::don't be an ass::

you've heard the cliche phrase :

"you know what happens when you assume...wink-wink, nudge-nudge..it makes an ass out of you and me."

it's trite but totally true.
we all make them.
but we shouldn't.

assumptions hurt.
assumptions fuel insecurities.
assumptions lead to judgement.
assumptions lead to wrong conclusions.
assumptions are unneccessary.

so how do we avoid this path of destruction paved by assumptions?

ask questions:

instead of overanalyzing what you think you heard or read (the written word can be seriously harmful) just clarify. what did you mean by that statment?

consider the heart:

does the person you are interacting with care for you? are their intentions to come across harsh or unkind? is this just part of their personality? if the answer is yes to any of those questions then simply excuse their comments. give grace.

remember it's all in perspective:

we all have different perspectives on life and circumstances based on our personal experiences. so it's best in a stressful situation that could be misinterpreted to consider that you each may have different perspectives.

i love the book rainbow fish. at one point eisley knew the entire book word for word. i think it is a beautiful example of sharing what we have with others. however, one day i engaged in a conversation with someone who did not care for the book because she felt it was a terrible lesson that taught kids they have to buy friendships. interesting perspective that i had never considered.

we are unique beings. so our takes on things will frequently be different than the people around us.

look at the big picture:

in the broad scheme of things, does this matter? does this have a place in the legacy i am creating?

excuse:

whenever possible excuse and overlook. just let it roll off your shoulders and move on.  as ann voskamp said in her book 1000 gifts: "expectations kill relationships."

::what leads to deepest happiness?::

"we are in deepest happiness in the posture of the grateful worship"

-ann voskamp

eyes open as light peeks through the window.
morning brings a new wave of responsibility. a new list of things to do.
a late start never helps slow the day.
throwing back the covers making my way to the shower while my mind fills with all that will have to be accomplished- followed by the overwhelming urge to sleep more.

shower, make-up, ironing, dressing, all to the soothing sound of ocean waves through the monitor. babies sleeping restfully. content. safe with not a care in the world.

then i remember the one i carry.
i sit- thankful.
the to-do list no longer in the forefront of my mind. gratitude takes over.
i count each blessing. each precious gift.
happiness takes over.
i begin my day in grateful worship.


how about you sweet friend? how do you get into grateful worship?

::a mommy who says {yes}::

:photo:

recently i read this post and this post about saying {YES} to our children.

so in response to these readings i said::

yes eisley, you can play dress up.
yes eisley, we can be fairies and chase each other throughout the house.
yes eisley, i will come see what you have created, right now.
yes eisley, you can have one more minute to play.
yes eisley, we can snuggle and watch a show before bed.
yes eisley, we can read two books tonight.
yes eisley, you can sleep with 357 toys tonight.

and what did i get in return??

yes mommy, i'm coming to the dinner table.
yes mommy i will try everything on my plate.
yes mommy, i'm coming to the bath.
yes mommy, i will help durgin.
yes mommy, it's time for bed.
good night mommy, i love you forever.

::dinner-time-fun::

::photo::

a friend shared a neat, impromptu, learning exercise that she did with her children at dinner a couple nights ago. since dinner is the one time of day that the whole family sits down together and can talk and share i jumped at the chance to make it a little more interesting for my little ones.

i told eisley i would give her a word and she would create a sentence with that word. and then she would give daddy a word and he would create a sentence adding to her story. then daddy would give me a word and i would create a sentence adding to the story.

eisley is 4.5 years old so it took her a few tries to get the concept. but in moments, it just clicked and sentences were formed. she did not quite understand creating a continuous story with all of our sentences but that's okay it was fun anyway. we giggled and gave lots of high fives for creative sentences. even durgin who just turned 2 would cheer and jump in for encouragement even though he had no idea what we were doing.

this simple exercise made dinner totally fun!

sooooo.....i was hoping you guys could share some dinner-time-fun that goes on at your place!

::the question i asked 1000 times::

{how do you know who you are supposed to marry?}

i wondered about my prince charming from a very young age. as young as elementary school i pictured my wedding with the fella i had my eye on at the time. i doodled wedding dresses and thought about color themes and brides maids.

i wandered into young adulthood with same question in the forefront of my mind. every married person i encountered faced the fifth degree.

how did you know he was the one?

and every person i talked with gave me the same answer:

you just know.

as a young person this did NOT offer much comfort to my searching heart. i was with someone and didn't just know he was the one. so i considered their answers nonsense instead of wisdom and went on with my life thinking i might just marry that guy.

until....
we broke up and i began a deep friendship with this other fella. we hung out. we watched movies. we played tennis. we played cards (and footsie). we got to know each other. we were friends. great great friends. friends that began dating. friends that fell in love. friends that got married. friends that became parents.

so you might be asking, how did you know he was the one?

my answer:: i just knew.

{{happy anniversary to the love of my life...jacob}}

::was this planned?::

that is the question most asked when i tell the exciting news.

{baby number 3 is on the way!}

so in response....YES this was planned. we have always wanted a big family. so we actually plan to have...wait for it... four children.

i  dream of the sound of little ones running through the house playing and squeeling with delight.

i dream of bunk beds in each room.

i dream of family vacations in our mini van- yes the one i vowed i would never own- packed to the brim with children and luggage.

i dream of them playing sports and cheering for one another.

i dream of family movie nights with a child under every arm.

i dream of setting the table for six.  stretching meals and budgets.

i dream of cooking for them and with them.

i dream of them being close.

i dream of them one day growing up and having families of their own to bring home for visits.

i dream....

so yes this was planned.
yes we are thrilled.
and yes we are blessed beyond measure!