blog – The Bless Your Heart Blog

Random Rambles

It’s 6:45 on Friday morning and I’m sitting in bed, blogging and eating a banana. Apparently, the letter of the day is ‘B.’ I kid, I kid.

I mowed and burned tumbleweeds yesterday and my sinuses are paying for it today. Ugh. Wrexy left for work around 5:30 and I was up popping Advil, allergy medicine and Sudafed. At this point, I think I might survive the day.

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We’ve been working on our basement this week. Our house is 100 years old (no really, it is) and we have an outside storm cellar/crawl space that we’ve been wanting to get situated for a while now. You know that I’m hoping that the severe weather season is a mild one, but in case we do have to spend extended time down there, it would be nice to have a clean, clutter-free space. Wrexy framed in a room, installed a door, put up new lights, and we’ve been shop vac-ing 100 year old dirt for days. It’s gone a lot faster than I thought it would and we’re about done!

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Sawyer has recently taken a liking to “chip tacos,” also known as crunchy tacos. (She likes mexican food of about any kind, especially chips and salsa – girl after my own heart!!) We cooked some up for lunch yesterday and I made some pinto beans to go in/with them. I put her beans in the bottom of her taco and as she was eating her taco from the top down, she noticed them in there.

Sawyer: “Oh, look – beans!”

Stef: “Yeah…it’s like a little bean family in a canoe!”

She played/ate her little canoe (what was left of her taco shell for a while) and then I hear…

Sawyer: “There goes momma!”

I look up to see what she’s talking about…and it’s the beans! She grabs two more and says, “Come on, dad, let’s go together!” And another and says, “Wait for me guys!”

She was totally giving life to the bean family and it tickled me to no end! She’s a funny girl!

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While mowing yesterday, it was a little breezy. Every time I headed north, I found myself huddled down in my sweatshirt and when I turned south, I reveled in the soaking warmth of the sunshine. I found myself saying, “I just want to face the sun…” And boy, do I. I want to live a life facing the SON; I want to keep my eyes fixed on Him. I don’t want to be shaken or moved or distracted or pulled elsewhere…I don’t want the world to speak to my soul louder than Him. I want all Him, all the time…..

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Wryder is such a funny little guy. He really does bring us so much joy! He is into everything and it is so fun to watch his mind work and explore and figure things out.

The other day, he had it in his head that this cat was real.

Look at those eyes... — Look at those eyes…

You could just see it in his eyes! He finally finished up lunch and I let him touch it and he was shocked…and a little pleased. We definitely have another animal lover on our hands.

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He got several toy trucks for his birthday and he loves to play with them, of course. I found this construction vest at a garage sale this weekend and I think he looks adorable in it!

He had so much fun dumping legos…until about 12:45 and then he was ready for nap!

Sawyer was, and is, a fantastic sleeper but Wryder takes the cake! Kid naps for 4-5 hours a day and sleeps 13 at night – woooooo hoooooo! (I know, I know…I should never complain about being tired…but I am…and I do…)

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Today is “fun Friday” but I really have no (firm) idea what we’re gonna do to make it “fun.” I suppose we better start with breakfast…I hear little bodies a stirring.

Happy Friday!

Thankful Tree

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. Psalm 100:4

The first of the month kicked off our family’s thankful tree activity. Nothing fancy – just pure, unadulterated gratefulness for the countless blessings we have in our lives.

We ARE a blessed people! We have a roof over our head that is comfortable and climate controlled…we have access to a clean, safe water supply (that can be heated for comfort and cleanliness)…we have the cheapest, safest and most wholesome food supply in the world…we have the privilege to worship how we so choose…we live in a democratic society that although, not perfect, is better than every other alternative… we are healthy and thriving…my husband has a job and one that provides for our financial needs…I have the benefit of staying home to raise our children…we have more than enough food in our cupboards and freezers and stomachs…we have totes of clothes we aren’t currently wearing…we have extra shoes in our mudroom…we own animals for pleasure…we have access to more than one vehicle…we have MORE.THAN.ENOUGH.

Let us not forget from whom all blessings flow.

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17

So, we will praise Him. We will praise Him with our voices and words and blogs. We will praise Him with our attitudes and the posture of our hearts. We will praise Him with our paper leaves.

It’s funny how something so simple can evoke such emotion. To hear Sawyer say she’s grateful for her…

just takes my breath away. She gets it.

Daddy said he was thankful that…

to which Sawyer quickly replied, “No, silly! We live in Holyoke!”

And the past couple of days? I’ve been especially thankful…

The ways in which He provides for us are many and we’re really good at celebrating the gift…but let us not refrain from worshiping THE GIVER.

My heart overflows in gratitude for all He has given…and for the things He took that He knew I didn’t need. Really thankful for those things, too…

Let us cultivate a spirit of gratitude among us, in all things and in all times. It leads to joy. It leads to selflessness. It leads to a greater perspective. It leads to Him.

31

On Monday, I turned the big 3 – 1. That doesn’t sound as cool as the big 3 – 0 does it? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. I was thinking about my birthday and I vividly remember my dad turning 34, which really is just around the corner. There was a TV station in Lubbock at the time – and I’m pretty sure it was the PBS station where my brother and I got our daily Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow fixes – that was called KJTV-34. I remember thinking my dad was sooooo cool because he was 34, like the TV station – ha! I’m getting awfully close to that number, even though that memory feels like it happened just yesterday…

I was SUPER blessed by a ton of sweet, humbling comments on my Facebook page! Thank you to all of you that took the time to send me a message – it really made my day!

The biggest surprise was a beautifully written blog all about yours truly from my “on call” mom. I told you to check out her blog in my first post, and I really hope you take the time to do so. She has this magnificent, prose-like way with words that I do not have. I think I’m more hard fact than pretty fluff, while she seems to do both of these things (in the same post, mind you) incredibly well.

Anyways, I’m beginning to think that I should’ve had her write my About Me page. From what I hear, she captured me well. It’s hard sometimes (for me at least) to really believe these things about myself and be ok enough with what I think I do well or who I really am and put it out there for the world to see, so THANK YOU for helping do that for me. You honored me and blessed me and moved me to (sweet) tears. Love you…forever.

As I become a veteran of my 30’s, I want this year to be even better than the last. How in the world could that possibly be…possible?

So, in an effort to make it more of a binding contract of sorts, here’s a list of a six things I’d like to accomplish (or at least get closer to making real) this year…

1.) Answer the phone more. I’m not a big fan of talking on the phone. I’m a much better in-person person than an over-the-phone one. Plus, during the day, I’m usually ~~crazy~~ ~~busy~~ a little busy running around with my two little cuties (who do come first vs. the phone – they’re my job and I LOVE it!) My call log often looks like this:

Now, Wrex’s? Oh good gravy. It’s NUTS! He might have 45 phone calls…by 5:00 pm TODAY. So even though I don’t anticipate my log looking like his, nor do I want it to, it’s something I’d like to get better at. I often think, “I don’t have time to have a 20 minute conversation so I just won’t answer” or “Gosh, it’s been so long since we’ve talked, this might be awkward, so I just won’t answer” or “Do they REALLY want to talk to ME?” or – no really, I could keep going! Does anyone else do this?! I think it’s the introvert in me that just finds it almost painful sometimes. But, I also want to honor those that do call to have a real conversation. I think so often our voices get lost in Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest and Instagram and blogs and texts that we forget how to have a real, verbal conversation and I don’t want that to be lost on my kids, so? Better start with me. (As I was typing this Grandma Rusk called. I had to giggle. Lord, you’re funny. Just so you know, I answered…and was glad I did.)

2.) Send more snail mail. I used to be REALLY good at sending mail. Then, I had children and email and Facebook became simpler and much quicker (especially when you live 2 miles from your mailbox and 20 miles from town.) But don’t you just LOVE get real mail?? I don’t mean postcard reminders to bring something to the potluck and I certainly don’t mean bills (ugh); I’m talking handwritten letters or cards or invitations. Last week, I received this dandy in the mail…

Is that not just gorgeous?! The time and effort that went into making this just makes you feel special! It screams, “You were worth the ache in my hand, the marker stains on my fingertips and the supper I had to buy because I didn’t have time to make anything!” I want to get back to sending real mail because who in the world wouldn’t want to receive something like that? (This is for my bestie’s baby shower, by the way. I have NO DOUBT it will be a grand affair!)

3.) Spend less time on Facebook. Facebook and I have such a love-hate relationship. I love that I can keep in touch with so many people, so quickly. We don’t have any family in the state, so it’s a good way to keep up with what they’re doing and vice versa. Friends, too! We left a ton of people we love back in Denver and it’s such an easy way to touch base and stay up to date with what’s going on there. But, and this is a BIG but, I hate how it sucks me in and cunningly encourages me to see the “new stories” because God forbid we miss a second of SOMEONE ELSE’S life. Ugh. Spend less time here, for sure, and much more time doing ANYTHING else.

4.) Take more pictures with ME in them. I’m sure you’ve all read this before and if you haven’t, take the time to do so. (Geez, I’ve given you a lot to read in this post!) It really is a good read and something that I’ve found hard to do. One, because it’s usually just the kids and I during the day so it’s a little hard to get on the other side of the camera. Two, because I often fall victim to that mentality of, “I don’t look great, I’ll get one later,” but “later” rarely happens. I don’t ever remember looking at pictures of me with either of my parents and thinking they looked tacky or sloppy. I do remember looking at those pictures and thinking of what good times they were and I suspect my kids will do the same. Get yourself on the otherside of that camera! Have Wrex help you!

5.) Wear my yoga pants less. (I’m sitting here rolling my eyes that I just typed that…mainly out of rebellion – ha!) They’re just so comfy! Plus, when you’re chasing around two kids all day AND, again, you live 20 miles from civilization and thus get VERY few visitors, it’s easy to just stay in your PJ’s all day. Don’t get me wrong, there are DEFINITELY days where that’s ok, but maybe not everyday? I’d like to just start a new habit of being a little more put together, especially for the hubs. Men are visual creatures and I’d really like to honor him in that way. He’s a hottie; I gotta try and keep up! (Note: He’s never mentioned me needing to do this, just so we’re clear.) Good thing I got some jeans for my birthday.

6.) Gain more freedom. Oh, how I want more freedom from the things that ensnare and confuse me and lie to me and make me forget the Truth! I want to be delivered from those demons that paralyze and render me useless. I want to combat the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy. I want to be FREE. I want to return to the joy of salvation. I want life and life abundantly!

So, here’s to being 31…and hopefully accomplishing this list before I’m 34…

Because the World Needs Another Blogger, Right?

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Earlier this summer, I felt the desire to start a blog. I know what you’re thinking. The world doesn’t need another blogger. But my heart had been inundated with moments I didn’t want to forget. I wanted to have a place where I could leave a written account of the memories we’re making with our kiddos, because I always THINK I’ll remember every cute or witty thing they say or do without writing it down, but alas, I do not. The desire to blog wasn’t fleeting. It didn’t feel like a, “Oh-that-could-be-something-fun-to-do-in-all-of-this-spare-time-I-have” {insert sarcastic huff here} kind of a thing – it felt like a push from the Lord; a Holy Spirit nudge of sorts. Continue reading Because the World Needs Another Blogger, Right?