Random Facts about Me.

I love The Big Bang Theory. For the LONGEST time I would sit next to my husband pretending I hated it, while secretly laughing uncontrollably inside, then one day, the laugh came out. 

I'm a nerd. I love reading. 

I keep a random basket of socks that we dig through because mating socks is insane. We were wearing mismatched socks before it became "popular." 

When I moved out at 21 all I could cook was ramen noodles and mac-n-cheese! I'm really not sure how we survived. 

Before becoming a SAHM, I held 5 different postions at the SAME company. 

I have a freckle on the bottom/center of my right foot. 

I've encouraged my mom and aunt to both eat Wasabi, proclaiming "It's very good" (though they never saw me eat it ... dummies ;) ) and they took a little more than desired. It called for a good laugh.

I'm very shy which comes across as snobby, and I don't mean for it to. 

When I was a teenager, I broke my pinky in my sleep at summer camp. 

I met my love at the same camp. 

Media and Marriage

Today I'm linking up with Courtney at Women Living Well to discuss how media has affected my marriage. (I'm actually a day late, but it's better late than never right?!?) ;) 

First off, if you haven't read her book Women Living Well I ENCOURAGE you (for the second time) to pick it up at your local bookstore or get it on Amazon. I read the book in one weekend, and it's simple truth that sometimes we can neglect. You won't be sorry if you read it!

Earlier this month I blogged on how I deleted my Facebook. Why? Because it was affecting my marriage, my family, my being. I just had wool over my eyes and didn't want to admit it. I believe in marriages, that husbands are to be the leaders (both spiritual and physical) and we as wives are suppose to be his helper. So, if something is laid on my husband's heart, then I should be willing to follow his leading. Well, my husband deleted his Facebook in early November and he asked me to join him. I didn't. I was disrespecting his leadership and guidance. 

He knew it was affecting us. Over the past year I've spent waaaaay too many hours on there. I would look at other people's marriages and think "man, how did they get so perfect." I would look at the huge ring someones husband bought them "just because" and wonder "why can't my husband do that?" I was beginning to feel discontent. 

Then it hit me, the funny thing about Facebook, Instagram,  Pinterest, Twitter, and Blogs is that we can shield the public from the nastiness of our everyday lives. We can showcase a picture of us and our husbands all cuddled up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee all in love, but we don't have to showcase the argument we just had ten minutes ago. We can showcase the lavish things he buys us, but we don't have to show the fact that finances are at an all time low and he really didn't have the money to buy that thing. We can show him playing and goofing off with the kids, but we don't show that moments before he overreacted to a spilled cup of juice. 

Another  step we made this week is that we've turned off our cable TV. Why? Because it's ugly. It was a conviction we felt and answered it. If you watch the news in our area it's thirty minutes of defeat. Thirty minutes where people have let the devil take priority in their lives. It's heart-breaking and leaves you empty. Kids TV is even ridiculous. I blocked more shows on our networks that our children were not allowed to watch than ones they actually could. Why? Because of the fighting, the sassy-ness, the disrespect to each other and adults. Even "family-friendly" sometimes isn't so family orieneted or friendly for that matter. Last year alone there were multiple TV shows that praised divorce and adulteress men and women. Y'all that's as far from truth as we can get. Yet, we DIG into it. 

Media has had a negative role on our marriage, and we've begin to take the appropriate steps (for us) to fix it. I'm not saying that our marriage was falling apart or anywhere close, but we just want to invest that time that we were spending on various media outlets into each other, into our children, but most importantly into our time with God.

"In the world of reality television and reality blogging, we can miss the reality of God's truth. The reality is we are sinners who married sinners, and that really makes marriage hard. In the world of images, the image of biblical marriage has been severely distorted. Together, let's make Scripture a springboard for our actions and reactions in marriages." - Courtney Joseph, Women Living Well. 

Snow day.

Yesterday it snowed in Mississippi and all the boys and girls, men and women, FREAKED out! It only happens every two to three years if we they are lucky. (I haaaate cold.) So the kiddos were out of school yesterday and again today and I watched from inside as they had fun with the cold, white stuff they call snow. 

(Our house. Yes, that's my Christmas wreath STILL up, don't judge!)

(The dog, Latte', experiencing the snow for the first time)

(Kids trying to throw snowballs, but it was too dry)

(The husband cheated and got a bucket from the back to put snow in)

(K: What's the big deal, I got your face!!)

(And he thought it was funny to throw snow at the door, too bad it was shut, hahaha)

(And look at this cuteness!!!)

Friday Five.

These are a few of my favorite things! (this week)

1. International Delight's ColdStone Creamery - Sweet cream coffee creamer. A little sweetness never hurt anything. Yuuuum. 

2. I love all things morning TV. It starts at 7AM and ends at 11AM. I'm all over Good Morning America, Rachel Ray, and Kathie Lee and Hoda. There is nothing better than a good cup of coffee and these people that invade my home every morning. They are like family, y'all. 

3. I've loved Parenthood from season one, but this season has drawn me in even more. It's been so emotional. I also hate it because every Thursday night it leaves me wanting.so.much.more! 

4. I started an on-line Bible study with Good Morning Girls this week and it has been off to a great start! The study is called "Intentionally Focused" and it's making the most of each day and area of our lives and being intentional with it. Not just "going through the motions." So, if your looking for a group of on-line women to get engaged with and share life with consider joining Good Morning Girls. It's officially too late to sign up for the study, but if you subscribe to their blog you can get the resources and do it on your own. You will not be sorry if you do!

5. Finally, I'm thankful for my kids teachers. Monday my kids were out of school, and by lunch time I was ready to lock them in the backyard, but it was too cold. (I love my kids, I really do). But those teachers put up with my child and 22 others every.single.day. God Bless Them! 

Thankful Thursday.

Today, I am thankful for coffee. I'm not in the best of moods before I've had my first cup of joe. I have my coffee pot set to go off ten minutes before I get up so I can run there as soon as my feet hit the floor. I then make my cup and get the kids up. There is something about the warm fuzzy feeling it gives you (especially when you've had below average temperatures, that I despise). 

Intentionally Focused - Imitators of God.

Today I join thousands of others in an online Bible Study hosted by Good Morning Girls called Intentionally Focused. It's goal is to be intentional in every.single.part of our lives while drawing us closer to Christ. Over the next eight weeks we will be focusing on eight parts of our lives: 

1. Being Intentionally Focused
2. Your Spiritual Life
3. Your Mind
4. Marriage
5. Friendships
6. Children
7. Ministry
8. Health

I cannot explain how excited I am to start this process. I often have good intentions that seem to go bad, especially when it comes to my quiet time each day. Too often I find myself putting it on the back burner to tend to the house, the husband, the kids, or watch TV. It's too often a sad reality, and I want to change that. As long as I have accountability I'm all geared up and ready, but once the accountability is gone, so is my routine. (sigh) So, my ULTIMATE goal the next eight weeks is to go BEYOND the eight week mark and make my quiet time my first priority. 

Intentionally Focused

6:00-6:30 AM @ my kitchen table

Today's focus is on Ephesians 5:1 "Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children."

 I remember when I was younger I took a picture of MaryKate Olsen to the hair salon and I wanted my hair to be cut just like hers! (I wanted to be JUST.LIKE.HER) It was shoulder length and it had a lot of layers and volume. I was so excited, I had been waiting for weeks to finally get it done. The day came, and I went to the salon. As the lady was cutting my hair I noticed it getting shorter, and shorter, and shorter. I didn't say anything because she was the stylist right, and she was suppose to know what she was doing, right. Well, my thirteen year old heart got broke that day. I left the salon in tears and didn't want to go in public because what was suppose to be MaryKate's haircut on me turned out to be a nightmare. It was HORRIBLE. I STILL cringe thinking about it. Y'all I was a thirteen year old with a new MULLET ... ahhhhh!!! 

God calls us to imitate HIM, but often we imitate the world. The world tells us skinny is in and if we are 5lbs overweight it's a big deal. The world tells us that sex sells. The world tells us we have to have the biggest house and the fanciest cars. We are fixated on being imitators of 'The Jones'." 

I think imitating God means loving every.single.person with selfless love. It means we put aside our own needs to meet the needs of others. I think imitating God means the things of this world that are not Godly, break our hearts. I think imitating God means we are more concerned with the heart of people, rather than the appearance of people. It means denying ourselves, carrying our cross, and following Christ in everything that we say and do. 

Are you imitating God or the world? 

Soccer Mom.

The time is here for registration for Spring Soccer. Saturday is actually the last day to sign-up. Our sweet son LOVES to play soccer, and he has been bugging me since Fall season ended if it was time for registration for the Spring. I kept telling him, "Soon." but never actually looked up the date! Well, I looked last night and aaahhh it's a good thing I did or I would have had one disappointed little boy and that's not good. 

I adore watching my child play soccer. Though he is only six I'm the mom that comes out of her seat when he is kicking the ball to the other teams goal, instead of his own and everyone is like "look at the crazy mom." I'm the mom that yells when they forget they are playing soccer and decide it's a game of chase, again I'm the crazy mom. 

However, I really dislike Spring seasons. (shh, don't tell him that) It gets dark before practice is even over, and game days are either freezing or raining. You have to take bed linens to stay warm and the water bottles are too cold to the kids hands to drink during breaks, but if you give them hot cocoa they will surely barf in the field. It's nonsense I tell you. 

But for this kid, I'll do anything!