Beautifully Poor

Having kids is AMAZING! Can I get an Amen, mama? There are some frustrations, yes, but overall, they are the sweetest people to have around. Benjamin says the kindest things to me. In fact, the other day on our way home from the cities, he randomly said, "Mama, your hair looks beautiful like that." Talk about a melted heart!!! There is a downfall people tend to not talk about, and it doesn't lie within immediate family of you, your significant other and your babies. It lies with other moms and sometimes can even be your own mother or mother in law. They are called "mom shamers" and whether they mean to or not, they certainly make us feel like we are incompetent, they bring up feelings or rage, sadness and doubt within ourselves, though we are doing our very best at being the best moms we can be. There are so many topics I could cover where mom shamers are most prevalent, but one that really comes to mind, as I have a newborn in the home, is how we fe...

I didn't really post about my pregnancy much, mostly from fear, some because of guilt. Pregnancy after a loss, or in my case more than one loss, isn't all exciting and it is definitely a journey like no other. The first few months were terrifying, then they were exciting and then again towards the end that feeling of impending doom came back. The last month has been up and down emotionally and I'm not sure if it was just hormones or old fears coming back or both. What I do know is that now that Samuel is here, I have never felt a greater joy inside myself than I do now. Every birth is different but I can honestly say that this birth was so exciting and such a happy time for me. Labor went smoothly - my water broke at 12:30 am and we got to the hospital by 1:30 with contractions 3 minutes apart and getting more intense. By the time I was 5 cm I got an epidural, which I didn't do with Benjamin and I am SO glad for the pain intervention. With it, I was able to enjoy ...

A lot of nights at bedtime it is just my son and I, so we listen to Keys for Kids on my phone (a short devotional) and sometimes Adventures in Odyssey through OnePlace.com . Tonight, after my boy fell asleep, I started scrolling through Facebook and came across this video: Tears silently fell down my face. Not just because of the story itself, but because of an incident that happened yesterday in my own life, with another person.  My son and I had just left one of my OB appointments, and usually when I'm in the cities I grab groceries at my favorite stores. One of those stores is in Vadnais Heights, so we were headed there. I saw a man at the corner with a sign right off of the exit and saw the car next to me give him something and in my head I was so negative. I hate admitting any of this, but since moving here it is such a common sight and not knowing whether or not the person truly is in need or if they are just panhandling does eventually make me stupid when it com...

A Spectacle of Glory  by Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby is a daily devotional that is meant to be encouraging, especially to those living in hard times or going through them. Each day starts off with a verse to look up and read, followed by the author's take on it or a story relating to it and then a short prayer.  I found that a lot of these have come from Joni Eareckson Tada's own life experiences. If you don't know anything about her, she is a quadriplegic and is founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian organization that is an outreach to the disabled community. She is a great inspiration seeing all that she has been up against in life and I find great respect in her ability to overcome the obstacles that have been thrown her way. The devotionals don't really inspire deep thought and are very simple and to the point. The short prayers are also more her prayers, which I would suggest saying a prayer that means something to you, these just he...

Under the Tuscan Sun  by  Frances Mayes  is a widely popular New York Times Bestseller. Given the chance to actually read such a popular book I have heard so much about, I had to take it!  The edition I received is the 20th Anniversary Edition with a new afterword - some thoughts from Frances Mayes herself on the book she wrote 20 years ago. I have to agree with everyone, that it is a beautifully written memoir that really brings you into the life in Italy, the remodeling of an original home, and my favorite - the food. I absolutely adore that she included recipes in the book. There is actually a chapter called Winter Kitchen Notes  that contains quite a few recipes including Wild Mushroom Lasagna, a variety of Bruschette and Chestnuts in red wine.  Under the Tuscan Sun  is said to have inspired many into taking journey's of their own. To take a risk and travel and learn about something out of their own ordinary. I really can see that thro...

I thoroughly enjoy devotionals that make me think.  Devotions For A Deeper Life by Oswald Chambers  does just that. The author, Oswald Chambers, is a world renowned theologian and well known for his other book, My Utmost for His Highest , which is also a great read.  Devotions For A Deeper Life by Oswald Chambers  is a beautiful hardcover devotional book with an attached ribbon book mark for keeping one's page very easily. This is a daily devotional, starting with January 1st and ending on December 31st. Each devotion starts with a scripture, followed by a short devotional and ending with a prayer thought and suggested reading from the Bible. Whether keeping for yourself as a beautiful devotional, or giving as a gift, I really think anyone looking for a great devotional would enjoy this as much as I do. It really is gift ready and perfect for the nightstand, whether doing devotions in the morning or evening. You can purchase it here  Zondervan Publ...

AdoramaPix  is an amazing company that lets you create beautiful, extremely high quality Christmas cards. The prices are fabulous and the quality! I cannot say enough about the beauty of these cards. This is our second year getting them and I couldn't be happier. Photo cards can look cheap and quite frankly, can be pricey for the quality you get. These will not disappoint! I have never been disappointed with anything I have purchased from  AdoramaPix , so I can put these on mythe "I highly recommend this" list! I was more than thrilled to open my cute little  AdoramaPix  box this afternoon when the mail came. I LOVE sending out Christmas Cards, and it is the only time of year we do family pictures. It has become a tradition for us, so I was definitely looking forward to it. The experience to create the card was a good one. It is so easy to create your own personalized cards, whether using a template they already have on the site or making your own from scratch....