Lili Logic

This one is sweet....

There has been a little boy at school that is just not very loving (I have a strong sense that he doesn't get very much love at home and that's why he acts out at school). Lili sits at a table with him. Now, she has dealt with bullies before. Why does it seem that bullies are attracted to her? Or that she is always put next to the bully? Here's why... Because Liliana has thee biggest heart. She truly cares and understands compassion. This girl is going to do huge things. She is going to change the world. It gives me goosebumps.
We were talking about this little boy the other night, and I mentioned that he is angry because maybe anger is all he knows. Lili knows love because she is loved and is surrounded by love. Maybe this boy knows anger because he is surrounded by it. {Grab your tissues now} Lili looked at me with big, blue, sad little eyes and said, "Mommy, I want to make E a picture. And I will make him one every day so he can feel loved and then he will be nice to me. I will tell everyone at our table to do it too."
Oh, my little Liliana. How I love your heart. God is going to do great things with you. This is only the beginning...and even the beginning is changing me and making me better. 

Soccer Monster

Nervously hugging her Teddy on the
way to her first game.

"I am a soccer monster, I love a soccer ball.
I'd rather play soccer than do anything at all.
You can be the kicker, I will be the blocker
Doesn't really matter, as long as we play SOCCER!"

This is a beloved Backyardigans song. Aunt Sares instilled the love of the Backyardigans in Cadee nearly 8 years ago. Cadence LOVED to watch them and sing along (And she and Lili still have Backyardigan marathons once in awhile). She would go through phases of what her favorite episodes were, and this particular episode fits her life so perfectly right now.
We have our FIRST kid in their FIRST sport! Cadee has chosen to be a soccer monster! She has been practicing at home and has had team practices for about a few weeks now. Last Saturday (Sept. 7) was her VERY first game! She was timid, she had a nervous tummy, she wasn't sure what to eat before the game, she was projecting her nervousness onto me by being snappy and cranky...but the entire time she was with her team and on the field, she had a big ol' grin on her face (Except when I caught her attention yelling, "Cadee! Go get the ball, girl!" She didn't appreciate that very much..)!

My Little Soccer Monster

It was the highlight of my week watching her play, and I hope it will be for many many Saturdays to come. I had a vivid view of the future, a premonition if you will, the moment before we left for the game. I saw a high school girl sitting in front of me, hair all done up, soccer gear on, grabbing her ball and heading out the door to practice. It was a quick glimpse at what may come.
My Little Soccer Monster, you make me so proud! I am excited to cheer you on in whatever the future may hold for you. 

Sharing My Story

Baby Liliana

I am sharing my post-baby stories at Des Moines Moms Blog today and my experience with postpartum depression. A very personal blog post for me to share with our DMMB readers, but I feel it's pretty necessary. Moms need to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's so hard to see that when you are in a dark place. 

Summer!

Things have been CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY busy around here! Yes, I had to type it 3 times. We have had so much fun this summer. Between the trips to see grandparents, to the splash park, to visit friends, sleepovers, play dates and SO much more, we have been filling our summer up with as much fun as possible. I am just a teeny tiny bit excited for school to start- just to have our routine back. But I will miss my girlies. They motivate me and keep me smiling. Drake is going to have a huge void to fill!

Top Ten Favorite Summer Memories:

~ Drake learned to walk this summer. We have all loved watching him toddle and master that skill!

~ I braved a day at a local beach with all three kids on my own! And it was probably one of the best days of our summer. We had such a great, relaxing (yes, relaxing! That can happen with 3 kids!), sunny day at the beach! Lots of giggles and thankful hearts that day.

~ All of my Thirty One parties have been so much fun! I have been able to catch up with friends, laugh, build confidence (and my inventory!), and just spend some good, quality girl time. 

~ Because of my sister's upcoming move to Arizona, we have been spending alot of time with her. And it has been nothing but sweet. We will miss her dearly, constantly, but I am beyond excited {and sometimes jealous} about her new adventure!

~ Des Moines Moms Blog has been thriving! And it has been sweet to meet some of the moms in our community! The contributor team is the most amazing group of women that God could have ever brought together, and I am flabbergasted that I was a part of that vision! I thank God for this group of encouraging, Christ loving, God fearing, beautiful, intelligent, trustworthy, prayerful, powerful, enlightening, amazing women each and every day.

~ We were a part of our friend's 30th birthday celebration! I love celebrating friends! And this particular friend has a lot to celebrate. 

~ My dad got us a small little pool early this summer. The girls used it everyday. Until it was too gross to use. Then it rained alot, so we dumped it out and [with all of the traveling my girls did this summer] we neglected to fill it up again. But it was definitely worth it and we hope to fill it up again!  

~ The girls had their very first "Homemade Lemonade" stand this summer! They LOVED it! It was fun to see their business and advertising skills developing. We will definitely do it again. It helps that we live across the street from some very sweet, elderly couples. They love our kids and go out of their way to visit with us and make us feel welcome. 

~ I *started* the summer reading the Bible (supposedly in a year, haven't been as faithful as I intended), and got my dad to read it with me. I love when he calls me and just starts telling me all about what he read and what he got out of it. God is good, all the time. There is truth in that great Book. Relevant truth.

~ The girls were excited when Lili lost her second tooth last week! Lili was excited because she's Lili and her genuine excitement when something new happens to her is contagious. Cadee was excited because Lili let her pull it out! In exchange for one item in her room. Haha love it!

There you have it. My top ten most memorable moments of the Summer of 2013. Or at least the ones I could remember. There were so many fun and memorable things that happened this summer! If something we did together didn't make the list, don't worry- you were number 11. 
Just a couple weeks of summer left before school starts back up! I hope to soak up all the fun and sun with my kiddos by my side in the next couple of weeks! 

Random Rachel

There is something magical to me about staying at a hotel. The smell of chlorine. The excitement. Cranking the a/c at night. Unlimited pillows. Eating out. Swimming to your heart's content. I just love it.

My Cadee Grace is growing up entirely too fast. I cannot believe she will be 9 years old this year. She is half way to being half my age. Yeah, do the math.

My new business of being a Thirty-One consultant has been such a fun adventure! I am loving it. And continue to love all of the free and discounted products I get in on. Top that all off with all of the sweet women I get to meet, and I am one blessed lady. The paychecks aren't bad either. (If you want to know how you can be a Thirty-One consultant, just ask me!) 

We got new bedding! Yahooooo!! But it's so hot in our room, that we are currently only using the sheets. 

I am not a fan of extreme, humid heat. Therefore, not a big fan of July.

The kids and I went to a beach last week. We had a blast! Just the 4 of us. Making memories. 

The girls are at grandmas' this week. Which means, this is the one week out of the year that I WILL catch up on dishes and laundry! 

Our Fourth of July was spent at a small town celebration in our area with just me, hubby and our babies. It was such a great evening. Filled with plenty of giggles, ooo's and ahhh's while the fireworks lit up the sky, and snoring in the van on the way home. 

Garage sales.... I'm not convinced they are worth the time and effort to have one. But, my girls had a "Homemade Lemonade" stand, and absolutely loved it. So, in the future, I will put more of my time and effort into their stand. 

I love my husband. And all of the ways he continuously reminds me just how much I mean to him. He is my rock. My main squeeze. My home. 

Ode to My Children's Father

The diapers are not always his duty,
The fits are not his to calm,
Oh how sweetly their tiny hands
Find their way to his palm.

His words are not sugar coated,
He is full of one-liners, of wit,
But he speaks truth and wisdom
When we definitely need to hear it.

He works hard and long,
For most of the day, they are apart.
But he loves these babies fiercely,
With all of his heart.

Some days are harder than others,
The training does not end.
When our children cry out "Daddy!",
My spirit begins to mend.

This man was made to be their daddy,
Made to wipe away their tears.
To make them feel loved and wanted
For many, many years.

Picture taken by Katie Evans Photography

Let Go and Let God.

I am a very passionate person. I don't just dip my toe in the pool and slowly step down the steps to get in. Stopping for awhile at each step to let myself get used to the temperature of the water. No, I am the person that walks to the deep end and DIVES IN. A little crazy? Maybe. Dangerous, even? Perhaps. I dive into things, whole heartedly. With everything I am. Marriage. Parenting. Blogging. Relationships. Church. Building my business. Being a homemaker. Baking. I am passionate about all of these things.
My downfall is that when I commit to something, I intend to accomplish it. I don't just test it... I dive in. It isn't until I'm in the very thick of it that I start to question if maybe I shouldn't have done it. This can be good and bad. Bad for obvious reasons... I start to doubt myself. I start to fail. I go absolutely crazy trying to do the impossible. Good because... When I get to that point of no return and I am wondering what the heck I was thinking, there is only one person that can fix it. And He never fails. This is what the Bible is talking about when it says... "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Where we fail, where we fall short, God is there to pull us through. To perfect us. He never intended for us to do it all on our own. We are human. We are not perfect. We WILL fail. But with Christ living in us, He will do the impossible.
My family mantra will always be- "Make a memory". But I think I will adopt "Let go and let God" as my personal mantra. I struggle with guilt and feeling immense amounts of guilt about the smallest things (ask my husband!) and being crippled by guilt about the big things. I think it will be best for everyone if I can just let that stuff go and let God take that burden of guilt.
Or when it comes to parenting. I can only do so much... God never wanted me to be supermom and to do it all. He gave me the children He gave me because He knew that we could grow and learn from one another. And that I would absolutely need to lean on Him on my toughest days.
Or, more recently, with my business. I could stress every day about how small my list of clients is or if I will meet my monthly goals, but that won't help anything! I need to do my best and realize that at the end of the day, my business will only be successful if I give it to God. 

Let Go and Let God.