Being positive

I couldn't bring myself to blog last week.  My family got some news that hit me hard, took me down a few notches and left me feeling down, defeated & sad- that's the best I can describe it.  I'm not going to go into detail about this news because it isn't my story to tell and I'm not sure my family member wants their story told right now.  All very vague, I know, but please send healing and positive thoughts & prayers. 

In my down/defeated/sad state my friend Julie gave me a pep-talk/kick-in-the-ass that I really needed.  We were discussing 'self-talk', meaning the way you talk to or about yourself- that little voice in your head.  I tend to be a negative self-talker- "I can't do this, this isn't good enough, I'm not good at this" etc.  Julie said to me- "look at everything you HAVE done"  I replied with, "yes but, I wish I could do/have (__list of stuff__)." 

Then she said, "If you gave someone a gift and they didn't celebrate or say thank you- would you want to give them another gift?"  She was talking about a higher power/the universe/God (however you want to look at it) and everything I have been given and how my negative talk is holding me back and getting in the way of celebrating & being thankful for what I have already been given.  This was eye opening for me.

I have been given many gifts.  I have my health, I have two miracle babies, I have a loving & supportive husband, we have a roof over our head, food to eat and families who love us. 
And I am thankful.

So, I am working on changing my self-talk and being more positive- and it's hard.  This is 30+ years of habit that I need to change for myself and for my kids so they can learn to be positive little people. 

I am a good mom
I am a good wife
I am a good daughter
I am a good sister
I am smart
I am loving
I am loyal
I am determined

Easter Weekend 2014

 

I'm sure this will be one of a thousand Easter posts up today....


Saturday morning our little town had an Easter egg hunt.  The kids had fun hunting for eggs- after we tortured them by getting a picture with the Easter Bunny. 

Gavin was so tired because this is normally his nap time but he held out like a champ.  And Emily, sweet Emily, I am certain she prefers Easter over Christmas after seeing how excited she was this weekend. 

no more pictures, we want eggs.

Saturday afternoon we worked in our backyard.  This is a work in progress but we are chipping away at it a little at a time.  Our whole back yard- (a half acre) used to be filled with trees.  While trees are awesome and shady and pretty, they aren't ideal for a functional yard for kids.  We had a few of the trees removed last year and now we have an awesome open space with a swing set for the kids.  That was about the extent of what we accomplished last year.  Where the old pine trees were, grass won't grow- I think it has something to do with acidic soil?? (if you are a landscaper or know about grass- holler at me).  Anyway-  there are 6 blueberry bushes in the back of our yard that the previous owner planted and we love them, so this year we are going to plant a couple more blueberry bushes, some raspberry bushes and we (by we I mean my FIL) are building a raised bed for a garden!!  I'm super excited.

supervising

Sunday morning when the kids woke up we had them do a mini egg hunt in the front yard.  Emily was beyond thrilled and kept asking for more eggs.  Gavin didn't really catch on, he just wanted to shake the eggs.

Sunday evening we went across the street to Grandma & Grandpa's to hunt more eggs and have Easter dinner.  Once again, Emily went nuts for the egg hunt and after they had picked up all the eggs she had us re-hide them about 20 more times so she could pick them up over and over. 

I'm not sure when he turned 10.

pure joy

my loves

  
It was a perfect weekend- I hope yours was too!

Nearly burned my house down this morning...today can only get better from here right?!

I hate our stove. 

You know how there is/should be a safety measure on stoves where you have to push the knob down before you can turn them?  Well on our stove this safety measure is slim to none.  I think our cats could turn on the burners if they tried, in fact- I'm going to blame this morning's incident on our cats.  That should make me feel better.

I was in the kitchen making smoothies and out of nowhere I smelled something strange- a chemical kind of smell.  I turned around to see where it was coming from and I see Gavin's coat in flames on top of the stove and the flames were nearly up to the ceiling.  About 848 thoughts ran through my head in half a second- FIRE!, STAY CALM!, don't scare the kids, yell for Steve, get the fire extinguisher, I don't know how to use the fire extinguisher, get the coat into the sink.....and so on.

Thankfully the kids were happily playing in another room so they had no clue this was even happening. I'm still not sure how the knob got turned, I must've bumped it when I was getting my smoothie cup down from the cabinet. 

Holy shit.

And, this has happened before.  One of the kid's plastic plates caught on fire once.  I know, I know- learn your lesson and don't put shit on the stove.  Lesson has definitely been learned today.  But to defend our putting shit on the stove habit, our stove is a built-in so it's part of the counter- it's also a little peninsula in the main area of the kitchen- where we dump everything when we get home.

Things learned: don't put shit on the stove and learn how to use the fire extinguisher. Nothing like a little adrenaline to get your day off to a good start.


Now, on to the original post I was going to write today. 

doTERRA has a really great Mother's Day special going on right now!

You get 3- 5mL bottles of my favorite oils in a cute little wooden box for $35.00 (!!!)- this is a perfect gift for anyone in your life or a great way to test out some oils for yourself!!

Balance Grounding Blend:  this is hands down my favorite oil.  I put it on the soles of my feet every morning and night. I also use it on the kids and I believe it has cut down on their tantrums for sure. Balance blend brings a feeling of calmness, peace & relaxation.  It can also aid in balancing the various physiological systems of the body.  Common primary uses:  anxiety, back pain, confusion, depression, energy, fear, grief/sorrow, hyperactivity, balancing metabolism, mood swings, Parkinson's Disease & seizures. Love, love, love.

Serenity Calming Blend:  this is my 2nd favorite oil.  I put this one behind my ears and on my feet before bed.  And I like to diffuse it in the kids rooms.  Serenity contains oils that are often used to help calm and soothe feelings of stress, excitement, and anxiety in order to help the body maintain it's natural state of health.  Common primary uses: ADD/ADHD, addictions, anger, calming, hyperactivity, insomnia, itching, mental fatigue, mood swings, teeth grinding, & tension.

Whisper Blend for Women:  this oil is newer to me but I am really, really liking it.  The great thing about Whisper is that it works with each person's unique chemistry to create an appealing aroma, so it smells different on everyone and it will smell different on your skin than it does out of the bottle.  Common primary uses:  aphrodisiac, frigidity & hormonal balance.  Trouble in the bedroom?  This oil is for you!

There is a limited supply of this kit, so let me know if you want to order one!!

Siblings

I guess yesterday was National Sibling Day?  I didn't know until I looked at facebook and saw so many great pictures of brothers and sisters!

 So here's my shout out to my siblings- Kelsey, Niki & Randl.

I saw this quote somewhere and I don't know who wrote it, but the day I saw it I immediately texted it to my siblings- because it's so true.

"To the outside world we all grow old. 

But not to brothers and sisters. 

We know each other as we always were. 

We know each others' hearts. 

We share private family jokes. 

We remember family feuds and secrets, family grief's and joys. 

We live outside the touch of time."

 

 

 

 

 

The oldest of our group is Kelsey.  I like to call her Martha Stewart because she is so damn crafty. She can sew anything and cook anything.  She is an amazing mom to four beautiful girls.  She's a planner, she's responsible, and we can always count on her to host Thanksgiving dinner or any family gathering for that matter!

 

 

 

 

 

Then there's Niki (I call her Niki, her name is actually Nicole).  Niki is smart as hell and she can argue her point with the best of 'em.  She loves animals- like really, really loves animals.  She is loyal and will kick anyone's ass who messes with our family.  If I had to choose one word to describe Niki I think it would be feisty.

 

 

 

{I'm the third child, that's where all my issues come from- joke, but seriously.}

 

 

And Randl is the baby.  He's funny, outgoing and surprisingly frugal.  He's a genius with graphic art and storytelling.  He loves sports- playing them and watching them. And people naturally gravitate towards him - if you were to meet him, you'd see why. 

 

 

 

My siblings are the best people- they are my people.  We are all so different but we are also the same.  I have many, many great memories from growing up with them and I wouldn't change a thing.  We have been through a lot and have always stuck by each other's sides no matter what.  That's what having siblings is all about, you always have a friend.

 

A weekend trip to Iowa

First things first- make sure you have entered to win the LavHa Bracelet-

I will be picking a winner on Wednesday!!

Now on to our weekend! Our family celebrated my dad's 65th birthday this weekend in Iowa.  So we loaded the babies (and half our house) in the minivan and made the trip back home on Thursday. 

A few things you should know....in the past I have been a terrible traveler.  I'm scared of flying so we usually drive (this trip took us about 12 hours) and I don't like being away from home (I get anxiety), so every time I try to go somewhere I end up stressed to the max just thinking about the trip.  I was adamant that this trip was not going to be like every other trip.  So I started preparing in advance for the trip- making lists, getting things packed, loading up the ipads with Paw Patrol and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and just trying to be in a good/positive mental space.

The drive went really well but I started feeling anxious about 2 hours in at the first rest stop because I knew we had so much farther to go and I was worried about the kids being uncomfortable.  I had my oils with me and I started using citrus bliss & serenity (like an addict) the rest of the time we were in the car and my anxiety disappeared.  I put them on Emily & Gavin every couple of hours and they were happy as could be sitting in their seats watching their shows. They even fell asleep at the same time-  Success!

When we got to the hotel it was late- about 9:00 pm central time which is 10:00 our time.  The kids were cranky and tired so I started diffusing on guard (to kill any germs in the hotel room) and lavender (to calm everyone down) and got them settled for bed. 

Friday we spent time with my sister Kelsey and her daughter Elena who is a few months older than Emily.  The kids had a good time playing together and I got to catch up with my sister.  My dad and his wife stopped by and we all hung out for a few hours.

Emily, Elena & Grandpa

Grandma, Emily, Elena & Grandpa

While we were playing at Kelsey's, my awesome in-laws were driving to meet us so they could celebrate my dad's birthday with the family and help with the kids- they were seriously SO much help with the kids, I can't thank them enough!  They probably walked 2,439 laps around that hotel just to make E&G happy.

Friday night Steve and I went to see some old friends- I can't even tell you how happy I was to see them.  They are the kind of friends you can go months and months without seeing and when you do see them, you pick up right where you left off.  Love you guys.

Saturday morning Emily got to play in the hotel pool with daddy, while we tried to get Gavin to nap. She had a ton of fun climbing up and down the ladder, "swimming", "catching fish" and "feeding seagulls".  This girl has a serious imagination. 

climbing up and down the ladder was her favorite!

sleepy head Gavin

Later in the morning we went to my dad's birthday party and it was wonderful to see my family (bummed I didn't get pictures of everyone)!  The kids had fun playing outside and we watched old family videos from when we were all babies.  I now know that Gavin is a mini version of myself.

Aunt Niki & Booty

all the cousins- Emily had to be bribed with M&M's to even get this picture

Emily, Erin & Elena

Gavin was outnumbered by the girls

 

and this is what happens when we try to get a family picture

On Sunday my brother Randl and my sister in law Julie made breakfast for everyone before we had to get on the road and we said our goodbyes and off we went. 

It was a quick trip but totally worth it, happy birthday dad!