Just a little time away....

sometimes I feel like you have to intentionally take a little time off. Time away from your every day. It gets harder to just "pick up and go" away for the night when you have 3 kids...but I think its just as, if not more important! The wonderful thing about living in California is, you don't have to very far to find things to do or feel like you are further away than you actually are. 

I got a last minute deal on Hotwire so we went to San Diego for the night. Am I the only one that gets nervous booking a hotel without knowing which one you're getting? I swear it took me forever to pull the trigger and just book it! We ended up staying at a nice Hyatt by the Bay and had a lot of fun. the pool actually had water slides.... i was shocked at how chilly it was though. less than 2 hours away and it was like more than 30 degrees colder! brrrr! and, just as an FYI Hyatt charges you up the wazoo for everything extra! I'm probably gonna get charged for saying their name! haha!!

So we went the educational route and went to the discovery museum which turned out to be a great choice. I am so amazed at how smart and bright my kids are, and how fast they are growing up. 

I feel like I could just stare at them all day. 

One realization I had this week was that being that they are so smart I expect so much out of them... and I have to remember...They are just 5, they are just 3.... sometimes they need to be that age. I guess it was kind of a mom epiphany moment. I think in the every day of life you get into survival mode and just try to  keep it together that you forget that sometimes, you just have to stop. enjoy. let them cry if they need to, hug them extra long....and just let them be whatever age they are. they don't always have to keep it together... that's my job. HAHAHHAHAA!!! 

so proud of the little people they are becoming. ok. one more proud mom moment. my daughter who is 5 has been getting an allowance for doing chores. we do this mainly to teach her about money, saving, tithing, etc. so anyways, she's been saving her money to buy a treat. the other day she says "mom, i figured out what I want to do with my money" and I was like "really? what do you want to get?" and she says "I want to give it to (our friend's son) so he can go to africa". my heart just melted. our friend's son is raising money to go to kenya on a missions trip with his school, I really didn't even know that she was aware of all this. anyways, I was so proud of her for having such a generous and thoughtful heart. what a sweet girl.....

anyways, I hope you are all having a good week and remember to take a little time to enjoy the people in your life!!! g'nite :)

May: things I love

Hello errbody! Hope you are all doing well. 

I did a quick video on things I've been loving this month. I forgot to say what color the lip butter is, and it is in "sweet tart". anyways, hope this is helpful...enjoy!

new perspectives

the past couple of weeks have been kind of a... how should i say, learning experience? I use to work at this kids camp and at the end of the day when the leaders were sharing about the day we would say if the day was a 'good' day or a 'growing' day. I would have to say the last couple of weeks have been 'growing'. not so much with me and internally, but with outside situations. learning how to deal with things, people, situations....its hard. 

relationships are hard. especially when people are hard. *sigh.

with all that said, I realize that certain people will never change. and since they will be in my life forever....I figure I need to change. change my thinking, reactions and expectations of them. The reality is, most people are selfish. AND even though they might be grown up in age...they might not ever 'grow up' and mature. I think that is the part I have a hard time with. realizing that some people might not ever think outside themselves. 

SO....in order to guard my heart and not get stressed and anxious about it. I have been really trying to change my perspective.

Get Ready with Me

Oops, I just got a second...but here is my get ready with me video. Just a warning, don't be scared of my morning crazy look! hahahha... I was hesitant to do this, but OH WELL!
 hope you are all having a great day!

I    

Chosen Family

Today was an interesting day. It was beautiful and sunny. Got to run around in the morning and get some things done and then spent some time with my family.

 I feel like I am aware of the blessings in my life, but today I realized it a little more. 

I always hear horror stories about in-laws and I feel like even in movies, in-laws are always portrayed as monster in laws....so I'm assuming it is a bit more common than not to have difficult in laws to deal with when you get married. I have the opposite. Truly blessed. I remember when I married my husband thinking that even if I didn't like him (which of course I am head over heels in love with him) I would have to marry him just for his family. His family is not common family. They are actually functional. Who would have thought? I didn't know that normal, loving, FUNCTIONAL families actually existed. Even seemingly normal families weren't upon further inspection. 

I remember when I first met his dad...waiting, and expecting him to yell, get mad or be mean. it never happened. He's a loving father...the way a father is suppose to be. I asked my husband if his dad ever yelled and he told me that all growing up he had never heard his parents yell at each other... I was dumbfounded. 

Now his mom is just as intriguing to me. Genuinely supportive, laid back and what a mom should be. She has never made me feel bad, not enough or lacking as a mother myself. They give us space and allow us to do "home" and "family" the way we do it...never offering up their opinions on how they think we should do things. Always supportive and encouraging. They love my kids and get down and dirty with them and always speak joy into their lives. I know its rare to find a family like this...and it doesn't end there. His siblings are the same way. Always positive and loving. (they never fight or get mad at each other... where in the world are they from?!)

anyways. all this to say... today having a little heart to heart with my mother in law and sister in law I was so amazed by the love and support they always give me. So I thanked God... for giving me such a wonderful 'in law' family along with the best husband in the world.

Life wasn't always so.
I am glad I have sister who is the only one in the world that was there through everything and understands  what no one else can. I want the same for her, that unconditional, encouraging, joyful love. 

I am glad I stuck with it, put my faith in God and asked Him for more. The unreachable and unattainable. He gave me. Showed me a father's love and a mother's love that I could see, tangible...the way He created it to be. 

So thankful tonight as I go to bed.

I hope you all have unreachable unattainable dreams that without God are impossible, that way when then happen.. you know it was Him.

G'nite! xoxo

Pumps & Bumps

Hey everyone! So Tommee Tippee was nice enough to send me a manual breast pump to try out, unfortunately I didn't like it at all...BUT I thought I should share. I am all about reading reviews on products and I find that bad reviews are just as helpful as good reviews.

 

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On another note, I have been a stressball (again) the last couple of days. I feel like my mind wanders a lot and I get to this place where I  have so much anxiety that I literally get a stomach ache and cannot eat. *sigh. I don't know why I allow myself to get to that place.
I feel like I get so bothered by the way people act. I don't understand how some people can be so oblivious, selfish and self absorbed. The truth is, I probably won't understand...ever. So why do I try? it just makes me more frustrated. I'm not saying I'm perfect by any means, I guess I just need to let things be and focus on who and how I am...

 

Do you stress a lot? I am prone to anxiety. Yesterday morning I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed with certain situations that are beyond my control. My husband gave me a hug and reminded me that at the end of the day, I have a wonderful family that loves me and that life is good. *deep breath.

This is something I've been working on a lot this  year. Trying not to stress out, and enjoy every day. 

Yesterday I ventured out and took the 3 kids to disneyland and met my mother in law and sister in law. I thought it would be a bit more stressful, but we did good...and the kids did good. they are good kids. I am blessed. 

I made this little video the other day about savoring little moments.

hope you enjoy!

so the other day I came home to another beautiful box of milani stuff to review! luckily I had a chance to try out the products for a couple of days and I filmed this before I caught what the kids had.
I'm still in bed all stuffy and feverish. I hate being sick...BUT it makes me realize even more what a good husband I have while he takes care of us and what good kids I have for not complaining once about taking medicine. I think I'm the biggest baby out of all of us!! Luckily the baby hasn't caught it yet...and I'm hoping and praying it stays that way!!
anyways, here is a review of the face stuff! hope you all are well :)