I used to go to church all the time and when I met my husband it was very very important to me to get married in the church.  I wanted my marriage and my kids to grow in the light of Jesus.  I love Jesus with all my heart and I am embarrassed to admit this, but after the kids came along we found that going to church was not as easy as it used to be.  I know I know life isn't easy but for me it was a struggle.  Our church was 45 minutes away and after sitting in the car for that long expecting them to sit an hour in church quietly was an impossible task.  There was a church closer to our house however I did not like it and decided I would rather not go to church then go to a church I didn't like or feel comfortable in.

The thing that was hardest for me was how different the churches here in Atlanta are compared to where I grew up in Ohio.  My church back home was small and intimate.  You knew everybody and everybody knew you.  There were no separate rooms for children or babies (a.k.a cry rooms).  You truly felt like a spiritual community.  I had no idea what to expect when I moved here and I was completely overwhelmed by the size of everything.  I did eventually find the church I loved but then we moved and that is when the church became a long way to go with small children (something I never thought about).   It just seemed silly to drive an hour just to sit in the hallways and miss the entire service because the baby was crying or pooped or whatever the reason was.  So we just stopped going.  I have never been one to believe you HAVE to go to church, but I do believe you need to have time for prayer and worship whether that is in a church or your home.  Unfortunately that became something we did less and less also over the years. 

I am not proud to say any of this but it is all the truth.  Over the years of not going to church I have found myself lost.  I am not the woman that I want to be or that He wants me to be.    My husband and I have found a church that we both seem to like and we have started going to mass again.  Andrew and Maiya didn't not like it the first week but this past Sunday they really had a good time.  Andy and I are feeling good about things and are excited to rekindle our faith and love for Jesus.  A faith that was never gone, just sadly buried.

Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
  
 

I am not sure how many of you know this but I started my own business called Pink Hippo Boutique.  I make party invitations and decorations and I am having a blast.  Well a few months ago a lady contacted me and asked me to make her some custom centerpieces for her daughter's Minnie Mouse birthday party.  I made her 6 large centerpieces and she placed them in a vase of flowers and they look gorgeous.  I just had to share on both my blogs. :) 


Thanks Sissi for letting me share your daughter's birthday photos!  :)

I am looking forward to the coming weeks.  Why you ask?  Well this weekend Andrew starts T-Ball and I am super excited about that.  He has been talking about it a lot for the last week so it makes me even more excited because he is too.  :)  Silly I know, but I really think he is going to be good at this and even if he isn't I know that he is going to have fun.  I need to get my butt in gear and get him some new tennis shoes and a glove and considering he needs that Saturday I will have to do it tomorrow.  :)

He will also be starting Pre-K!  He goes back the first of September and that he is NOT excited about.  He wants the same teacher he had last year and I told him that he couldn't have her because she taught the 3 year olds and he is a big boy and has to go to the next grade.  I have been trying to explain to him that his teacher this year might be nicer than his teacher last year...he is not convinced.  The good thing is I know he will like his teacher so I am not worried about it.  Once he meets her I know he will be excited too.

Andrew's behavior has also improved so I am feeling relieved.  I was really starting to doubt myself as a mother.  If I can't handle toddler/preschool years how in the world am I going to do teenage years?  Thankfully after much praying and talking it out I have been staying consistent with my punishments and I have noticed a huge improvement over the last week.  Hopefully I will continue to stay strong and consistent and Andrew will continue to improve and not feel the need to push back so hard with me.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Last weekend I was having a major meltdown and feeling very overwhelmed so my original plan was to go and rent a hotel room and take some time for myself.  I decided not to do that and instead I went and got my hair done.  Believe it or not that was enough to make me feel better.  It gave me a few hours out of the house and I got something done for myself.  A win win situation.  I felt like this week has been a lot easier.  My son is doing much better behavior wise (don't get me wrong we still have a long way to go, but we are headed in the right direction) and that alone has made this week much more enjoyable...for all of us.

This weekend I am very excited because we got a babysitter to watch our kids and our friends kids and we are going out to dinner for a couples night.  I have known this group of friends for 4 years and this is the first time we are able to go to dinner together without our kids.  It is so sad to say that but neither one of us have been able to find a babysitter.  I am so excited and I look forward to a nice dinner without cutting up someones food and being able to eat mine hot!  Oh the things that I get excited over now!

I am in desperate need of having my batteries recharged.  My son is going through a bit of a rough time these last few weeks and his behavior is making me lose my mind.  I have very little patience left and I have always prided myself on my patience...but not these days.  Maybe it is because we are reaching the end of the summer and he is incredibly bored and ready to go back to school and have that routine and structure that doesn't come with the summer life.  Or maybe it is his age and this is just how it is going to be for awhile (Oh Lord please help me get through this).  Either way I am in need of some ME time. 


I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something I could do to recharge my batteries and the only thing I can come up with is to rent a hotel room with a King Size bed, go to the book store load up on books (because I don't have time to read) and have a quiet 24 hours to read and relax.  I could order room service so that someone else brings me my meals and cleans up after me, watch TV or just read.  It sounds great...but I have a feeling I would be bored.  Maybe being bored is what I need.  I don't know.  I just know that my kids need me to be a good mom and with the last 2 weeks being what they were I do not think I am living up to that for them.


Does anyone have any suggestions?