A recent conversation with a friend got me thinking about the quote I use on my own children and have heard many a time among adults and kiddos. "You Get what you get and you don't get upset." We use this a lot now with Hannah who wants a specifc color of something or wants want another friend has etc...and I was thinking about how this really applies to us grown up peoples too. :)
How often do we wallow in our own unhappiness, dare I say pout, when we see someone, anyone, with something we want? Comparing ourselves is natural, but as we've been told time and time again no one is exactly the same, we are all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and that we have all be gifted in different areas in life. And yet...I wish I was______like______. ...I do it, however, I find myself lately doing a lot less. I find myself instead celebrating what the other person has going on and then looking to find the things that I feel like I do ok with.
I have two sisters. They are twins, so when I say they are both beautiful that seems like an obvious statement but they are two totally different people, and beautiful in completely different ways. My one sister is currently training to qulaify for the Olympic trials! And friends, if ever a girl was going to make it, it's her. Running is her passion. She does it. She does it well. It fuels her. She is beyond succeeding. She exudes love and passion. I used to look at her (and my other sister who runs also) and think: Now why can't I enjoy running? Why can't I get behind it and do well at it like they can!? I mean let's be honest...if I'm running it's because something (a bee!) is chasing me or it's to work off the goodies I've decided to indulge in. The answer is...it's not my thing. My heart is not behind running like it is for either of them. I am filled with immense pride when I think of what she is accomplishing and when I can make it to a race she has I am so filled with awe and pride in her and what she can do. But it's not my thing.
My other sister is a fantastic artist and she's extremely creative. She has this gorgeous softness about who she is that makes you instantly love her. She has a light up the room smile. She also runs and well and always looks fit and pulled together. She's currently working on getting her masters in psychology, and it could be so easy for me to get frustrated and think...well I don't have or do any of that! But those aren't my things.
We constantly create our own unhappiness by looking at others and other things to try and make our happiness. In my opinion, there is no such thing as greener pastures...it just appears that way at first. But once you get to said greener pasture and get settled you realize you are just as unhappy as you were in the pasture before...and now you're just looking elsewhere to find something better.
I think it's our challenge to live within what we've been given, whether it be money or talents etc. and to make the absolute best of those things. Not to try to take on other's passions and loves and make them our own, but to use what we've got and work with the things we really love. For instance, I am not a runner, nor am I an artist, but I love to bake, I love taking pictures, I love to sing, I love my children more than anything. I've always wanted to be a mama. How sad if I were to waste this thing that is my passion by comparing myself to other women who aren't moms themselves or even women who are, and fritter away my time being wistful, when I can enjoy what I DO have, when I can teach my children to love what they've been given, and to be happy and content. I am blessed to be able to stay home and be a mama. I am blessed to use my love of singing and lead a phenomenal worship team at our current church which includes Adam! I am blessed that while at home I can bake! I am blessed that I have been given two adorable children to take pictures of until they get old enough to tell me to stop!
I know of people who claim happiness, but they haven't told their face or their hearts even. I feel like saying the same thing I say to Hannah when I tell her to adjust her attitude and tone of voice and she insists she's done so...but one look at her tells you she's still very unhappy and upset. I respond with, "Really? The unhappiness is gone? Well you might want to inform your face that you're happy because it doesn't know yet."
We're all given choices, including to a certain extent the degree of happiness which we will allow ourselves and what it is that will make us happy. It is not always easy to DO what needs to be done to change the unhappiness within ourselves or a situation or another person, and sometimes it's very hard work. Sometimes it means reaching out for extra help in being happy, whether it be in counseling or in a trusted friend or whoever it is that can positively help us. But happiness comes in deciding that continuing being unhappy just isn't going to work for you anymore. In deciding to be ok with who we are. In looking at our lives with all honesty and saying, I really am so blessed. It's not always easy...life happens. Things try to rob us of our daily joys and a consistent happiness. But I wonder how often too we let ourselves sink into pouting because it's just easier to. It's not just me that says this! Look:
*A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:13
*A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30
and...
*I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Phillippians 4:12
The moral of my rant is this...we get what we get and we should not get upset.
10.26.2011
Life As We Know It
Well...it's officially fall. I really love me some fall colors and sunshine. It just makes everything seem more brilliant and gorgeous. And using last year as a guide, I am making sure we get OUTSIDE at every possible opportunity...because as we discovered last year, you never know how long your household will be on lock down due to sickness or weather.
Nothing too new or exciting is happening for us. Just the daily stuff...settling back into a routine after summer time fun. We moved Abby to a big girl bed about a month ago and she is rockin it! Adam and I were so nervous after the experience with Hannah, (many tears and lost sleep on both mama and Hannah's parts) and just an over all bad experience. But at that point we didn't have the ability to say, ok ya know what, we'll just put her back in the crib and come back to all this later... I was very pregnant with Abby and we needed that bed! And we needed to make sure Hannah didn't feel like new baby was taking the bed away from her...well it just wasn't fun. I think back on it and I get tired and weepy all over again.
So Abby is doing great at the big girl bed. She is putting SO many words together and making sentences and is at this point getting mighty inseperable from big sis. Whatever Hannah is doing Abby feels she needs to do as well. And if we give something special to Abby she is always quick to make sure Hannah gets some as well. They are always together in one of their rooms reading together and looking through books or snuggling in one of their beds all giggly and cute. Of course as anyone with multiple kiddos knows...one minute all is beautiful and calm and then the next someone is screaming and holding their eye or their hair because the other has taken out their frustration. So that's always delightful. Abby is definitely almost 2 though...tantrums are starting to fly over words like, "No," And "Let's not."
Hannah currently has a MASSIVE yellow/black bump on her forehead and a yellow bump near one eye. After a slippery batch of bath fizzy took her out in the tub causing her to slip and smash her eye, she threw a tantrum and smacked her forehead HARD on the end of her bed. She of course regrets that now...I cringe everytime I look at it! She's been really concerned about Aunty Jen and baby Whitney since Sunday, and (Jen) has been wanting to pray for you guys every night to make sure you all are ok. :)
Conversations with Hannah have become more hilarious. Her love of words and her crazy logic have come together in a new way that just makes you giggle. As in a conversation the other night:
Hannah: Mom, we really need to get a new lightbulb for my lamp.
Me: Ya gotcha. I know.
Hannah: So tommorow let's go to the store and get one. ...Well, probably Target because they have all the best deals. (at this point Adam is shaking his head and rolling his eyes. hahaha! Sorry love!)
Me: Oh Target huh?
Hannah: Yes. Well, or Fred Meyer. I mean they have stuff like that too....but then, no. Target. Really Fred Meyer tends to be more expensive than Target so let's just plan on that.
Me: Ha! Ok then Target it is. (Because like I ever need an excuse to visit there and wander!)
Also, I asked Hannah what she learned in Sunday School last week and apparently she learned that setting people on fire or mutilating them in any way is bad. haha Ooooo-k then. Good to know. At least I suppose she's learning life skills there? haha
So to sum life up the girls are cute and we are in a pretty good rhythm right now. Once we see that Abby really gets the hang of the sleeping thing I would love to put the girls together in the same room. Hannah has her last swim lesson of this session next Monday...and then we are taking a break. She's kind of zoning out in swim right now and really wants to take ballet so I think we are going to sign her up for that and let her take some time away from swimming....she's super excited about ballet so this should be cute. hehe
Also, since removing Hannah from milk about 3 weeks ago it has made a huge difference. Her attitude has improved drastically Eventually she needs to be tested to figure out the extent of the intolerance or allergy...but our last blood draw test left her in tears so...we've got to work towards that. It's amazing how removing or changing food/diet can do so much. I had to do a similar thing earlier in the year and man...it made such a huge difference for me!
We also started a new system of earning priveleges/tv time with coins. We have a magnetic chore chart but what I didn't like is that it's daily and you can only earn one smiley for each category. So neither Hannah or I were motivated to really make it work. But now we have all these gold pirate coins floating around and so I decided to implement a system where we just place coins in the jar for any kind words, compliments, helping activities or good things/attitude we have throughout the day. For every so many earned she can earn tv time but she has to turn them in. For every so many earned she could watch a movie instead, but they have to be redeemed. Or she can choose to save them up to a certain amount and redeem them for a movie out or a special trip somewhere or an actual dollar amount. This has been working out BEAUTIFULLY. She has always loved helping out any way but now that she can see a coin or two go into the jar for a good attitude or kind words or for her helping Mama, Daddy or Abby with something or for her taking her own clothes to her room and putting them all where they belong in their drawers etc...she's really been working hard to get things done and have a positive attitude. This works MUCH better than the chore chart. I think it's a more tangible way for her to see how her attitude and words and helpfulness add up.
So there it is....as I said life is boringly good right now. We're chugging right along.
Nothing too new or exciting is happening for us. Just the daily stuff...settling back into a routine after summer time fun. We moved Abby to a big girl bed about a month ago and she is rockin it! Adam and I were so nervous after the experience with Hannah, (many tears and lost sleep on both mama and Hannah's parts) and just an over all bad experience. But at that point we didn't have the ability to say, ok ya know what, we'll just put her back in the crib and come back to all this later... I was very pregnant with Abby and we needed that bed! And we needed to make sure Hannah didn't feel like new baby was taking the bed away from her...well it just wasn't fun. I think back on it and I get tired and weepy all over again.
So Abby is doing great at the big girl bed. She is putting SO many words together and making sentences and is at this point getting mighty inseperable from big sis. Whatever Hannah is doing Abby feels she needs to do as well. And if we give something special to Abby she is always quick to make sure Hannah gets some as well. They are always together in one of their rooms reading together and looking through books or snuggling in one of their beds all giggly and cute. Of course as anyone with multiple kiddos knows...one minute all is beautiful and calm and then the next someone is screaming and holding their eye or their hair because the other has taken out their frustration. So that's always delightful. Abby is definitely almost 2 though...tantrums are starting to fly over words like, "No," And "Let's not."
Hannah currently has a MASSIVE yellow/black bump on her forehead and a yellow bump near one eye. After a slippery batch of bath fizzy took her out in the tub causing her to slip and smash her eye, she threw a tantrum and smacked her forehead HARD on the end of her bed. She of course regrets that now...I cringe everytime I look at it! She's been really concerned about Aunty Jen and baby Whitney since Sunday, and (Jen) has been wanting to pray for you guys every night to make sure you all are ok. :)
Conversations with Hannah have become more hilarious. Her love of words and her crazy logic have come together in a new way that just makes you giggle. As in a conversation the other night:
Hannah: Mom, we really need to get a new lightbulb for my lamp.
Me: Ya gotcha. I know.
Hannah: So tommorow let's go to the store and get one. ...Well, probably Target because they have all the best deals. (at this point Adam is shaking his head and rolling his eyes. hahaha! Sorry love!)
Me: Oh Target huh?
Hannah: Yes. Well, or Fred Meyer. I mean they have stuff like that too....but then, no. Target. Really Fred Meyer tends to be more expensive than Target so let's just plan on that.
Me: Ha! Ok then Target it is. (Because like I ever need an excuse to visit there and wander!)
Also, I asked Hannah what she learned in Sunday School last week and apparently she learned that setting people on fire or mutilating them in any way is bad. haha Ooooo-k then. Good to know. At least I suppose she's learning life skills there? haha
So to sum life up the girls are cute and we are in a pretty good rhythm right now. Once we see that Abby really gets the hang of the sleeping thing I would love to put the girls together in the same room. Hannah has her last swim lesson of this session next Monday...and then we are taking a break. She's kind of zoning out in swim right now and really wants to take ballet so I think we are going to sign her up for that and let her take some time away from swimming....she's super excited about ballet so this should be cute. hehe
Also, since removing Hannah from milk about 3 weeks ago it has made a huge difference. Her attitude has improved drastically Eventually she needs to be tested to figure out the extent of the intolerance or allergy...but our last blood draw test left her in tears so...we've got to work towards that. It's amazing how removing or changing food/diet can do so much. I had to do a similar thing earlier in the year and man...it made such a huge difference for me!
We also started a new system of earning priveleges/tv time with coins. We have a magnetic chore chart but what I didn't like is that it's daily and you can only earn one smiley for each category. So neither Hannah or I were motivated to really make it work. But now we have all these gold pirate coins floating around and so I decided to implement a system where we just place coins in the jar for any kind words, compliments, helping activities or good things/attitude we have throughout the day. For every so many earned she can earn tv time but she has to turn them in. For every so many earned she could watch a movie instead, but they have to be redeemed. Or she can choose to save them up to a certain amount and redeem them for a movie out or a special trip somewhere or an actual dollar amount. This has been working out BEAUTIFULLY. She has always loved helping out any way but now that she can see a coin or two go into the jar for a good attitude or kind words or for her helping Mama, Daddy or Abby with something or for her taking her own clothes to her room and putting them all where they belong in their drawers etc...she's really been working hard to get things done and have a positive attitude. This works MUCH better than the chore chart. I think it's a more tangible way for her to see how her attitude and words and helpfulness add up.
So there it is....as I said life is boringly good right now. We're chugging right along.
10.11.2011
Abby JoyAge: 20 months
Likes: Doggies, Birds, Shoes, Laughing, Food, Snuggles and Kisses
Dislikes: Pants covering her toes, too much love from sister, being told no
Favorite Words: Mommy, Daddy, Hannah, B (for Barry), Sorry Hannah, Buddah (Blanket), Thank you
Favorite Foods: Hard to meet one she hates!
Favorite Activities: Sitting and reading with sister, being in Sister's room, singing, being outside.
Hannah Grace
Age: 4
Likes: Puddles, Snow, Reading, Gardening, Boots, Anything Sparkly, Dinosaurs.
Dislikes: Being told no, being sick (she'll deny it if you mention she has a cold), food.
Favorite Words: Preffering, Various made up words, any word she hasn't learned yet. She likes words in general.
Favorite Foods: Peanut butter sandwich, pancakes. Yogurt without fruit in it.
Favorite Activities: Playing princess, reading with Abby, being a little mama, going on bike rides, adventure walks, gardening or digging in dirt, dancing, doing things with family and special friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)