Rodeo Therapy, A Little Break From The Chaos

Things have been super stressful on this side of the Macbook Pro, with working, scheduling speaking sessions, brainstorming new website ideas, school for my kinder, I've seriously lost all sense of up and down.

Today though, with the Rodeo, we got to take a break on this Presidents Day and eat hotdogs, cotton candy, and ride poorly put together carnival rides. What does that equal? An amazing day of memories and smiles to last me through any rough patch.

Thanks girls!

Look Closely, She's Winking...

Go Runners

Sometimes Life Gives You Lemons, Or ... A New Baby

I've written many a blog post about raising children, dealing with change, or growing a marriage. I've also penned many a blog post about writing an ebook, blogging professionally, or starting a business. While this post isn't going to be pinterest friendly, likeable on Facebook, or re-tweeted by many, this blog post probably means the most to me as I start this New Year.

Last month, on December 31st, I went to the grocery store, picked out a bottle of my favorite white wine and a bottle of my favorite champagne. As I glanced through the aisles, I also picked up a pregnancy test. This wasn't odd because due to my irregular period (TMI, sorry, I don't know of another way to word it) even while I am on birth control, I take a pregnancy test every three to four months just in case.

When I got home I did my list of resolutions, which really only included one thing: Lost Weight and Tone Up! I had bought all of my vegan groceries and was excited to get started on my mission. I had my brand new wine glasses ready to toast in the new year with the kids, since my husband was still in the process of driving home for the past 6 hours from out of town. Right before I opened that wine bottle, I decided to take the test. Two minutes passed and I was ready to throw away the test after I have ready my usual negative sign, when I picked up the stick, and froze...

After what seemed like an hour of my stomach trying to make it's way out of my throat, I had the common sense to take another one just in case. These things are wrong sometimes, right?

But they can't be doubly wrong, right?

Needless to say I texted my husband right away, and spent my New Years Eve in shock staring at the blank TV screen. My husband made it home after 1pm from Dallas, and even he didn't know what to say as he kissed me Happy New Years. I mean, we know how babies are made, but when your whole world is about to be turned around again, you say dumb things like "How did this happen?"

So what's the big deal anyway? You have kids already, right? Your married, right? Support the family? The only thing scary is with 3 kids already, we have mastered them. Trained them. We moved into a larger house where every child has their own room. With one more baby, there goes the balance, and needless to say, a minivan is a must, diapers are back, and sleep has once more evaded me. But the biggest thing for me is, I had planned to lose weight this year, not gain it :) I had just convinced myself that not having another baby would be the right move for us. Literally, just convinced myself this.

So what helped us get over our mindless stupor? The 3 previous shockers in our life. After telling the kids we were going to have a new baby, the look on their faces where priceless. Not only where they ecstatic and excited, but to hear my 5 year old, Truly, tell me,

"You are going to have another baby because God thinks you are the best mommy in the world!"

Well, I was sold. If our children think we can handle it, then we will just have to prove them even better than that!

I am currently only 10 weeks pregnant and the baby is due in late August. I know there's the stigma of waiting until you are farther along in the pregnancy to tell anyone about it, but the support that I have found from everyone has been a huge blessing on me and my family, real emotional support that we really needed.

After our first sonogram and actually seeing the little bug, we can't wait for this baby to complete our family and bring us to a family of 6.

And yes, the bottle of wine is still calling to me....

Wine Glitter Glass Party #SATX

Today is the last day of the year, and thanks to fellow local blogger, Christina Coker, I have sparkling new wine glasses to ring in the new year!

The other day Christina threw a "Wine Glitter Glass Party" where we brought bottles of wine and chatted while we made our own DIY Glitter Glasses.

You can check out her Youtube Video Tutorial here:

We had tasty wraps from Fruit Frusion

And received awesome swag bags filled with samples from The Body Shop, Amazing Polish from LA Colors, and other goodies.

There was also some delicious cupcakes from Bird Bakery that my kids gulped down in a second.

I had such a blast with my local bloggers and left the party with some gorg glasses to bring in the New Year with my husband!

See Ya 2012, It's been fun!

Challenge: Parenting By Example

I've had plenty of posts here about different reviews and different goings ons, but looking back, I hardly have written anything personal or substantial. I have not written anything that proves I am a writer, and creative being. The reason for that, is I have had tendencies to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of deadlines, payments, and getting my blog to pay my bills, that I've put on the back burner any blog posts that I have felt had any deep meaning to me.

The holidays are coming to an end, and this morning I find myself in a place of quiet. I've turned on my computer and for some reason, came straight to my blog and just felt like.... writing. We've all had time to reflect on the year's past, spend time with our children, and be grateful for everything we have while looking forward to new things we will achieve in 2013.

As part of this process, I've reflected mainly on how I have been raising my daughters. I've blogged before about raising my daughters, and my husband and I are very proud of what we have accomplished with all of the children so far, but whenever I feel the need to improve myself, I always look at them first.

*Pic taken hiking with the girls*

I came across a lovely quote the other day before I went to the store, "To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself every once in a while." I thought it was funny, and long, and continued to get read and head to Target. Truly started running from aisle to aisle like any other 5 year old, when I asked her for the 28th time to walk by the cart. She was not paying attention to me, so I yelled at her and asked her,
"Why is it so hard to pay attention to me?!" She gave me the look of fear that only a kindergartner can have knowing Mom is losing patience and held on to the cart like an obedient child. This obedience is always short lived, but it is nice for the 5 minutes it lasts.

We continued to walk through the store when I got a call on my phone. I answered the phone and chatted with my sister as I maneuvered the cart through the tricky lanes of Target. Suddenly, as I was laughing with my sister about something she had said, CRACK I slammed right into a woman in a wheelchair.

"Why can't you just pay attention?!" The old woman scolded me. Turning red, I apologized immensely and she rolled away with her daughter staring at me.

I looked at Truly, and I could tell what was going to happen. In a second she starts bursting out laughing, grabbing her side, over reacting of course.

"Why is it so hard to pay attention mama?" She finally said, laughing some more. I gave her another look and she was back to being my obedient girl.

"Just kidding" she said, and put her arms around my waist as we walked to the counter.

We hear all the time about having to lead by example, children watch us more than they listen to us. Every part of that is true.

• How can we tell our children to go for their dreams, while we never finished that bachelor's degree? 
• How can they learn to respect others when we fight with the receptionist at the doctor's office? 
• How can they learn what love is, when you fight with your husband about something as simple as the dishes?

You need to be what you want your children to be. If you want your child to travel on a road of integrity, you must have been there to show them the way.

As a parent, I've learned things as an "on the go" basis, like every other parent in the world. It seems as though our children are teaching us what we should do.

Needless to say, the cell phone now stays in the car at the store.