My Beautiful Days

It seems to be a trend for me that I forget my blog exists.  Lately I have been working on updating it, and have used the excuse of "I haven't figured out the links at the top of the page" for why I am not writing.  So, here I am!  Stepping past my excuses, broken links and all, and writing what's on my mind (and yes, I will eventually get those links figured out).  I digress ... More than two years ago, this saying danced its way across my computer screen and took my breath away. Every single piece of this phrase excites me!  The moment that I first read it, I claimed this as my own - I was going to be fearless.  I wanted to figure out what it was that I was most passionate about and to pursue it with fervor.  The more time I spent trying to figure out what it is that sets my soul on fire, the more bummed I became.  I truly convinced myself that I was passionate about nothing .  I didn't have any idea in mind as to what it was tha...

It feels a little strange to be writing a new blog post when I haven't been blogging for over a year, but this is something I want to share with the world, and my blog is a great venue to do so ... so - I'M BACK! In the past year, Claire (our oldest) has graduated high school and moved on to college, our family has moved to a new home to be near extended family, our kiddos have enrolled in a new school, I left my job to be home with the kids during this transition, and Monte has continued to be a rockstar in keeping us all sane through these transitions. While all of these things deserve a blog post of their own, the thing I am focusing on today is our new home - more specifically, decorating this home!  It is no secret that decorating is not my forte.  My mom, Sharon, and my sister, Tanya, are amazing  decorators and seem to have this crafty eye that comes naturally to them.  I, on the other hand, was not blessed with this gift so it is no surprise that I turn t...

Recently on Facebook my friend, Yolonda, posted this picture: After reading through this list, it stirred up a lot of thoughts within me.  You see, I am an extrovert - and quite an extreme extrovert at that!  I have always thought of my extroversion as a great thing, almost as if I was given a gift, but it wasn't until I married Monte that I realized my extroverted personality can also be the very thing that made me a bully. A bully.  Wow, it hurts just to type that. It's true, though.  The more I learned about Monte and his introverted personality, the more I realized that I have not at all been accommodating or understanding of the introverts in my life.  One of the things I realized I have always  done, but maybe never saw that I was doing it, was that I misinterpreted an introvert's need for down-time and quiet as them being sad or sullen.  I was bound and determined to cheer them up, when in reality the very thing they needed from me was ...

10 months.  That's how much time has passed since I last updated my blog.  It is completely amazing to me that I have let that much time slip by, but it seems to have passed in just a mere moment - not in ten long, dragged-out months. It's not that I haven't had things to write about (I have, a lot actually), or that I have lost my passion for writing (I haven't, not at all).  It's more that I think I've been caught up in a game of trying to find myself, so much so that I lost myself completely. Let me rewind.  My last update (that post I wrote 10 months ago) told you that I was back at work managing a salon.  Now this update will tell you I'm back at home being a stay-at-home mom!  While I truly enjoyed having a job outside of our home and having an identity outside of "wife and mom", my household just does not function as well when I'm not here during the day to put the pieces in place.  It was SO hard to not be available to be here when ...

It's no secret that I'm not good at updating my blog.  I really, truly am sorry for that.  I wish I had the passion for writing and the time to do it that I used to have ... but I just don't!  I don't think that's a bad thing, though.  Here are some of the great things that are keeping me busy: - I went back to work almost two months ago.  I am managing a salon in a town near me and I absolutely LOVE it!  My life is a little more chaotic, and trying to balance it all out doesn't always work out the best, but at the end of the day I am a much  happier wife and mom because I have this job! - Ethan has been in daycare since I started my job and it has been SO good for him.  Miss Holly (his daycare provider) is completely amazing!  He is learning so much and he loves the other kids at his daycare.  Plus, he's REALLY happy to see mommy pick him up at the end of the day, which makes this mama's heart SO happy! - Claire will be 16 next mo...

This past week we were up north at a cabin on a lake in central Minnesota - just the seven of us, with nothing on our agenda but relaxation and time to spend together.  It really was a wonderful week away - we spent a lot of time fishing, swimming, making meals and taking walks among other things. Ellis, Colin and Iain proudly display their morning catch! It was during one of our walks that I learned a parenting lesson that I felt all the way down to my toes.  We had been walking for a couple of miles and I really had to use the bathroom, so we stopped in to a local resort and Monte and the kids played in the game room while I headed to the lobby in search of a restroom.  On my way back out through the lobby I was caught behind a family of three, slowly meandering their way through the hallway toward the exit.  Since I didn't want to be rude and rush around them I, too, slowed my pace and drifted through the hallway toward the door.  I watched the couple...

I haven't been great at updating.  In all honesty I haven't been great about keeping up on most things - when did life get to be so insanely busy?!  We're in the full swing of summer at our house and are staying busy with baseball, soccer, cross country, driver's education (for Claire) and a new job (also for Claire)!  At this point in life, my main job is chauffeuring my kids to the many different activities we have going on.  I am often so busy with our schedule's craziness that I find I'm not sure what to do with myself when I get some downtime.  Like right now, as I'm sitting in the waiting room at a local car repair shop, I'm realizing that I can't handle just sitting and watching "The Price Is Right" ... I need something else to keep me busy, thus this blog post is being created! The issues with my truck are minor - my air conditioner just needs a little love so it can operate correctly, and with this amazing heat wave we're e...

I know I mentioned in a previous post that we currently have our home on the market in anticipation of selling and moving closer to our extended family. Our home, desperately searching for its next owner!! :) When we listed our home on February 25th, I was filled with excitement and anticipation about what this journey would bring.  Now, 92 days, 25 showings and five open houses later I would have to admit that my spirit is dragging. We have already reduced the price once with anticipation of drawing the attention of new buyers, but unfortunately we have yet to draw the attention of someone who wants to buy our property. I can't help but feel frustrated at the fact that it hasn't sold.  I can't help but feel frustrated with the whole process.  I can't help but feel frustrated at the possibility of it not selling and our family not moving. In my frustration, I can't help but wonder if it is God's plan to keep us in this house, or if there is a possib...

No, I don't mean a conversation with myself.  I mean a conversation with Kelley.  She was my four oldest children's mother (so, if I were being technical, my step-children's mom).  She was killed in a snowmobiling accident when my oldest was 10 and my youngest was 2.  She was a phenomenal woman - a loving wife, sister, daughter, friend - and most of all, an incredibly devoted mother.  I often wonder what a conversation with her would be like. Kelley had one very beautiful smile, and my kids tell me she loved hats! I imagine that we would sit down with our cups of coffee and, all jealousy aside over both of us so dearly loving Monte, I think we would have a great conversation.   Kelley and the kids (from left to right) Iain, Colin, Ellis and Claire on the day of Colin's baptism. There are a lot of questions that I would love to ask her.  I would love to know what her dreams were for her children.  I would love to know where she e...

A week ago today, on Tuesday, April 23, my Grandma Evelyn passed away.  She was 90 years old and had lived a very full life.  My sister and I, along with our two youngest munchkins (Khloe and Ethan) were able to go visit her a few weeks ago - a visit for which I will forever be grateful.  I got to look into my Grandma's beautiful blue eyes and tell her just how much I love her and I got to hear her talk about her excitement to finally see Jesus face-to-face.  She was at a point where she was done with everything here - there was no more reason to eat when she could be feasting in Heaven.  I am so thankful that she had Jesus in her heart, which means that we will see each other again! Grandma and I - February 2011   Growing up, we would visit my Grandma every Saturday (as we lived only 15 minutes apart) and we would spend time together playing 'Kings in the Corner' and eating Pinwheel cookies (which were my favorite, once upon a time).  We would...

My darling little boy is now almost 29 months old.  Funny that I put it that way when I promised myself I wasn't going to count his age month-by-month, so allow me to correct myself: my darling little boy is now two-years-old. He is a ball of energy and excitement!  He loves to play outside, to "drive" my truck (in other words, to sit in the driver's seat and hit every button and switch he can find!), to chase each other through the house, to play, but most of all he loves to TALK! Here are some of the precious things that come out of his mouth quite frequently (that I'm blogging about because I don't ever want to forget them!): "My Rumple-Tum-Tum" - this is what he calls his belly!  It's my fault, really, because I started telling him that his stomach was his "rum-a-tum-tum", and that changed into rumple-tum-tum.  It's incredibly cute, though! "Christmas Clear"  - if the kids are in trouble and Monte is correc...

It seems as though I've abandoned my blog, which I truly kind of have.  Life has been extremely busy for me as of late ... these are the things we've been up to since my last post: My amazing husband and I celebrated four years of being married (and no, this picture isn't from our anniversary .. I just realized we don't have many "just us" pictures anymore!). We celebrated Christmas as a family (this was the picture on our Christmas card). We threw a surprise birthday party for Claire, and some of her friends came over and spent the night. Monte and I went on vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico where we stayed at an incredibly beautiful hotel and spent as much time in the sun as possible! We celebrated Colin's 7th birthday with a Lego cake made by the world's best nanny, Krista! Our front-toothless birthday boy got lots of great presents, too! I've done a lot of snow removal... ... and plan on doing more wit...

As of late, this is a theme that has been replaying in my life over and over and over and over, and I don't understand the reason.  It seems that 28 is the new 15 when it comes to receiving advice from me.  Granted, this isn't the case in all situations, but in many it truly is.  I can't help but wonder why.  It seems that it is the same few people who continue to talk down to me in the "you have no idea what this is like" stance. Really?  Would I be offering up my opinion or ANY amount of advice if I didn't understand where you were coming from? No.  I truly would not. I find myself feeling frustrated at the fact that people look at me as being younger.  Let's be honest - there are not many women who are near my own age who are in the place of life where I am.  A few, yes, but not many.  A majority of my friends are about 10 years older than I am, and when I am with them, they don't point out my age difference or make me feel any less ...

This past Wednesday (November 7th) we celebrated Ethan's 2nd birthday!  We had so much fun!  We started the day with a nebulizer treatment, since our birthday boy is currently fighting off a nasty cold ...  We had "Ethan's choice" for dinner, which turned out to be Macaroni & Cheese with hot dogs (I really wasn't surprised that he chose that .. he is a two-year-old, after all!) and followed that up with some really yummy cupcakes ... Ethan opened his present - a bouncing Tigger doll - and couldn't eat his cupcake fast enough to be done and play with it! Then, once he was playing with Tigger, I couldn't get him to turn and look at the camera even once! Happy 2nd Birthday my little love!  I am so grateful that you are mine and that I have had the last two years with you in my life.  I hardly remember what our family was like before you arrived!  Daddy and I love you SO much!!

This is something that has been on my heart for about a month.  I had the privilege of sharing it with my MOPS group yesterday, and now I want to share it with you.  Looking back over the past (almost) four years, I have found that there were so many times I felt I didn't measure up.  It started out with motherhood. Jumping in head-first to being a step-mom to four kids is one of the best blessings I've ever been given, but it also is one of the most frustrating learning journeys that I've been on.  You see, I really thought I was doing a good job - I was staying on top of our housework and laundry (which I now realize was truly a miracle!), I was making dinners, I was playing with the kids and helping with homework.  Sure, we had a hiccup every now and then, but life really seemed to be going smoothly. Then I started following mommy blogs. There are few things in the world that tear me down the way that reading a mommy blog can.  Those bl...

Good morning and Happy Monday to you all!  Today I am very excited to announce that I have a guest blogger here on My Beautiful Day!  My guest is my oldest brother, Jeremy.  He is an amazing brother, a husband and father to four beautiful kids (the last of whom is not yet two weeks old!), among other things.  He also is the one person who harasses me constantly that I'm not good at keeping up with writing on my blog - and every time he says this to me, I always tell him that he's welcome to do a guest post and that way my blog will have new content.  Well, this time he took me up on it!  What he wrote is something he posted on his Facebook page and told met hat I could use it for his guest post.  I love what it says and appreciate any positive  feedback you might have for him.  Even if you aren't in agreement of what he says, at least be positive with your response. So, without further ado, here is my big brother! Minnesota Marriage Amend...

Can I be honest about something?  Before I ever had a baby, I had that  mentality.  You know the one; it occurs when you look at a woman with children and wonder why she hasn't yet lost her baby weight.  The one where you assume it's because she's too lazy to work out and has no self-control over what she eats. If it were possible to kick my own butt for ever thinking that way, I certainly would! Now, almost two full years after having Ethan, I can't help but resent how much of a struggle it really can be to lose that weight.  I know that I've come pretty far from where I was, and I know that I do look good (no arrogance here *wink, wink*), but I also know that I would feel so much better about myself if I were to lose those last 10 pounds. While I know that I will likely never be my size 0/1 little self again ... ~ I won't lie - I miss being this little! ~ ... would it be okay to be a size four ... without  the muffin top?! So I have beg...