a spiritual-life-crisis, Radical Christianity, and why I'm not going to Africa

I've been going through what can only be described as a spiritual-life-crisis for the past few months. I blame my husband, really, because he challenged me to read "Follow Me" (which, if you haven't read it, is a pretty in-your-face book -- and totally worth it!). It led me to reading more of Platt's work, as well as Chan and other "radical" thinkers.
One of the biggest things I took away from them was how we can get so distracted by everyday life that we lose sight of the urgency there is for problems around the world that other people are facing ... because it doesn't affect us at all.

Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes -- one child every five seconds. 852 million people across the world are hungry.

But those are just numbers. They don't have faces or names. We hear that and think, "That's too bad..." and then we go about our regular life.
Months ago I started praying for opportunities in my neighborhood but also for global opportunities to serve people. And a few weeks later a friend and founder of Get the Word Out, a woman who took me to Kenya almost ten years ago, said they were going again this summer and asked me to consider coming. I met with her and learned about what they have been doing lately and what they were working on in Kenya.
They are doing wonderful things. But one cool thing we loved was their mission to take Lifestraw Community Water filters to communities that have no clean water.
I started praying about it and was really excited about the opportunity to return to Kenya. It's always had a special place in my heart. But there was this hesitancy -- a small part of me wondered if it was wise to go and spend $3000 on myself rather than sending the money to help the mission.
Going VS Sending ... a huge debate ... and there's no easy - or right - answer.
But I knew God would let me know what He wanted for me.
I prayed and read my Bible each day seeking His will, but it felt cloudy. Today I was praying about it again and decided to watch a documentary I had noticed on RightNow that Francis Chan had done called In Light of Eternity ... and at the end he might as well have said, "Missy - here's your answer ... "
He said (in my own words) sometimes you have to go, and see, and experience things to understand the plight people are facing and its urgency. But sometimes it's not wise to spend $3000 (I KID YOU NOT HE SAID $3000!) on yourself when you could send that aide to missionaries that are already on the ground, indigenous, know the people, know the language, and are already doing a great work.

I realized God is calling me to go.

Financially.

But not physically. 

Not this time.

I've been. I've seen the problem. I've seen what I need to see, I've heard what I need to hear, and now I need to support the work that is already being done. It was made very clear to me the urgency of the problems there, and I was being called to still raise the same amount of money -- but rather than go myself I needed to send water filters in my place.
Just like Nehemiah: The Lord has shown me a problem, it has moved me deeply, and we want to be a part of the solution.

So, Lord willing, we are going to raise enough money to send at least 10 water filters ($3750). One water filter costs $375. It has a lifetime of 26,000 gallons and is enough for 100 people for 3-5 years! And we would LOVE you to partner with us.

We are going to create a GoFundMe page so that all the money we raise for these water filters can get right to Get the Word Out, Inc. for them to purchase for their trip in July. All donations will receive a personal thank-you gift from me and my family.

GO FUND ME: 10 Filters for Kenya!

"March 22 was World Water Day, the U.N.’s annual observance day to highlights the importance of clean water, especially in developing communities. The global water crisis might seem like one of those huge, stubborn problems that can’t be fixed. One in nine people around the world lacks access to clean water, triggering lots of other problems: disease, poor nutrition, loss of schooling for kids and loss of productivity for adults. Reaching everyone in the world with sustainable water – well, that might take a miracle. I assure you, it’s possible. And it can happen in our lifetime. Smart, passionate people are working on this..." ("The Real-Life Miracle of Clean Water")

Kenya, 2010, sharing the Gospel

Handing out pillowcase dresses my small group had made for the girls

Smiles are universal and transcend every language barrier and cultural difference.

Water filter delivered to Jerusalem Girls Secondary School in 2018

"Most JOYFUL school I’ve ever been to visit. Such a blessing to share song, dance, the WORD, and CLEAN WATER!" Karen Smith, founder, GTWO Inc.

God's "NO"s and Blurry Photos

Let me clear: these are terrible pictures. But to me, blurry photos often indicate too much joy is present.

In Psalms today I was reminded how sometimes God seems silent and we just have to REMEMBER what He has already brought us out of and trust He will do it again. And as I reflected on what He has brought me out of I couldn't help but think of this picture.

As a teenager I thought I knew what I wanted for my life, what was best for me, and who I wanted to be. I asked for it often.

God said "No." (An unpopular decision at the time)

But that "NO" gave me this life.

This husband who adores his kids (and his lovely wife). Who wraps them in hugs and kisses and makes them laugh so hard they can't even sit still for a single photo.

These kids who bring so much joy to our lives. Who make us laugh. Who keep us guessing. Who show us love in the more sincere ways.


And DAILY I am thankful for God's "No"s and blurry photos.

a blue rest for mommy

When you talk to most any mom who is past the tired newborn stage, nap time is Mommy Time. But not just mommy time, it’s a mad dash to try and get everything done that you can before you hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down those stairs.

I was the same. It was a mad dash to try and work on the computer, do 300 loads of laundry, mop the floor (even though you KNEW snack time after rest would inevitably ruin all your work), and cook a somewhat edible dinner. WHEW.

And then the kids wake up, and you are exhausted. Enter scary-monster-impatient Mom.

I’ve been been praying for wisdom about stress and impatience, and I feel like God keeps telling me: ‘REST. You make your kids rest. You rest, ya big idiot.’

The past couple of days I have sent the kids to rest time and taken two, well deserved (if I do say so myself) hours for myself. I exercise, I take the time to make a healthy lunch, and then I read my Bible.

And, wouldn’t you know it, I feel better!

It’s two hours to do what I need to do FOR ME. It may look different for you. Maybe cleaning is relaxing for you (your husband must love that!). For me - cooking, cleaning - those are part of role staying home, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take a break. I mean, what job doesn’t allow a lunch break? Take a hot second and recalibrate, and then it’s back to it when that clock turns yellow.

pride, calamity, and isaiah 47

there is nothing wrong with working out and gyms, deadlifts and sumo squats. but there is a temptation to fall into pride and vanity. it's easy to get swept up into it all. and i have been pretty open with how i have attempted to keep myself accountable.

well, friends, i started to slip. a few weeks ago i found out i hadn't won this contest i entered. and i took it badly. i had gotten my hopes up, and i had really thought i had a good shot. and when i saw the list, and my name wasn't on it ... i felt unimportant. it felt like i wasn't "big enough" to get noticed and get picked. i cried, guys, like ugly crying. and i texted a few people who i knew wouldn't judge me and told them my feelings. even though i knew it was stupid. it was just a stupid contest.

i was reading my Bible that evening and asking God for something. a word. a picture. anything. i just wanted to hear from Him. and i read Isaiah 47. i don't think i will ever forget isaiah 47. because trust me, if you want a word from the Lord you do NOT want it to be isaiah 47. it predicts widowhood, loss of children, devastation, calamity, etc. etc. Yeah. NOT COOL, LORD.

but it was eye opening. it was about a prideful queen. and it seemed God was gently (ahem) telling me that pride was seeping in, and i needed to repent.

so i did. i asked for forgiveness, and wrote out a plan. i needed to take a break from PDF "public displays of fitness" because somewhere in my heart it was starting to become more about being validated by others and less about the original goal: make small changes to live a healthy life.

that's the goal.

this is not my career.

i have a sister who owns a gym. she's a professional athlete. she makes a career out of fitness and provides for her family from it. she busts her tail everyday training herself and other athletes. she works harder than almost any other mom i know. literally from sun up to sun down.

karena and katrina created this fitness company. they made a career out of TIU and provide for their families from it. they spend probably way more hours than a normal work day training themselves and creating videos to train others. they work harder than almost any other entrepreneurs i know. day after day after day.

i'm just a regular person trying to make small healthy changes to set a good example for my family. i want them to know their bodies are important. what you put into them is important and how you train them is important. our bodies are our vehicles that get us through life. and just like we take good care of our cars to keep them in working condition so we can get from place to place, our bodies should get nothing less.

but this is not my career.

'yeah, but missy, what is your career?' we'll tackle that another day, friends. i'm just too tired from all those sumo squats this morning.

the Perks of being a No One

I want to be really clear about my motives for why I post and what I post. Cause I get it. There's a huge temptation to judge each other, envy each other, or make assumptions about people from social media.

I have approximately 80 followers. I'm a nobody in the social media world. But that's the point. 

I'm a regular person. I have kids who I adore but regularly disappoint. I have a husband who is my favorite person and yet argue with about some of the dumbest things. I don't clean my bathroom (or pretty much any room) enough. And I eat at McDonalds way too often for a grown adult.

I'm not here to make myself look good. I don’t want you to think I’m better than you. I'm here to be real. I want other moms to know that anyone can make changes. Big changes. Small changes. Whichever you choose. It's possible. 

For me, healthy living doesn't mean always counting calories. The only thing I count everyday is how many poopy diapers I change (because my record is 12, people). My nutrition plan is eating less crap and eating more green stuff. That's pretty basic. 

It doesn't mean a life at the gym. My life is lived in my kitchen. I clean it. I cook in it. I eat in it. I teach from it. I dance around it. Sometimes I even work out in it (if my rooms are full of sleeping small people). My gym is a Rubbermaid container under my couch. It can't get much classier than that. 

I post about fitness because it has changed me. I feel better. I feel healthier. And I never thought I could do it. And I don't want any mom out there who feels like 'I just can't do that' to keep believing that lie. Even the smallest change will yield big results over time. 

I believe in you, mama!

And just remember, you burn more calories doing squats with a 2-year-old on your back. So, there's always that. 

Let Her Come: Bree's Baptism Story

In my life I haven't experienced a lot of crystal clear answers when I have prayed about something. More often than not, I feel quiet whispers of 'this is probably the way to go' but rarely do I hear "GO."

This past summer, we attended a baptism celebration at our church. Afterward, Bree had all kinds of questions about what it was, why we do it, and what it all means. More importantly, she wanted to know if she could do it. We answered her questions as they came, but we didn't bring it up again when it seemed to stop coming up. We wanted to wait until she was older, though we didn't tell her that at the time.

A couple months ago, she started asking again. We knew we had to take her seriously because we felt it could hurt her to think her faith didn't matter because she's young. So we decided to have her meet with a staff member at church, who we love and trust. She sat down with her and talked about baptism and the Gospel and Jesus.

Afterward, we spoke with the woman, and she confirmed what we were thinking. Bree obviously loves Jesus but doesn't quite have the vocabulary to really explain a lot of the "big questions" so she agreed (with Brent and I) that waiting is never a bad idea, but that it was our decision and the church would support us, either way. We had been thinking the same thing. She's really young. Let's wait. Give her time. ETC.

We told Bree our decision, and she was really upset. We told her to pray about it, and if she wanted us to reconsider, we could sit down with her again and talk to her about it. She wanted us to reconsider.

For weeks I prayed about it daily. I didn't want to keep her from a beautiful decision, but I still felt like she was too young to make such a big decision. I wrestled with it day in and day out.

On April 8, I was sitting in church during worship asking God to give me an answer. There was a baptism Sunday coming up, and I needed to hear from Him - LIKE NOW, GOD.

I kid you not: our pastor walked out onto the stage and had us open to Mark 10:13-16, and he began to read.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

Okay, God, I'm listening... You have my attention.

But then he moved on to Mark 17-31, and I am serious -- I have NO IDEA how that verse was related AT ALL to the rest of the sermon. It felt like God was speaking only to me. Like He had His hands on my face, looking me straight in the eyes, saying, "LET HER COME."

I haven't felt such a clear answer in a long time.

So Brent and I sat down with Bree after church and talked with her again. We asked her why she wanted to get baptized. We asked her to share the Gospel with us, and tell us about Jesus. Then I told her about how I had been praying and about how I felt God speaking to me at church through that story. And we told her it was her decision. And she just lit up. I mean, pure joy.

We know she loves Jesus. There isn't a doubt in our minds about that. She has since she was three. She tells everyone about Him. And she may not understand everything about her faith or about Jesus or about her relationship with Him, but who does? Whether you are seven or fifty-seven, do we ever really understand everything about Jesus and His love for us?

But she will learn, and we will teach her. And her growth won't make her decision any less real because she was young. If anything, I hope it shows her that you don't have to be a grown-up to get it. It's not an adult-only club. Jesus made that very clear: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them."

Since making the decision, she has already started changing lives. I have had multiple people tell me that she shared her decision with them and now they are having their own discussions in their families about baptism.

She was baptized on April 22nd, and I cried throughout the whole service. I didn't think it would be that emotional, but it was. I was just so overjoyed. I know God has something truly special planned for her life. I look at her, and I feel like I see a tiny-Abby-Heskett (And if you know who Abby Heskett is, you know that's a major compliment!), and I can't wait to see how God uses her life.

150 Gel Pens

AKA: My Fitness Journey

I really only had a vague plan when I started. After three kids, I was ready to lose all the baby weight. I had kept about an extra 5 pounds with each kid. I had never cared too much before because I knew I would just get pregnant again. So, why waste my time? (Not the right attitude, I know, but that's how I felt honestly). When we decided Elliot was our last, I thought, 'Alright. Time to get to work.'

But if you had asked me a year ago if I thought I'd be here now: Not. A. Chance.

See, I'm not new to the fitness world. I've tried it all. All the fads. Joining gyms. Taking classes. But I never stuck with anything longer than a month or so. Nothing seemed to fit.

And I don't know why God, all of the sudden, blessed me with self-discipline of steel after struggling with it for 31 years. But it started with reading my Bible. I got a set of 150 gel pens in the mail from my sister for my birthday last year. I had no idea what to do with them. What can you possibly do with 150 gel pens???

So I decided to try reading my Bible and doodling verses each day. And after a month, I will still doing it. Every day! (I know, I was shocked!).

So I thought -- if I can read my Bible every day, surely I can do a workout every day. A friend had been telling me about Tone It Up, and she invited me to do a workout challenge. So I did it. And I loved it!

So what does my fitness life look like? It's honestly probably the laziest fitness life you can imagine. Don't picture me hitting the gym every morning at 5am. That's not me. It works for other people, but not me.

I try to work out once a day. Sometimes it's 10 minutes. Sometimes it's 45. I watch TIU videos on YouTube (I am hoping to get their new App for my birthday! ... Subtle Message ... ahem ... Brent ... Mom ... Anyone?). I may do an arm video, legs, abs, HIIT, or booty. I may combine a couple. I may get an hour on an elliptical at the gym. I may get a class at the Y with friends (hooray for BodyPump girls and Plank Challenges!). I may swim a couple laps with the kids at the pool.

Every.Day.Is.Different.

So I have changed. A lot. And I don't know why God gave me this push or these desires ... but He did. And I feel good. And I feel strong. But I also feel balanced -- and when I don't feel balanced, I feel that too and I course-correct. There are definitely things I need to be careful of. I need to maintain my sense of modesty. I need to flee the temptation to become prideful or vain. I have a history of disordered eating, so I need to watch my diet and not try to take advantage of the weight loss and try to crash diet or make unhealthy choices. And I need to make sure my health stays in its place among my priorities. It should never be more important than my time with God, my family, or my calling. It's important, for sure, but not that important.

So I have a support system. I have key people in place that will tell me if I begin to slide into one of those temptations. And I humble myself to their wisdom, and I adjust. It's not easy, and sometimes it doesn't feel good to hear, but it keeps me safe and keeps my focus on what it should be on. I know they love me. And I know they just want what is best for me. Accountability is important.

Why share all this? It's not to promote myself or my TIU "program" because you don't have to do what I did. There's nothing special about my journey that can't be replicated by anyone else. It's going to look different, but that's the point. It should look different. It should suit you and be best for you. Maybe it's taking a walk everyday or doing 20 push-ups every morning or jumping on the trampoline with your kids instead of just watching from the sidelines. All it takes is little changes and time. That's what I did, and that's what I do. And you can definitely do it too. And I would love to chat about it if you have any questions!

Loneliness, Connecting, and Little Red Hearts

Social media can be a beautiful thing. It keeps us connected to people worlds away. But it can also stir up a whirlwind of jealousy, discontentment, and the compulsion to tell others everything you think, eat, wear, and do. So, when you aren't famous, why bother? I ask myself that sometimes. No one cares that you are wearing, yet again, another Disney shirt. We got it. You are a child. Here's the thing: being a stay at home mom can get lonely. Sure, I am surrounded by small people and lots of noise. But it's a different kind of lonely. There is a ton of emotional camaraderie in motherhood ... but there is a fair amount of physical isolation. I may not see my friend today, but when I see her post that her toddler just dumped an entire box of cheerios on the floor, I feel connected to her. I may not see my sister, but when I see a video of my nieces and nephews jumping into a pool, I feel like I'm there. And when I post a picture of our homeschool day, and my mom likes it, I feel like she's here. I don't feel alone. What about God, Missy? No, I know. God is here. I'm never alone. YadaYadaYada. But God created us to live in community for a reason. If it had been enough to know He was with us, Adam would have just stayed alone. But IT WAS GOOD for Adam to have a helper. It's awesome that God never leaves us, but it is good to have other people. Sometimes those people are physically with us, playing board games and eating flax-seed oatballs. Sometimes those people are emotionally with us, liking our post that we are down 10 pounds. So when you scroll down and see my post, know that I wish you were right there next to me (and you are welcome to stop by, anytime!). But if you can't be, I'll know you are cheering me on with one click of that little red heart.

Oh. The. Waiting.

I had this moment.

I was talking with someone in a Facebook message, and those darn grey dots just kept bouncing. And bouncing. And bouncing.

And then they stopped.

And then they kept bouncing.

It was like a lightbulb went off in my brain.

This is how my prayer life feels right now.

I pray for things. Every day. Big things. And I have no doubt that God is working and moving ... and typing away up there! But until that response finally comes, you'll find me at my kitchen table with hot chocolate and my Bible just waiting.

Our Christmas Tradition

In our homeschool co-op yesterday, Bree asked her class, "Raise your hand if you celebrate Christmas on Saint Nicholas day?"

Blank stares.

ZERO hands raise ... except her.

So, yeah, apparently my kids don't know that it is a little out of the ordinary.

Why Saint Nicholas day?

Well... we had a few Christmas dilemmas to figure out once we had kids. First, we always travel. So we are never home on Christmas Eve or morning (or basically December 20-30). Second, the kids got a little overwhelmed by day THREE of opening presents (with our Christmas and all the extended family Christmas parties, too). It was just too much stuff in too short a time.

But when could we have "our" morning AND have them excited about "our" stuff?

Then we found a Veggie Tales movie ... Saint Nicolas: A Story of Joyful Giving. (Awesome movie, by the way. GREAT message!)

Saint Nicholas Day!

It was perfect. It is at the beginning of December, so the kids are SO EXCITED to open our presents. They have all month to play with them before they get more stuff on "actual" Christmas. It is also based on a real guy who we can learn about and relate to Jesus.

AND THUS the tradition was born.

On the Eve of St. Nicholas we have a big slumber party under the tree and watch the Veggie Tales movie together (yes, we will do these even when they are 15!). It's our Christmas Eve, and the kids love it. In the morning, the Christmas festivities begin. Stockings, reading the Christmas Nativity story, presents, and a big dinner.

It's a little out of the box, and we hear that every year. But it works for us!

So -- seeing as how it is Saint Nicholas Day -- Merry Christmas!

Love,

the Mackeys

Storybook Year: Week Two

"Louis I: King of the Sheep"

GREAT story.

Draw Louis I

After drawing, I took a crown and the kids took turns being the king/queen. We had to play what the king/queen wanted to play. Then switched. They liked that!

"Green Lizards vs. Red Rectangles"

This story was short and cute.

Draw Lizard (video here) and some green rectangles

We made salt dough lizards (pinterest). The kids really enjoyed that. We planned to sculpt and bake them today and paint them on day 5.

"Uni the Unicorn"

A favorite for Bree. She is all about ponies and unicorns. This was a really creative story.

Draw a unicorn (video here)

Do-a-Dot painting. I printed a unicorn coloring page from pinterest and a rainbow. After that, the kids just did their own creations. We love Do-A-Dot paint: so neat but so fun!

"Gaston"

This story had a great message, and it was really catching. For about three months following this book, O would still name everything Gaston. (But first he had to list all the other siblings: Fee Fee, Foo Foo, Ooh La La, and ... Gaston!)

Draw Gaston and his family

Dog day. We gave our dog (Princess Giselle) a bath, took her on a walk, and played with her. This was quite a pampering day for her. She shook with excitement (... well, she's a miniature Greyhound so she just shakes all day, but I told the kids she was excited!).

"The Salamander Room"

Grandma was in town for school today! So she listened to our story with us.

Draw your favorite scene from the story

Paint Salt dough lizards from day 2 with Grandma.

Storybook Year: Week One

We kicked off the week with some awesome books. Below are the ones we chose to read for school this week and how we responded to the books.

"Where the Wild Things Are"

We had a blast with this classic.

Draw a wild thing (watch drawing tutorial together here)

Have a Wild Rumpus! (Loud music. Dress up. Crazy dancing. You get it.)

"Blueberries for Sal"

This was highly praised, but I honestly thought it looked a little boring. I had never read it, but the kids loved it! And so did I.

Draw your favorite picture from the story

Blueberries for snack

Use Counting Bears for Math activities (patterns, color sorting, counting, whatever!)

"Stick Man"

Loved this story. It is a great Christmas book (which I didn't know until I got to the end), and the kids love sticks.

Draw Stick Man

We headed outside to search for sticks to make our own stick families. Then we took our stick families and made play snow (Pinterest!) and for them to play in. (We threw in some Disney figures to liven up the play a bit.)

"Ninja!"

I wanted a "boy-ish" story for Ollie, but they both enjoyed this one. We had Ninja apples for snack (pinterest), and I gave them a Karate lesson. They loved kicking and punching the pillows.

"Xander’s Panda Party"

This story was adorable. It made me want to snuggle a Panda bear.

Draw a panda (Art for Kids Hub)

Our zoo doesn't have real pandas, so we decided to Watch zoo cams instead. They loved seeing the animals, and we checked lots of different zoos to see different pandas.

Then we had a stuffed animal party. They loved bringing ALL their animals into the living room for our party. We set out blankets and play food and had a grand celebration.

2015/16 Our Storybook Year

Homeschool has taken on a different look this past year. Since our last post, we have added two baby birds to the nest. B just turned 5, O just turned 3, and E is creeping up on his first birthday.

Last summer when I was 100 months pregnant and my husband was completely out of commission with a back injury, I dreaded the start of homeschool. I was afraid I would be stressed with a new baby and a husband recovering from back surgery and everything else life tends to throw at you (tires being stolen off your car, finding mold in your bathroom, family members with health issues, etc. etc.).

That's when I stumbled onto the idea of a "Storybook Year" from a blogger my sister loves.

Enter angelic music and lights beaming through the windows. We LOVE to read. We love books. We love snuggling on the couch with a blanket and a pile of Fancy Nancys, Bernstein Bears, or Frog and Toad.

So, what does a storybook year look like for us?

First. I went on Pinterest and pinned any list I could find about Best Children's Books, Classic Children's Books, Books that Make You Laugh, and I made a list. I started at the top and requested books from the library (we don't buy books very often unless we fall head over heels for them - like It's a Tiger by David LaRochelle).

Second. Once I secured the books from the library, I made a basic calendar in Microsoft Publisher and planned out the books we would read. If there was a holiday or birthday, I tried to plan books accordingly.

Third. With my schedule of books to read in hand, I planned activities for the day. I wanted the kids to "respond" to each book, which is challenging when they cannot write on their own yet. I found these awesome Pre-K journals from -- my home away from home -- Walmart. My plan was for the kids to "respond" with art. They love, love, love to create: draw, color, paint, glue, cut, whatever (and so do I)!

And that is when I found it. The perfect addition to my storybook year. Art for Kids Hub. It is a YouTube channel that has drawing tutorials for kids. They are amazing. They reiterate great rules of drawing (always do your best and it doesn't have to look like theirs) and do awesome animals, people, characters, and so on. I started looking through the books I had planned to read and chose something from each book to draw together. Almost 90% of the time they had a video for what I wanted. If not, we drew a picture from the story.

Fourth. After our creative time, we answered the 4 BIG Q's from each story (characters, setting, problem, solution) and then gave it a thumbs up or thumbs down. I dictated that, of course, but B did some of her own writing.

Fifth and final. We did something. Some days I had fun activities planned from the story that related in some way (my favorites were Katy No-Pocket and Big Red Barn, which I will post on later).Some days that was it, and we played games together (I have amassed a collection of school games). Some days we had a related outing. Some days we took a nap on the couch.

It was extremely relaxed, but they loved it. I loved it. Everyone loved it. Stay tuned for more detailed posts about each week (books and activities!).

Three Cheers for this storybook year, which just wrapped on Friday. ::sniff sniff::

A Mommy Respite

I love being a mom. I love my kids. I love my husband. I even, sort-of, love my dog.

So call me crazy (which you might) but why, on a day celebrating being a mom, would I want all those things gone?

Am I saying I don't enjoy free time? Not at all. Breaks are great. Alone time is great. I'm saying, to feel truly special on Mother's Day, give me a day off from the other stuff.

You know what I'm talking about: the late nights, early mornings, being the last to eat at every meal, constantly washing dishes and picking up toys, diaper changes, dinner plans, lunch plans, breakfast plans (you get it), getting kids dressed, brushing teeth, putting them down for naps, getting them up from naps. And about a thousand other things.

What I want more than a day by myself is a day with my family and a break from all that. The stuff I don't necessarily LOVE to do every day, 365 days a year. All the "extra" stuff that motherhood seems to come hand in hand with.

Just one day where I don't have to do it all - where I can just play with my kids, read book after book with my baby on the couch, push my toddler on the swings as long as she wants, hang out with my husband, eat as many Oreos as I want, or take a nap with my dog. No chores. No cooking. Certainly no diaper changes. Definitely no trips to Walmart.

A Mother's Day respite for me isn't a break from my family it's a break from those little things we do each day that often go unnoticed.

So, to my family, I know you love me. I get it. I don't need, or want, you to buy me things. I don't need expensive spa treatments (though I'm not opposed to them on occasion, maybe my birthday!). I just want you. Only you. Because I love being your mom.

DIY Coloring Page Tshirt

So, I had a problem. My daughter is SO in to Doc McStuffins right now it is CRAZY. But I can't afford to get all the "stuff" because I'm not sure if it will last a week or a year. So, I have been DIY-ing some things for her: felt characters for her board, felt Band-Aids for her doctor kit, etc.

I Google coloring pages ALL the time for whatever she likes at the moment. I happened to think, 'I could paint this onto a shirt!' So I decided to try.

I made Stuffy first on a blue shirt. That one was just okay, but she liked it. I decided to try again and make some changes. Since it is a coloring book page, I decided to try Lambie because she's white and pink. Easy colors. So I painted her black and added two felt pink additions (her skirt and bow).

A couple moms asked how I made it, so I decided to make another and take pictures this time because ANYONE can do this. It's so easy. I decided to make Olaf for my niece's birthday. He's also easy! White and black and a flashy orange nose.

Here's what you need:

a picture (from a coloring book or just Google Image ANY character you like)

black puffy paint

a white shirt or dress (if you do a colored shirt, you can't trace the picture ... you have to stencil or free draw it, which I did with Stuffy on a blue shirt)

felt

scissors

a pencil

needle/thread (I used embroidery thread because I had it already)

First, put the picture under the shirt and trace on your picture to the shirt (you'll need good light to see it under the shirt) in pencil. Next, paint the lines black with the puffy paint. Try not to make it too puffy.

Next, choose something to POP in the picture. For Lambie, I chose her pink bow and pink skirt. For Olaf, I chose his orange nose. Cut THAT item out of the original picture and use it as a stencil on the felt. Cut out the item and outline the item in black, just like the picture has it.

Let dry OVER NIGHT.

Finally, stitch on the colored items using the same colored thread. You can use a basic stitch, but I like to back stitch for added strength. Whatever you like. But stitch inside the black paint (right along the outline).

I used the extra felt to make a bow for her hair, and you could add rick-rack to the dress for more color if you wanted to. Less is more, to me.

Do not wash for 36 hours (after painting), and I try to wash it inside out on a gentle cycle.

Easy Peasy, friends. I would make and sell these if I could legally.

What God Wants for Christmas, day 1!

Bree couldn't wait to put on her Christmas tree shirt this morning. She was so excited to show all her friends at MOPs. We had a Christmas party at our meeting, which was a blast. I got some amazingly delicious gifts from my Secret Mom.

We started our new lesson on "What God Wants for Christmas" this morning. We open a present and find the character we are going to read about, read the story together, and then she puts the character in the nativity scene. I was worried she would hate waiting for each box (you do one every day), but she seemed okay with it. Today we read the intro from Gabriel. He is the narrator of the whole thing, so we start with him. She liked opening the present and getting out the little figure. I think we will read the entire story the last day (Christmas morning) to put it all together. It might be hard to remember what we read days before.

Again, no pants ... (sigh)

a Wonderful Wednesday

This week has been a blur, but we have had a lot of fun days. Tuesday a friend of mine who lives out of state now was visiting, so we had a great morning with her.

Today our lesson was our final telling of the Bible story from her Bible. She still loves those felt people. Our activity that day was making a special t-shirt for MOPs tomorrow. She loved gluing on the colorful pom-poms. I had made the tree the night before so it was dry. I sewed on the pom-poms so that they will stay. That took forever.

(I don't I've posted a picture where my kid is fully dressed ... whatever.)

Our Elf was reading a story that morning to her friends. Bree enjoyed that.

All the Monday Merriment!

This morning we found the Elf hiding in our stocking. That silly Elf...

Our lesson today was using the homework she receives from church. We went through the story they gave us and worked on her Bible verse. She gets a sticker each week for knowing it -- and she loves stickers.

Our activity today was Play-Doh. We used a cookie cutter to make trees and decorated them. She loved it. Play-Doh is one of her favorite activities.

Ignore the Halloween jammies ...

After Ollie woke up, we headed to Target to pick out our new ornament for the tree. I decided to let her pick it. She chose Hello Kitty, and it's unbreakable (perfect!). We also did a little Christmas shopping and talked to lots of strangers. Kids are a magnet for conversation. Ollie likes to sit in the back of the cart so he can stand, and it reminds me of the scene in Titanic where he's king of the world ... just like that. Bree likes to ride in the front. It works out well.

Brent starts finals today, so it is the last work week for him. We are very excited. He really needs a break!

Friend Frenzy

This was a great weekend. Saturday was a fun day. We did our Bible story while Ollie napped, and then headed out to a Christmas party with some friends. Lots of kids, lots of food, and lots of fun. Bree skipped her nap so she was a bit of a mess in the evening, but she went to bed early like a champ. It was a great day.

The Elf has been up to some crazy things, as well.

Apparently the story is getting dull because she is adding modern technology to it.

Sunday was church, good naps (finally!), and some much needed grocery shopping. We are set for the week, and it's going to be a busy one: Brent's final week of school and our final advent week. We start our series 'What God Wants for Christmas' this week, and I am excited about it. She is practically reciting the entire Bible story from her Bible, so I'm glad for a different spin on it.

Cookie Capers

Today was exciting. After a long night of partying last night, Bree and Ollie were both up early (shocker!). Today our activity was a Christmas playdate with friends. We went and decorated cookies together, which Bree loved, at her friend Emory's house.

The rest of the day was kind of a hiccup. She had partied too hard last night, had too many cookies today, and behavior was pretty bad. She had to throw out her cookies for screaming in her bed (thus waking her brother from his nap), and everyone was weary by 5pm. So we had early bedtimes.

Tomorrow will be better.