A couple years ago, a few months after our first son Liam was born,  the hubby surprised me with a 4 day anniversary trip to Hawaii!  The only problem was that I was nursing still and didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Knowing that Liam would be in good hands, I left enough milk supply for him to make it through the next few days (my freezer looked a Costco Milk aisle).  But, this also meant that I would be bringing along my trusty breast pump so that I wouldn’t run dry…nothing says “sexy” better than a breast pump next to your bikini.

Since we had missed our first flight, we had a small layover….that did not bode well for my pumping schedule!

Knowing I wouldn’t make it through the flight and to our hotel, I grabbed my bag and headed for the nearest airport bathroom.   Walking into a nearly deserted ladies room, I frantically searched for a plug (as I forgot batteries and had to use the electric cord) that was near a stall, allowing me to hide.  No such luck.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Okay, fine.  My love for my son was greater than my pride.  Right?

By now the bathroom was completely empty, so I threw my bag onto the sink counter, plugged in and bared all, determined to keep my head high and the pump session quick.  I thought this couldn’t go any worse.  Wrong.  Right in the middle of pumping, a flight must have come in because about 30 women stormed the bathroom!  I tried to look nonchalant, and even attempted to read a book that was in my bag, but even above the roar of bathroom commotion, you could clearly hear the pulsating vacuum sound of my pump.

Oh, the horror.

I tried to become one with the paper towel dispenser and melt into the wall, but that didn’t keep the strange looks and a few sympathetic smiles from coming my way.  I made matters even more awkward by giving a woman who was blatantly staring at me a good ol’ fashion head nod. What?! Who does that?!

As quickly as I was able, I unplugged, dumped, dashed, and returned completely humbled and red in the face.

Oh, the things we mom’s go through for our children.  There have been other moments like this and I know that they are far from over, and I’m sure tomorrow will bring on a whole new adventure.  Good times.

Now that I have shared mine, you should share yours!

This mama just needs a break and to be completely honest, blogging has started feeling like a chore lately….and I hate that.  I really do love blogging, but when I get in these writing ruts, it’s time to step back, take a break and remember why I started blogging in the first place.

So here’s to a much needed break and a time to get inspired and back to blogging…..plus, when I get back, I will probably have some exciting news to share!

I found this lil’ DIY gem of course on Pinterest The great idea originally came from the blog Testy Yet Trying and she called it a Matching Pole!

Simply using any empty paper towel or toilet paper roll, dot stickers and markers, this game can help teach letters, numbers, and shapes (really anything you can fit on a dot sticker) while at the same time teaching matching skills and fine motor skills!  The idea is that the child matches the dot stickers from the page onto the corresponding dot sticker on the pole. I used Liam’s name letters, some shapes, numbers, directions and even a few facial expressions to mix it up!

Liam caught a glance of it while I was making it, and asked very excitedly what it was and if he could play with it! Score! I think it will be a big hit on the road and it only took me 5 minutes to make!

So of course I immediately typed in “decorating your mantel” into Pinterest and of course it gave me hundreds of ideas and inspirations! Most of which were for Christmas, but there were a lot of other wonderful ones to.  Then I stumbled across this awe inspiring post that was the know-all for decorating your mantel for any season!  Perfect!  It was exactly what my tired and idealess brain needed…..

So I set about collecting items from around my home that resembled those in the picture.  I actually matched it up pretty well and I finally got to use the beautiful painting I’ve had hiding in my room!  The only purchase I had to make was for the two blue candles to the left, as I was currently out.

Now that my mantel is finally decorated, I can go back to sleeping at night and the world may continue spinning….

“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” -Proverbs 31:26

“Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”  -Proverbs 22:6

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” -Luke 18:16

Ah, motherhood.  A journey deserving of a blog all it’s own, and one of my “job” descriptions that I will never perfect and will always be a student of.  Once again God scheduled His timing perfectly…this past week I focused on nurturing my boys and loving them.  It was to be all about them.  The perfect timing came as it was also the week Cohen had his one year check up which consisted of 5 shots and blood work and Liam had another abscess show up from a recent staff infection along with a bad reaction to his antibiotics.  My boys needed me, needed to be comforted and nothing else mattered.

I had planned for this week to be packed full of wonderful educational projects, Bible stories, character building activities and all around greatness (isn’t that how all my weeks have started out?!) But once again God had another plan.  Although we did do some fun things, most of our time was spent cuddling together watching movies and just comforting my hurting babies, and that was exactly what a nurturing motherhood looked like for this week.

I’ve started to realize that there is no real way to prepare for your time as a mother.  Sure you can Pin all the wonderful and educational activities and bake a fridge full of nutritional food all the while singing Bible songs, but sometimes you’re thrown a curve ball and your new plan as a mommy consists of popsicles and saltine crackers for every meal as you watch the movie Cars for the billionth time.  And that is ok.

So, once again my week didn’t go as I had planned, but God taught/reminded me some valuable things…

1) Teaching your children about the love and grace God has for them may be simply by saying “Look at the beautiful day God gave us so we can go to the park,”  and singing “Jesus Loves Me” and you scrub the layers of park sand out of every baby chub!

2) No matter how much “valuable” stuff is on your TODO list, when your child asks you to come play blocks, you go play blocks! There will come a day when they will no longer ask you to play and those moments of rocking chair cuddles will be a thing of the sweet past….so forget that mountain of laundry and cherish those moments!

3)Raising my boys to be strong men of character who love God, treat others with compassion and love and stand up for what they believe in is my first priority!  Everything else pales in comparison.  This also means I need to pray for patience and wisdom in my own life.  I also need to lead by example.

I’ve been reading the great and insightful book Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. It is a great book! I’ve basically highlighted the whole thing! Here are a couple of highlighted parts from this weeks reading….

What a week it has been.  God has shown me his sufficiency throughout the hardest parts of this week and I was reminded what was important in my role of motherhood.

Both my sweet boys are napping in their beds, and I think I will join them!

**Please forgive my horrible photos….I’ve been lazy and taking photos with my phone

It was supposed to be temporary till we found something more attractive.  Well, 5 years later, it’s still in my kitchen, and slightly beat-up.  We know that when we do move from this home, it probably won’t make the move with us.  So, I thought I would play around with a new crafty project and spice up one of it’s plain sides that faced into the kitchen.

I pulled out my Cricut Frames Cartridge and set to work cutting out different styles of frames onto contact paper.  Then I arranged the cut outs onto the cupboard side and then traced around them lightly with pencil. After tracing the frames and then peeling off the contact paper, I chose my paints and set to work

What I wish I had realized before starting this project, was that this the stupid fake wood siding repels paint like no one’s business!  So frustrating, but I kept on painting hoping that an added layer of paint would even things out.  Even though the cupboard was fighting against my best of intentions to make it pretty, I did find the painting part pretty relaxing!  In the two larger frames I did chalkboard paint so we could all leave love notes for each other.

I had finally finished my masterpiece and was pretty happy how it turned out.  I didn’t paint the smoothest or straightest lines, but it definitely added color and flair to a once bare wall.

Then as I was making lunch, I hear Liam call out, “No brother! You no touch Mommy’s wall!”  I turn around to find Cohen sweetly smiling as he scratches my painted frame off the wall, with not a lot of effort might I add.  Like I said before, this cupboard doesn’t like paint.

And I mean it truly does not like paint! I went to write on the chalk board areas and the paint wrote right off! COME ON!!! Lame.  Jerad pointed out that I could start over and rough up the wood first so maybe the paint would stick….No thank you! I will gladly re-try this project again, but definitely not on this ridiculous piece of furniture!

We dug out some roads for our Hotwheel’s and trucks and lined them with the rocks Liam had carefully selected from around the yard.  I even added a little moss for a mini garden, and Liam found a nice round rock that he said was a pond for my garden.  Sweet and creative boy.


Cohen got to taste dirt for the first time (all apart of childhood) and then I showed him how to bang rocks together….it’s the little things in life!


Ever since I was little, I have loved creating miniature worlds in my surroundings.  Whether it was houses for my barbies, or elaborate villages in the backyard made of rocks and twigs, I was always a happy girl creating small make believe worlds.  Pretty sure I was driving the boys crazy with my strong desire to pay attention to detail…Liam really didn’t care if the rocks lining the road matched or if there were tiny flowers scattered through the “garden.”    I think Mommy needs a Fairy Garden all her own!  Here are few I have seen online….makes me want to create miniature worlds everywhere!

Jasey’s Crazy Daisy

For the Love of Gardening

Go Explore Nature

And in case you’d like to make your own lil Fairy Garden, Here is a great tutorial!

Mom’s Crafty Space

I am really happy how they turned out, and even more excited that the wonderful women who ordered them loved them to!

The first was a Valentine’s card! “I Mustache you a question…” Love it.

The second was for a bride’s special day from the women in her family as part of a special tradition! Used an original vintage wedding dress pattern picture and antique buttons and lace.

“Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.”

And last but definitely not least, I made Cohen’s birthday invitations for his Vintage ABC Party!

Text or E-mail Some Sweet Nothings

“I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online. My breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words, “You’ve got Mail.” I hear nothing, not a sound on the streets of New York. Just the beat of my own heart… I have mail, from you.”
Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kennedy in “You’ve Got Mail”

Your Project
Send a flirty text or e-mail to your husband.

This was an easy one…not to say that any of them have been super difficult (unless I was irritated at him ) but Jerad and I are always sending lil’ love note conversations or funny pictures to each other during the day.  Lol, sometimes even while we are sitting next to each other on the couch.  We are definitely a technological family, so E-love is not an area that needs a lot of encouragement, but I still sent him some extra love today via text!

Today was my final day of the 5 Day Husband Blogger Challenge by Kathi Lipp and I have to say that I really enjoyed it! I think the hubby did to! Romance and a great marriage doesn’t just happen, you have to work at it, and it doesn’t have to be “work” either!  I’m going to really work on making sure the little things/ways I show Jerad I love him don’t go by the wayside! If you are married or even dating, I challenge you to do the same!