Worn Song and Thanks

It is so funny how a song can transport you back to a time in your life. Sometimes these songs take up back to a time in your life when you were happy. For example every time I hear God Bless the Broken Road I think of our wedding. Other songs may remind of us certain experiences. For example every time I hear It Won't Be Like This For Long I think of the day we drove A home from the hospital during the G20 summit in Pittsburgh. The town and the veteran's bridge were eerily quiet and I remember crying as I didn’t want that moment to end. Yet others may remind us of sad memories. For example every time I hear anything by the Dave Matthews band I think about how hurtful and vindictive I was in college. But today I want to talk about another song and provide some encouragement to my fellow moms out there.

You see here is the song:

 

Every time I hear this song it transports me to the winter of 2011 and 2012. We had just moved to Erie in October. I had no friends, no close family, a 2 year old, and premie twins who were supposed to be kept inside as it was RSV season. I remember feeling so hopeless. Every time I heard this song I felt it was speaking right to me. The line that says "Let me see redemption win. Let me see the struggle end" I kept thinking when the heck will this struggle end.

Christmas 2011

I remembering feeling so alone yet so blessed. I had three little girls to take care of. I had a husband who loved me and supported me every day. I always had people on me. I was always breastfeeding the twins or reading a books as A sat on my lap. I never really understood why I felt so alone.

I remember first picking up a book called "A Confident Heart". While reading this bible study I drew closer and closer to God. I realized I was alone because I wasn't drawing near to him. That he gave me this season of life to get closer to him.

Then I started to actually venture out of my house. I needed friends. I needed  a community. YOU CANNOT RAISE KIDS ALONE! I believe this in my heart of hearts. God made us moms for relationships and community. You cannot isolate yourself. You need some trusted friends in your life.

I thank people like Tina at Chik Fil A who helped A do crafts while I breast fed her sisters. I thank Mary Kay at the Children's Museum who would take one of the twins into her office to hold for a nap so I could spend some time with just A. I thank our Physical Therapist Kelly who came to my house every Friday and spoke life giving words into me. I thank Tammy at the zoo for always including the twins in A's class experience.

These ladies took time to invest in a mom they didn't know. They gave me hope that winter when I needed it most and when I felt hopeless. They showed God's love where I least expected it.

During the chorus of worn it says:

"I want to know a song can rise

From the ashes of a broken life

And all that's dead inside can be reborn

Yes all that's dead inside will be reborn

Though I'm worn

Yeah I'm worn"

And you know what by that summer I saw my life completely transformed. I saw that when I focused my eyes on God he gave me exactly what I needed him first and then a community of great women to help me in this crazy journey called motherhood. I felt like I was alive again all thanks to a few great encouragers. Thanks to those women who touched my life when I needed it most. I hope I can use their example to help others that need it today. Who needs some encouragement today? Who has a prayer request? Leave me a comment and know that I am here for you just like my friends were there for me. Have a blessed day.

Party Time Suggestions

So with both of our birthdays and the Super Bowl coming up I thought a post about parties was about due. Most of us tend to overindulge at parties. It is so easy to do as many party foods aren't the healthiest (pizza, dips, wings, cake, ice cream, the list goes on and on). It is also easy to say to ourselves it is only one day and it won't hurt anything. But we need a plan before we walk into any party. We also need to remember that we want to be smart about our choices.

My first tip for navigating a party is to pre-eat. By pre-eating you won't be hungry enough to  eat the not so good choices. You will be full and then you can make choices based on hunger level and not just emotional cues. You are also less likely to snack as you just aren't hungry.

My second tip is to offer to being something healthy. Offer the hostess to bring a vegetable or fruit tray. Offer to bring a clean dessert. By doing this you are ensuring that one thing on the table you'll be able to eat.

 

Next stay away from the food table. Try to enjoy conversations. Try to stay away from the food table by standing in the other room and enjoying people rather than food. Most people will stand near the food table and unconsciously eat and eat and eat. Just say no and walk away.

 

Know how many calories are in things. Know someone is serving Papa Johns Supreme Pizza for the main course. Go to their website and look up how many calories are in one slice. Look on apps like My Fitness Pal or Lose It to see how much that handle full of chips is going to cost you. I'm not saying you shouldn't eat anything but be smart about it. Don’t eat your entire days' worth of calories in that one sitting.

 

Do you really want cake? If the answer is yes maybe you skip everything else and reward yourself with a small piece of cake. Pick the one cheat you feel you cannot live without that day and don't cheat anywhere else. Eat healthy and then treat yourself with the one must have item.

 

Exercise. Make sure on days you overindulge you get a workout in. Don't skip the workout. You'll feel better for having worked out and you will also be working off the extra calories consumed.

Always remember that weight loss is 80 % nutrition and 20 % exercise. You can exercise for hours and hours on end but without fueling your body properly you'll never be able to lose the weight or get the Abs you want. Abs are truly made in the kitchen.

I hope these party tips help you. I'm hoping to get some healthy snack recipes up here tomorrow before the Super Bowl and the baby arrive. Hope everyone has a blessed day.

A Day I'll Never Forget

As I prepare to give birth to my last and fourth child I'm reminiscing on the birth of my first child. I'll never forget the day I found out I was pregnant. I bought the test took it and it came out positive. Daddy and I had purchased a trip to Disney for each other for our birthdays. We weren't supposed to do birthday gifts.

Every Friday night we went out for date night. Daddy chose Max and Erma's We got into the parking lot and I said would you mind opening this present for me. He was so mad at me that I got him a present. He didn't want to open it. Then finally after much coaxing he did. We were so excited.

Fast forward nine months and I was working. I remember saying to my boss that I couldn't do this anymore. That I would come into work in the morning and do what I needed to do then I do the rest of my work from home.

I was on my way home and my water broke. Off to the hospital we went. Daddy came home from work and took me to Magee.

They put me on Pitocin and labor started coming faster and faster. I remember asking for drugs at about 7 but there wasn't time as you were coming. At 8:04 you were born after very few pushes.

The thing I'll remember most is your Dad's reaction. For the first time in his life he was truly speechless. He stood there and just stared at you.

I'm excited to see your reaction when you meet baby D for the first time. I'm wondering if you will be speechless.