Makey Mess

"MOM! Kate makey mess!" I heard from the kitchen as I was finishing up the last few things to get us out of the door to drop Will off at school on time. (I've noticed that Kate calls me "Mom" instead of "Mama" when she thinks she might be in trouble, yes she's 2 going on 13!)When I came around the corner she gasped and looked down at the pile of Lucky Charms like "how did that happen?!?" When I asked Kate to help me clean it up, she just kept STARING at the mess. One glance at the kitchen clock, and I knew I had to get a move on (as MY mama would say :o). I started scooping up handfuls of cereal and continued trying to encourage Kate to help me. Once I got all of the large pieces scooped up and back in the bag ... yes, I'm one of THOSE moms, I grabbed the vacuum to collect all of the Lucky Charms dust that was still in a pile on the floor. I had to maneuver all around my sweet little girl, because she was still staring at the mess.

Later that afternoon, when the messmaker was napping, I was thinking about the events of our morning rush. Then it hit me. Our life has been in high gear lately and honestly, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. But instead of doing anything about it, I have just been staring at the mess.

Some things just needed to go. Facebook. Ugh. I heart facebook - way too much, just being real! I hated to deactivate my account. How would I know who was having a baby? I'd miss out on the last minute trips to Chick-fil-a. And the pictures, oh how I love to look at people's pictures. BUT, over and over again, I was feeling convicted that I was giving fb too much of my time. I tried limiting myself, but it just wasn't working. SO I deactivated and it's amazing how much more I've gotten done during Kate's nap time this week. Maybe one day I'll be old enough to manage a facebook account wisely :o)

Some things needed to be re-organized or scheduled. When I first began staying at home after teaching for several years, I quickly made out "lesson plans" for my days. I just couldn't help it. Over the past few years, I've gotten away from that, but I recently realized how helpful it is for me to have a plan for my days. I know it won't all always get done and sometimes none of it will be accomplished, but at least I have an idea of how our day might play out.

Some things just are the way they are. I decided that I need to stop complaining about the little league schedule. Yes, I think it's a bit much for 6 year olds to have three 2-2 1/2 hour practices a week. This week we have a double header on Monday night and another game on Thursday. It sometimes frustrates me a little, okay a lot. BUT, Will loves it. John loves it. Kate loves it. Once I get there, I enjoy it too. So, it's only temporary and it is something that we can do together as a family. I'm choosing to put a smile on my face (a real one) the next time the coach texts that we're going to have an extra practice.

These are just a few things that have been making the days a little crazy lately. Instead of being discouraged, exhausted, and feeling guilty over not getting things done the way I want them to be done - you know, STARING at the MESS, I'm going to get up and do something about the things I can do something about. Time is precious, and I don't want to waste one minute!

"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:27 &33

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:16-17

You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma

Katharine Allison Schloss celebrated her 2nd birthday on February 4th (yes, this post and many others are long overdue!). Before she was born, I wondered what she would look like, how she would laugh, and how quickly she would sleep through the night (hey! these are honest thoughts of a mom who is about to have her second, or third, or fourth ... child). Now that I've had two years to watch her grow, I just can't imagine our lives without this precious, wild, funny, crazy girl. Just a few thoughts to document this time in her life:

1. Kate is still sleeping in her crib. Actually she really enjoys playing in it too. I might just keep her in there until she starts kindergarten.
2. She has two favorite stuffed doggies ... Georgia and Major who are already well loved.
   
3. Kate loves to eat. If I say breakfast time (or lunch, dinner, or snack) she yells back "O-kay" and comes running. She eats most everything except eggs. Before you go getting jealous, Will is definitely a picky eater!
4. She is really into "coyors" and "kickers". A piece of paper, a sheet of stickers, and some crayons will keep her busy for a long time.
5. Kate is C-R-A-Z-Y about her big bubba (and the feeling is mutual!). She misses him when he leaves for school and she's thrilled to wake up from her nap, because that means it's time to "Go get Bubba!!!"
6. She is especially fond of going any where with her daddy. It doesn't matter if it's to Lowe's, the car wash, or the Recycling center, if he asks her if she wants to go, she promptly says "Bye Mama!"
7. She almost always wants her mama to put her to bed.
8. Kate does not like to be "scrappy backed". (That's how Will used to ask for us to scratch his back ... and it stuck)
9. She loves Barney. I'm not sure how this happened because I don't think Will ever watched one single episode of the purple dinosaur.
   
10. Kate adds the "y" sound to the end of a lot of words ... sleepy good, makey mess, takey nap (more like, NO takey nap!) squeezy tight (she says that when she gives you a hug, and I love it!).

We know that we got more than we bargained for and way more than we deserve when God chose to send Kate to our family. We love you beautiful two year old!

I'm in LOVE!

On June 9, 1993, John asked me to be his girlfriend. Well ... it went more like this, "This is the last time I'm going to ask you to be my girlfriend. If you break up with me again, then that's it!" I broke up with him 3 times the year before, but that's another post, and apparently I believed him, because we recently, December 30th, celebrated 10 years of being married. So, in celebration of that, I thought I'd share some of the reasons I'm in love with John Schloss.

• I'm in love with a man who somehow saw through my big glasses, permed hair, and pre-braces smile and asked me to be his girlfriend anyway.
• He persevered despite my dad's rules. I was 12 and the apple of my dad's eye ... John was 14. What were some of the rules you ask? We were allowed to see each other at church and at my house, occasionally, I was allowed to go to his house. We could talk on the phone for 20 minutes a day and I had to be off of the phone by 9:00pm. I wasn't allowed to call John - like, until I went to college. (Come to think of it, maybe I wasn't supposed to be calling him then either ... Dad, are you reading this???) I wasn't allowed to ride with John for a long time. Before my parents did let me ride with him, he had to come to my house to take a driving test. I should add that we're now very thankful for the restrictions and rules my parents had and now that John has a little girl, he's thinking about raising the bar a little on the "rules"! Oh, my dad only got a shotgun out once ...you can ask John about that!!
• John took me to 4 proms and had a good time. Well, he tried to talk me out of the last one!
• From his days at The Citadel to the USAF, he's always been so handsome in a uniform!
• I'm in love with a man who reads his Bible at the kitchen table.
  
• He is faithful ... to God, me, Will & Kate, our church, friends, his job, and Duke basketball.
• John almost always THANKS me for doing the laundry - I love that!
• My Johnny always calls to say he is on his way home and to ask if I need anything. Although secretly, I think he does this to see if I've started dinner and to give me a chance to get the house picked up :o)
• I'm in love with a man who has painted our current family room 5 times ... 3 of those in one weekend. Don't be confused. He doesn't love to paint, his wife is just indecisive.
  
• It is such a blessing to me to hear him pray over our kids each night at bedtime.
• He loves my mama ... and if I'm grumpy or sad he always asks "Have you talked to your mom today?"
• I love it that John works hard to make the grass perfect all summer, that the tires on my minivan are always shiny, and I love the marinade he puts on his grilled chicken. There was that one time that the chicken caught on fire, but you can ask my mom about that!
• I love getting up in the morning and finding a post-it note on the mirror with a note from him.
  
• John makes THE BEST chocolate chip pancakes almost every Saturday morning. That could have something to do with the fact that I don't have to cook or clean for this meal, but really, they are delicious!
• He will scan the old pictures in for this post because I still can't find pictures on the computer once I scan them. Even more, he gets it, you know, the little things. It's important to me to have these pictures in this post! :o)
  
• I'm in love with a man that never leaves the house without saying I love you.

I'm blessed ... 100 more years with John would never be enough!

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."
I Corinthians 13:7-8

Snow ... where did you go?

I was wishing for some snow fun with my kiddos and our friends, but all we got were a few hours of flurries. It's F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G here today, but not an inch of snow to be found. All of my sweet southeast friends are posting the cutest snow pics on facebook, so I thought I should revisit our snow pictures from the day after Christmas. We were with my parents in GA ... they have had quite a winter! There is just something magical about the land being covered with snow. It's the most fun to see it through the eyes of the little ones!

This is a test ...

Last night as I was cooking supper, something terrible happened. The pot I was cooking noodles in boiled over onto the stove. What's so terrible about that? It happens almost every time I cook! I don't know if I'm trying to do too many things at once or if I'm really just losing my mind, but seriously!!! I was so frustrated when I heard that awful hissing noise and ran from the family room to try to minimize the mess. In that very moment, I was reminded of my promise to be thankful. And this is where my mind went ... Lord, thank you for pots to cook in, thank you for things to clean up with, thank you for plenty of food to eat, thank you for my precious family that gets to sit around one table and eat together tonight. Thank you that my pots just boil over and I don't have to admit to burning food every time I cook ;o). There must be 10 million bazillion things to thank Him for every day. I wonder what tonight's meal will bring?!?

The pictures are obviously not of my sticky stove top, but of two of my favorite people to clean up after!

New Year, New Me?

"Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23


I do love a fresh start and a clean slate. There is just something so special about "new". The first few moments with a precious newborn baby. The excitement of new leaves budding on a tree after a long winter. The pure and unbridled joy in the face of a new believer in Jesus Christ. They all seem so fresh from the face of God, like we get a glimpse of His majesty and glory in these miracles of everyday life. Yesterday, I was challenged to thank God for something new every day. I've decided to accept the challenge and to search my life each day to see what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do ... you know, to see what's new.


"Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things..." Psalm 98:1