Outings Along the Puget Sound

September 19, 2020

It felt so good to sleep in especially on this cloudy morning. It's the perfect weather for it or lingering in bed just for a little while longer. I had made pozole which went perfect with this type of weather. Jacob ran some errands during the day and in the evening, we went to Dunne Peninsula Park in Tacoma to walk off dinner. 

The scenery here is awesome! The clouds were pretty cool too.

This park is fairly new. This area is definitely the perfect spot for a park. 

Such a pretty picture. Those clouds in the back look amazing! I miss being out here. I miss it greatly!

While we were looking out at this view, we saw a seal swimming along and two young deer walking across the slope.

The beauty of the environment God designed for us to live in has the power to move us to tears and gives us a sense of joy and appreciation of life. 

September 26, 2020

This little guy decided to tag a long on a ride with us. Apparently, he's quite strong. It held on from our house until we reached W Seattle, that's a 40 minute drive! I was surprised it didn't fly off when we were driving on the freeway. I'm glad it made it. 

We walked along Alki Trail that's across the Puget Sound with the Seattle skyline in the background. Great photo spot.

It's fun being a tourist in the state you live in. There's always something fun and interesting to do.

The clouds parted enough to let the sunshine through. It felt good to get some vitamin D. 

Western WA is definitely the outdoorsman's paradise. It is extremely easy to stay active here. Endless places to do a myriad of outdoor activities. It is also a great place for the nature lover. 

I'm happy that Riley has gotten to experience such wonderful outings living here in Washington. I hope that when he becomes a father that he will take his own children out to explore the beautiful sights out in nature.

As we walked down Alki Trail I noticed this sticker on the back of a street sign. It was nice to see this out in the open in such a pagan state. 

It's true what the sign says. That's the main purpose for all of us in this world, whether we agree with this or not.  

Nature is the art of God

When my days end with having spent time out in nature, it helps me to feel peaceful and satisfied. There's just something special about the vastness of sky and water, breathing the fresh air that cleanses your lungs. Once attaining a clear mind, it's easy to put things into perspective which helps us to want to be better people. To want to make better choices in our daily lives.

I must learn to manage my life so that I can refill my heart, mind and body on a regular basis. Doing this is essential to good health. For me, one way of doing this is investing in my own soul's need for pleasure. Also, being in constant prayer with God and to see life with a grateful heart is priority for me. I have to be mindful that the way I think about life has a direct impact to my health. Negative thinking does not only affect our mental health (anxiety and depression) but causes a host of other health problems such as stress; reduced motivation and self-esteem; impaired decision making; weaken immune system; sleep problems; digestive and other issues..... We must not allow negative thinking to take hold in our minds. We must dig in God's Word and choose wisely in the things we invest our time in and the foods we eat.

We've been created for more than just counting our days. 

We've been created to make our days count. To live with intention.

Making A Decision ...

... to enjoy the journey.

Lately, I've been feeling edgy, impatient which is not acceptable to me. I've been feeling like my old self, like how I felt before I had my awakening and I don't like it. So my resolve starting today will be to not let frustrations/impatience get the best of me. I think I know why I've had a change in attitude and it's understandable but not right. Dying to self is the only way to live life peacefully. This is when I'm so thankful for His mercies ... thankful for a brand new day where I get the chance to start over and hope that I go back to feeling peaceful and not let my circumstances interfere with my attitude.

So, in order to enjoy the journey, this season that I'm in, I set out to do things that bring me joy. Because one needs to pursue things that pull at our heart.
Besides reading which is one of my passions, {currently reading Secrets to Exceptional Living by Joyce Meyer} I also love to be out in nature. I would say that nature is my first passion. This is a great way to clear the mind and to exercise it by taking in all the beauty around me ... making it a point to observe everything from the big to the small. Sometimes, we do need to leave the four corners of our house and go exploring. Nature is so calming.

Plus, being out in nature is a good way to exercise not to mention that this is one of the best ways for a young child to spend his energy on.
Jacob accidentally grabbed the wrong bike helmet. This one fits him too snug but he wore it anyway.

Motherhood is tough work. I think it's more mentally draining than anything else. This is why I need to pursue the things that bring me joy in life. I need regular moments of refreshment and restoration that will refill my soul ... and this is also were reading books on faith come in as well.

Like anybody, kids need balance I know that but I prefer to have Riley explore nature, the outdoors than taking him to play at a playground. I notice the difference in Riley. He's much calmer, tends not to fret as much and I also think it's good for his little soul as well. Exploring nature is one of the best things I can introduce my child to so he can flourish.

I think God gave me a strong willed child to teach me how to be a better human being overall. Some days have been extremely challenging while mostly it's been an easy ride with him too. But the toughest times seem to stand out a little more ... probably because I'm stubborn and have a hard time with change. I need to learn to be more compassionate and patient. I think this is a good thing, that I know what I need to work on, that's a start. It means that I admit my faults and that I want to be a better mother, person overall.

Until we learn to derive lessons from seasons of failure and loss, we will keep repeating those failures ... digging ourselves into an ever deeper hole rather than moving on as we grow up.
I'm sure we've all been there. Not wanting to listen to that small voice and instead remaining stubborn and continue to behave capriciously. I know I've done it and I've come across loved ones who have behaved this way too.

So I will make the best of a hard day. When I'm feeling overwhelmed I've got to remember to change my train of thought back to positive thinking. I will try to refrain from becoming snappy. I just need to remember to be gentler with myself during these challenging times. This is the key to loving others well.
I need to concentrate solely on the good.

Keeping My Focus Where It Needs To Be

Rearing children ... and well, just life itself is like the tide. Sometimes life is easy and fun then comes the daily consistent discipline, challenging times and health concerns and the serious stuff. It goes back and forth, back and forth. I know I can't do life alone even with Jacob by my side. We are meant to be in a relationship with God at all times.

I pretty much have an easy enjoyable life. I acknowledge that I am extremely blessed and I daily thank God for the life that He's allowed me to live ... even when I'm having my bad days I still recognize that what is troubling me isn't really ALL that bad. I think sometimes we make our problems seem bigger than what they truly are. Sometimes I can't help it. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing this mothering battle and this is when I know I need to submerge myself in His word ... and Jacob's advice also has a great calming effect on me. But it's only when I pray, "God, You know my heart. You know what I can take and what I can't. I release this burden to You and may Your will be done ... I just ask for strength and wisdom to know how to best handle this current problem. In Jesus name I pray, Amen." It's not until I pray this that I begin to feel at peace. My daily routine becomes easier to maneuver without the problem bombarding my every thought.

In a way I wish I could say that I turn to friends for advice but I cannot. None of my closest friends have kids the same ages as mine. I do have family that have children the same age as mine but their parenting style is way different than mine. Sadly, no one I know has the same conservative moral values that we have ... but that's ok. Do not feel bad for me because I draw my strength from God and from my husband and that's really all I need.

By my words you would think that I'm going through a tough time. That's not the case. Things are going good it's just that I was reading several entries on my agenda which has caused me to reflect on a few challenging times I went through several weeks back. I am truly grateful God has been with me every step of the way and that is extremely comforting to me.

Regarding my depression and anxiety, I believe my depression is completely gone. This deserves praise to God! and my anxiety as well, although there's a few instances when I get a little anxious, like when I watch a UFC fight, I begin to feel slight palpitations so I have to stop watching them or when we drive inside those parking garages like at the airport. I think that because it feels like my car is going to hit the cement ceiling it makes me feel anxious, so weird, so I close my eyes until we've parked. Jacob is the one to always drive inside those parking garages at the airport. But these instances are really it. So for the most part my anxiety is gone, the severe anxiety. I have only but God to thank and praise.

I've also come to understand that whenever God wants to change us He makes sure to get our attention and He's ever persistent. And for me, He got my attention by making me go through a bout of depression and anxiety. I realized that I needed to heed His advice and to completely change my lifestyle by putting Him first. I did and my life has been A LOT more meaningful. My marriage became stronger. Jacob and I see life differently and we are enjoying our life together in a much brighter way.
So whenever I begin to live in the flesh I make myself stop and get back to putting God first. It happens to the best of us. That's why prayer and meditation is so important. It is a vital part to having a flourishing relationship with God.

The good thing though is that I AM growing as I go through life's challenging times. I hope I always have a teachable spirit. I hope that I always remember to remain humble. I hope that as I go through life that bitterness never makes its way into my heart.

great verse during challenging times ... 

For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold

of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;

I will help you.

-Isaiah 41:13

NIV

Well now, on a lighter note. Sydna passed her driving test. She passed it on her second try. Ohmygosh! I almost can't believe how grown up she is. How fast time has passed.

She's already picked Nathan up from school when we weren't able to. She's only allowed to drive Jacob's Camry. I wont let her drive my Tahoe. I told her that the only way she'll drive my car is if I am not able to drive it myself. Maybe when she's 25 I'll let her, lol.
Boy, why do teenagers have to dawdle. She's had her permit for several weeks now but she's been so indecisive about when to go get her drivers license. She could have had her license already. Geez!

Life Is A Teacher

I got this from the book that I'm currently reading. Wanted to share this because I'm pretty sure we've all had challenging days with our children.

It does make one stop and reflect about not taking life too seriously and that it's ok to once in a while break our own rules ... only once in a while because chores still need to get done, I like my house to be somewhat tidy. I want my home to be welcoming to everyone, and no matter what taking a shower and taking care of myself is still a priority. What I mean is to let go of expectations, of getting things done at a certain time. When it comes to doing my chores I always play it by ear. I don't spend my day looking at the clock. If I have to go upstairs for something I make it a point to get the washing machine going. But I never do all of my chores in one day. That's not my style.

Being a seasoned mother I've learned to choose my battles when it comes to the kids. Not stressing over the little things has given me so much freedom even though my parenting may not sit well with my daughter. She thinks I let too many things slide when it comes to Riley. What she doesn't understand is that I've become wiser in the way I parent. She will get it once she's had her third child herself, hopefully.

I just have to remember to cherish this time at home with my children because before too long they will be gone, living their own life.

Fostering Growth

I can see that God continues to work on my heart. Once you've open up to Him and His ways you never stop growing spiritually and that will change you.

I remember years ago, before my awakening, I used to tell Jacob, "I don't want to become like those Christian people that don't ever do anything fun and do nothing but read the bible and listen to Christian music. I'm pretty sure this is the same kind of thinking of a lot of people but, I believe we think this way because we haven't felt the pull or yearning to follow God. I still don't want to be like those extreme Christians that feel guilty to enjoy life to it's fullest. I don't just want to read the bible and go to church then back home then repeat week after week. I think those things are important but I don't believe that's what life is completely about.
Now that we're both matured and want to grow spiritually and live a life that's honoring to God, we have picked up on some of those Christian habits. We read the bible but, mostly both Jacob and I read self-help books, devotionals and memorize bible verses. We actually enjoy learning more and more about the bible, how life used to be back then, how Jesus used ordinary {some awful} people to do great things, and how awesome it would have been to have seen Jesus in physical human form and to hear Him speak.
Although Jacob listens to Christian music I have yet to do the same. I know I've mentioned this before but Christian music immediately depresses me. Listening to it makes me so sad. Having experienced depression myself and having had to be on medication for it the last thing I want is to purposely listen to music that will get me down even though Christian music is meant to uplift but for whatever reason it has the opposite effect on me.
But, like I said above ... God continues to work in me. I recently added two children Christian stations on my Pandora play list, mostly for Riley's sake. Now with Riley I want to be more intentional in the way we raise him. I want him to get used to going to church on a regular basis, to listen to children's Christian music and actually enjoy it, and we've also began to have family devotional time every Wednesday here at home {going on three months now}.
So, whenever we're out running errands I put on one of the children's Christian stations. I've noticed that Riley is calmer and more tender. That's what I want ... for his little heart to know the power of His word and to grow up to be a compassionate person. Of course, us grown ups are also making every effort to model Christian like behavior at home, because we all know that it all starts at home.

Right now I've been teaching him that people are all different and even if they look different than us we have to treat everyone nice even if at times some people look scary. Also teaching him not to talk about people is another thing that we're currently educating him on. We tell him that it's never ok to say anything mean about someone especially in front of that person. If he needs to tell us something about someone he has to wait until we're in the car or at home.

For me the challenge lies with my older kids. Teenagers can be immature, we know that and when they're being goofy they forget sometimes that they have a little brother that is watching everything that they do and say. I constantly have to remind them not to use certain words in Riley's presence or to not listen to certain music. They do tone it down but this is something that needs reminding. This is where I'm at with my kids.

Jacob has been the one to tuck Riley in for the night since he was a toddler. That's something that Jacob cherishes. That's their bonding time. I want Riley to constantly hear the name of Jesus and God in our home on a daily basis and I also want him to grow up listening to bible stories and/or good wholesome children's stories. So, Jacob has also began to read one short story at night to Riley then he'll ask him questions and it surprises us how well he pays attention even though he's squirming in bed or looking away. He answers all the questions right and you know what is also so great about this is that I am also learning something every night just by listening to these children's stories.

We will continue to be intentional with all of our children but it's especially important to make sure that we educate Riley in His word and in how he should behave and treat others. He's at the perfect age where these teachings will take root and blossom if we stay consistent.

Life Right Now

I wrote this -this past summer but never actually finished it. These were my thoughts then.

It took me years to discover peace within. Before, every little thing used to bother me. I was a grumpy girl but I am so thankful for going through the worst time of my life because that has changed my views in what's important in life.
I would even say that this season, this time right now, is the best time I've had for a prolonged period of time. Sure, I've had great times before but staying happy or content never lasted. Now, I am happy or content about 95% of the time.

I am very appreciative of:
the life I have.
Of how things have worked out in my life.
Of how far I've come.
The children God gave me.
And the wonderful guy I married.
..

Currently:
I am still very appreciate of the same things I wrote above. God continues to bless us and I am extremely thankful and grateful and at the same time striving to remain humble through it all. Some of these blessings have been totally unexpected.
I believe that the area where I've seen change the most in myself has been in letting go of perfectionism and learn to go with the flow as long as things continue to be honorable to God. I also deal with the unexpected a lot better that sometimes I surprise myself. I rarely raise my voice anymore. I've learned to pick and choose on things I should get after Riley unlike before, everything my young child used to do stressed me out. This has given me the gift of enjoying my child a lot more plus Riley tends to be sweeter and way less difficult when I remain calm and the atmosphere at home is peaceful.

Still, there are those moments when things get difficult and they test me on how I will react. Most of the time I react in a calm manner because most of the time that calmness comes naturally, I don't really have to "try" to be calm I just am even when things are hectic around me but there are those few times where my patience runs thin and I stress myself out and catch myself being short tempered with those I love the most. When this happens I begin praying and reach for my current read which is usually a self help book or devotional and that tends to ease my way of thinking bringing me back to my peaceful ways.

For example: Riley and I where at the library. Before we get out of the car I always remind him that he needs to be quiet, he cannot run and that he has to stay close by. I was looking for books to get him. He was pretending to use the computer where one can look up books. A lady came up to Riley and asked if she could use it. Riley said something but I couldn't hear him but he didn't move. The lady left to use a different computer. I called Riley and he came to me. I asked him why he didn't move out of the way so the lady could use the computer and he said, "because I was using it".  So, I told him that if someone asks to use the computer he needs to let them use it. I had him stay by my side after that. He didn't like that and he began to be loud saying he wanted to use the computer. I told him to lower his voice and he wouldn't. So I decided to leave the books that I had gotten, grabbed his hand and began walking away. He started to drag his feet which he's never done before so that was a little shocking. As he dragged his feet he continued to be loud so I decided to pick him up and carry him out while telling him that his behavior was not right and he needed to listen to me. He was crying by this point but not loud. I saw several moms looking at me. Probably wondering why I was so calm with a crying child in my arms. Once outside I put him down. As we walked to the car Riley told me I was mean for leaving the library and not getting books. I told him that if he were nice we would have stayed and that when he doesn't do what I say then yes, it's going to seem that I am mean. By the time I drove out of the parking lot he had stopped crying and we were talking about where we were going next.
If Sydna or Nathan would have misbehaved like this when they were little I would have totally gotten mad and probably would have raised my voice once I got in the car. I didn't do either thing during Riley's incident. I sat in the car and reflected on what had just happened and I was most proud of myself for not losing my cool. Having had handled it as a woman after God's own heart. That right there told me that I am growing in my faith ... and still very much a work in progress.
When we got home he had to be in time out for ten minutes. Guess what happened. He ended up falling asleep.

There are certain things that I don't let slide especially when it comes to how my child{ren} should behave. We haven't been to the library since, it's going on two weeks. But you bet I'll be reminding him again on how he should act inside the library whenever we go back.

I took this above picture after he woke up from his nap on that very day he got in trouble at the library. Here we are smiling and being silly. I really am thankful that although Riley can be ornery and stubborn he is ten times sweeter and has a great sense of humor. That alone can brighten up my day by laughing from all the silly things he does and say. It was a bad moment not a bad day.

Riley and Mommy Outing

I am so thankful and blessed to be able to live my life in the way that I want. I like my home atmosphere to be a place of peace, harmony, cozyness, love, togetherness and fun with some control chaos every now and then. It's in my nature to unmask these attributes from being born under the sign of the scales. A Libra likes harmony and balance. This just made me realize how awesome God's wonders really are. He knew exactly what He was doing when He created me and I'm most grateful.

Lately, I've been writing about how I pursue self-nurture, serenity, gratitude and contentment on a daily basis. Every day I seek His beauty in every day things. I also make it my mission to live an unhurried life. God made me an organized person which means that because of that I rarely run around in haste. Haste makes waste and it is an unhealthy way to live. I'm thankful to have learned from past experiences on how not to act and what I need to change in myself. I'm glad that I embraced my past experiences and not grew bitter because of them. I believe those experiences made me wiser and although my life is far from perfect it's turning out exactly how I have envisioned it and in my eyes it's perfect.

In order for us to grow spiritually we must experience trials and learn from them. The only thing I ask God for is that He gives me wisdom and strength to be able to know what to do and how to react when such trials arise.


When I have free time I like to plan outings for Riley and I to go on.
When I say that I have time on my hands, that doesn't mean that I don't have any responsibilities at home that need tending to. What I mean when I say that I have free time is that I can work around my chores to go on outings with Riley.
Last week, the day after our visit to the beach, I took Riley to a local pumpkin patch. The owners also have a produce store which we've been to but this was our first time to their pumpkin patch. I set out Riley's clothes and told him to get ready. Whenever he sees that I lay out "handsome clothes" for him to wear {and not just old sweats and a shirt} he will ask, "where are we going?" He's so nosy, always wanting to know our plans. I told him we were going to another pumpkin patch. He said, "is daddy coming too?" I said, no. He said, "but I want daddy to come with us because I love him". Aw, he's got such a tender heart and he loves his daddy so much but I told him that this outing was going to be just the two of us. I told him that they have animals and a hay maze ... that quickly brighten up his face and made him very excited.

This goose kept honking at him and straightening its neck alerting him to back off. It was funny because its honking was loud.

We walked over to the pig pen. The pink pig's name is Ella. He kept calling her name but she never even looked up. The one next to it did and even snatched a few strands of hay from his hand.

One of their popular areas at the pumpkin patch is their corn pit. The corn pit is about calf deep. Riley liked running in it then falling backwards and create a "corn angel" just like you would a snow angel. He's so silly. We spent about twenty minutes here until I told Riley that it was time to get out because bigger kids began arriving and started to roughhouse.

Next it was time to walk through the hay maze. I went in with him the first time. I told him that he would lead and I pretended that I was scared and that I didn't want to get lost. That made him feel big and he made sure to guide me. He kept on waiting for me when I was purposely lagging behind.
I let him go by himself three more times. He had a blast. When I would lose track of him I would just whistle our family whistle tune and he would jump up so I could see him between the hay bales and say, "here I am".

The other popular area was the rubber ducky water station. You placed several duckies in that half pipe and then pump water on it which made the duckies slide down to the other side. Then those kids at the opposite end would do the same. Riley could have spent an hour here. He wasn't too thrilled about leaving even after about half an hour of playing.

We had fun ... just the two of us. I told myself that this was his time to have fun which allowed me to not stress about time or him getting dirty which he did. This kids area wasn't that big but we still spent about close to two hours here. I just went along with what he wanted to do. After we left I got him a vanilla shake and fries. A sweet treat for his good behavior.

Our Sweet Friends From Texas

I first got a facebook message from my friend Jackie telling me that they were gonna be in Oregon and Seattle about a month ago and she was wondering if we could meet up. I messaged her back and told her it would be cool to meet up so we made plans.
We met up last Thursday, May 21st.

Jacob took the day off and after dropping Sydna off at the college we headed over to Pike Place Market. It was such a pretty day. Some cloud cover but sunny.

We walked through all the flower vendors. My goodness, the peony is such a gorgeous flower! That's mostly what they were selling. Loved seeing all the different colors. It took us forever to just get out of this area and to finally meet up with my friend that was waiting for us right in front of the bronze pig.

It was so great seeing her, her husband and their two older children. It had been ten years since we last saw each other. We used to be neighbors in Mckinney, TX for several years before they moved to Schertz, TX which is near San Antonio.

After we all greeted each other we then had lunch at Lowell's at Pike Place. It got great reviews on Yelp .... but I think they were mostly for breakfast. I still thought their food was good. I got tiger prawns and chips. The prawns or shrimp {how I like to call them} were big. I couldn't finish them all. I had to give Jacob my last one. Everyone else finished their food so hopefully that was a sign that they liked it. Next time I want to come here for breakfast. Their Combination breakfast with a side of crispy hash browns sounds delicious! Here's the LINK so you can browse the menu and see how tasty everything sounds. The view of Elliott Bay {part of the Puget} is pretty awesome too!

After eating we walked down to the waterfront. There's still construction going on so a good portion of the sidewalk is blocked off. If you're by the great wheel, one would need to walk back towards the Aquarium, cross the street and walk less than a mile to get to the ferry terminal.

The day quickly became warm and the walk would have been too far for my friend. While Jacob went looking for an ATM machine they went to ask one of the Pedicab guys how much they charge. These guys are expensive! Just to take us to the ferry terminal which is less than a mile they wanted to charge $30!! Psh, they're crazy. Thankfully, my friends son thought of Uber. Since he has the app on his phone he requested one to pick us up close to the Aquarium. It arrived in less than five minutes and cost under $5. Wow!

I have to admit, riding in some strangers car was a little scary for me. I've never even been inside a taxi or a bus ... so I was ready to call 911 in case we got kidnapped or something. But everything went fine and the ride was safe, there just wasn't a carseat for Riley. Thankfully we didn't have to go far.

We had to wait for the ferry and while we waited my friend Jackie gave us the 411 on how to care for box turtles. Her husband has ten box turtles and most of them he's had for years, two of those he's had since he was a kid. Isn't that cool?! Jacob was very interested and I'm sure he now wants to get some himself. I just hope that he first makes an enclosure for them.

We boarded the ferry and found a place to sit outside. I love the way the wind feels on my face. Every time I ride the ferry is like my first ride! It makes me SO happy. I love to look all around. I love to admire all the pretty houses that sit along the water ... and I'm always looking for seals, hoping I can spot at least one.

Here I am with my Texas friends. That's Jackie and her husband Neil. They are such great people, very hospitable but most importantly they also share our same values and beliefs. They're definitely friends for a lifetime.

When Riley first met them he became very shy which is a big surprise because he's always so outgoing and very talkative even to people we come across with at the store. It wasn't until we were at the ferry terminal that he began to warm up to Jackie's daughter Madison and son Neil Jr. He was talking to them and was starting to get a little playful. At one point Jackie and Madison went to buy water and he even held Madison's hand. That was cute.

We had planned on going to an ice cream shop on Bainbridge Island but we were a little pressed for time. Jackie and her family had reserved tickets to Ride the Ducks {link HERE} at 5:00 pm so we took the ferry back to Seattle. At least we got a ferry ride out of it on this nice day.

Jackie took this picture of me, Jacob and Riley. Thanks Jackie. I love it!

Once we arrived at the terminal we had to part ways since they didn't have much time left. We said our goodbyes and hoped to see each other soon. Riley was terribly sad because he had bonded with Madison. He started to cry.

We rode on a paid Uber car from them to take us back to our car. That was really nice of them. Even to this day Riley is still saying he wants to go to Texas to visit Madison. He says she's his best friend.

My friend hopes to retire in Oregon, in or near Cannon Beach. That would be nice. She'll only be about three hours away. We would definitely be able to visit each other often.

*** On Memorial Day my friend Jackie had a health issue that's changed her life. Sorry for not being able to go into detail since I didn't ask her permission to talk about it on here but I am writing this for my own memories and to ask if you can please pray for her. I ask for healing but most importantly I ask that my friend feels God's presence and love close. Also for peace and understanding and that with the love and support from her family and friends and with time that she will get better each day.
This is so surreal to Jacob and I because we had just spent the day with her five days before. This makes me so sad for her, she's such a sweet and caring person but I am going to try to change my focus from sadness to hope and to continue to pray for her. Thank you all in advance.

Life and It's Opportunities

While several states are having snow storms we've been having quite a bit of sun lately. It's still pretty chilly but the sun does warm your body when you're out in it. This was such a very pretty day ... and stopping at Pagliacci for pizza was icing on the cake.

Every morning, when I wake up, the first thing I do is say my thankful prayers to God. Every morning, I pay attention to how my body is feeling and how I'm doing mentally. This is when I'm most grateful that my anxiety is definitely under control and I humbly give thanks for that.

We all see things differently and I'm not one bit ashamed or embarrassed to talk about my anxiety or depression issues. These two disorders are extremely common. I chose to take medication for these two disorders because I need to be 100% functional, to have a clear mind to raise my children and be able to do my other responsibilities. However, I don't give all the credit to that blue pill I take. It's because of Jesus that I'm able to handle this disorder. His word gives me peace of mind.

Some people may roll their eyes whenever God is mentioned. Or they think they've heard it all before. It is not at all cliché when I say that He is always near and wants the best for His children. It is the plain and simple truth.

I love to read. Since November I've immersed myself in Self-help and religious books more than ever before. I enjoy writing down things that stand out to me. Learning God's word is a forever learning process. What I've found true and what works for me has been to practice depending on Him for support and power. You've got to believe He's giving you that power. Surrender yourself to it.

God doesn't want us to be unhappy or in pain. He created us to enjoy life, beauty. To feel happy in being loved, to accomplish great things ... to enjoy eating great food. My decorating style may be simple but I find it to be beautiful. I want to beautify my surroundings and to create the life I need to move forward.

It has been so surreal to me how my way of thinking has changed in just a few short months. How can that be possible if it wasn't for God alone working His miracles. Those two extremely difficult weeks in late November/early December is when He was working His miracles on me. He was stretching me and used those difficult days to mold me into the image of Christ. I submitted to God's will even in the middle of my difficulties. And now I'm a better person because of it. My husband and kids notice the change and to me that is encouraging.

You must feed your mind as you would your body. To make your mind healthy you must feed it nourishing, wholesome thoughts. Faith thoughts.

Not only am I educating myself and learning how to better take care of myself emotionally and mentally but I am also gaining knowledge for future teachings to my own children and husband or whom ever God puts in my path that needs to hear an encouraging word or two.

Ash Wednesday

I grew up Catholic and I particularly remember going to church on Ash Wednesday. When I was young I would be embarrassed to have a big black cross on my forehead. My siblings would make fun of me. One time I rubbed off the ash as soon as the service was over and I remember my dad getting so mad at me for doing so.

Since I decided to become more devoted to God and to follow His word {about five years ago} I try to make religious celebrations an important part of our Christian walk. There's no point in looking back since nothing can be done but I can do something about it now.

We went to a Catholic church that we've been to once before and attended the last service on Ash Wednesday. This is a practice I want to instill in my children and I also would like for us to be more dedicated in taking part in Lent.

At home I explained to them the meaning of Lent and why it is important that we partake in it and to set aside time to reflect on Jesus Christ ... His suffering, His sacrifice, His life, death, burial, and resurrection.

As Riley's turn came up to get ash some of it went in his eye. That made us chuckle because of the way he said it. Good thing it didn't irritate his eye. He was fine.

Riley actually behaved himself pretty good. I gave him a notepad and pen so he could scribble. That kept him quiet for most of the service. He got a bit restless during the last five minutes. That was our queue to leave.

Both Sydna and I gave up pastries for the fasting period and although I told her that Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent, I still don't plan on having any pastries. Sydna well, that's a different story.
For Riley's fasting I'm cutting his tv watching time to half.

Of course, I will encourage my family to partake in Lent but I will not force them to do it. All I can do is educate them and make them see how important it is to be obedient.

Hope you all have a nice weekend. 

Simple Pleasures

We had lunch with Jacob on Wednesday.
I didn't tell Riley we were having lunch with daddy until about five minutes before picking him up. He was falling asleep in the car but once I told him he perked up and got very excited.

Jacob took an extended lunch which was nice because we didn't have to rush to eat. It's good to see him in the middle of the day. We miss him a lot!

Jacob got me these pretty flowers last Sunday. The lilies have opened and my living room smells so nice.

Every morning when I wake up I give thanks. Not that I didn't used to before but as I've grown in my faith I believe I'm more in tune with Him. I often used to wake up feeling tired and worn out and my days used to feel mundane half the time but now I wake up acknowledging the way I'm feeling and I'm thankful that I feel good. My days have felt light and happy even though I still have the same chores and my responsibilities are the same as they've always have been as a mother and wife. It's all in the way one thinks and knowing that God is forever present.
There are still days when I do wake up feeling tired because of having a restless night but then I pray and ask for strength and motivation and He so freely gives it. That's how I know that He's always with me and that He does listening.

I think that when we go through struggles and we come out stronger and we are nicer towards people -that says a lot about ones character.

Aside from what's truly important in life I am also so very grateful and thankful about being able to enjoy the simplest of pleasures from time to time. Being a stay at home mom is the one thing I'm most grateful for. Obtaining things that make my heart sing is another. Besides nature, another thing that makes me happy is going on drives, along the coast are my absolute favorite.

And just how laughing is good for the soul I also believe that treating ourselves to what makes us happy is just as important. After all ... us, hard working loving moms deserve it!