This time 11 years and 364 days ago I was packing my bags to make the trip to Houston for one final last time. 11 years and 364 days ago I was getting ready to throw a huge stick into my soon-to-be father-in-law's annual hunting trip, which apparently was the first time he had to miss it in 24 years. (Oops. You can't blame the girl who came from the non hunting household.) 11 years and 364 days ago I was checking my list repeatedly, planning for the worse case and bracing for even worse than I could have imagined (hey I was nervous ok?). 11 years and 364 days ago we gathered at … [Read more...]
Painting Therapy
This week has been rough. In college I struggled with kidney stones. The first one is one that I'll never forget. I was living with my dad literally in the middle of nowhere when this extremely sharp pain hit and I could barely move. My dad called over a super sweet female neighbor to help me get dressed while he took a second and cleaned up since he had been out working on installing some new barb wire fencing (it's a sweaty, messy job). One of my most distinct memories is of this extremely nice neighbor standing over me as I withered on the floor in … [Read more...]
Natural Birth Labor Tips for Labor Day
Natural birth is not a walk in the park. It's something that takes a lot of devotion and love. The best strategy for experiencing a wonderful natural birth is to be prepared and have a plan. I'm not an expert in birth. Until Google starts handing out medical degrees I do not have one. However after experiencing three natural births, I thought I could share with you some tips for an easier natural delivery without using medications. So here's a few tips that have helped me over my different natural births, with each one being totally different than … [Read more...]
Life Lately in 3 Simple Stories
One My dad was here this weekend. We took him down the street to one of our favorite parks that has a boardwalk running alongside a river. It's always pretty but around dusk I'm drawn to this spot. The longer you stand there and wait the more colorful the sky becomes and the trees reflection dance on the pink and orange water. It's kinda magical. On this night it was even more magical because it was just me. Everyone else had stayed at the playground while I walked down to the water. I could stand there with my thoughts and take as many pictures as I wanted without Mr. Byrd giving the … [Read more...]
A Letter To Cecile Richards About Planned Parenthood
These are just my thoughts on the videos released this week that deal with the sale of fetal tissue (baby parts) by Planned Parenthood. I know this is a controversial subject but because of the refusal of mainstream media to cover it, I need to be that voice who will cover it even though I will come under fire for it. I know some of you will disagree. I know some of you will be angry and choose not to read this blog anymore. I'm sorry but someone has to say it and if it means that my blog has no followers at the end of the day, it'll still be me. In no way am I judging you … [Read more...]
Life With Kids
Life with kids mean that you'll never know what photos you'll find on your phone. Or what you'll find wound up in your vacuum cleaner. Life with kids means that your pets will beg for mercy. And that one day you might have a pet rat. Life with kids mean that sometimes you'll run into a little mess. And sometimes it means a really big mess. Life with kids is every adjective in the dictionary and then some. … [Read more...]
The Crazy Before The Storm – Life Lived.
This was the crazy before the storm. Every year summer swim team wears us out. Sometimes I feel like we are practically having to drag each other across the finish line to that very last swim meet of the year. This year we had the big swim team banquet where they get their awards for the year and then our oldest had one final big meet. I knew going into that meet that it was going to mark the beginning of a very busy week and it did not disappoint. Saturday we were all up at 6am and headed across town to a high school where the meet was being held. The number of … [Read more...]
3 Things – Weather, Dads and Rats OH MY!
1. This forecast is AMAZING! I know... I know... don't shake your head at me. I'm not changing this to ClumsyWeather.com BUT it has rained almost every day for the entire month of May in Houston. The river closest to us is dangerously flooded. Our street is now flooding anytime it rains but it has never flooded before. The ground here is so saturated that trees are simply falling over because the roots have nothing to hold onto. Our church had major water damage after a drain pipe burst during the recent storms. There's only one week to get repairs to the church … [Read more...]
When It Rains, It Doesn’t Always Pour
Life lately has been wet. About a month ago a week of solid rain was forecasted. Really that's no big deal because this is Texas, where it's known for the weather to change on a dime. Sure rain might be forecasted for a solid week but everyone knows that it would never happen. But it happened. And then the next week rain was forecasted for the entire week and it rained for the entire week. Heavy rains caused minor flooding and shut down some roads but the majority of our area was fine. Then week three happened and the two days that it sun was forecasted didn't … [Read more...]
The Versions of Pride and Prejudice Obsession
Any book by Jane Austen has a cult following. Her books have strong female leads and conquer the trials of that day in a way that still brings hope. Without a doubt Pride and Prejudice has the largest following of any of her books. The main character, Elizabeth Bennet, isn't afraid to buck tradition to pursue love, even when she's too proud to see the love right before her. It's an amazing book that has since been turned into countless other books, movies and mini-series. In fact there's so many other versions of this book that they can kinda be hard to wade … [Read more...]
Why Women Need to Step Out of The Circle of Friendship Sometimes.
"Is this seat free? Do you mind if I sit here?" I said. The woman assured me that it was free so I sat down. First step of putting yourself out there was done. Now I just needed to make it through the next two hours being a room full of women that I didn't know. To some people a room full of strangers is a playground. They flit around the room, enjoying the company and talking to everyone they can find. They're like butterflies on speed, soaking up the chance to talk to new people. Then there's the other subset of people in the world - the introverts. They're my people. The thought of … [Read more...]
What Kids Will Teach You About Parenting
1. Throw up isn't gross. There was a time when I was a preschool teacher. One morning a child came in to the class, accompanied his mother, who looked a little green under the gills. As soon as I welcomed him to the class he turned a new shade of green and before I knew what was happening, his mom reached out and caught his throw up in her hand. IN HER HAND. I was ready to swear off parenting at that point. One roto virus with two children aged 2 and under and a carsick prone child later and throw up has lost it's power. Now rather than shriek, freak out and … [Read more...]