Let'n it go

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go; things go wrong so that you can appreciate when they're right; you believe lie so that you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself; and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

I wish I could tell you that these words were spoken by a great author or a renowned theologian.

But that would be a lie.

They were spoken by Marilyn Monroe. Not exactly someone I want my children to epitomize or walk in the footsteps of, but nonetheless, these words speak some truth and wisdom.

I think it is safe to say that Marilyn Monroe led a life filled with difficulties and problems. Especially near the end, she was the object of much criticism and scrutiny, and no matter the truth behind it, I am sure it hurt.

You can tell this quote came from a woman who had been hurt. A woman who had seen her fair shares of ups and downs. A woman who had dealt with the pains of the world, and decided to see the brighter side.


I feel a little like this woman. Life has been a little sour lately, and much of me wants to throw in the towel. Sin is ugly and it seems to meet me on every corner and avenue of my life. Despite my best efforts, life is still hard and full of disappointments. Disappointments that hurt and leave a scar.


And it seems I stand at a cross-road. I can choose the left path. The path that is filled with bitterness, unforgiveness, and revenge. The path fill with more hurt and sin. The path that leads to nowhere. Or I can choose the right path. The path of joy, peace, and forgiveness. The path filled with promise and hope. The path paved by my Maker. Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon formed against you will prosper," and I choose to hope in my Savior.


I especially love the last part of the quote - "...sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together." No matter how "good" I think something was, God must have a better way. God must have a better plan. God must know best.


So I am giving it up, and I would encourage you to do the same. That perfect plan you had for your life; that perfect relationship that God seems to be releasing from your grasp; that idea of perfection - let it go. I am letting go of what I want. I am letting go of the hurt. I am letting go of tomorrow. I am letting it go and letting God replace it with something better.

When we are obedient to His will and ready for His desires, we can't help but prosper.

I can't wait to see what God has just around the corner for me.

All in the Family

So I have been a little MIA this week.

Its not because I haven't missed all of you.

Its not because I have been too busy cleaning toilets and doing dishes. Although, Lord knows I NEED to be doing that.

Its not because I have been otherwise detained in potty training my darling almost-two-year-old. Nope, not likely.

Its not because we left a few days early for our much coveted, much anticipated vacay.

And it is DEFINITELY not because I am pregnant again - which caused my previous leave of absence. You know, because of the crazy meltdown I had over the thought of raising THREE BABIES. Nope, that didn't happen. At least I don't think I am....

No, no, no, I am not with child, not cleaning, not vacationing, and not potty-training. Nope. But my kid intake did grow a little bit this week...
It was a case of the cousin invasion. Uncle Josh and Aunt Kristy spent seven relaxing days in Mexico soaking up the sun and getting some much needed R&R. We however, got the privilege of hosting their three little munchkins.

I am not going to lie. It was a little crazy at times. Morgan, the oldest, is quite the little helper, and Mimi and I put her to work often. Bless her heart. Mason, the only walking boy, got sick mid week, which added a little more craziness to the mix. Addie, the brunette in the bunch, had a case of the sniffles, but mostly played the role of high-heel wearing, baby-doll toting, and keeping Peyton in-line.

They are all three precious, and my children adore them.

It was, however, a little nuts, which is probably why I haven't blogged in a few days. Not to mention, I only snapped like three pictures all week long.

I did capture one outing though. The splash park.


Silly girls.

This was an all-girl outing because, as previously mentioned, Mason was a little under the weather on this day, and Stone, well, he was napping....

We did have it all to ourselves though. Which is probably the ONLY reason i thought to whip out the camera.

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We did do some other fun things though, I swear. The kids went to a dinosaur museum, the park, swimming at the pool, church, sno-cone stand, Chick-fil-A, multiple trips to the grocery store, the movies, and a slew of other Mimi-approved activities.

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Wouldn't have traded this past week for the world. My kiddos ADORE their cousins and were sad to see them go. I am hoping I get many more times to take care of these precious six.

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With that said...

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I. Need. A. Vacation.

My Victory Lap

So think REEEEAL far back into your registry, and you'll hopefully recall when I blogged about beginning a new workout to help rid myself of extra baby weight.

It was the workout craze taking the blogg-o world by storm - The couch to 5K.

If you remember correctly, I am an avid non-runner. I use to tell people that I was allergic to running - the mere mention of it's name made me break out into hives.

However, I wanted to test it out and see how it fared. And I must say - I have found a new love.

Whoa, slow down there cowboy, did I just say "love?"

What I meant to say was, I tolerate it because of three reasons:

1. The scale shows that it is working because I have lost 18 pounds since I started.

2. It gets me out of the house to think and get some "me" time.

3. My body appreciates the endorphins - my closets appreciate them too.

When I began the workout, I set my sights on a 5K and sought to obtain that goal and really wanted to prove it to myself.

So I pulled myself together and fought the good fight. The good fight - also known as - "not pushing the snooze button." And I completed all nine weeks of the workout and ran a 5K last Saturday.

Here I am, getting out of the car, ready to go!!

Yes, it was VERY HOT! The race began at 8:00 p.m., and if you are anything like me, you might imagine there being no sun and just a light cool breeze. Let me go ahead and tell you that you are wrong. It was a scorcher!

I did have this hunk running with me though...
I even got to catch up with some girlfriends....
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This picture annoys me for several reasons. The first being that I am about the size of the two of them put together. The second being that it makes me want to go buy cute little workout clothes.
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Is that even what they are called? Workout clothes?
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As if you couldn't tell by their crazy in-shape bodies, they are seasoned runners, and they finished at the front of the race, unlike Ben and I, who finished somewhere in the middle.
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Which in my book is a victory. I mean, THERE WERE PEOPLE BEHIND US!
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They were both so sweet though and stood near the finish line waiting for us and screaming and hollering.
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I have never felt more loved...
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And I wanted a good "before" and "after" picture, so here is the before. However, it kind of looks like the after because my face is so red.
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It was flippin' HOT, people!

And here is the after shot. I look like a Hot Tamale. You know, like the candy...

Wondering what my time was? Well, keep wondering, because that isn't what's important, right? It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you run the race. Oh, and don't forget, there were plenty of people that finished AFTER us. I changed my mind, that is what is important.

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Joking aside, we had a blast. We did great and didn't walk once, although it wasn't easy.

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We definitely want to run more. We are planning on running the 5K on the beach next Tuesday, and we can't wait.

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I hope my kiddos can read about this someday and be proud of their mama.

A list of 25

So here is a list of 25 things about me....

1. I have seen That Thing You Do at least a million times, and I can quote the entire thing.

2. I love Jelly Belly jelly beans, but I hate the black ones.

3. I am addicted to selling things on craigslist.

4. A friend "that loves at all times," is really hard to find, and I think I have only ever found two.

5. Before babies, I loved roller coasters. Now, when I drive past Six Flags, my up-chuck reflex flares up.

6. I have seen and own all the seasons of Gilmore Girls, except for the last one. Because I know what happens, and I don't want to admit that it is over.

7. My girlfriends and I spent most of our senior class trip to Boston, hula-hooping.

8. Ben and I watch Wheel of Fortune every night.

9. It is a lifetime goal of mine to own a pool.

10. In junior high, I spent thousands of dollars on my Nsync obsession.

11. I don't just have an "inne-y" belly button, you can't see the bottom.

12. I would love to be a surrogate for someone.

13. I was born in Michigan, but am a HUGE Ohio State fan.

14. I'm a water snob - I won't drink tap water, unless filtered.

15. My college dorm room was pink and purple and had a fuzzy doorbell.

16. Ben and I have never disagreed over naming our babies.

17. Wastefulness irritates me.

18. My wedding day was awesome, but I would do it totally different if I did it all over again.

19. I have a feeling we will end up having six kids.

20. My faith is truly being tested for the first time in my life.

21. I use to love buying purses, now I love buying diapers bags.

22. I have five adopted brothers and sisters.

23. There is nowhere else I would rather be than on the white sands of Siesta Key.

24. My first car was a green Geo Metro.

25. I watch the Real Word/Road Rules Challenges on MTV - you know, to relate to the youth. :-)

So what is one random fact about YOU?

Bedtime blunders

I remember being pregnant with Ellie Kate and having beautiful images of holding a immaculate newborn. I imagined she would be the most perfectly proportioned baby ever to be born and have the sweetest spirit. I just knew we would do nothing all day long except look into each other's eyes and smile.

Well, after nearly two months of little to no sleep and many waking hours spent josseling, bouncing, and swaying my screaming baby - those images were pretty much down the toilet.

She was a very proportionate baby, though.

I also naively imaged her beautifully organized, perfectly placed nursery. I carefully painted her initials onto wooden hangings. I picked out bubble gum pink paint, and found matching crib bumpers, valances, and lamp shades. Boy did that room look nice.

No one ever tells you that YOU are the only one that goes in there!

I also spent many an evening flipping through catalogs trying to pick out the most perfect bed. Ben kept saying, "that one looks nice." And I would tell him that it just didn't 'feel' like the right one.

It's no wonder men don't understand women.

It was no different as I carefully picked out Ellie Kate's toddler bed. I wanted it to be comfortable and a place that she would be so excited to jump into every night. Yeah right.

I even laid out mattresses at the store and carefully stretched out onto each one to see which had the most suitable back support and limited squeakiness.

I just knew she would appreciate all the hard work I put into picking out her sleeping arrangements. I just knew it.

I just knew that she would love to be in her bed at night, and would have a hard time sleeping anywhere else. I just knew it.

I just knew that it would be the place she would dream BIG dreams and wake up refreshed and well-rested. I just KNEW it.

What I didn't know was that on most days I would find her sleeping....

...in the closet.