My husband and I know that this move symbolizes another level of trust for us. Trusting each other and trusting God. We are moving out of our comfort zones into a big vast sea of possibilities; possibilities of failure and success.

I love that I don’t have to worry about this not working. Our great big God goes with us wherever we go and there’s always a reason. I pray my children are able to look back on this when they are older and see that too. I pray they also know that they can dream dreams as big as God.

We are so excited for our future friendships for us and our kids. By the way, if you have your own kids and live in the Atlanta area, I have some pretty fantastic kids that make great friends. My 3 musketeers love laughing and having fun. It’s never dull. As for me, I like long walks on the beach and…no, never mind. But I do enjoy fun and laughter and can’t wait to see who God leads us to.

How can you help us? Pray for us. Pray for our families. We are leaving both sets of our parents. We are taking their precious grand babies farther away. It will be a time of change and getting use to things being different. Thank God for FaceTime! Pray that they have understanding hearts as we take this grand adventure. We know that they are our biggest fans and are on their knees for us always. We have relied heavily upon our families the last 5 years. This move will deepen our appreciation and love for them, I am sure of it.

Pray for our future home. We are still on the hunt and while my chest could start getting tight and I might have a hard time breathing when I start to think about that scenario, it doesn’t. There’s an eerie level of trust and faith oosing out of me these days with this grand adventure. The Bible tells us “do not be afraid” 365 different times. That’s one for each day of the year. Reason #1 why I can be FEARLESS.

Stay tuned for what new craziness comes up next. We know it won’t be boring because we have an incredible writer writing our story. We trust Him completely.

I write this letter to you today from the depths of my mom heart and what I know I experience daily and truly believe you must too. I also write this to my sister who will soon be a new mom. Get ready for one glorious and messy adventure called parenthood.

So many little things go unnoticed.

To the mom up all night with a screaming baby, you are not alone.

To the mom who lies awake at night wondering if she’s doing a good job, you are not alone.

To the mom who wakes up in the morning and is smothered with kids before her feet hit the floor, you are not alone.

To the mom who doesn’t even bother to close the bathroom door anymore because you know you’ll have company, you are not alone.

To the mom who is buried in laundry, you are not alone.

To the mom that always has to think 3 steps ahead, you are not alone.

To the mom that feels like a taxi service, you are not alone.

To the mom that found yesterday’s lunch wiped on the living room couch, you are not alone.

To the mom that thinks you’ll never be able to show your face at Target again bc of the last incident in there with your kid, you are not alone.

To the mom that feels helpless and alone when your child does something one more time after you’ve told them not to, you are not alone.

To the mom that looks in the mirror and wonders when she’ll feel pretty or “normal” again, you are not alone.

To the mom who puts everyone else first, you are not alone.

To the mom who prays prayers over her kids, you are not alone.

To the mom that rarely hears “Thank you”, you are not alone.

To any mom, You got this! You are not alone!

You run all day at the speed of life.

You fall into bed when you run out of hours.

And you wonder if anything worth doing got done.

While I pray you understand that you are not alone, I also pray that more than anything, you know that you are making a difference. Your children are the faces of hope and the future. Only YOU could be their mom. A far better calling or title than anything else in this world.

Keep at it Mama. You are not alone and you ARE making a difference.

Mother Letters: Sharing the Mess and Glory releases as an ebook today. It’s a collection of letters for mothers by mothers from all over the world. It is a must if you are a mom. You will be inspired, laugh, cry and know without a doubt that you are not alone. www.MotherLetters.com

One time I took her 5yro son to the mall by myself. We were having a great time until we approached the elevator. I got on and turned around to find him dead in his tracks and eyes as wide as a deer in head lights. He was just shaking his head like “No way! I am not getting on that thing!”

I leaned down and said “Why don’t you want to get on?” He shrugged his shoulders. I said “If I hold your hand super tight would you do it? There’s nothing to be afraid of. ”

The elevator doors opened for us to get on and we did. You see at the end of the ride I asked again “Why we’re you scared to get on?” He replied “I don’t know! My mom never let’s me go near one. Can we do that again?!”

I want my children to know that their God is big and strong. That He goes everywhere with them and there’s nothing to fear. Fear can paralyze you from experiencing something you may need to experience. Fear can keep us from doing the things sometimes that we need to do. But the reality is, God’s right there saying “I gotcha!” Now every time I see an elevator or an escalator, I’m reminded to say goodbye to fear and to remind my kids of why we can say goodbye to fear.

Tomorrow is Leap Year Day. Did you know that February 29th only happens once every four years?! So what’s so significant about it? For our family, nothing. Except one tradition that I’ve been set on starting with my kids and am determined to carry out until they are grown. My kids will get to have ice cream for breakfast tomorrow. Yes, that’s right. Ice Cream for breakfast! My kids will get ice cream for breakfast twice this year in fact.  They get ice cream for breakfast on the first day of school and on Leap Year Day! I do not tell you this for parent cool points. Is there even such a thing and if so how do I attain more? Do tell!

I tell you this for simply that I think it’s important that each family creates their own traditions. I say no to a lot of things that other parents allow their kids to do. But ice cream for breakfast on the first day of school and on Leap Year Day is something that I share with my kids and my kids only. It’s one of the ways I feel the roots of our family growing down a little deeper into the soil. I’m pretty sure it’s something they’ll talk about with their own kids someday. What kind of traditions are you creating within your own family? Leap Year Day may be a great first start.

Lately I’ve been deep in thought about this whole motherhood thing. I’m 5 and a half years into it. With a new year comes new focus. Everyone is trying to figure out how they themselves can be better and how they can better others. At least I like to think the latter happens for most people.

A few weeks back I read a post over on Momestary.com blog. The woman completely filled the page of her blog post on Jan 6 with what was in my heart on that day. You can check out her post here: http://momastery.com/blog/2012/01/04/2011-lesson-2-dont-carpe-diem/

I’d like to say that I love everything about motherhood. It’s all I ever wanted since I was 4 years old. But its not always pretty. Which brings me to the realization that often what I’m going through or the “secret” feelings I have in my days about parenting, well, simply I cannot be alone. There are other moms and parents thinking and feeling the same thing. There are fathers who come home from work and feel the same way that my husband says he feels. Smothered. Like he was never given a chance to come up for air. After 5 minutes of being home the other night he turned to me and said, “Welp, I’m done after 5 mins. You’ve had em for 9 hours by yourself. You think you can take it from here?” He was completely joking. He knows that I would have thrown the nearest heavy object at him if he wasn’t. (We don’t really throw things at each other people!)

I later in that same week found this blog post over on the gypsymama.com. Check it out here: http://thegypsymama.com/2011/10/for-the-days-when-you-want-to-quit-motherhood/ Proof that I am NOT alone! And proof that if you too have these feelings at times, You aren’t alone either!

My husband and I have had many conversations about parenting. We believe that there is parenting from mountain tops and parenting from within the forest. Currently, we are in the phase where we are deep in the forest. In fact, we are staring at 3 trees extremely close. Sometimes too close.  It’s hard to see around these trees that are in front of us at times. Sometimes its hard to breathe.  I know that I am not alone in this feeling.

I love that the current church is strategizing and learning how to come alongside of families and parents and partner with them in the raising of the next generation. But I cannot shake that perhaps there is something missing in directly encouraging  and impacting parents. They need to know that they are not alone. That they can do this! That like all things in parenting, everything is a phase, and whatever awful thing your kids are doing that you think they will never stop doing, will pass. Sometimes I wish the church would also realize that parents have a one up in the world of reaching other parents before the church does.I have found that parenting is an automatic common ground with another parent whether I know them well or not.

Sometimes parents just need to be told that their doing a good job. They need to hear “You’ve got this thing.” I don’t’ care if you’re a churched family or not, all parents need to hear that they are not alone and that they are doing a great job. They need to hear that as a family unit, God has great big plans.  I wish I could bathe parents in peace and rest.

Much like running a race or playing a sport, cheering fans can be game changers. Not to mention that being one of those cheering fans is almost as equally rewarding as being one of the players on the field. You begin to take on an ownership. A team commrodary. I’ve often heard runners say that they heard someone cheering from the sidelines just when they were about to throw in the towel and they got a big push to finish because of that cheering fan. It’s like everything comes into focus and the Why in what we do as a parent becomes clear again.

So if you see a mom or dad that is struggling or they have that look like “I just want to tie my kid to a chair and return when they are asleep,” give em’ a pat on the back. Even if they look like they’ve got it under control, tell them their doing a great job. Find the common ground. Every parent wants to succeed. Become a cheering fan for parents and I’m pretty sure that its a small step in the right direction of changing the game of great parents that produce some great kids. Great Families! Go ahead. I dare all those that are parents to invest in the next generation (your kids and your kids kids!) by investing in the next generations parents.

Go team Parents! You got this thang!

Cute, right?! These were my test grapes so please ignore their ugliness.These are super easy, tasty and healthy. Winning! To begin, cut a grape in half at an angle. Match up the angles to make a heart and put a toothpick through it.

Grab a brick of cheese and slice a piece like you would to eat. Cut that rectangular piece into 2 squares. Cut triangles out of the squares. Assemble and Wahla! I plan on making these and taking them to my sons class Valentine’s Day party in a few weeks. I think they will be a favorite.

Every day from the hours of 4pm -6pm are the toughest hours of a stay at home moms day. You may think I’m at home watching reruns of Oprah and snacking on something with my feet propped up, but no. In fact, it has to be the most creative hours of the day for a mom. The art of keeping kids content, busy, awake if they didn’t nap, happy, fed, and obedient. Ah yes, it’s a full-time job. For those of you that once had young kids or currently have young kids, you’ll be real familiar with these tough few hours. Your conversations may at times sound a lot like mine.

ME:

“No, no snack right now. Dinner will be ready in a little bit.”

“Where’s your brother?”

 ”Are you whining? “

“Stop that.”

“What’s in your mouth?”

“You’re such a sweet boy”

“Where did you find that?”

“Ewe! Yuck! We don’t eat things off of the floor.”

“Let’s play a game.”

“No, don’t fight. We can agree on something or take turns.”

“Alright, fine. We’re not playing any games since you can’t get along.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“How did you get into the bathroom?!”

“Gross. We don’t drink the toilet water!”

“Why is your sister crying?”

“What happened?”

“No. We are not playing a game because of the way you guys are acting.”

“Daddy should be home soon.”

“No, no snacks. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Please don’t sit on your sister.”

“No. She doesn’t like it.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“Now whats in your mouth?”

“Ewe!”

“No! No snacks! Dinner will be ready soon!”

Compassion International

Compassion International is just a phenomenal organization doing so much right. We are long time supporters of Compassion and we love all the many ways that they have added to give back this holiday season and all year long. We are getting several items this year for my in-laws. My father in law is a farmer and he teared up last year when we gave him a gift that helped teach a village in Haiti how to farm and plant crops. This year, you can purchase a cow for $100. Or you could go out to  eat with your family 4 times. Just saying.

Your gift will help provide clean drinking water, medical treatment, disaster relief, food supplies and much more for Compassion-assisted children and their families. Check out their opportunity to support a future leader program too! Once you purchase a gift, you will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of complimentary greeting cards to send to your honorees. For a last-minute gift option, you can print a card at home or send via email.

31 Bits 

This is one of my top 3 gifts to give. Its just so personal. If you are looking for a gift with a heart tug, look no further than purchasing something from 31 Bits. Husbands, your wives will have a daily reminder of how special this gift is every time they put on a 31 bits piece.

Not For SALE

The Not For Sale Store generates enterprise & employment to prevent human trafficking and create new futures for survivors. Every purchase you make is an action to end slavery — because no one should be for sale. We’re not talking about human trafficking in 3rd world countries, but amongst the very cities we live in. Not For Sale has beautiful bags, jewelry, tshirts and much more that all fight to end slavery.Welcome to the movement.

Rescue Gifts

Rescue Gifts help refugees and others who have been impacted by war and natural disaster. Holiday shoppers can choose a gift that inspires them and dedicate it in honor of a special person in their lives. The IRC will send gift recipients a beautiful acknowledgement card with the gift giver’s personalized message.

There’s a perfect gift for everyone: for a mom: A Safe Delivery ($24) can ensure critical supplies for the safe birth of a child in a crisis zone.  For the foodie or friend with a green thumb: A Community Garden ($60) can provide tools and seeds to refugees who have been resettled in the United States, so that they can grow their own fresh, healthy food in an IRC community garden.   For a teacher:  A Year of School ($52) can supply the tuition, books and other materials for one year of a child’s schooling in a country recovering from war.

 Ever After Clothing

Ever/After is a casual lifestyle clothing brand for kids and adults. They’ve paired simple, modern design with super-soft premium fabrics.  Best of all, the company will donate 25% of the net profit from each garment you buy to the cause of your choice. We’ve partnered with charities that share our vision of creating powerful & sustaining change in the lives of children in need. We believe helping others can extend to all areas of our lives, even the clothing we buy. Every garment comes with a change the story card that holds the value of this donation. A huge aspect of ever/after is to get the children involved in giving back. Our goal is that children wearing our brand realize that helping others can extend to all areas of our lives, even the clothing we buy.

Krochet Kids

What I love about Krochet Kids is that it’s a company that is empowering impoverished people to earn an income for themselves. Krochet Kids offers 3 year programs to women living in poverty. In this program, the women learn to krochet hats to earn an income and be able to fully support themselves for the first time in their lives. Based in Uganda and Peru, the hats are sold in the US, on their website and at most Nordstroms.

Live FashionABLE

You are ABLE to provide opportunities, and these women are ABLE to have a new choice.

Live FashionABLE is a non-profit. That means that your purchase of a scarf does far more than just create jobs. The fashionABLE mission is to create sustainable business in Africa so that the women are not dependent upon charity, but instead are a vital part of a developing economy. I personally have two of these scarfs, have asked for another this year and have given a few as gifts. They are heart tuggers and I love that every time I put my scarf on, I’m reminded of Gladys over in Africa,who made my scarf, and I pray for her and her family. I also want you to know that the packaging of these scarfs are beautiful and complimented with a tag by the woman who made your scarf and what it “ABLE’s” her to do. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Gift Card Giver

Gift Card Giver is a new form of giving.  The Gift Card industry has risen to be a 60 billion dollar industry. Ever wonder how many gift cards are unused?  Between 10 – 15%.  That means billions of dollars are sitting on gift cards, waiting to be used for good.

How many gift cards do you have sitting in your wallet?  I guess you have at least $5 of unused gift cards right now.  What’s 5 bucks going to buy you?  Maybe a pair of socks…but 10 people giving 5 bucks will buy a kid a winter coat, or 1000 people giving $5 may give that same kid a warm bedroom to sleep in through the night.

LUO

LUO is dedicated to breaking the barriers across nations to connect hearts and set children free from poverty. The word Luo means “to set free.” Buy a Canvas. Change a Life. $250 will provide nutrition, medical care, biblical curriculum and academic education for one child for one year. Buy a canvas made by the children in their partnerships and change a life. I have met this amazing couple that runs this organization and they are the real deal. These canvas pieces are stunning and serve as a constant reminder wherever hung, that someone has a better life because of that purchase. I’m a huge advocate in supporting organizations that provide hope and also teach hope to kids in need. They also have great tshirts in their store and you can donate in any dollar amount too. Spread the love.

Plywood People- Billboard Bags

When you carry a Billboard Bag, tell the story.  The material was upcycled from billboards on the streets.  They are handmade in America by legal refugees who were forced to flee their countries because of conflict.  Your bag is providing English classes every Friday and restores dignity for the workers, all the while addressing local social needs.  The bags are made with 90% reclaimed materials, so when you carry one of their products, you’re not only helping the environment you’re also helping a community in need. I personally have one of these and they are amazing. Check out their laptop sleeves too. Bags with hope. #winning

Looking for more gift ideas? Then you might want to check out one of my most popular posts from last year, the Top 10 Gifts Mom Wants This Year.

#1) Rock, Paper, Scissor:

#2) The BLT sandwich:

#3) The Starbucks Frappuccino: 

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