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