To all the Mommas out there

Life with 3 active kiddos is finally leveling out...I probably just jinxed myself, but I guess that's what keeps it interesting.

As I look towards the holiday that celebrates mothers, I can't help but think of my mom. She is by far the strongest person I know. She's been through alot to say the least. Raising a family, running a business, active in the church ministries, and the list goes on....

I remember my senior year of high school. My mom was out soul winning/knocking doors on a Thursday evening and suffered a stroke. Much thanks to the ladies she was out with, she made it to the hospital in time to off set the side effects of a stroke. She later regained her strength, Praise God. But that one incident put it into perspective...all that my mom did for others, for us. I think that's when I learned to really cook, lol. I can cook spaghetti to feed the multitudes, just saying. Haaa!

I love my mom and all that she has taught me through all her ailments. Her determination and tenacity to stick with it. Inspiring. My mom has had numerous surgeries; so much so, we joke about her being the bionic woman. :) And every time, she gets back up and puts in the hard work at physical therapy. She truly is amazing!

I'd like to think I get my "don't quit" qualities from my mom. Some days, motherhood is rough. I want to lock myself in my room and never come out. I want my kids to "Just listen for once" or to "Stop fighting...one day you will want to have a sister/brother around you...tell them you love them" (of course, all of this is said in the sweetest *eye roll* voice ever) Oh me, Oh my!!

How did our mothers ever cope with the craziness of raising kids?
How did they not want to ship us off to boarding school? (I actually asked my husband if that was a possibility the other day)

I know that times have changed from when I was growing up. I'm reminded that every time my kids are asking for anything technology based. I was content with finding a stick in a Y shape and a rubber band. And running through our grove to the tree forts my brothers built. Oh, so much fun. 

These days, it's bottle flipping, fidget spinners, and new apps. 

So, yeah, I get ya mommas who are up to their ears in whining/fighting kids. Take them outside if you can. Try a little old school outdoors with them. You'd be surprised how it will help their moods (burn off energy) and yours. 

The bar for being a mom is set high these days. Sometimes it looks like you're failing especially if you compare yourself to other moms...don't do that! They just hide their crazy better; that is all. If your kids are fed, clothed, and alive, you are kicking motherhood booty. --Just saying--

Take it easy on yourself, Mommas. And just think...this Sunday, you get to put your feet up. Not worry about the dishes, laundry, the house, the kids....it'll all be there on Monday. Take some time for yourself. Just breathe. If you have to go buy paper plates, then do it. If you have to greet folks on the front porch because your house is dirty aka "lived in", then do it. I'll not judge you. We're all in this journey together. Trying to raise kids that turn out to be somewhat decent humans.

Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends out there. Love y'all.

-enJoy

Be Thankful!

Happy 2017!!

I'm super excited for this year. I'm excited for how much my family and I will grow. I'm excited for the places we will go, the adventures we will have, the people we will meet, the lives we will impact, the ups and downs we will face, the good, the bad. I'm excited for it all.

Looking back on 2016, life was pretty good.
We were in good health, a roof over our head, food in our bellies...and each other. What more could we ask for?
When the holiday season approached, my husband and I worked on making family first in our family. It didn't matter if we had the latest gadget, the top toy of 2016, or fancy accessories. We would be happy (and thankful) with having our family together.
I remember telling our kiddos before opening presents on Christmas morning "Always so thank you...no matter if you get a whole box of undies from someone as a gift. Look them in their eyes and say Thank you. It's not the gifts that makes Christmas magical, it's being with family."
I went on to say that yes gifts were nice and appreciated. But Family is priceless.

Nothing warmed my heart more than to hear my oldest say on Christmas night "This was the best Christmas yet, Mom". <3 nbsp="" p="">
This leads me into 2017. My "resolution" is to be Thankful. There is almost ALWAYS something to be thankful for. I was thinking about this today.
I opened the trunk of the van to put groceries from cart to trunk. And there were  scooters not closed up but thrown haphazardly. It made my task of transferring groceries tough. But ya know, I asked myself  "What can I find to be thankful about with this situation?"
*I have groceries
*My kids have their mobility
*I have kids
*I have a messy trunk (haha)

All in all, I can be thankful. Maybe my thankfulness will spur others to be thankful.
I might not succeed in every single situation. But I will not throw in the towel.
I saw a video today of a little girl talking about New Year resolutions. It doesn't happen as one BIG moment, it's thousands of little moments. And I plan to have thousands of little moments.

At this start of 2017, I will be thankful.

Be the Light you want to see in the world.
-enJoy

A Peek into My Childhood

I grew up in a wonderful family full of siblings. I am #7 of 8 children. The youngest daughter.
I love my childhood....full of memories. There was never a dull moment.
My earliest memory is trying to help my brother fix his bike and I ended up sticking my finger in the spokes of a spinning rear wheel. I had to be 3 or younger...because we were still in Georgia.
After that, my memories jump to my birthday in Florida. I remember receiving a Velcro wallet and inside were 4 quarters. I thought I was the richest person. In my mind I was. The bank still had gum ball machine that took pennies!!! Whaaaaa!! Yes, those were the good old days.

Today, while I watched my kiddos frolic in the lake, I was thinking of the different things I did growing up. No, we didn't go to the lake on a whim...or even run by a park. We woke up, did our chores, helped Mom with anything extra, and then went outside and played. We drank from the water hose when we were thirsty. We built tree forts. We played Cowboys and Indians, good guys and bad guys. We made our own slip n slide....only if we could find a tarp or piece of plastic. We even made our own pool. But before we ventured into the pool making business, we filled up these metal barrels that dad had in our back yard. Once filled up, we would jump into them. Only 1 or 2 kids would fit...but we made it work. We had contest on how long we could hold our breath under water.
And if the water got dumped out, we had to improvise. You see, we had well water and we couldn't run it dry. So, we would turn the barrel on it's side and see how long we could "walk the barrel". I'm truly surprised that we didn't ALL have broken bones  each summer. We were daredevils.
We would swing from vines...until they broke loose. Climbing trees was the BEST fun ever. We would play and play until we heard the infamous clapping hands. No, dad and mom never called us in for dinner. They just stepped outside and clapped their hands.
We didn't have a typical backyard. We had an orange grove on our property. So, plenty of room to run and play. We played from sun up to sun down (as long as chores were complete)

Yes, I had a pretty incredible childhood. I want my kiddos to have the same if not better.
No, I don't have an orange grove for them to play in...but I do have the outdoors. I live in East Texas. We have trees, lakes, parks, the list goes on........

So...that there was just a peek into my childhood.

-enJoy

Happy Spring, Folks!

Everything is turning green again. We've had plenty of rain this month already. And more to come.

Soccer season is in full swing...Life is pretty exciting.

 Soccer for FCPhoenix Spring 2016

Lily getting in some practice

Spring Break 2016

That lovely e-card popped up in my news feed on the first day of Spring Break. I was bound and determined to make this spring break a fun one....even with all the rain and indoor activities. Yes, I was close to physical and emotional exhaustion by the time Friday evening arrived. But I'd like to think that my kids made some unbelievable memories last week.

If anything, they'll appreciate the rain more...because it means puddle jumping time. And savor the sunshiny days.

Enjoy all the pictures.

-enJoy

Happy 2016!!

And here we are....1 week into the new year! 

It was 8 years ago this month that I started my blog. It was started with intentions of leaving a digital journal of the day to day happenings, the silly things my kiddos say, and our fun adventures. It was also 8 years ago this month that we found out about our middle daughter's heart condition. Wow! 8 years ago. A lot of changed in 8 years. 

We didn't take many family photos way back. This was from Christmas 2008

Current family photo. Nov 2015

Let's see.....

Dakota is turning double digits this month. Yikes!! I'll have a 10 year old in the next few weeks. He's starting his 2nd Spring season of Soccer soon. And he still loves video games...currently Disney Infinity.

Lilyann is now 8 years old and heart healthy. She is quite the little artist and reader. She's a strong girl...at times, stubborn. But I'll chalk that up to her being such a fighter from an early age ♥ 

Leia is our Vivacious 4 year old. If she doesn't do something in entertainment when she's older, I'll be shocked. She's a performer. Dream Big, sweet Leia! 

Jed (husband) is working for Safety Kleen as a sales representative. He's currently training for marathons. His resilience and determination inspire me to be a better wife, mom, and person in general. He truly is amazing!! Oh, he was a go-getter 8 years ago....but even more so, now. 

Me (wife, mom, author of this blog)... I'm amazed at where I am 8 years later. Never would I have ever imagined I'd be an active mom of 3 wonderful children. 8 years ago I was balancing life with 2 kids under 2. Wow! life is truly incredible. This year, I'm wife, mom, part time photographer, and brand spanking new Beachbody Coach. TeamSmiths 

I'm truly excited to see the results in others from being a beachbody coach. I love rooting people on to bigger and better things. My husband and I started our on our Healthy journey almost 2 years ago. We purchased a year gym membership and cut out soda. Yikes! that was insane for a couple of weeks...okay, months. As we continued with our fitness journey, we started tracking our food intake with myfitnesspal . I look back on that time that I was a "newbie" at the gym. Just going because I needed 30 minutes of Me time from my kiddos. Now, I actually look forward to going...and not just for the Me time. I feel Positive. Empowered. Ready to take on the world....after a session at the gym. My all time favorite is Zumba class. It took forever to take the plunge and do "just one class". But thanks to my friend who said "if you do it, I'll do it." We did that for a few classes... Piyo, Body Pump, Body Combo, Zumba Step. I'm so glad WE did join that one class. I've made so many friends (Shout out to my back row friends!!!) 

Now, I'm greeted with smiles and hellos. It's actually uplifting to step into the gym. I don't dread it.

I hope I can be that smile, that hello...to encourage the "newbie" on their journey to a happy healthier life. 

Wow....8 years....and life is truly amazing. We've had ups.... vacations, weight loss, raises, birthdays, celebrations, happy and healthy. And downs....heart surgery, bills, bad health,  tonsillectomy, knee surgeries, more bills. But wow!! what an incredible time. If anything the struggles have forced us to rely on God, to get healthy, and to be thankful for what we have.

-enJoy

Happy Almost Holidays...happenings in our lives

Hi, Blogging World. I'm still here. Just positively hurried and most thoughts are quotes from the kids, inspirational thoughts, or those "get off your booty and just do it" thoughts.

We are currently participating in what school age children call "drive your mother insane" week...er, I mean, Christmas Break! All is good on the home front. But I do have one child on the mend from a tonsillectomy just less than a week ago. He doing okay for the most part. We have good minutes, bad minutes. Good hours, bad hours. Daytime is usually the easiest. Nighttime is not for the faint of heart. I'm struggling. We are still on medicine dosing every 2.5-3 hours. It's the only way that he can rest...even though, he doesn't care for my waking him up to drink and take "yucky medicine". I'm so thankful for fellow mommy friends who gave me a heads up on the real time events after a tonsillectomy. Whew!!

In addition to the child on the mend, I have a 4 year old who is not great at sharing the one on one attention from her mother with her siblings. And an 8 year old vying for my full attention and more times than not getting what remains.

I did get to enjoy this afternoon. My sister volunteered to watch Kota and the princess. And Lily and I were able to go to the gym and get a little extra Christmas shopping finished. It was nice to spend that one on one attention with her. She hasn't really received the attention she needs with her brother recovering.

We hit up the Dollar Tree and purchased a few odds and ends. We tried on Santa hats and she picked out some Santa hats for her siblings. Then we did a quick run into Target for some muffin mix (in hopes that brother will eat them) and an Icee treat. Yes, Lily and I had a good time.

I remember getting one on one time with my mom. It was usually on grocery shopping trips. I loved going with her and trying to sneak one $.50 bag of candy into the shopping cart. Sometimes I could. Most times I couldn't.

So, here we are drawing closer to Christmas and the close of 2015. 2016 is so close I can taste it. I am pleased with all that has been accomplished in 2015. It's been a good year. Yes, I had knee surgery and will possibly have another procedure next week.(yikes!! but that's the joy of adulting...making difficult decisions based on insurance deductibles) I love being active and if the issues with my knee will hinder that..and it can be fixed. Let's do it! My goal this year was to come back from an ACL reconstruction and run part of a 5K in March 2016. The likelihood of that happening...the running part...are very slim. It kinda makes me sad. But I'm not 16 anymore.

 My hubby is back to running. He hasn't really run since shortly after Dakota was born. (ahem! almost 10 years ago) I am amazed at his determination and commitment. He's motivating! I love that about him. We are getting healthy and active to keep up with our kids. We want to help instill a healthy lifestyle in them as well. Making smarter eating choices and staying active.

I'm excited for 2016 and the new adventures it will hold for my husband and I...and our family.

God has given us this life to live for him. My goal is to influence and help 1 person. No, not the whole world. Just 1 person to become a better person inside and out.

Stay tuned for more fun happenings with The Smiths in 2016. ♥

 -enJoy

Happy Birthday to Lilyann!

Tomorrow is Lilyann's 8th birthday!!

It just doesn't seem possible. 

 1st Birthday

 2nd Birthday

 

 3rd Birthday

 4th Birthday

 5th Birthday

 6th Birthday

 7th Birthday

8th Birthday

Lilyann is growing into a beautiful, kind hearted young lady.

To think back to a time when we were unsure if she would even make it to her first birthday....God has been good. 

Lilyann is our Heart Warrior. She was born with a congenital heart defect. We found out about it when we took her to the doctor because she wouldn't eat, just cry. Lilyann was 7 weeks old at the time. Our lives all changed that day. You read about the stories of similar happening to other people, but you never think it can happen to your child. Lilyann was then diagnosed with a medium to large Ventricular Septal Defect. This is a common CHD and usually can correct itself. But Lilyann's body didn't have time to heal itself. She wasn't gaining weight. She could barely stay awake during a feeding. When my husband and I decided to "just fix her heart", it was a bit of relief but also brought on a new case of nerves and anxiety. We had just given the doctors the okay to perform open heart surgery on our tiny little girl. Hard to take it...but the best decision we could have made.

At 4 1/2 months, Lilyann had open heart surgery to fix her VSD. The surgery worked!!!

We owe it all to God, the doctors, and our family n friends praying.

Lilyann is currently heart healthy ♥

God has something special in store for Miss Lilyann. I don't know what it is. But I know that He has a plan. I pray that Lilyann will continue to share His light through her kindness toward others.

-enJoy

 

Happy Birthday to my precious Lilyann! I love you dearly. You are such a beautiful young lady.

My blurb about MY Crazy Healthy Life

I originally started this blog for the sole reason to document life as a mom with 2 kids 2 and under. Then a few weeks after that, we received our daughter's heart diagnosis and I used the blog to update family and friends on her progress/surgery/recovery. 

That was almost 8 years ago.

I still post randomly on the blog to update those who still follow our life...and to share about heart checkups, etc. 

 Our Christmas pic 2012

Our Christmas pic 2014

Today, I'm posting about me. Is that allowed? I'm not a fan of putting the attention on myself...I always feel like it sets me up for a fall. But here goes.....

It's been 19 months (a little over a year and a half) since I started the journey to get healthy. I seriously can't believe I've stuck with it this long. Usually I can jump on the bandwagon for 3 months and I'm hanging on for dear life at 2 months. But this time, something clicked. I saw progress. It became a "healthy" addiction. Am I overly confident to say that "I am proud of myself"?! I love the progress that I am seeing. I feel better...I look better. I can keep up with the kiddos (on most days) and my husband jumped on board with me as well. Having a STRONG support team has made the difference in this journey. 

And yes, it's been 19 months of going to the gym at least 4 days a week. I love to take classes but I really love to just push myself and better my walking time/pace. I love to add just 5 more lbs to the strength machine and finish strong. It's crazy how your mindset changes when the progress is positive.

I love my gym. I go at the same times each day, so I tend to see the same people, same smiling faces. It's encouraging. Why? because they're there, too. They are on the same "get healthy" journey as I am. We come in all shapes and sizes. There are some wiser (meaning older) gentlemen that can walk/run faster than I can. That's motivating to me!! And the wiser ladies keeping a fast walking pace or pedaling the recumbent bike. Yes, motivating. We are all doing this ....together. Though we don't even know each other except for the occasional nod or smile. 

And my Zumba friends!!! they are THE BEST!!! I love dancing with them. I'm part of the awesome back row crew...knee brace and all. I love seeing their smiling faces. 

It helps me to keep the consistency of working out to know that I have friends there working right along with me. 

And not to forget the fabulous instructors who push you to be a better YOU. Yes! I love it!! 

My husband and I recently started the 21 day Fix by Beachbody. It's actually pretty easy to pick up on. I was so overwhelmed by reading up on it. I was thinking of all the things that I couldn't eat/drink while I was on it. But the exciting part is ALL the things you get to eat/drink. We are day 4 and I feel great! The scale is staying on the lower numbers that I LOVE to see. But it's not just about the scale...it's about learning portion control and proper food choices. My clothes are fitting not so snug.  

Now...if I could just figure out the key to getting a jump on seasonal allergies...ALL would be GREAT!! 

So...that's my "all about ME" post. If you're ever thinking about going to the gym or joining, or even just taking the step to just be healthy, I challenge YOU to DO IT!! You won't be sorry. 

Until the next posting.....do something OUT of your Comfort Zone...and as always...

-enJoy

Life gets in the way, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Life totally gets in the way of this blog. Well, that and my computer always wanting to run a virus scan when I need to use it. Resulting in a very slow computer session that ends in my just walking away from the computer. My patience expires quickly when it comes to technology. 

As for life getting in the way....yes! that's happening, too. We've had a wedding since the last update. My hubby's cousin got married. It was a beautiful ceremony. I wish her and husband the best life ever. 

Leia was a flower girl in this wedding and she LOVED every moment of it. The getting all pretty including having her hair curled. She felt like a princess. 

Leia's the blonde ♥

This weekend is Leia's birthday as well. It seems that when October arrives, life gets incredibly busy. And this year, I foresee a busy schedule. Lots to do. Birthdays to celebrate and it's the start of the holiday season....Yamboree, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Lily's Birthday, Christmas, Hubby's birthday, and then Dakota's birthday. Not to mention all the birthdays and happenings in our extended families.

Oh..I will gladly allow life to get in the way.

If you've read this far of the posting, continue reading this next little blurb. It's about my friend's son, Zane. During all the jovial festivities of this weekend, my friend received news I'd never wish on anyone. Her son has Leukemia. He's 4 years old. A vivacious active little boy. He has a long road ahead of him with testings and treatments, but he's still smiling. The strength of my friend is encouraging. I've never been in the situation of receiving a cancer diagnosis. But I remember the day we found out my daughter's heart diagnosis. You kinda feel as if you're watching a tv show and thinking this isn't about my child. But it is. And then to hand over your child to doctors, surgeons, anethesiologists....praying that all will be okay. Knowing you are doing this to help your child. It literally takes everything in you to be strong for your child and others around you. 

Please pray for Zane and his family. Here is a link to their Facebook community page if you'd like to stay up to date on the journey of fighting Leukemia.

pic credit to Zane's mom

Zane the Leukemia Super Hero 

Until the next post.... #prayforZane

-enJoy

Soccer has started!!

School has started here in the Smith household. Actually, they are starting week 4 of school....the big kids, that is.

They are loving their teachers and really enjoying making friends with their classmates. Lily (the middle child) is excited about getting to eat a snack in class each day...haha!! Oh, the fun of being a 2nd grader. That's what she thinks 2nd grade is all about. Really, it's because her class has an early lunch time, so they need that "snack time" to get through the day. :) Yes, I'm the practical thinker. Dakota has a friend from last soccer season in his class..and a friend from church (who also rides home with us each day...yay!!).

Leia is loving the big kids being at school all day. She's getting mommy to herself. She also LOVES going to her "class". It's the time at the gym daycare while I get my exercising completed. Woot! She's made lots of friends, too. My little social butterfly.

In addition to school starting, the Fall Soccer season has started. I'm loving the team this year. We have a full team and a great coach...not to mention the cute assistant coach ;) (don't worry, it's my husband..haha) The first game was on Saturday and They WON!!! Dakota was super excited about that....as was I.

The season is starting to slowly change. We are getting little teases of Fall.....my favorite season.

Kids are doing great in school...so far, it's all reviewing. So no bumps in the road.....yet.

I thought the blog needed a little update. I always have so many thoughts of things to share...when I'm not near the computer. (isn't that how it usually goes?!) Now, I'm here and my thoughts/ideas have gone to that part of my brain to be thought about probably around midnight tonight when I need to be sleeping. That's how the Mommy brain works.

Until we meet again...

-enJoy

:)

I have blogger's block.
Crazy. I have finally have time to actually sit down and post something here and my thoughts have finally slowed down...to a HALT.
Go figure!
Until then...
-enJoy

Our summer vacation.....finally

I'm thinking this blog could be moving to monthly postings. Life is rather busy these days and it's summer time. I'm sure it will slow down a bit whenever the big kids are back in school. But for now, I'll try to give you the short version of the last month's happenings.

Let's see....at the last posting, I was calmly slightly dramatic telling myself that I truly love my children. Haha. I know the summer was getting to us all. We were ready for vacation and we still had a few weeks to go. 

I went for my 5month/20 week physical therapy appointment. Guess what?!?! my PT released me and gave me the okay to start running again. (I started running a little here and there last week..week 23...after we got back from vacation) So, that's some good news! Yaay!! I'm realizing now that having my ACL fixed is probably the best decision I've made having to do with my health. Knowing where I was and now where I am....I AM STRONG! (excerpt from a Zumba song!!)

On our vacation, we took a small detour and spent a couple of days in the St Louis area. Thanks to a good friend's suggestion :) We visited Grant's Farm. Very cool!! Lots of animals to see, and feed. Shows to educate and awe. (we saw one show with birds, a hedgehog, porcupine, and 2 rats) Carousel rides ($2 each rider) and delicious food as well as spontaneous dance parties at the food court. Admission was FREE!! (I LOVE FREE!!) Parking was $12 a vehicle. So, not a bad trip at all.  

We later went downtown to see the Arch. We saw it from a distance, but we did walk downtown and took in the sights. A cute city park with art to see, and fountains to play in. Grassy areas for the kids to play and plenty of doggies for the girls to pet. And we even used our first parking meter. Did you know that they take debit/credit cards?!?!? haha I guess I'm not much of a city girl because that's something new for me.

We finally made it to Michigan!!!

Our plans were to meet up with my brother and his family and vacation in their home state. And some of my sisters met up with us as well. Let me tell you...Michigan is BEAUTIFUL!!! I would love to visit there again. There is still so much to see. We visited Saginaw area. Our lodging was perfect. The kids were excited because we had a POOL!! yes, the pool at each hotel was the highlight of our vacation. 

This pool where we had our longest stay was indoor outdoor. You could swim under the window and to the outside or inside. The kids LOVED this pool. And the weather was perfect while we were there. Once all my siblings met up, we headed out to the "top of the mitt"...driving along the coastal areas. We had a delicious lunch at a local pizzeria and took in a few lighthouses. 

 My sister pumping some water to wash hands at a roadside rest stop

 My siblings and I....3 were missing from this trip

 Lily looks a little excited to see Dakota like this...haha! siblings

We also visited Mackinac Island. A fun ferry ride. And then an 8 mile bicycle ride around the island. I'm so proud of all my family that finished the whole bike ride. It was a doozy. But we DID it!! So proud.

Thought it was neat, we rode on Arnold Ferry....my dad's name :) Cool

 My little family on Mackinac Island ♥

 We had lunch at the Yankee Rebel restaurant on the Island. Delicious 

 Lily was hooked onto Jed's bike. She was a little nervous bike this way for most of the bike ride.

 Some of our bicycle group!!

It was a great trip. But I'm so glad to be home. I love getting away from it all. But the comfort of home almost ALWAYS wins.

So, for all of those who've read this posting to thus far...sorry, if it comes across as preoccupied/choppy. I've been up and down almost a gazillion times dealing with Miss Leia. Apparently, when mommy sits that's when everything else needs to be done for her.

Oy Vay! They say I'll miss this one day. Well, I must have tired mommy goggles on...because I'm not seeing that right now. I just need 5 minutes....

-enJoy