Having Children: Selfish or Selfless?

While doing research for an article I'm contemplating writing, I accidentally stumbled upon a blog written by and for child-free people. Not infertile people, mind you, but people that actively choose not to have kids. I did not spend too much time there,but left with my head spinning!

Much of what I read indicated that they believed all reasons for having children are purely selfish, and that women are constantly nagging and bothering men to have more babies to fill voids in themselves. They claim that MOST women would lie about using birth control or even cheat on their husbands in order to have more children. (yikes!)

In the thread that I happened upon, there was a lot of women bashing other women for wanting children - or wanting more children.

"It's so selfish! They don't even care if the men don't want more!"

"What if the man wanted more and the woman didn't? It would be considered outrageous for him to pressure her to have more so why isn't the reverse true?"

I am not sure how to feel about all of what I read.

I assume it is no surprise that I'm "one of those women" that would probably keep having kids until I physically couldn't. (having 3 csections already, my physical ability to have more kids is already in jeopardy - my husband is so happy about that!) However, does this make me a crazy, selfish person? According to this blog, YES!

I will say that I do think having kids is selfish. Sure, you typically give up a lot in order to have children, especially infants, but in the long run, I like having kids. I'm having them for how they make me feel, the experience in life I want, and to have the controlled chaos I need to thrive. I didn't have kids for what I wanted to give to them.. if I did, I'd have been happy to stop at one. I could give Madison 100% of me if she was the only child. Nope.. I like having babies, I like raising kids, I like the noise, the fun, and never being able to go through the "20 items or less" checkout line at Wal Mart. Print me out a "SELFISH" label and I'll stick it to my forehead.

My next question is, "So what?" So what if I want 10 kids? So what if I only want 3? Is one number more selfish than the next? Where does the REALLY selfish line become officially crossed?

Right now, with our 3, I feel like life is pretty darn easy most of the time. We're financially comfortable, emotionally secure, and our kids get a heck of a lot of face time with Mom and Dad. I can totally see things being very much the same if we added another kid to this bunch... so does that make me selfish? Does wanting more children when things are so good make you a crazy, selfish woman?

Or...

Does wanting more kids when things are already at peak insanity make you selfish? This was always my personal opinion.. having more kids when you cannot handle the ones you already have. (financially, emotionally, quality time, etc) Not that it's still anyone's business - unless it's a really abusive or neglectful situation of course.

The final question - "What's wrong with women?" Seriously... why does any woman care what another woman chooses to do? I have friends with no kids, with lots of kids, with adopted kids, with foster kids... lots of variety in my bunch and I LOVE IT. I have childless friends that are that way by choice - I let them do my partying for me. My friends with more kids than me - I call them for advice! Can't we all just get along? Do we really need blogs started just so we can bash women who want children? Do we need to bash those who remain childless by choice? Is there anything else on earth that brings up as much emotion as the topic of having kids?

Madison pictured with friend Gracie as they were waiting for their turn to practise during dance dress rehearsal - the one who started my addiction to having children.

Potty Time!

Despite my literal begging for my baby boy to slow down, take his time, and stay little forever, he's decided to plunge full steam ahead into his almost 2-ness. This morning he decided to rip off his diaper and declare "POTTY!" After thee successful trips to the bathroom (though one did involve him standing to pee in the trashcan beside the potty..) he was beyond proud of himself. With Mommy and big brother and sister cheering him on, and Daddy from the phone, what's not to be proud of?

He finally decided that he'd had enough and asked for a diaper, which I was happy to oblige. (Do you know how often a 23 month old pees in one hour?) Now I realize that he is "that" age. The age of the potty. Am I ready for this? A 2 yr old that decides he's ready to go potty can mean a lot of work for Mom and Dad! Not to mention the frustration that can come from a toddler refusing to wear a diaper or pullup when going out because he wants to wear his Blue's Clue's underwear. Hmm... what am I getting into here?

Soon I will be in search of some really good training paints. I'd like the plastic lined kind that are fairly absorbent cotton on the inside. Anyone have a brand that they like that can tell me where to get them? I don't like going straight to underwear... if you didn't know.. pee just goes right through those. I could use all the help I can get in avoiding further messes in my house thank-you-very-much.

Happy Belated Birthday Carter!

On may 1, my very first son had his 5th birthday. My how time flies. Unfortunately, we were grieving the loss of Grandma Moss on his day of celebration, so I am just now posting about my sweet boy!

This picture just cracks me up because it is so perfect to describe who Carter is becoming. My fellow animal rescuer, my smiling, happy-go-lucky kid, the one that's thrilled to be doing anything, whether it is work or play. He is destined to become much like his father - a peacemaker, a kind-hearted soul, outwardly passive but inwardly solid and strong.

Words cannot describe my love for my beautiful boy. I cannot believe 5 precious years have already gone by. I cannot believe my once baby boy is now reading, spelling, drawing, making up stories, solving conflicts, and becoming a great example for his baby brother.

Carter Man... Mommy loves you more than you will ever know. Happy birthday my love!

Spring Cleaning

It is soon to be summer, rather than spring, so I am a bit late out of the starting gate for Spring cleaning, but it's on my mind none-the-less.

Looking at the bedrooms in our home has been making me cringe. Even though they're fairly clean, picked-up, and organized, the amount of STUFF in each of them is getting a little over the top! Knowing that three birthdays in two months over the next few weeks is going to mean an accumulation of an abnormal amount of toys - it simply stresses me! (Carter's 5th birthday was May 1, a different post, a different day!)

So, what shall I do about this? A massive overhaul of each room is, unfortunately, necessary. My main problems:

1. What to do with old but good toys?
2. To keep or give away outgrown toddler clothes? (Clayton says no more kids but you never know!)
3. WHAT TO DO WITH ALL OF THE OLD BUT GOOD TOYS?!!

Most places do not want toys anymore... and I just cannot imagine throwing them away. What is a mom to do? I don't know a single soul that would welcome MORE toys into their already crowded toy bins. Any suggestions? What do you do when you're cleaning out your kids rooms and need to get rid of great toys that are just too young for them now? I'm contemplating just putting a table outside of my house, by the road, full of toys with a sign that reads "FREE TOYS!" I wonder if anyone would stop to grab a few things. I live out in the country so it isn't like our road is hopping with traffic... give me some ideas! I need an intervention!

Farewell Grandma

This is a post I was not prepared to create. Death is not something any of us wants to deal with, or even accept. I am no exception.

Juanita Moss, my husband's biological grandmother, and closer to mine than my own, passed away around 2am on 4-30-09. She was 84 years old. The news was surprisingly shocking. We knew her heath was rapidly declining, we knew the time was sooner rather than later, but I don't think any of us expected it to happen so soon.

Instead of focusing on her death, our overwhelming grief, and our loss, I want to focus on her life.

If you knew Grandma, then you know what an amazing woman this earth just lost. There has never been a more selfless woman than she was. She was a known worry wart, and her worry came from her fierce love. She never left anyone guessing her love for them. She showed it, gave it, and spoke it freely.

She was possibly the picture perfect Godly, submissive wife. Each day of their 63 year marriage, she woke up on a mission to make her amazing husband's life as beautiful, happy, and as easy as possible. She cared for him as she cared for everyone - COMPLETELY. She cared for others never expecting anything in return. NEVER. Her front door was always open to welcome anyone into her home, and her heart was always waiting to embrace you. Looking back, I wonder if she knew how much we all loved and appreciated her. I wonder if we made it clear enough how amazing she was. I wonder if she knew how much I looked to her for direction on how to be a good mother, a good wife, a good friend. I wonder if she knew that she made growing old not so scary to me.

Grandma never really seemed "old" to me. Sure, her physical abilities expressed her age, but mentally? Age never touched that part of her.. the REAL part of her! She was incredibly funny and witty. She could think of a comeback to all of her quick-witted husband's comments with record speed. I suppose she had many years to practice such a skill. She never seemed "behind" the times with her opinions and her life lessons. How did she keep up? How did she manage to talk to me, someone so much younger, in a way that made me feel like she was my best girl friend and not my grandmother?

She had some of the most hilarious sayings... I hope we never forget them. Just to name a few..

When the kids were being silly, she would say, "You're a Dutchman!" Apparently that's something that only northerners understand.. she was originally from Michigan.

When words escaped her over something someone had done or some random happening she would say, "Who can tell... Who can tell..." Clayton and I say this all of the time and laugh. It's so Grandma!

She was convinced that wearing a hat outside in the summer would prevent her granddaughter, Callie, from having asthma attacks. Worked every time! ;)

There are so many more - but I understand that if you didn't know her, they can't be read in the manner that she would have said them. You would have had to heard her own personal touch on them!

Oh, Grandma. I cannot believe you are really gone. After 84 years you had me convinced that you would, indeed, live forever. I am so incredibly grateful that my children had the honor and privilege of having you in their lives. I am so happy that Madison, and possibly Carter, will remember you forever. I am sad that Samuel will not remember your love for him, the joy he brought to you, or how he enjoyed your games of Peek-a-boo. But, I can promise that we will tell him. We will show him all of the pictures of you holding him, staring at him as if he was the most amazing thing this earth had ever seen.

You were quite possibly the most amazing thing this earth has ever seen. I can only imagine the works God has you doing now. Now that physical limitations are gone. Now that earthly limitations are gone. I am so joyful to know that you were an amazing CHRISTIAN woman. I know that though we all miss you now, we will spend ETERNITY with you in heaven. Thank you for giving us that security. For sharing your faith with us. For helping lead us to Christ.

We love you, we miss you, and we celebrate your life.

Visitation for Juanita's funeral will be tonight at the funeral home from 6pm-8pm. The funeral will be at First Presbyterian Church at 11am on Saturday.

The Shopping Bug

It is that time of year.. summer is quickly approaching, the humidity has set in, and a heat wave is sure to hit us any moment. This sudden change in weather creates a huge urge to go shopping! Thankfully, I have two major excuses to go soon - Madison and Carter have outgrown much of their warm weather clothes from last year and both need a new summer wardrobe. But, what about me?! Well, a lot of my stuff from last summer is a bit too large and I, too, am in need of a couple of new things. Don't get me wrong, if it comes down to it, I can wear my over sized clothes for a while longer. If I can avoid it, I definitely will!

To help with this huge shopping bug that's been nibbling at me, I'm trying my best to save a bit of each paycheck I get. I got three this week... so I'm saving a portion of that, and I'll have three or four next week, so I'll be hopeful that I can save a chunk of that, as well. Couple that with some great JC Penny's coupons I just got in the mail and I'm just giddy!

Back in the day, when the kids needed clothes like they do now, I'd have to just go put them on the credit card and take the next several months to pay it back down. That is NOT fun times... so I am so thankful that God is giving me so much opportunity to work right when I need to. Saving money for something like this is an art I'm learning. I am really excited each time I slip another bill or two into my stash... grow clothes money, grow!!

HAVING to go shopping.. now that's a great need!

Life Changing Back

To avoid turning his into a serious vent post, I will simply say that a mere 24hrs after the guy made us an offer on our house, he called to say that he decided to buy a different house, and they're moving tomorrow. I am beyond frustrated, confused, and emotionally DRAINED after the past two days. We're probably about to put the house up for sale and just see what happens... I don't know if I can handle ups and downs like that again, though. So, we're staying put for now... but God is definitely trying to move us in some way. Just not sure exactly what he's up to but I wish he'd reveal it more easily than this!

Life is About to Change

I can't recall if I spoke on my blog about the house selling craziness we had a month ago. A neighbor sold his house, approached us about buying ours, we scrambled to figure out what our house was worth, and he wanted to give us MUCH less and wouldn't budge. So, we said that was fine.. he said he'd look at other houses, we were happy to stay here b/c we LOVE our house. :)

Fast forward to this evening. Same man pulls unexpectedly into our driveway with his wife and granddaughter. I open the front door, thinking they were stopping by to say a "goodbye neighbor! See you around!" but was shocked when they asked if it would be okay for them to look at our house again. I stumbled over my dropped jaw and said, "OH... sure!"

Thankfully Clayton hadn't left for work yet and he was able to talk to the man. To my complete, total, and utter shock... he offered us the EXACT number we had told him we wanted originally. He wants to buy our house... he said he'd get the paperwork going MONDAY and they're sure this is what they want. Apparently their search for homes revealed that our house is pretty much the best thing out here - much ado to my husband's God-given carpentry talent and this gorgeous property that we are SO blessed to be sitting on.

So, I'm finding myself stuck somewhere between doing a happy dance and feeling totally sick to my stomach. Selling our home for that price means amazing things for us financially and it means we can move forward on finding a larger home with more land. On the flip side, it means leaving this place. This has been our home for the past 4 years. We actually closed on our house on my birthday! Best birthday present ever! That very afternoon Clayton came to this house, tore out all of the carpet and old flooring, started knocking down walls, and our dreams started taking form. New countertops, new walls, new flooring throughout, new bathtub, new EVERYTHING. Just the way we wanted it... it was so stressful and so fun! Now, I look around at what our labor produced and cannot help but feel sad at the thought of handing it over to someone else. Though I want to move... part of me just loves it here.

I am praying to God to just show us exactly what he wants us to do, and if he wants us to sell, EXACTLY where he wants us to go. Right now, we have no idea. There isn't a single house I've seen for sale that I want. Either it's enough land but not enough house, or enough house but not enough land. I know the perfect option is out there... and I know God will reveal it! Be praying for us! This is a huge change if we go through with it.

Summer's Start

Tonight we will be traveling to the place we've spent each spring and early part of summer over the past 3 years - the ball field! Madison's first softball game is this evening and I am so excited! This is her first year playing pitching machine, bumping up from T-Ball. It is so different and so much more enjoyable! It's a real game, with real outs, real scores, and it will be her first time experiencing true victories (we hope!) and defeats. I think it is really going to be a character building time for my little lass! I'm curious to see if she gets really into her team and feels bonded to the girls as an entire unit. I'm also wondering how she'll handle it when her team loses - and wins! I'm more worried about how I'll handle the few psycho parents that always make games miserable for both teams... you know the ones. You may even be one!

I was talking to Shelley at our last practice and, due to the screaming coming from behind us - a group of parents to one child on the field - I noticed that our team lacks those parents most of the time. I, for sure, am not that parent. You won't hear me screaming at Madison if she strikes out, if she doesn't catch a ball, or even if she makes a royal screw-up while out in the field. Isn't that why we have coaches? I just sit back quietly and let the coaches correct her mistakes. Thankfully, we have an AMAZING group of coaches. Never too hard on the girls, yet they know how to encourage them and push them to be better. To run faster, to hit better, to not fear catching those screamers. Those are things I don't feel it is my job to do while she's in their care. I can't help but notice how incredibly distracting it is for kids to have both coaches and parents telling them what to do and how to do it. So, I will just be there as a cheerleader! Madison will have her very own cheering section - as will all of the girls on our team! GO COLTS! I will also likely be that mom that cheers for the girls on the other team... I know that we're playing one of Madison's best friends tonight. I gotta scream for Gracen, too!

Navigating Delicious

I just joined Delicious and am totally lost. All of my writing buddies keep telling me I HAVE to get involved in these social networking sites to see what's hot right now online and also to promote my own stuff... so I'm trying it out!

I've made it as far as installing the stuff onto my computer and now I'm at the "You have no one in your network - Yet!" part. Umm... okay.. so now what? I'm used to Facebook, folks... all ya do is type in the name of your best friend and up pops their page. How do I get people into my network? It's amazing how much more I know about this kind of stuff today, as compared to last year, yet how far behind I can still feel! I'm trying to step up my game and get back into writing. The hardest part of writing is promoting your work and getting it out there for people to see. I'm making money daily off of the articles I've already written on a "page view revenue" setup.. but obviously the more page views the better! Also, I can promote some of my favorite writers' work as well!

So, if you're into social networking sites like Delicious, help me out! Give me the idiot-proof version, please!

The Truth About Motherhood?

I have several shows that I set to record on DVR in case I have time after the kids go to bed to run through them. One that I set is Oprah. Mainly, I just want to make sure to catch Dr. Oz episodes so I'll find out one more way to not clog my arteries and make myself wrinkled at 27. Other shows can catch my attention, too. One I found, that I watched last night, was all about the truths of motherhood.

The show basically featured moms all around the nation talking about the cold hard truths of what being a mother is really about. All of the frustrating moments, the overwhelment of having a newborn, the exhaustion of simply keeping kids alive each day, the brattiness of their children. Each story that was shared was one I could certainly relate to. Who hasn't experienced times like those, right? Though I could see some of myself in each woman that spoke, I couldn't help but have a knot in my stomach watching the show. Is motherhood REALLY that bad?

After the episode was over, I found myself nearly in tears from frustration. One hour of TV completely dedicated to the torture that children put we moms through. (and, of course, they had to include a bit of husband bashing in the mix. We all know that men of today are simply lazy, stupid, unhelpful dopes and we don't need them around anyway. *drip drip - sarcasm*) Am I the only mom that really, REALLY mostly enjoys her children? They are such a gift.. such an undeserved gift. Do I always like running around crazy taking care of 'this' and 'that' or being puked on, sleep deprived, or just emotionally drained taking care of three other humans? Well, of course not! That would be insane! Do I, on a daily basis, think great things about my kids and enjoy them? Absolutely!

I think one of the greatest, and most tragic gifts life ever gave me was my Aunt Linda. She was my second mother... and was very sick for almost all of her life. She had Juvenile Diabetes from the age of about 9 years old and suffered tremendously from it until she died at the age of just 39 years old, on June 18, 2001. One day after my Madison's first birthday. Though my aunt had many hard times in life, the hardest by far was the day she gave birth to a two month premature baby girl, named Amber Leigh, and had to watch her little angel die just a few days later. She would have made an amazing mother, but never got the chance to raise her daughter. I suppose God knew that Amber would have to watch her mother be very sick, and die at a young age, and spared her. Perhaps, even having just a few days with her own baby was a gift God gave my aunt.

Growing up with a someone in your life that has experienced such true loss really molds your attitudes on certain life experiences. My main "molded" experience: experiencing children.

My aunt mothered every one's children. She was a second mom to every child she came into contact with. Once, a similar show came on to the Oprah episode I spoke of, and she and I watched it together. I could tell it was upsetting to her and she simply said, "If they had any idea what a precious and priceless gift they're children were, they would just get over it and enjoy them.." I suppose that moment has been sealed in my head. When I feel completely overwhelmed with my kids, I think of how many women would give ANYTHING for just one more moment like that with their lost children. With the children they'll never have, or the children they'll never get back while they are here on earth. It doesn't mean times are never hard... as I type this I have a wiggling 20 month old on my lap and I'm running a fairly high fever. (those two certainly equal a good time, right? ugh...) Will I be so happy when his nap time comes so I can get a break? Oh yeah! Am I going to blame my hard day on him? No. He's a sweet, innocent, little man... even with his screaming fits and tantrums... that my pounding head is not in the mood for.

The point of this post is not to say that moms should NEVER be free to complain openly about how hard motherhood really is. It IS hard! It's the hardest job anyone could ever do! The point of this post is just to ask all moms out there to take a moment and look around. Is it really 'that' bad? Isn't it worth celebrating that God allowed us to not only be pregnant, give birth, and have our babies.. but he allowed us to KEEP them? He chooses EACH day who shall stay on this earth and who shall go to be with him, and each day he chooses to keep my babies here with me, I am so thankful. I am humbled. I am so undeserving of these trials of motherhood that God has so graciously given to me.

Maybe as we spend our typical moments venting to our good friends, that understand what we're going through, how hard our day with the kids was today... we couple that with at least one precious moment that we also shared with them. There are so many and they are worthy of praise!

We're Almost Done With Diapers

Yesterday Samuel ran to me, as he has been doing lately, and proclaimed, "I nee a di-pah!" Translation for those that do not speak toddler: I need a diaper! After taking his wet diaper off, he quickly jumped up and ran to the bathroom squealing, "Potty! Potty! Potty!" Ugh.. here we go. I sat him on the potty, waited for an eternity, and finally convinced him get a new diaper on since he was NOT going potty.

This is the age my big kids also took an interest in the potty. Who knows when he'll actually potty train, but I can't help but be a bit surprised at his sudden interest in doing what everyone else in the house does, with no coaxing from any of us.

Anywho... during the whole di-pah and Potty! Potty! Potty! incident, Clayton says,

"Wow.. we're almost done with diapers." I sat in silence... mainly because diapering a squirming 20 month old is similar to hog-tying a calf... but also because I had a twinge of pain. In my own head I silently repeated that phrase to myself... "we're almost done with diapers..."

What a strange thing for me to say! It is so odd how you can almost grieve the loss of this phase of life when it's over. It's like you're stuck between being excited about how much easier life is with bigger kids, and being so sad about the knowledge that you'll never have a wiggly, sweet smelling, diaper wearing, baby again.

I suppose Samuel's babyhood just flew by a whole lot too quickly for my liking. I have tried to savor each moment with him... but when I realized that my baby boy is turning two in just 3 months... I was just stunned! How did that happen?! Can someone show me where the rewind button is, please?

I am thankful that he at least has kept all of that beautiful curly hair...

New Puppies Needing Homes

Oh, the never-ending problem. Too many dogs, not enough people adopting. *sigh*

Clayton went to the pound this morning and, to my shock, came home with FOUR Beagle mix puppies. They were so disgusting! If you've never taken a puppy directly from the pound, then you can't imagine the stink that comes off of them. They are literally soaked in urine and feces... being so little they aren't with it enough to only use the bathroom in one corner of the kennel - so they pee and poop everywhere, then walk through it, lay in it, etc... 24/7. (well, until it's cleaned out!) Thankfully Clayton called to warn me to fill the tub and get ready for an afternoon of bath times!

I was stunned when he brought in the four nasty, but gorgeous, puppies. There are 3 males and one female - all totally sweet! They love to be held and cuddled and are quite calm! (shocking!) They are probably 3 months old or so. You'd have to see them in real life to grasp just how darn cute they are... really.. beautiful!

We are totally OVERRUN at the pound right now. We're having to euthanize dogs for the first time in quite a while simply due to overcrowding. These GREAT dogs are dying simply because no one wants them. It is depressing and I am desperate to get ANY of our homeless dogs homes. If you've thought at all about getting a dog, PLEASE let me know. PLEASE do not buy from a breeder... let me help you find the perfect dog for your family. You can save a life! As the awesome organization Dogs Deserve Better says, "Don't breed or buy while shelter dogs die!" I couldn't say it better myself!

Check out some of our available dogs at http://www.searkdogadoption.weebly.com/ - more will be added this week! Some on the site will be removed - I believe several were euthanized. I'll be visiting the pound tomorrow morning (Tuesday morning) around 10:30am if anyone wants to come and see the dogs we have for themselves!

Welcome to Our Home!

This is the welcome poor Clark, pictured between the two psycho boys, got when he arrived at our home for the first time last night. As soon as he told Michael, (pictured on the right) he was going to come by, the plot to make him scream like a girl was on! Clayton (pictured left) ran to get these lovely masks that he keeps just for such occasions. (masks that I have repeatedly tried to do away with)

The two boogilies hid outside in the dark for Clark to drive up, and as he was knocking on the front door, I heard all kinds of commotion outside! Our neighbors must think we're completely nuts over here! I opened the door to find Clark completely stunned. I wasn't sure if he was even scared... he says he was. He hid it well.

Clayton and Michael were super proud of themselves... if only I had a working video camera to capture all of their nonsense.

Let this serve as a warning for those that are planning a first time trip to our home. Come in the daytime...


What's amazing is that Michael and Clark both left for a mission trip to Poland today. Through playing football and being their typical amazing selves, I have no doubt they, along with Jeremy, are going to start a movement towards Christ! I am so proud to get to routinely hang out with such outstanding people!

Wildest Swimsuits for Summer

I was surfing the Fox News Website to see what important things are happening in the world today when I ran across this hilarious set of pictures. Of all of the suits pictures, I thought my figure would look best in this. The bat wing style cape would have to camouflage my thighs, right? I would never be able to get my hair to do that though...

Absent Blogger

I have not been keeping up my blog very well over the past few weeks. I suppose life has been just really busy and my passion for writing was temporarily squelched due to being consumed with other things. The warmth of the sun today has jump started my writing desire, so I thought I'd give a little insight into the current life O' Mandy.

THE KIDS

All three kids are just fantastic. I was telling Clayton last week that I just love the place we are in with each of them. Madison is doing just awesome at everything in school, is advancing beautifully in dance, and will go for her first softball practice tonight with her new team. She is a sweet and caring girl, full of emotions from time to time, and has learned the art of REALLY being funny.

Carter is a big goof. All of the teachers at his preschool simply say "He's so happy and sweet!" That pretty much sums him up. A big boy full of love and joy. He's pretty much happy to be wherever he is. He had his first T-Ball practice yesterday evening and it went great! He's a natural ball player, just like his daddy. He was one of the few that didn't break down into tears over something or another... that's just not his style.

Samuel.. what can I say about Sam?! He is my love. He has my heart and I cannot get enough of him. He talks up a storm now - putting together little sentences such as, "I try it," "That's mine," and "I wanna go." He's the happiest little toddler! He knows how to throw a good fit when the mood strikes him, but 90% of the time, if he's with Mommy or Daddy, he's just as happy as he can be.

THE WORK

I've done very little writing lately. I'm hoping to get back in the mood for it soon because I miss 'wanting' to do it. Something will strike my fancy sooner or later I'm sure.

Dog business is doing great! I'm getting emails and calls weekly now and my client list is steadily growing. I've yet to work with dogs that we don't see results after the first session. I just trained 4 Daschunds the other day for a retired couple. They were the cutest little dogs, but full of barks and excitement! After the first 3 minutes of me arriving, they were calm and quiet. It was a really easy case, actually, but the owners were amazed. (that always makes me happy!) They want to be added to my "dog walking" list, too.. which I think is exactly what their little doggies need to be well behaved. EXERCISE.

Now that it's starting to warm up, the dog walking is much more enjoyable. Today I took a client's dog on a really long walk, with Samuel on my back in the Ergo, and it was just fantastic! We were both happily exhausted when it was over.

Dog boarding is something that recently has started - not in my original plans but it's a profitable business plan, helpful to my clients, and fun! Why not? I'll be keeping a Jack Russel for one of my clients for a little bit of spring break. He's so much fun.. I can't wait to spend a few days with him. My kids are going to go nuts over him!

Being the Children's Coordinator for Journey is such a blast. It's kind of like the dog stuff.. I often find it shocking that I get paid for such things! I've taken the road less traveled and stopped using the pre-packaged curriculum that the church has been buying so that I can tailor each lesson for OUR kids and where I know they are each week. It's amazing how much I've learned from preparing lessons. Digging deeper into scripture in order to teach it to children really helps me get more out of it. It's my coolest job, by far.

ME

I'm just feeling fine.. really really fine. :) I'm struggling a bit here and there being content with where we are right now (house wise) but after the sermon Jeff taught on Sunday, I'm seeing things in a different light. I'm just thankful. We have so much... we are so blessed. How can I be anything but thankful? God knows my desires - and I'll have to be content with that knowledge.

So, how are YOU in blogland? Hope to be seeing more of you!

Life's About to Get Topsy-Turvy!

This week both of the kids' coaches called to arrange some sort of schedule. As of this week we have:

Wednesday (tonight) - meeting with Carter's team at 6pm. (so excited!!)
Thursday - dance
Friday - Softball pract. assuming it won't rain. If it does rain, we'll meet at the park to at least see each other. (again, so excited!)

So far I know that Madison will be practising on Tuesdays and Fridays. That's great with my schedule. Now we just have to see what Carter's team does. Praying for Mondays! I've still not figured out how exactly I will manage to be in two places at the same time should the teams play on the same days/same times. I'm sure other mommies out there have made it happen!

I Love Girl Time

Having a little girl has been a really neat and amazing experience throughout the past 7.5 years. From drama madness to complete sweetness... I am so thankful to have my daughter. Now that she's growing into quite the little lady, we've made it to a new, really fun, time. The conversations we have now are much more meaningful, and she can really crack me up! Her friends are starting to have much more of an impact on her daily life and I find myself thanking God for her smart pickings!

Sundays after church have become prime social time for Miss Madison. Each week, without failing, she is either invited to go to someone's house or inviting her friends over to play. It has been a blast! Hearing the giggling and "deep thoughts" of a bunch of little girls is just priceless. It takes me back to the days I used to spend with my best girl friends. From bike riding to swiming and even riding horses, weekends with my friends were the best!

Clayton and I said a long time ago that we would make sure that we keep our house "the fun house" so that our kids would hopefully want to have friends over here to play. Our goal is for them to see that they can have a blast, and be safe, here at home as opposed to always going out looking for something to get into. We'll see if it works throughout the years... but for now, we're off to a good start!

I Finally Did It

I'm the last person on the planet to join Facebook.. but I finally did today. What drove me to such change? I discovered about 18, no exaggeration, friend invites from Facebook today in my email. I have no idea what happened there, but it was the push I needed.

I was frustrated almost immediately trying to figure a few things out, but it turned out to be pretty simple. I think the problem with it is that I'm going to be insanely addicted to it. It's easier than blogging, it's faster than email... it's just cool!

In the process of looking for a profile picture I quickly realized I have about three pictures of myself from the past 3 years or so. Not much to choose from.

Wow... I finally did it. I joined. At this rate I'll end up breaking down and joining Twitter, too! What is the world coming to?!

When's it going to get better?

So, the economy is still stinking up America - when is it going to get better? America voted for "change," but the only changes I've seen are more foreclosures, more lay-offs, and more people trying to dump the stocks they have left - and those that used to buy them hiding in fear from the sight of them. It's scary times, people. Those of you that are watching your retirement savings dwindle down each month, I truly hurt for you. I am thankful that we are so young that hopefully we'll see a huge upswing and our retirement accounts will be fine by the time we need them.

I enjoy looking at different realty websites in our area to see what's on the market, and at what price. No, we're not looking to move anytime soon, but a girl can dream! I'm amazed at how desperate people are becoming to sell their homes. So many gorgeous homes are screaming in red letters "PRICE REDUCED FOR A FAST SELL!" I'm sad to see how many foreclosures there are right here in my little city. Part of me thinks it would be a perfect time for us to start house hunting (more land, more house - The American Dream!) but the realistic part of me knows that first we'd need to sell our house. What makes me think we'll have more luck than anyone else in this county?

The good news for us is that the crazy economy has, thankfully, not effected us. With me now working we're doing fine, and Clayton has fantastic job security so we are SO blessed not to have to pray that he's not the next to get axed by the boss.

I have been wondering how the economy has affected others. When the gas prices were sky high, we were hurting. Now that they're lower, we're feeling much more comfortable. Food prices have not exactly come down to match the lower gas prices, so we're working to make a smart list each week before we shop to combat that. How have you felt the weight of the current economic times? Has it really had much of an impact on you? What about those close to you? Have you changed spending habits at all in the past two years?