Thursday, August 25, 2011

Top Complaints...

So, you may think it's ironic for me to write a blog about my top complaints after writing a blog about being positive. It's not quite what you think...

5. I can't stand it when I wake up before my alarm goes off. Especially if it ruins my last ten minutes of sleep. My silver lining, my lungs breathed air and I'm still alive. I wake up and my entire family is happy and healthy. Thank God.

4. I can't stand riding with Craig because he doesn't use his blinker and he gets really bad road rage. My silver lining, I thank God that we even have a car. We are blessed more than some others.

3. I don't like doing laundry. I actually detest it. My silver lining, we have clothes on our backs, water in house, and my body is healthy enough to do it. I have a washing machine and a dryer.

2. I don't like it when I constantly have to tell Craig to do the dishes, or pick up the house, or any other chore. My silver lining, he's here. My children have an awesome Daddy. He's very devoted to our family and his job. He would give anything in the world for us.

1. I work at home all day so I'm with kids all of the time. Sometimes I complain that it'd be nice to wear a shirt that doesn't get spit up on, it'd be nice to not have snot trails down my pant legs, and actually be required to wear shoes once in a while.Sometimes I get sick of the crying and fighting.  My silver lining, it's not snot, spit up or poo, it's "love juice"  :)  I have job that I love. I can't say that I have bad days at work. I have bad moments. But that's all they are. They only last a second until I see a gummy smile, get a sloppy kiss, or a great big hug. And then that bad moment is gone. I am thankful these kids are happy and healthy. That my kids are happy and healthy. I am so thankful I get to spend all day with my kids.

So, as a continuation of my last blog, I decided to share with you just SOME of my silver linings. This doesn't really even scrape the surface. I am trying to lead a more positive life, searching out the silver lining, and showing my children to look at the bright side of things. Look at your friends and family. Look at the people you talk to most. Are they sucking the life out of you? Do you leave your conversations feeling happy or frustrated? Do they lift you up or tear you down? Surround yourself with sunny people, and your days will be a lot brighter :)

Sunday, August 14, 2011

This is gonna be a good life....

Have you heard this song? "This is gonna be a good life, a good, good life" I don't even know what it's really called or who sings it. But there's one line that runs through my head almost on a continuous loop. "Can someone tell me-ee-ee what there is to complain about?"

We all have "that" friend, either on facebook, or real life that is just emotionally draining. Who just is not a happy camper. Who just can not seem to count their blessings. Whose cup is almost always half empty. It's sad. And I wonder this about those people. What if something really bad happened to them? Could they handle it? Would they self destruct? Since the weather being too hot is the biggest problem in their life, how can they see the big picture?

Listen, I would not wish anything bad to happen to anyone. I wish we all lead happy, meaningful lives. I wish none of us had to worry about money, the weather, bad hair cuts, or loud neighbors. I really wish we had the perfect world. But since that is our of our control, all we can do is roll with it. But why not do it with a positive attitude? No matter how bad you think you have it, someone ALWAYS has it worse and would give anything to trade lives with someone else.

I am not saying that I never complain. I am sure I do it more than I realize. But I really try not to. Sometimes my kids drive me crazy, but I thank God that they are healthy. I know people who are fighting every day to save their babies' lives. So when Callie wants to sing yet another Taylor Swift song, or that Tanner wants me to read all five of his animal books so he can make the noises, I think about complaining, or not doing it because I am bored of it. Then I stop. I think about the families who would give anything in the world to read one more book to their baby or listen to them sing one more time. Life is way too short to spend it unhappy.

I know complaining will never stop. We will always have at least that one person in our lives who just can't be happy with what they have. And we can't really change them, but we can try to help them see the positive in their life. And I wish that even just for a minute, for one complaint, they stop and think.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

July, Anyone?

I can't believe how fast this summer is going. I am totally neglecting the blog, yet again, go figure. A lot has been going on around here and it's keeping us on our toes!!

First, we had the 4th of July celebration. We went to my friend, Jessica Hudson's house. And that was so much fun. Her entire family was there (she has a lot of siblings, too, so I always feel right at home!) as well as some friends. Our neighborhood had a professional fireworks show and I must say, I was impressed! I saw a cake be wrapped up in fire crackers (fun stuff!) and her husband actually blew a hole in their shutters on the house. Craziness. But super fun.

Then came Callie's 4th Birthday. Daddy had that week off so we visited the zoo and had a lot of fun family time. You all know how I feel about my baby growing up. We did our customary baking a cake on her actual birthday, which she decorates all by herself. This time Aunt Caity helped her! It was yummy, of course. Then we had the big party we have every year. We had all of our friends and family, and it was so much fun. I will try and get some pictures up here soon, patience people, at least I am blogging :)
During July I also got a Kindle, which is my new favorite toy. Craig is already regretting that gift because I can't stop reading. I read "Room" and all three of the "The Hunger Games" series so far. It's our Book Club choice for the month. (Don't judge, it's not your average book club. Much more fun! We drink a lot of wine, and talk a little bit about the book!)

We also took the kiddos to Adventureland, followed by a few nights to visit some family. It was a lot of fun. I started playing Angry Birds for the week, which was not a good choice, so I have since stopped. Way too addictive for me! The kids loved Adventureland, even Tanner.
All in all, July was a pretty fun month. The weather has been a little warm, I'm not gonna lie, but it's hard to complain. I'm thankful that my family is happy and healthy, and that is all that matters. The weather will always be changing (Welcome to Nebraska), so there's no point in complaining about it!

Now we are two weeks into August. I really can't believe how quickly time flies. Callie is starting 5 day preschool (we all know how I feel about that), starting dance classes again, and starting swimming lessons. Tanner is walking a lot and really working on his temper tantrum skills. He's getting really good. Really.

I have been spending time reading, playing with the kids, and my newest addiction? That would be pinterest.com. If you haven't been there, go. Now. If you need an invite, let me know. It's so much fun. And actually quite helpful to organize your thoughts. I have been doing some of my very own "Craft" projects (crafting? book club? I even looked at buying an apron at Target the other day. Wow.) and I will also take some pictures of those.

Are things going to slow down anytime soon? Probably not. I will probably live the next 30 years in a blink of an eye. And I wish I knew how to slow it down. How to capture some of these moments that seem to be flying by me. I hope I never forget all of the precious day to day things that happen in this home. I hope they never forget....