My Beautiful Mess

Biggest Matilda Jane sale going on now. I haven’t seen one this big ever. My favorite company to buy Ella’s clothes is having a big sale. Ella is wearing the Yacht Club Wendy Dress. You can get it for 27.00 until Dec. 31st. I was able to get 2 dresses (spring and summer) under the platinum retiring collection for 26.00!!! I even snagged a wrap dress for me for 21.00.

Matilda Jane Platinum is 70% off

Good Hart Collection is 50% off

Heart Soul and Pride is 50 % off

Winter Collection is 50 % off

Paint by numbers 35 % off

Check it out here

Do. Re. Mi. Fa. So. La. Ti. Do

Is anyone else excited about December 5th? For those that don’t know-The Sound of Music is going to be Live on NBC! 

I was already excited about it but then tonight I watched the making of it…..NBC takes you behind the scenes where you get to see casting, auditions, rehearsals, stage designs, recordings, and much more. I already want the sound track and I cant wait to watch it live. Live! I can’t imagine pulling off a live broadway television performance-Live. I think that is what makes it even more exciting. Carrie Underwood is going to be a great Maria. I got chills tonight listening to her. The Von Trapp kids were so well casted. NBC will get lots of recognition for this one. I can’t wait to see all 3 hours! Excited that a new generation is going to get to fall in love with Sound of Music all over again.  Anyone else planning to watch?

Watch the Making of Sound of Music here.

Count it all Joy are the the words on repeat in my head as a pack for a trip to the mountains with family.

I love getting away. I love going somewhere different. I love the mountains. When you travel with kids (especially little ones) you have to remember that-

Schedules are going to be different.

You are going to have to show even more grace then you usually do.

They might eat differently and act differently. (Why does vacation do this?)

Sleep schedules are thrown out the door.

Even when you are surrounded by adults and lots of help-your kiddos still want you.

I haven’t been a mother that long but I have learned that. It is always a little easier though when you can tag team it with your spouse. Matthew is not going with us because of it being a spontaneous trip and he is working (that was the only negative, because I love spontaneous trips).

I received a lot of weird looks when I told people about our pre-thanksgiving trip. I forget that some people don’t love their husband’s family. I am not one of those people. I love them all. I also love that they wanted me there regardless of if Matthew could come or not.

So….the trip is going to be a blast. I am going to remind myself of those words. Count it all Joy.

Today I was told that tights were better then leggings. -Ella (age 4)

Today I heard Jad say a new word at Gymboree. Freeze. (18 months)

Today I was thankful for the encouragement and wisdom that comes from my husband. He sent me this today. He is really good at affirming me as a wife and mom.

Today I was reminded of a verse that Ella has been learning. There is no one who does good-not even one. Jesus Christ was the only person who walked this earth and lived a perfect life. We are all sinful people but we serve a God who is all about the comeback. Today I am praying for people in my life that have or are going to have comeback stories.

Today I smiled when I captured this pic.

Today I cried during Parenthood. I missed the last episode and had to catch up. Does anyone else not just tear up but have the kind of cry that you would need to cover up with makeup if you went out.

Happy Thursday! I hope your today is fabulous.

If you are a mom, you are looking at these pics and probably being reminded of your own kids. Our kids want to do things that we do. The above pictures are just a small glimpse of that. The pattern works like this. They see you do something and they immediately want to try it. Right? Cooking, gardening, sewing, crafting, doing laundry, cleaning the house, baking, etc. I do believe that children want to learn those things, but more importantly they just want to be with us. Their mom. They want to be a part of what we are doing. Haven’t we all been in the kitchen when those little hands start creeping toward the mixing bowl.

They ask that 3 worded question. “Can I help?”

You know at that moment, that one choice always calls for more work on your part. You will have to use way more energy then you want to use…. and the mess. Oh the mess.

You see them grab the spoon and begin to stir. The muffin mix splatters against the wall. Then when that is cleaned up, they start pouring the muffin mix in the muffin pan. The pan has splattered mix as well. You smile because you know that this is teaching them more then just-baking muffins.

Sometimes though we feel like we have the right motives by letting them take part in whatever we are doing but our actions and our heart show something totally different.

Our children can tell though if we are letting them join us but are hating every minute of it. Do you get so wrapped up in everything going wrong that you aren’t able to enjoy just being with them?

We make it more about us and how this is messing up our plans. We remind them that we didn’t have to let them do “this” with us. We even bring it up to them when we feel like they need to be reminded of ALL that we do for them.

I’m reminded though that Christ never made it about him.

He always wanted to give the Glory to his Father and make His life about pointing others to him.

If I want to model after Christ in my mothering then I have to remind myself that it is not what I did for them but the heart I did it in that matters the most. I know that I am showing Christ-like parenting when I can choose to to show who God is in my actions. When I choose that, I am mothering out of love that is like Christ.