A toast to your health...

Today I will be helping my friends at www.keepitlikeitwas.com with creating an immunity boosting elderberry syrup! My version of this syrup is a nod to Lea Harris of www.nourishingtreasures.com and  Emily of www.holisticsquid.com

Stay tuned for an update later with a link to Kyle & Trish's tutorial!

This is just one new step in my adventure toward sharing natural alternatives and sustainable living! I look forward to sharing much more with you in the coming months...

***Update***

Here it is: http://www.keepitlikeitwas.com/?p=131

My Birthday wish...

Well folks, here it is. The day I do NOT look forward to all year. It's the day where the clock moves forward and we flip the page of a new year & I turn another year older. The march of time is a funny thing. Somewhere around the third grade I did a science experiment on perpetual motion. I built a lego tower and suspended a ball from a string. Swing the ball from side to side and eventually it winds down to a stop. Well, I think time is truly the only perpetual motion - it never stops.

Another few grey hairs. Is that a wrinkle there next to my eye? If I have to sing the ABC song one more time.... WAIT. Isn't that just what life is? A series of events that we weave together with the help of other to create the fabric of our lives. It's a beautiful tapestry filled with happiness, sadness, funny moments, frustrating moments and sobering reminders that our lives here on this Earth are fleeting. It's a simple reminder every year as we celebrate the day of our births that we should cherish each and every moment. Each sweet second of life is a gift.




With that in mind I will cherish (instead of curse) the nuclear meltdown that my 2 year old had in the library today while my oldest daughter tried to learn to crochet. I will laugh off the fact that my 8 year old listed a series of 10 things she loves about me, one of which included her undying devotion because I am the one who changes her baby sisters diaper. I will revel in the hand drawn cards and the last minute breakfast in bed. For each one of these moments goes by in a blink.





Stop

Breathe

Listen

Your life can pass you by if your not careful! Will you join me today in celebrating life? It's an amazing journey. Enjoy it. xoxo

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess...

367 days later the truth is still the same

I wrote this a day after the school shooting in Newton last year. What is apparent as I reflect on that tragedy is how little progress we have made since that day. We are deeply divided. During this season of peace and grace, let each of us reflect on how we wish to spend the next 365 days. Instead of "having it your way" can you see the other side? Instead of wanting more, can we be satisfied with what we have? Instead of rushing from  here to there, can we take time to be in the moment? Instead of hate, gossip or idleness, can there be love, compassion and hard work? Below are my personal feelings on those events and how we, each of us, can learn, live & love better. I do not have an expectation that each of you will agree with these thoughts 100%, but please be open minded and respectful of these words. In the end isn't that what we each want? To be respected, valued and loved. I offer you the reason for Christmas, Christ - God's son.

~written December 15, 2012~

I have felt led to describe my feelings over the recent shootings. I am sure that there will be people (my friends among them) that disagree with me or find fault with what I am about to say. I can only say this; these are my feelings about my faith, Jesus has given his life so that I may one day live in Heaven. I am asked to share that faith by the same God who blesses me so richly here. I feel that by NOT doing so I am disobeying and doing each and every one of you a disservice. In the same vein I can appreciate the richness & diversity of other faiths and beliefs. By sharing mine with you now does not mean that I do not respect your opinions, beliefs or differing faiths. I am not telling you that you MUST believe the same as I do. I am simply sharing my faith, my love of God so that you may choose your own path. I do not appreciate confrontation; however as a believer I must put aside my own fears and rest in the promise that God will never leave me or forsake me. It is on that promise I stand as I share these thoughts with you now, even as it scares me to even publish this.

God loves us very much. The Lord never promised His followers an easy road. Simply because I believe that there is a living God and He loved me enough that long ago He allowed his Son to be crucified to pay for my sins does not make the world a safe and wonderful place.  The evil that we see is not because God allows it to happen; but because he allows humans to choose their own paths. Those paths sometime are not to the benefit of others. This is why we are taught to love our neighbors as ourselves. My faith is a faith which demands when I choose to love & follow Christ I must put aside my own desires and work toward His desires. It does not excuse the actions of others, for we will each have to answer to Him. However, we should remember that He promises us that he will use everything to His glory. We can rest assured that even in a horrific & tragic situation that God will be using that to bring his kingdom here to Earth. I can only speak for myself as it is not my place to know the hearts and minds of others. I am heartbroken over the deaths of so many children. God knows how it feels to lose a child. He sent His Son here to die for us. Each of us. Our Lord desperately wants us to seek him, to love Him & once we pass from this world to the next if we accept Christ as our Savior we will rejoice with Him in Heaven.

Whatever your beliefs we all want our children to feel secure, grow up loved & succeed. We all have hardships to face. Without the bad or tough times – would we appreciate the good times as much? Maybe. Maybe not. Some burdens are harder to bear than others.  By no means am I diminishing any one struggle, any one burden. What is easy for me may be hard for you. This is the beauty of community, of friendship, of family. Our family sacrifices so that other families may live securely. That is our burden for the moment. It is not easy & I do my share of complaining. It is easy to forget how richly I am blessed. My children are growing, beautiful girls who have a love of each other. My husband is willing to put his life on the line so that we can live freely. My brother & his wife do the same. My parents are amazingly charitable people. They have been blessed so they may bless others in return. My mother in law is amazingly compassionate  & would give you her last dime or scrap of food. From each one of these people I have learned. I have learned to love Christ by following my mother’s example at a young age. I have learned respect, I have learned teamwork, I have been humbled by my children. Every person I have met in my life has had a lesson for me. Some lessons aren’t as fun as others.

I know that this wound is fresh, and for the families that are affected directly by the actions of one man the road is painful. I cannot say that what we are all feeling is fair. It’s not fair that innocent children died. I will say that I am certain they sit, comforted by God, in heaven. He will not allow their deaths to be for naught. I am assured that He will use this for His purposes, which are always good. It’s easy to ask why He would allow this; please know this. I am positive He grieves as much as any parent of those little children. 

In this very difficult time there is a desire to place blame on people, objects or laws. I can assure you that it is not Gods fault. This situation is the result of a single man’s actions. It has been brought up that he may have suffered from a mental disorder of some kind. We need to show God’s love to everyone, even those who we deem unworthy of that love.  In fact it is those people who need the love of God the most. If we don’t share it with them – who will? We share with them in the hopes that they may feel that love & feel less alone, less sad or less angry. The absolute beauty of the love of God is that there is no limit to whom it may be given. God places no restrictions on us, just that we love Him. It is in that love which everything else falls into place. If we love each other, we will only want the best for each other. There would be no jealousy, no hate, no differences, no competition. The love of God is an umbrella that can cover us all. I know that we live in an imperfect world – but I look forward to the day that I can live with God in heaven and see the amazing promise of His love.

Comfortable? Let me just switch that up for you...

Just when you settle into a routine something usually comes along to break your stride. This is called "life"! I usually look back on these life-changing events and laugh, although they are most often not funny in the moment. Well, here at our house, we have some big changes coming up.

Jeremiah 29:11 tell us this: ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

That is what I will cling to! It will simply be by the Grace of God that this next stage in our family life will be successful.

We are about to become a homeschool family. School will be in session starting with the New Year.

Recovered yet?

For those of you who know me, this may or may not be shocking. I will admit that I am still shocked that we chose this path. The traditional classroom has proved a challenge for our oldest daughter. She struggles to sit still, doesn't like to write out sentences (although she is more than capable of doing so) and becomes frustrated easily and is distracted by others. So the die is cast, the decision made, I will be her teacher. 

Are you giggling to yourself because you know how patient I am (not)? Yeah, me too! 

It's going to be a whole new adventure! I'm sure that the (im)perfect moments will abound. So it should make for some great material! 

Say a prayer for us when you have a free moment, we could use them!

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Life: it's a verb!

Ecclesiastes 3:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

I'll let you in on a secret; work is hard! I grumble about the dishes, the clothes that need washed and put away, the dinner that needs to be cooked. I worry about my family when they are out & about. I think about how nice it would be to finally look the way I feel. That pesky self-doubt and not feeling good enough. Guess what...? It's about time I got over myself. I have been promised that I am enough. Just the way I am! All 100% of this funny, crazy, frustrating, goofy, loving, & imperfect person that I am. I've made really good progress over the past few months whipping myself back into shape. For accountability: I have lost 25 pounds! There's still work to be done but it's progress in the right direction. However, aside from feeling better and looking better I need to remember other things I am:

I am a child of God

I am a loyal & loving wife

I am a caring & attentive mother

I am a faithful friend

I am creative

I am willing to learn 

I am...

If I can, I will speak to the Ladies: as women we tend to focus on all the things we are not. Let's not fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. I recently read an article (complete with pictures) of famous women with & without their makeup. Guess what? They look awesome all dolled up with their makeup and fancy hair. It took an entire TEAM of people to make them look that way. Without their makeup they don't look that much different than I do every morning. I wonder if they feel bad about themselves on a quiet day at home without all the fancy makeup? I think it would be a relief just to relax. Can we stop feeing inferior to other women? There isn't one of us that much better than another. We are a sisterhood and should support each other, not be judgmental. I'm going to work harder on my perception of others because I am guilty of feeling like less than I am and being a bit "judgey" myself. 

I am blessed with a husband who loves me despite my imperfections. We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary soon...we have known each other for 15 years. Half our lifetime. He is an amazing man. A great father. My best friend. In the past 10 years I have learned that what I thought was love on our wedding day barely scratched the surface of the feelings I have now. It hasn't always been easy. We argued, there were deployments and trainings that kept us apart, there never seems to be time for just "us", there's different parenting styles and countless other "things". It takes work! Marriage isn't something that just happens. Love isn't a noun or a adjective. It's not something you feel, it's something to DO! Love is a verb! LIFE is a verb!

Know that feeling when a bunch of hard work finally starts to pay off? I shared last there is a season for everything. Planting & harvesting, play & rest, work & reward. I am here to tell you that this is an absolute truth. It just may not manifest itself the way you imagined. So chin up, friends. Work IS hard, but it's really really worth it! After the work comes the rest! 

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess...

Autumn how I love thee, let me count the ways....

I am a fall junkie! There I confessed!

Harvest. Pumpkin. Deep, rich colors. Soup. Warm drinks. Sweaters. My Ugg boots! Hunting season?

Oh Autumn! Stay forever....

Here we are on the first of September! Wow - the year is flying by. I am making progress on many fronts this fall! First, remember the weight loss I've been trying to tackle? Yeah - that. So here I am 15 pounds lighter. I still have many pounds to go, but it's a great start! Oh and the classes I've been taking? Well I am nearly half way through that too! I feel so accomplished (just don't ask how clean my house is, ok?). This week I plan on canning some peaches - oh my goodness. Who doesn't love peaches in the winter?

Elizabeth is really loving school, her teacher says her cursive writing is AMAZING! She is still totally excited about that! I recently had a friend ask me what I knew about 3rd graders and bras. NOTHING, I know absolutely nothing about that. Please don't ask! Stop growing! I'm not ready for bras and boys and more drama!

My tiny Ophelia is growing more each day. Why don't they stay little and cuddly forever. The other day she stamped her foot at me and yelled "NO!" while pointing her finger. Um, what? I am just thankful she still likes to cuddle with me! Hopefully that doesn't go away any time soon.

My great hunter is gearing up for the season! Gathering gear, checking camera's, scouting spots. He's so pumped! Know why? This year I will be venturing into the woods to join him in providing for our little family! THIS girl is gonna shoot something to eat ladies and gentlemen...yup! Then we will haul home our bounty and butcher it all up in the kitchen. THAT is something I am proficient at! We took care of a dozen chickens in 42 minutes the other day. It's the little things, you know? Stop laughing!

In the meantime, soak up the last few warm summer days folks. My prediction is for a very very cold winter....with some big huge (but late) snow storms. Let's see how right I am....and how much you curse me for saying this! :)

Go enjoy a pumpkin latte! *yum*

To Everything There is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Never stop learning!

Well, school is back in session for the oldest of the Smith kids! We had a great summer full of camping trips and outside fun with friends. Also there were some sad points in saying "so long" to friends who have moved on to new places...but that's the life of a military family!

Elizabeth happily went off to the third grade and we seem to  be settling into a new routine. This year she will be learning cursive and she is totally excited about it! She's an awesome reader and is working hard to memorize her math facts. It's a promising start to the year.

Ophelia blissfully sleeps through the hustle and bustle of the morning and we spend a few hours playing until nap time. Lots of shapes, colors and letters. She loves to flip through her tiny board books and is signing at a rapid clip. Some signs are her own creation that take a few times for her poor parents to catch on.  I love the look that says "Gee mom, don't you get what I am saying?"

Then it's my turn to get the house in shape and take on my own learning adventure.

See, I decided to undertake an aromatherapy certification course. Last time you'll remember I wrote about our success with using essential oils to compliment the things we've been doing to help Elizabeth in her journey through ADHD. I have seen such amazing results with her and learned so much, but there is so much MORE. The course I am taking through Aromahead www.aromahead.com is simply amazing. A great format and easy to navigate! I started taking the Anatomy & Physiology section a few weeks ago. Once I finished all the lessons I took the exam...and passed! Now it's onto the fun stuff. The chemistry, the oils themselves. So far I have created a variety of products for my family and some friends. Aromatherapy is so much more than just good smelling stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy

I haven't stopped learning. What about you?

As always, God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....