Unexpected Renewal

"Women are like tea bags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water." -Eleanor Roosevelt

If you would have asked me a couple of months ago what I was thankful for the list would probably be pretty similar to what most people out there would say. I would say, my faith, my family and friends, and my health. I would talk about how blessed I am to have such an amazing group of people around me all of the time including our awesome church. I adore my husband and we have such an amazing supportive relationship as well. I would have talked about how my husband and kids are such a light in my life bringing laughter, hope, and crazy unconditional love.

All that remains true, but about a month ago I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. My initial reaction was "No. Too busy, sorry, don't have time right now. God don't you know that I have three little kids? Ok, so I have cancer, just cut it out of me and let me go on with my life. What I need a mastectomy? Oh, it is aggressive, so I need chemo?" Of course it was followed by me asking God to take this and help me through whatever I needed to get through. Having gone through other trials and seeing others go through far worse and difficult trials I decided that the only way to do this was by having a positive attitude and making the best of it.

By that I mean actually being thankful for this. I am thankful that I can research and learn whatever I need to know so easily. I am thankful that my health with actually improve through all this because of the crazy healthy concoctions I am putting into my body, and hopefully I can get that regular exercise part down!

Most importantly I am thankful for how this is bringing me closer to all of my amazing family members, friends, church,and strangers I never knew reaching out to me and my family. We have been invited to dinner, brought and sent amazing and inspirational care packages, and just enjoying one another and others.

I am thankful that this is building my faith muscles. I have never felt so loved by God, I can feel His supernatural warm embrace surrounding me every moment of every day. It is evident that He is working through the doctors and providing me with amazing people and care at every turn. I am thankful that through this trial I can learn and grow and in weakness and be a better person in every way when this is done!

Finally, I am thankful that my surgery is going to go well and I will heal amazingly and that I will not feel sick throughout my treatments! So, here's to health, happiness, and getting stronger in the nitty gritty! Happy Thanksgiving!

You can read more about Allison's Journey at Fueled By Love.

PIF: Day Eighteen

Pay It Forward: Day Eighteen

Keeping my mouth shut. Yes, this is my pay it forward for today. Keeping my mouth shut, reigning in my fingers and not posting the world's worst review of customer service at a company that I have used for the better part of a decade. A company that I have held in high regards for a looong time and recommended to many many people over the years. This is my pay it forward today. There is too much negativity, too much accentuating the negative and not touting the positive in the world. And, so..I shall stay mum.

My intentions were sound though as I tried to order a little "pick me up" for my sister-in-law who took on a very intense battle in her war against breast cancer. Today she valiantly went into surgery to eradicate this cancer from her body with a bilateral mastectomy. She is an insanely brave person and I am so proud of her positive approach. The world is so lucky to have such an warm, friendly, open, inclusive, loving woman in it. And, I am truly blessed to have her as my sister-in-law. Please go over to Fueled By Love and leave a comment of encouragement, hope, prayer, happy dance--whatever it is you do to lift the spirit of others. Even, if you don't know her, please take a moment to lift her soul.

In addition, some dear friends of ours lost their family dog tonight and we tried to send them something as well. Although we were unable to, we are sending their family comfort, love and peace tonight.

Take a moment tonight to tell someone that you love them. Make sure to count your blessings, embrace every moment and live life to the fullest.

Allison

Hi Everyone!  I'm Allison from House of Hepworths!

Alissa has asked me to share a story about being a mom...

Before I muse on about motherhood, let me introduce myself first.  I am the creative genius :D behind House of Hepworths.  I love crafting, especially if I can do it for super cheap!  I like to buy stuff at thrift stores and transform it into amazing creations.  Here are a few of the things I've made recently:

        

        

If you like what you see, come over to House of Hepworths and poke around a bit!  I don't bite.  Much.

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Now for the fun part!  My rendition of motherhood.

Apparently some find me funny, hilarious I dare say, which is why I was asked to write on Alissa's blog.  No pressure or anything!  While I do try to be funny on my blog, they are one-liners here and there mixed with mostly pictures.  Writing an entire paragraph about motherhood that is also entertaining... Well, not sure how well this will turn out.  Bear with me.  I am not a writer by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, I never even finished college, so I guess I'm not really an expert on anything at all, except I guess Motherhood.  (Full circle moment there.)

How has my perspective on Motherhood changed?  This question is laughable.  Simply laughable.  Just reading it sends me into a fit of giggles.  A long long time ago - like 9 years ago - I thought I knew how to be a mom.  The best saying I ever heard about motherhood is "The best mothers are the ones who don't have any children."  Oh how true that is!  I knew how to be a mom before I had kids.  And I was vocal about it.  I looked down on my friends with kids because I thought all of them were such crappy parents!  I mean, who lets their kids stay up past 7:00pm?  They must be the worst parents in the world!  Sugary treats before they are a year old?  Gasp.  What parent in their right mind would actually put on a Baby Einstein video for a baby?  A BABY!!  Why do babies even need to watch TV anyway?  What kind of mother would choose formula over breastfeeding?  They must be so selfish!  I can't believe any mother would let her kid out of the house in that outfit!  It doesn't even match!!  Does she realize her kid has food all over his face?  Why on earth does that kid not have any shoes on?  I mean, they are already 9 months old for crying out loud!  Just a diaper?  In public?  Are they CRAZY?!?!

Oh I just look back and laugh at myself.  And cringe.  I feel like I need to enter a 12-step program just so I can go around and apologize to all those poor mothers I judged for their crappy parenting.  It's just like they say about becoming your own mother... When I had kids I became the mother I judged and swore I'd never be.  (Not my mom, but all lazy careless moms who don't keep their kids clothes perfectly pressed).  Rarely do my kids get to bed on time.  These days, I'm happy if I can get my 5 year old out the door in a timely manner fully dressed.  I have to pick my battles.  And I've learned that the hard way.  I use to imagine that being a mom was fairytales and roses.  When I speak, the kids listen the first time and obey.  They always have clean clothes on and they love to eat vegetables.  They never talk back.  They walk gracefully on the balls of their feet.  I'm just happy if I can get my daughter to walk at all!  At almost six she still melts to butter at a moments notice and insists I carry her everywhere.  My 8 year old son would rather sort his pokemon cards than do anything I ask him to do, and he thinks that a burnt orange UT shirt and red basketball shorts actually match.  I'm lucky if I can get them both in the same place at the same time.  They are complete opposites, including the direction they like to run.  Most days I feel like I'm trying to wrangle two wild monkeys into a cage.  At the end of the day, I'm lucky if they match and don't have food on their shirt.  No, I take that back.  I'm lucky if they are injury free and didn't have to go to the ER!  I'm lucky if I can manage both into the shower a few times a week.  If they make it to school on time (and with clean teeth) I consider it a successful day!  Before I had kids I pictured my future life as something right out of Annie or a Shirley Temple movie.  These days I feel like I'm living in a three-ring circus. 

If you are kid-less, cut us moms some slack.  When you see a mom struggling two kids and a baby in a stroller, don't snicker.  Hold the door open for her.  When you see kids in mismatched clothes, don't laugh - be happy they are at least wearing any.  Before I had kids I had huge dreams and ambitions for each of them.  I still have high hopes, but the only reoccurring dream I have is that they and I all make it to their adulthood alive.  Lord help us all if they ever figure out that I have no clue what I'm doing and that they really run the show!  As long as they think I'm in control I'm doing okay, but the day they realize that I am just winging it and living on a prayer, I'm done for.  And for my son who's sharp as a tack, I think my days are numbered.

Allison

So...I think I can take care of a houseplant now...

Before kids I was the kind of person that would have a pile of laundry that my kids could get lost in, and I never could have a houseplant because they would always die. Not that I am terribly organized now, but...having kids has helped me to be more efficient. I know full well that if I don't keep on top of things it will get out of control fast! I would much rather spend time doing a million other things besides laundry and cleaning like everyone else especially things with my kids, so my goal is to do a little everyday so I can have time with my kids and all of those things that come up. I guess it seems so simple and obvious, but to me it is huge progress!

A more important change that is somewhat related to being efficient is that I am more nurturing. I have always been around kids, with literally 40 cousins, half of which are younger, I had tons of experience. I also decided to pursue a career as an elementary teacher which was great. I thought I was so in tune with kids and nurturing, but I was only half way there. As we parents all know, it is when you can rub the head of a child who is puking, sleep with small forceful feet kicking you all night, nod off with a sick or sleepless child all night, tolerate tantrums, in addition to all of the other not so appealing things we do, that we really know what it means to be nurturing. It is ironic that the more we sacrifice the more we gain because the energy and time we give to our kids now is coming back to us and will continue to in the form of sticky kisses, hugs, special drawings, kind words, and the list goes on and on!

I think about how being a mother has made me a better person everyday. As I was growing up babysitting or teaching, I thought that it would be so easy to be a mom, ha. It isn't easy, God has amazingly humbled me! I wouldn't trade the job or the trials and tears that have brought me to this point. Mother's Day to me is a celebration of that change and I think this Mother's Day I can go ahead and buy myself a house plant.