And then I became a soccer mom

Get me a minivan and bumper sticker--I am--a soccer mom.  It's official.

We got the random and last minute opportunity this afternoon to get Everett in a "mini kickers" community league.  I've been really wanting to get him in some kind of organized activity for awhile, so we picked up shin guards, socks and teeny tiny cleats and had ourselves a soccer star.

Ok, can I just say, little 3/4/5 year olds "playing" soccer is one of the most chaotic hilarious things.  You've got the kids that get it, the kids that clearly do not, and those in-betweeners that switch between getting it and totally freaking out.

Everett was an in-betweener.

He did great at first, then he had some meltdowns when he realized he couldn't kick the ball all by himself and that other kids could get it too.  So we have a lot of learning and practice ahead of us.  He IS the youngest on his team though--so considering that fact, I'm not worried.  Heck, I'm so proud of my little soccer star! It was the highlight of my week by far.

I'll be his soccer mama any day!

You're not the only one.

I figured, what better day than Mother's Day to shed some light on the reality--at least my reality of motherhood.

I think a big chunk of learning to be a confident mama is to be able to be transparent enough to say, "Hey you mother of 4 with baby food on your shirt and mismatched earrings, I see your chaos and I raise you an 'I lost my kids' favorite toy and I'm not sure when the last time is I bathed my toddler'".

It's seeing each other for who we really are and having that feeling of, "What? You too?! I thought I was the only one that _________"

Isn't that realization and connection so much better than isolating ourselves and comparing who we are to Pinterest, Bloggers, TV, movies and magazines (totally guilty of that!).  I'll bet you my formula stained sweater that there are imperfections, flaws and mistakes in every nook and cranny of those people we idolize and put ourselves up against.

I constantly have to remind myself that "comparison is the thief of joy".  It's true.  If I'm not happy, I check and ask myself, "self, why are you not happy" and the root of the unhappiness I feel is because Satan has taken the foothold I gave to him called comparison.  It's a yucky thing.

So on this day, Mother's day, I'd like to give the maybe handful of readers I have some of my realities--not really even imperfections, but the reality of who I am-who we are as a family.  Realities that are purposely hidden away.  Ones that I feel like "I must be the only one in the world that ____".  Ones that I'm sure many of you share with me.

I must remind myself that I am never "the only one".  You are never the only one.  We're in this crazy thing of parenthood together and it's messy. Downright ugly at times.  But such is life.  We were created by a merciful, forgiving and loving God that made us to relate to each other and share in these things--good and bad.  Such a transparency has got to be more helpful to building fellowship and community than hiding these bits of who we are, right?

Here's some of my "junk":

-Marriage is hard. Honestly, the hardest thing ever--to be with someone nearly 24/7 and constantly work to make unified decisions and actually like each other all the time.  Ooftah--yeah that's Minnesotan for "what did I get myself into?!"  Truth be told, yes, I have thrown around the "D" word before and we thought we were headed there for awhile.  Thankfully God intervened.  Marriage is hard.  You're not the only one.

-Sometimes I really do lose track of when I last bathed the kids.  Honestly, I only bathe them maybe twice a week unless they are smelly or visibly dirty. You're not the only one.

-I have left the same gosh darn glass in the dishwasher for the last 2 months because it is just not getting cleaned for some reason and I refuse to hand wash it! You're not the only one.

-I ran out of deodorant last week and I've been using my husbands. You're not the only one.

-I'm pretty sure we have a couple containers of moldy food in the back of the fridge, but I have--and will probably still neglect to get them out.  You're not the only one.

-I always forget to take the lint out of the dryer.  Thankfully Curt does it.  If for some reason our house burns down in the future-it's probably my fault.  You're not the only one.

-I am a really good cook. About 4 times a year.  I actually really stink at it and have no motivation to cook whatsoever.  You're not the only one.

-I stink and reading my Bible.  I never make enough time and when I do, I struggle to really dig into it.  I actually stink at reading period.  I have three books I've started and have no idea when I'll get to finish them.  You're not the only one.

-For every cute picture you see, there are probably about 15 that sucked before I got that perfect shot.  You're not the only one.

-I'm kind of afraid of large groups of people.  You're not the only one.

-I've lost about 20 lbs since January which is awesome.  But I still have that darned saggy belly pooch.  I have stretch marks where I didn't think I stretched and I still can't fit into my wedding dress. You're not the only one.

-During the first few years of our marriage and even occasionally now in our 7th year, we didn't manage our finances well and made/make mistakes.  We've been "in the red" more times than I'd like to admit and completely understand what it feels like to live paycheck to paycheck.  You're not the only one.

So, mama's, women, human beings on the other side of this post--surely you can see that you're not the only one with some dirt hanging around your life. And believe me, there is much much more where this comes from!

So put it out there--share it with someone and allow them--or yourself that, "I thought I was the only one?!" moment.  Just as our great, beautiful and fun things can bring us together--so can these little realities--In probably a more profound and sort of 'this is what life's about' kind of way.

So happy Mother's day.  You're doing great. You really are.  It's ok to not be perfect--you're not the only one.

Happy Easter to all, and to all a good night.

Happy Easter ya'll!

This photo cracks me up.  As if she's saying, "mom....don't you know the Easter bunny isn't real."

This is what I get now when I tell him to smile at the camera.  I'm not sure if this is some sort of gang sign or if he is trying to flip me off.

much better.

G was super stoked about her new Easter socks.

Everett trying to reason with a one year old.  He's got his expressive hands goin' and everything.

He is Risen indeed.

Staying healthy while on vacation.

Today I have a special guest post from someone that really knows what she is talking about when it comes to being healthy while on vacation!  After going to Florida with the great ambition to stay on point and keep up with my goals, I was so happy to read her tips and try to stick to them!  This is definitely a first for me, but hopefully not a last!

My name is Kendra Thornton, I am 40 and the mother 3 kids. Before being promoted to the position of full time mom I was the Director of Communications at Orbitz. I now live in Chicago where my family is my number one priority.

My family works hard to stay healthy. We eat good food, and every member of my family participates in sports and other fitness activities. When we go on a trip together, I incorporate a few tricks to help us stay fit regardless of where our travels take us.

1. Healthy Hotel Stays

I always make sure that our hotel accommodates a healthy lifestyle. I check for places that have good fitness facilities, and often I book a hotel with running trails or other options on the premises. In order to avoid unhealthy snacks from vending machines, I stock our in-room fridge with healthy snacks. It’s worth a trip to a local market to get them. To keep unhealthy food out of reach, I also refuse the key to the minibar.

Laura:  I was adamant about remaining active over my vacation, so I took advantage of their fitness facility complete with cardio machines and weights.  I didn’t do it every day, but enough to keep me on track and burn some of the Krispy Kreme’s I indulged in! We also make a trip to Wal-Mart to stock the fridge with fruits and some other healthy snack options while we were just lounging around.

2. Healthy Eating Out

Before leaving, I research local restaurants. I like to pick places to eat that serve local produce and other healthy options. Places that feature light and fit meals or vegetarian options are always good places to eat. My kids are already learning to choose vegetables or fresh fruit over fried and greasy sides. If we do indulge in a high-calorie, heavy meal at a restaurant, we eat lighter, healthier fare for the other meals of the day.

Laura: Before going out or while deciding where to eat, I would use my handy iphone app “Lose it”.  It can look up any food and/or restaurant and help to make healthy choices.  I love it—gives me the freedom to eat out, but still be wise about what I’m putting in my body---and yes, we did splurge a bit, like with bacon and jalapeño deviled eggs… MMmmm.  Splitting meals also helped us to cut back on cost and calories.

3. Healthy Vacation Activities

Playing games is a great way to stay fit. Although you won’t get your usual workout when you’re traveling, you can still exercise. My family often makes up games or races. We usually stay at a hotel with a pool and enjoy playing there together in the evenings. We sometimes have our own Olympics with challenges such as swimming underwater for the longest time or swimming the most times across the pool. We even have splash contests.

Laura:  We had so many opportunities to be active on this trip via swimming, walking, miniature golf, and of course hotel bed jumping J  I wish I would have worn my heart rate monitor to find how many calories I burned the day we went to Disney World!  That was  A LOT of walking!

4. Healthy Drinks

On vacation, my family makes a point of drinking plenty of water. Water helps the body stay hydrated and function properly. On hot days in the sun, drinking enough water helps family members avoid heat-related illnesses and discomforts. If we plan to be outdoors in the sun for a long period of time, I often chill bottles of water to take along. Drinking water instead of sugary soft drinks at restaurants also helps to control calorie intake.

Laura: Besides the occasional “adult beverage”, I drank water and my Shakeology.  I kept hydrated and content with both of those and it helped to give me what I needed and curb the cravings!

Family vacations are a great time to enjoy one another’s company. Everyone has a better time when they feel well. One new tip I do have is to book a hotel with a quality gym. This was one thing we did for our upcoming trip to Orlando in case of rain. With so many hotels in Orlando, this process proved to be a bit difficult however there are sites out there like Gogobot that can make it a little easier. I hope these tips help you have a healthier vacation this year.

Thanks for that Kendra!

I am happy to report that I came back home after a week of vacation and did not gain ANY extra pounds! Woo Hoo!  So folks, whether you’re planning a vacation, on one or just daydreaming about what it would be like to be on one, it IS possible to stay on track and make healthy choices while you’re away from routine!  Of course indulgence and giving in to some cravings is necessary to vacation mode while you are letting the stresses of life melt away, but just keep it all in moderation!

When you wish upon a star...

The boys are taking one last splash in the pool in the warm Florida night and I just got done packing everything up for our voyage home tomorrow.  While I surely and positively will miss and long for sunshine like we've had here, along with the fun adventures we've had the opportunity to partake in, I am longing even more to be a complete family with my baby girl in my arms once again.  Mom guilt was in full effect on this trip--especially yesterday at THE Disney World as I saw many a parent with tiny babes in tow.  I know it was easier without her, but was it necessary?  I beat myself up about it, but in the end it was all for Everett--a trip full of memories for him because we never got to do one last BIG thing before he was no longer the only child.  I do hope he holds on to some of the fun we've had while we've been here and cherishes these memories for many many years!

First airplane ride...

Orlando and Downtown Disney with Auntie Bev and Uncle Norm...

After the monsoon--seriously soaked!

First time to the ocean...

Disney World Adventure...

...Dreams really do come true.