both late at night and the first one was the book I knew it was good but not for me. The other I went to the http://www.refineus.org/ebook/ website and read the only thing they had at the time called 8 Things that Destroyed Our Marriage. I was immediately intrigued by what I read.

I wanted to know how this woman found the strength to forgive her husband. I wanted to understand how someone digs deep enough to overcome an extramarital affair and how they ever rebuild that trust. I wanted to comprehend where this woman found the courage, the strength, to forgive the unforgivable.

After reading this over and over, having talks with my husband about this late at night, and then wanting to understand more. I started to follow both of them on Twitter and then on Facebook. I wanted a better understanding of how to accomplish this.

After a year they wrote a book called Beyond Ordinary (http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Ordinary-When-Marriage-Enough/dp/1414372272). I wanted to see if I was going to like it as much as what they put on their website a year ago so I downloaded it on my Kindle first to pre-view it. After I just got totally sucked in and when it asked to buy it of course I did and well just kept on reading. I was tagging highlighting and everything this book so much. I ordered a hard copy and well it is all marked up and looks like a collage text book.

When I started the book I was finding time between my kids activities, where ever I was I had it with me and I would just grab sections of it when I could.

I was becoming alarmed reading this but hopeful. While reading this knowing that well it isn't my life but if someone else could over come the odds well maybe it is possible. Maybe there is hope.

I know that I had done what I could to survive. I know I had protected my kids and loved them so much. I know that I have put up walls of protection but well I know that I want to love my friend again. I know there is always something going on in a family and in life but well if you just keep ignoring things or putting on a mask it will never get better.

Weeks would easily pass and we wouldn't talk or have important conversations. We could not even remember the last time we went on a date. A moment alone what is that? And well worst things is do we even want one of them? What would we have to talk about or do? Little eyes and ears are everywhere. We can't really do any talking or working things out until the kids aren't around.

I know that you must go beyond what is usual to have a great marriage. I just didn't really understand how. I know you have to really want it and be intentional and well I was at my breaking point. I really wanted this to happen and to work if it was. I was willing to put it all on the line. I had to stop putting my marriage at the bottom or somewhere on my never-ending to-do list.

The greatest thing and way I can describe this book it isn't the fact that I could relate with them in many areas, that it just made sense for once, and that it was one of the first books I had picked up in ages. This book was about teaching me how to modify my behavior.

And here it was…all of it making perfect sense, finally put into words.
I want honesty.
I want real intimacy.
I want to be fully known.
I want God to change the broken areas of my heart.
I want my marriage to be transformed to extraordinary.

“God doesn't want to improve your marriage; He wants to transform it. God doesn’t want to modify your behavior; He wants to change your heart. Extraordinary comes when you, as a husband or wife, invite God to change you.”

So yes I have been praying and asking for God to change me.

I know that this is a hard thing and that understanding troubles in life, marriage, and your family are so hard. I have just been having to learn to know that I am not alone, that there is a way, and that you just have to find your path. To go from ordinary to extraordinary also doesn't happen over night. It takes time, digging deep, and prayer.

I know my journey isn't over and that it has only just begun. I am just hoping that I can see an amazing picture in even 5 or 10 years down the road and even longer.

Jean Apron

2013-04-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

OMG this is such a cute idea! If any of my friends that sew want to make me one :)

http://kendramccracken.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/old-pair-of-jeans-fabric-cute-little.html

An Hour Workout

2013-04-29T22:26:00.002-07:00

Fit is not a destination...

2013-04-29T22:25:00.004-07:00

Things I Like

2013-04-29T22:24:00.002-07:00

Working out or Fat?

2013-04-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

www.pfitblog.com

So this is how I feel these days. So after having my little one and having 3 surgeries and my neck and back problems after our car accident I have been back starting to get myself back to the gym. I love the gym and well if I can say I am addicted to something well working out is my thing. So I am really motivated to not be in this body anymore.

How to Determine if and Egg is Fresh

2013-04-29T22:21:00.002-07:00

SPRING CLEANSE

2013-04-29T22:19:00.002-07:00

SPRING CLEANSE ~ YOUR BODY ~ Yes another post about water :) But if you really want to cleanse then DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. Here are eight (8) home made vitamin water recipes to help you keep the water flowing!

As a rule, you should try to avoid as much as possible industrial food and beverages

1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced + 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped basil leaf + 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite: Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries / 0r Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime + 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive: Fennel/citrus
First: infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) + a small thinly sliced orange + 12 fresh chopped mint leaves + the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antioxidant: Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leaf is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed + 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) Watermelon: watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) The exotic: Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8.) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea + 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The Power of touch, smile, a kind word...

2013-04-29T22:17:00.001-07:00

Relationships last longer...

2013-04-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Our next steps

2013-04-29T22:12:00.002-07:00

So my husband and I have known that we haven't been in the best place in our marriage for a number of years now. We just celebrated our 18 years of marriage last month and over 20 years together but we really wanted to just celebrate about 12 or 13 of those years. So yeah that tells you we have had some years of rocky roads.

We have had our fights, late nights, chats, times where even he has said if it would be better for us and the family he would just leave. Well I didn't know what to do. I knew my heart was hurt. I knew I was broken but the strange thing was no matter what happened to me and what was going on or being said to me I just knew that all of those were the wrong choices. I knew that we were suppose to be together and that I was suppose to be in the picture to help find a way to fix things and to work things out and to do all that I could to continue to honor and serve God. I knew I had made a commitment to him and that this marriage wasn't mine that we gave it to him. So I just said no and stood firm and fought hard and cried tons not knowing what to do next.

I knew that I had great examples of Godly grandparents that were married for over 50 years and served in the ministry for years. I had Godly parents that were involved in church and a father that was an amazing example to me. I know he was because of his mom my other Grandma. My dad's sister and her husband have in their years become missionaries. So I have just been blessed by great examples to God. So I knew that I needed to fight deep down to keep my marriage together and strong. We have been serving and working in many ways in our church since we have been together. So I just needed to keep praying and find away to make things work.

I have over the years read blogs and things on marriage and well so many people who have go through even less than what I have gave up. There wasn't a lot for support or how to make things work. As I started to realize that I just couldn't make this walk alone I knew that I had to finally reach out for help. I tried or wanted to but didn't know how. I would want to ask friends, people at church, I did searches on the internet to see what I could find or do to help me. I wasn't going to give up but I wanted to try what I could to try and help myself and my marriage but I though for some reason I had to do it alone. One day I don't know what happened but I just broke down. I cried at church (I have done that before) and I didn't know what to do but I was walking down to get my kids and I ran into my pastors wife. I asked her to pray for me. I was so shocked but she did right then in the hallway. After she gave me some resources to go home and look up. I did. They have been life changing for me.

I started reading one book once I got it and well it was good but I quickly realized it wasn't my story. I just didn't connect and well where it was sad I couldn't relate and still felt lost. Then I look at the second resource from the RefineUs ministry and well that grabbed me and touched me from the moment I found them. I read the 8 Things that destroyed your marriage and well I was in tears. I went to my husband and said I want to read something with you. This was the first time I had been really close to him in ages but it just felt right. We started to read it together and started to talk about things late into the night. I was for sure that this was our stepping stone. What I came to find is it was but it took a lot of time for things to develop with my husband. I was at a breaking point and this was what I needed. I needed this support and needed to know more. So I kept up with them as much as I could so that I would not loose hope in my marriage. I felt this was the only hope that I had at this point.

After about a year I had read the book that had come out from the ministry called Beyond Ordinary. It opened my eyes, my heart, and started to give me hope to a new beginning. This was not all I had to do was to read the book though. I had to open things up with my husband again. I tried to talk with him about our situation again and let him know that I wasn't happy the way things were. So this year I didn't want to celebrate our anniversary. I was giving him his last chance to either work on things or to resolve our marriage. I just could not do this to myself or my kids anymore.

I was so scared to just put it all on the line like that but I knew deep down that I have tried so many ways and tried to be nice, tried to talk, tried to bring things up, and well nothing was working. So well I guess I just had to be real and say this is it we either fix us or there is no us. To my surprise and he took off slowly but it started to happen he knew this was his last chance. So now we are taking steps to try and make changes.

Following the Crowd

2013-04-26T10:43:00.003-07:00

Good Night April 22nd 2013

2013-04-26T10:42:00.003-07:00

Sweet Dreams & God Bless" ... Nite-nite, Everybody... I'm off to bed. Thanks so much for stopping by, I appreciate you all. Thanks again for all your love, encouraging words and prayers for me and my family! Today was my typical Monday of the kids in school, laundry, working on some things for my church, physical therapy, karate, the gym, dance. I don't mind any part of my day at all especially since there was sun today. I also got to spend some time with my tiny one playing with some of her new toys she got this weekend from her birthday. I can't wait for what tomorrow brings. Tonight we had a great dinner with friends celebrating my daughters 5th birthday at Red Robin! Goodnight, lovely friends. See you in the morning! ♥ Michele

Cottage House by the Lake

2013-04-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

I love this house and I have so many memories of homes just like this one growing up.

Strong woman

2013-04-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ooey Gooey Cheesy Meatballs

2013-04-26T10:36:00.002-07:00

Recipe for Ooey Gooey Cheesy Meatballs - looks rich!

http://what2cook.net/2013/04/21/ooey-gooey-cheesy-meatballs/

More recipes: http://thegardeningcook.com/category/recipes/

Sausage eggs and hashbrown cups.

2013-04-26T10:34:00.002-07:00

Sausage eggs and hashbrown cups.

Shared from http://www.emilybites.com/2011/10/sausage-egg-cheese-hash-brown-cups.html

More egg recipes: http://thegardeningcook.com/egg-recipes/

A great birthday week!!

2013-04-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

This week has been full of celebrating my daughters 5th birthday! She is my baby girl and the amazing little sparkle in my life. I know one day she will know how much she means to me and how much I love her. She is a little one that well we never thought we could have and one that well I have protected and loved from the moment I found out about her. She is just so precious to me and I just can't believe that she is growing up so fast. She is just so cute to watch with all her little friends. I love how she met each one with a hug and just loved on each one like they were each so special to her. I didn't have to teach her that she just knows that each person is special and that she loves each one for their own things and I just love that. She is just so sweet and her smile and laugh just lights up a room.

It was so fun this week to have her birthday party which she wanted to go bowling with her little friends. They got to have cake and an ice cream sunday bar too. It was such a fun day. After that we took her to a mall and they had a few guys playing music for the mall and well she was in her new princess Belle dress outfit and she started to dance for everyone in the mall. It was just precious. Then after a bit we took her to Godiva to get a chocolate dipped strawberry. We all know girls love the good stuff and to be spoiled on their birthday's.

Then on her actual birthday we took her out to get her hair done, to dinner where she got ice cream and they sang to her happy birthday in Italian, and we then went to Build-a-Bear. Then we took her to a little candy shop to get a fun-dip (or lick-m-aid) as some of us remember them as. Then she talked her daddy into going to Godivia's for more chocolate strawberries.

It was a wonderful and perfect way to have a week full of celebrating her birthday!

Being yourself

2013-04-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Issy Grad in Boston

2013-04-25T20:06:00.004-07:00

Need some inspiration?

Here you go >>> http://kiro.tv/11x5rXM

Woman who lost foot in Boston terror attack says she will dance again

BOSTON —

Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who grew up in Issaquah, is still in a Boston hospital, but she has an amazing attitude about the terrible explosion that ripped her life apart.

"I remember everything," Haslet-Davis said from her hospital bed.

She was with her husband, Air Force Capt. Adam Davis, who was just back from Afghanistan.

"I remember the first bomb going off, and holding on to Adam, my husband, and thinking, 'Oh my gosh, there's never just one,'" Haslet-Davis said.

Haslet-Davis graduated in 1998 from Issaquah High School. The couple live in Boston now.

Last Monday was her day off from her job as a dance instructor. The couple were at the finish line to watch the end of the Boston Marathon.

"I started screaming, 'Oh no, oh no," and then the second bomb went off and it went off directly in front of us," Haslet-Davis said.

Both she and her husband were hit.

"I remember falling backwards, because of the impact, and falling into sort of a pretzel, and then up with Adam and waking up, and thinking I was going to be OK, because I didn't feel any pain," Haslet-Davis said.

In the mayhem, Davis used his belt to form a tourniquet to stop his wife's bleeding. But the blast destroyed nearly every bone and muscle in her left ankle and foot, and both had to be amputated.

Haslet-Davis, who is a dancer, insisted that the injury won't stop her from dancing again. In fact, she said she plans to run the Boston Marathon next year.

Love People who can...

2013-04-25T20:04:00.002-07:00

https://www.facebook.com/lessonslearnedinlife

Meeting People

2013-04-25T20:02:00.002-07:00

www.iampoopsie.com

Problems

2013-04-25T20:01:00.002-07:00