Monday, August 15, 2011

Courage Creates Change








Well. I finally got to see it yesterday afternoon. Finally.
I went with my gift of a girlfriend next door neighbor and her best friend.

I told her we had to wear our pearls.

I felt it was a pearl worthy event.

Lord knows I haven't been to the movies with a girlfriend in years.

Thank you to my sweet husband who loved on five babies so I could have a little break.

I have been waiting with bated breath to experience on the big screen the
522 page book I devoured in two days.

I may not have cooked, cleaned or folded a single piece of clothing during the reading of this novel.

It is a page turner times ten.

If you haven't seen the movie yet and you haven't read the book either, my humble suggestion is to do yourself a favor and read the book first.

There are little details that go by very quickly on the big screen that you may miss if you haven't read the book. (Like what was written on the check when Hilly opened her letter for one)

The folks seated to my right kept asking their one friend who had read the book a bunch of questions during the movie!

We did not get to sit together. The movie was packed out on a Sunday afternoon even four days after opening day.

Go early. Especially if you want two or more seats together and bring tissues.

Or if you are like me and forgot your tissues, just use the sleeves of the sweater you wore tied around your neck. As long as you don't mind your sweater being covered with black mascara and tears.

Here are a few of my thoughts on the movie. There are too many to count!!  It was life changing for me and I am still wrecked on so many levels this morning after a 4:15 showing yesterday afternoon.

I fell in love with Skeeter and Minny and Aibileen during the reading of the book.

I loved their courage above all else.

Courage creates change.

Courage changes lives.

Courage causes the very reason God created us to come forth and causes fear to take the back seat.

Sometimes we have to be willing to lose everything to discover the reason He created us.

Sometimes (a lot of times) friends will not agree with the thing that you are called to do.  Do it anyway.

One of my favorite parts of the movie (there are SO many)  is the first time Aibileen says to Mae Mobley...

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important. "

I lost it.

When Mae Mobley repeated it back to her later on in the movie.

Forget it.

The sweater sleeves were dripping with mascara.

Our children have deep wells within that hold and remember the words we speak over them.

I have to speak more life.  I have to take motherhood up a few more notches.

More goodness. More love. More wisdom. More encouragement.

Because the world is sitting on ready to tell them otherwise.

Maybe Skeeter had the courage to write and fulfill her calling because of the years of life Constantine had spoken over her as a child.

When they flashed that very moment on the screen and Constantine spoke those words about choosing not to believe the negative things people say about you and how ugly is something that "live up on the inside."

Lost it again. For about the tenth time.

Another one of my favorite parts was at the end when Aibileen said this.....

 "No one had ever asked me how it felt to be me. When I finally got to share it............ I felt free. "

It wrecked me.

There is something about sharing our story.

Sharing our testimony.

The bad things turned into good things. The ashes turned into beauty. The mourning turned into joy.

It takes courage.

It changes lives.


Have you read the book or seen the movie yet?  What did you love the most?


Monday, August 8, 2011

Summer Update




                                            Rose Petal Ice Cream ~ Martha Stewart




Good Morning!

Happy Monday! We are rising and shining over here the best we can! We started the day out by dropping off Daddy at the airport at the crack of dawn this morning! The babies did not cry today and I was so thankful and hoped that either their hearts were full from the weekend or they've just grown accustomed to this life.......

We just passed the two year mark.

Raising five babies by myself.

Did you know that it is entirely possible that you can do the thing you think you cannot do?

It is true.

Thank Eleanor Roosevelt for that one.

I don't know how "well" I'm doing it all and judging by the looks of this house and the looks on the faces of all the perfect moms when they see us coming, it's not very well at all.

But I love my children and they know it. And that has to count for something.

When the perfect moms make their comments, lawdamercy, I try to remind myself that they do not have a clue what this is like. Trying to do life and raise up children with a husband who lives and works in another state and there is no end to it all in sight.

They have family for one thing and more help than the White House for another and in~laws and out~laws to call on and the mothership of all housekeepers coming in and out every day.

So I usually just smile and keep walking when the President of the rude comment club stops typing on her blackberry long enough to look up at me and tell me how crazy she thinks I am for having all of these children....


I don't see anything crazy.

I see a new generation.

I see a family.

I see a house full of the sounds of childhood and memory making mess making and sometimes very wild children!

I see how big God is after three miscarriages and a nurse who told me that I needed to check with my insurance to see what they would cover for infertility treatment.

And I never did.

I don't see anything crazy at all....

But I've had to let some things go. Like an immaculate car. Like clothes that are always pressed. And keeping this house clean every second of the live~long day,  just to name a few.

In other news we have exactly two weeks left until school starts and I will have a third grader and a very excited little kindergartner on my hands!

He is practically sleeping in his backpack and has already worn his uniform!

I am in no hurry whatsoever for school to start.....

We love the summer and love the freedom it allows to do something different every day!


In more news I have finally given up dairy!

It actually happened.

Along with sugar, all sweets, bread, red meat and a host of other things.

I didn't think I could do it BUT as Eleanor Roosevelt said...

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do!"

I just finished/survived the first week and aside from having horrible headaches it went okay!

I recently saw a friend who looked incredible in every way and asked her what she was doing and she graciously shared the name of her nutritionist. Who by the way is absolutely the happiest person I have ever met in my life and a survivor of four different types of cancer!! She is amazing! Meeting her was truly an answer to prayer and a special gift from Him.

Grateful me.

So with my newly found knowledge from The Beauty Detox book and the help of this incredible woman I am hopefully on my way to losing ten years of baby weight.

Have I ever mentioned I weighed 120 pounds on my wedding day? Big Sigh.

I haven't seen the scales read 120 pounds since.

Three miscarriages and five babies later.......I have my work cut out for me.

I also started Zumba three times a week!

It has not been easy but I am desperate to lose this weight and live healthier and set a better example for my children....

I will share a little each week with how things are going. It is an eight week plan and then I'm on my own!


Hope you have a wonderful week filled with doing the very things you thought you could not do!



Friday, August 5, 2011

The Nectar Of Life




The "nectar" as I see it....


Standing on your tippy toes to kiss your baby brother's tippy toes.





                    Sitting pretty in layers of white, cotton ruffles and delicious, naked baby feet





Big Brother teaching you all about his favorite orange airplane...









And another big brother who constantly kisses your cheeks...







                  Girly girl power....times three.








                     The gift that is mothering for 21 years and 6 months.........









A house full of boys AND girls. 

Sunkissed faces and skin that smells like the beach air.

 Baby bonnets and cotton day gowns.

Cars and trains. Legos and Star Wars. 

Polly Pockets, Barbies and baby dolls. 

High heels , hot pink nail polish and sassy sundresses. 

More curling irons and hair care products than a celebrity.....

All under the same roof.


The "nectar" as I see it.....