payday

what happened to this world...

yesterday was our payday...which in our home = allowance day for our kids...

I was thinking this morning as I packed the kids' lunch...

I remember there used to be a time...

...blog note...not in my time...

but at one time...in the not-so-long-ago history of this nation...

that parents didn't pay their kids for being kids...

rather, the kids paid their parents...

kids went out and got jobs and a portion, if not all, of their paycheck went into the family bank to just help the family meet their needs...

then the government went and got involved 

....and made laws against frowned upon kids with jobs...

I'm thinking of starting up a petition 

....maybe not kids working 

{child labor laws might be hard to reverse}

but for the kids to pay the parents rather than the parents paying the kids....

[editor's note: I can be paid in Jelly Beans.  Beau]

who's with me on this...

just sign your name below!

walking for life

a week ago my daughter and I walked for life.

a lady at church had asked me over a month ago if I'd be interested in sponsoring and/or walking for the local CareNet Pregnancy Center's Walk For Life...
I instantly said yes and that Madison would do it with me.

my girl loves babies...
she is my baby whisper'er...

I knew that she'd want to support this...
I also knew that she had no idea what the Pro-Life movement was...
the thought of a baby being un-wanted is so unfathomable in her heart!

I asked her if she wanted to walk to support babies...and without even thinking about it she said, "Yes!"
we talked about how much money we wanted to raise, we decided to try for $150 each or $300 total...

then we went along our lives not really getting ready for the walk, it's just a walk...no biggie...
I asked around, posted on facebook like a crazy person, and made a few calls and ended up with our goal of $300...

then the day before the walk...last Friday...
life took a twist...
the concept of babies that die too early hit hard, a huge punch in the stomach.

our friends lost their sweet 4 1/2 month old baby boy to SIDS.

when I went to bed Friday night I wasn't sure if I would get up and do the walk...
Then when I woke up on Saturday,
after what I can only describe as the crappiest night's sleep E.V.E.R!
I knew I had to do the walk.
I needed to walk for all babies!
wanted or unwanted...
I needed to walk for LIFE!

on the drive to the walk Madison and I talked about lots of stuff.
I knew this was a pro-life event...
but I wasn't sure if there would be anti-abortion things
(although it seems like they may be the same thing, and yes their end goal is the same, saving babies, pro-life 'propaganda' is easier to have your child see than anti-abortion 'propaganda")
so not knowing what we may see or hear at the walk I had a tough talk with my baby-lovin' girl child.

me-Madison, do you know what we're walking for today?
Madison-for babies
me-yes, for babies. but for babies that people don't want.  have you ever heard of an abortion?
Madison-no
me-did you know that sometimes women get pregnant and they didn't want to?
Madison-no
Me-They are too young to be a mom, or they don't like the dad they choose for the baby, or they're just scared?  
Madison-okay
me-so there is an operation called an abortion that takes the baby out of the woman.
Madison-and then where does it grow?
me-honey, when they take the baby out it's too young to live outside of the mommy and it dies.
Madison-how, why, what?  so the baby dies?
me-yes, they are usually scared young women that feel like they have no other option and can't imagine any other thing to do.
Madison-so they just end the life of the baby?  they let it die?
me-yes
Madison-do they know it's alive?
me-well, so people don't think the baby is alive until it's born? 
Madison-but the baby has a heartbeat! {she still remembers hearing Wilson's heartbeat when I was pregnant!}and it's always moving!
me-and that is something that we are walking for, the Walk For Life helps teach those scared women that their babies are alive and then they help them either find someone to adopt their baby or help them get what they need to keep their baby.
Madison-don't they know that there are mommies like Karen that would give anything to have their baby alive? {Karen is Erik's mommy}

 wow...my baby girl gets it...
me-Madison, that's why we're walking today.  We want women to know that they are loved and their babies are loved and that people want to help them.  We want them to know that every life matters!

...
right before the walk someone said a prayer, during the prayer people were handing out balloons.
Pink & Blue balloons.
When the prayer was over I noticed that both Madison and I had blue balloons...
my girl child is just that 100% pink sparkly girl!  pink is her color!
I also notice that a boy a few feet away has a pink balloon.
my daughter loves pink, this boy probably doesn't...

me-Madison, I bet you could trade that boy your blue balloon for his pink one.
Madison-mom, I want this blue balloon.  I want it for Erik.  I love baby boys just as much as I love baby girls!  I want us to let our balloons go at the end for baby Erik!

wow...my baby girl really, really gets it.
to me, it was just the color of a balloon...for Madison she knew that we were walking for all life...baby girls and baby boys.  babies yet to be born and babies already born, but left too soon!

celebrate life

so...I've debated over writing this blog...
this is actually the third time I've sat down to write it.

I blog about things that happen in my life...
I blog about things that I do,
things that my kids do...
recipes, crafts & gardening,
God moments
parenting & marriage things
exercise stuff...
you get it...
this isn't a recipe blog,
or a craft blog
or a family blog
this is MY blog and I write about things that are effecting or have effected my life...
the good the bad and the UGLY...

Something happened in my life last week that will change me forever...
but I was feeling like it wasn't 'my event' to blog about...
but because I know the family and I know they need support,
they crave your prayers
and they want more than anything memories...
I've decided to write this post for them
this is for Erik,
this is for his mommy, his daddy, and his big brother!

Last Friday I sat at this computer...living my life....
this Friday... this moment... feels very similar to last week.
I was sitting at this computer typing up a blog...
a simple, silly blog with recipe links for my weeks menu...
at the same time Beau was sitting at the piano
he was trying to figure out a song...
a song by Survivor...
"The Search is Over"
....it's a great 80's love ballad...but today I'm hearing it different...

This morning as I sit and listen to him play the very same song that he was playing last week I couldn't help but realize how very different this Friday is from last Friday...

last Friday a friend of mine was also just living...
her Friday was going to be a little different...
she was going to have a shorter day at work, she was going to pick her baby up early that day
her weekend was going to start earlier than normal...
little did that mother of a sweet baby boy realize that her life was going to be forever changed after that Friday.
she kissed her son good bye...
not knowing that she would be kissing him for the last time.

Life can change direction in an instant!
We go along living our lives,
making menu's
playing piano's
going to school
going to work
kissing babies...
laying babies down for naps...
....
and then a sweet baby boy never wakes up from his nap and our lives are forever changed!
Beau and I 'walked' through a tragedy with some friends last Friday that we never wanted to walk thru.
I'm glad we were there for them, I'm glad God has placed us together in this ministry so together we can walk thru all manner of things together...
I also hate that we were there.
I hate that I know them.
I hate that I watched a friend, a mother, a wife process thru the worst day of her life!
I hate that I watched her husband process thru the pain of his baby boy never growing up.


Last Friday a sweet 4 1/2 month old baby boy passed away of SIDS.

I have no idea the pain that this family is going through.
Today...this Friday is so different than last Friday...
just a week ago I sat here making a menu...
today I'm getting ready to make a pot-luck dish to take a Celebration of Life.
A life that was way too short!

I ask that today you pray for our friends.  Lift them up every time you think about it.
They need to feel God's love surrounding them.  They need His comfort and His peace.


I may have questions...
you may have questions...
I don't have any answers but...

one thing I know if my heart of hearts...
This was NOT God's plan!
God created LIFE.
God's plan is to give us Life everlasting!
God never once planned for babies to die!
God created a perfect world.
Because of man we now live in a fallen, broken world and horrible things happen in this fallen broken world.
Death is one of those things.
God didn't plan for pain, God doesn't want His people to hurt.
Yes, God will take this horrible thing and use it in the life of Erik's family.  He will take their pain and help them grow, but he didn't make Erik die so that they could grow closer to him.  He didn't make Erik die so they could learn something...  That is sick!
Our God is a loving, kind, and gentle father.
He knows what it's like to have a son die!  He would never 'do' that to someone.
He will walk with Erik's parents during this time, He will comfort them, He will guide them...
He will help them...
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I don't have any answers but I do know that God's plans are not to harm....I also know that He is the only one that can heal a parent's heart after something like this.
Pray for the Erik's family today.
Pray for his mom, dad and older brother.
Every time you see a little baby boy filled with life, send a prayer for the Bird family.
Every time you see a child with sparkling blue eyes, send a prayer up for the Bird family.
Every time you see a blond haired boy living life, say a prayer for Erik's family.

And because I want to help Celebrate Erik's life...I end with a memory.
I had the privileged of taking Erik to his first movie!
We saw "The Pirates!  Band of Misfits" for those that were wondering.
Yes, I took a baby to a movie...
During the summer, Monday's were our 'movie' days.
I happened to watch Erik and his older brother on one such Monday, and rather than change our plans we decided to take Erik to his first movie.
So, while the older kids sat up front eating spilling candy I stood in the back of the theater and rocked Erik, who slept thru his first movie.
Madison, my baby whisper'er, just loved that day, she was able to hold Erik and  play with him!
He was filled lots of cuddles & sweet, sweet smiles from one of the happiest babies ever!

Erik, you are loved, and you are missed.
And today I will hug your mommy for you!

where were you?

If you were born in the 70's or 80's you might have grown up listening to parents and grandparents remembering where they were during crucial historical moments in America's history...

I remember an older lady in our church telling me where she was when she heard about Pearl Harbor.

I remember both of my parents telling me where they were when they heard about JFK being assassinated.

I'm a history nerd (history major here), I soaked these stories up.  I love social history (social studies was my other major)...I want to know the personal stories, not just the big dates....

I also remember thinking, I'm glad that nothing bad will happen to America again.  I'm glad I won't have a "I remember where I was when ______ happened" moment in my life.

Then one quiet morning 11 years ago I joined the world in getting our 'I remember moment'...

Where were you?

I was sitting on my couch nursing my nine month old baby girl watching the morning news.  This was our schedule...wake up at 6, she would nurse for an hour while I caught up on local/national news.

I in no way can even grasp the terror of those living in New York, Washington DC, anywhere on the East Coast, anyone that was on a plane or in an airport that day....

But because I was watching the news...I saw it all...
I was watching from the moment the first plane hit.  When they thought it was still a freak accident.  I SAW the second plane, I watched it fly into the second tower.  I screamed and woke up Beau, made him try to understand what was going on.
I sat on the couch holding my sweet baby girl and so frighten for the world that I had brought her into.
I watched the towers fall...
I watched the plane in DC...
I watched as flight 93 crashed into a quiet field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure when I got off the couch that day, I know Beau went to work.  I babysat my friends baby everyday back then...and I can't for the life of me remember if she brought her to me that day to watch or not.  I just remember the tv being on all day long...I remember holding my baby and praying, and praying, and praying.  I prayed for her world.  Her life.  Her America.

And I have a story I never wanted, I have a "I remember where I was" moment....

And I'm asking you to share yours.

These stories are part of history, they are the untold stories of history.  The history that never gets written.  We will tell our children and maybe even grandchildren, but they will be forgotten.  I know that 9/11 will never be forgot, just like we have never forgot Pearl Harbor or the death of JFK, but the sting of those tragedies lessens when we loose those personal stories.
Lets not loose our, "I remember where I was when I heard/saw the news on 9/11."

It's weird to think...that it was a just a day before that day.  Had you said 9/11 on 9/10/01, everyone would have no idea what you were talking about.
It wasn't one place like Pearl Harbor...
It wasn't one man like JFK.
It was our entire country that was attacked that day...
and we can't remember it by just saying one place...the entire day has been forever changed!

Share your story...where were you?

menu...finally

in no particular order...here is the menu for the next two weeks...give or take a few days

here you go...a pintrest inspired menu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

coconut chicken

Brown Butter chicken and crispy sage

PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Black Bean Taquitos

 Slow Cooker Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken

and a few without recipes...because they're standards in our house

chicken tacos
Taco Salad
breakfast burritos
Biscuits and Gravy

...
okay that's done now off to shop for food...

what is on your menu this week...
do you have a favorite pintrest inspired meal?

ugh...they're hungry again

it's time to go shopping...the fridge is empty and the cupboards are bare...
yet I'm too busy with work, school, volleyball, piano, etc to find time to commit to really honest to goodness grocery shopping...

I really wanted to make burritos or tacos tonight...I have chicken and cheese and beans, and sour cream...I don't have tortillas or salsa!

Then I thought of breakfast for dinner...and I have 2 eggs and no bacon...

Nachos...no chips

I'll figure out something...
it will probably have chicken, rice, beans and cheese....

or maybe it will be pancakes....

....
tomorrow I make a menu, a list, & I will go shopping...

what's on your menu this week or next?
HELP a mom out!