 |
| poop. |
P.S. In case you don't get the "Dissing you Dog" reference...here is a link- there is a "bleeped" expletive so if you are not comfortable with that then don't watch it.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
There is a reason that PTSD starts with the letters PT, aka Potty Training so far...
We started potty training this week, and I was a total wreck Sunday night with nerves and anxiety. My first foray into the potty training experience was a long time ago- I made an attempt when Noah was 16 months old. I did one of those super-intensive 5 day programs where you berate your child every 5 seconds asking her if she has to pee and you don't stray 2 feet from them for a week straight. I almost committed myself- I was so emotional and exhausted I was fit for a straight jacket by weeks end. Noah hated me, I hated life, there was pee EVERYWHERE. To make matters worse she actually caught on, and by the end of the week she was going #1 in the potty, but #2 didn't catch on. So, not only did I have to endure the hell that was that week, I had to suffer the slap in the face that was taking her out of panties and putting her back in pull-ups. The decision which, of course, resulted in complete and total regression. A year later and I'm still scarred, hence my apprehensive state Sunday evening. I also knew that I was going to be furious if it didn't take. She pees and poops in the potty every day- I know she can do it. She goes at school, she goes at home- but only when we tell her to, and when we don't she is perfectly content to sit around in her own piss and crap (those words seem appropriate in this description). Lately we've caught a break- she's had multiple instances of upset stomach and it burns her little tushy skin. While I felt bad for my little angelface schmookumhead- I totally capitalized on it. "Sweetie, when you pee and poop in your pull-ups that is what happens..it hurts you because pee and poo aren't supposed to be on your skin, and Mommy and Daddy have told you over and over again to go potty in the toilet, so this is really your fault." I know shaming your kid is the equivalent of SNL's "Dissing your Dog" but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm pleased to say that as far as the using the bathroom portion of potty training goes we've been moderately successful. One accident day 1, and one accident day 2- both #1's! I'm still having to make her go, she won't make the decision herself, but I'm hoping that comes with time. She didn't go #2 at all the first day. Chad and I were on pins and needles when she woke up with an empty pull-up this morning, every weird noise she made we were on top of her "You're not pooping, are you!?!?" My big girl didn't have a #2 accident, though- I asked her to try after lunch and we had huge success. The funniest moment of my day was sending Chad this picture in an email:
Now, as far as the being stuck inside a house alone with my 2 1/2 year old all day portion of potty-training goes- it could be better. My bestie is a teacher and calls when she is leaving school around 4ish, she can vouch that by late afternoon I'm hanging by a thread of sanity dangling over a pit of crazy as loon. Why is it that the daunting task of potty training needs to occur at the age when our precious dears are at their most annoying and trying? I can only imagine it's so that when they are teenagers yelling at you, and breaking rules, and completely disappointing you to the point of no return- they're also not crapping all over your house. It's the only logical explanation. My saving grace has been the gym in the evenings. Hubby was under strict instruction to not dawdle after work and head straight home to relieve me of my house arrest. I've had the most amazing work outs of my life the past two nights- I'm so glad to be out of the house and released from having to constantly stare at Noah's crotch- it's ridiculous. Alas, tomorrow is mid-week. I've really put the pressure on for no accidents tomorrow. Say some prayers. For both of us! xoxo Layne
Sunday, January 12, 2014
I'm scared in my own home.
So we officially have the creepiest kid. Ever. Eh-vurr. Noah has perfected the art of super stealthy, totally creepster, dark corner-lurking, sneaking through our house- at ALL hours of the day and night. She is half peeping Tom half ninja assassin. It started innocently enough...I think all parents with toddlers know the absolutely scared shitless (pardon my French) feeling of groggily opening your eyes from slumber to a head less than an inch from your face. Even better is a eerie sing-song "Mooommmyyyy" echoing in the pitch black dark of a hallway beckoning you out of REM sleep. Next it evolved into unplanned games of hide and seek, and by unplanned I mean that she just decides without notice to hide silently for several minutes until you realize that she is nowhere to be found. Enter panic mode and check the bathtubs, garage, front and back yard...then I'm running from room to room looking under beds, in closets, attic cubbies, etc until I see the tiniest movement out of the corner of my eye and realized she has flattened herself to the bed and perfectly bunched up all of the covers so that I've have been in her room for over 5 minutes two separate times and she's been there the whole time undetected, and frankly completely unconcerned with the sound of panic and terror in my voice.
Lately, however, it's reached new heights. I can't even sleep at night anymore for fear that she is hiding in the shadows of our bedroom, or lurking in the hallway just outside our door waiting for the right moment to attack. Chad is having nightmares about her waking us up every hour or so- but at least he's able to sleep soundly enough to have the nightmares. Putting her to bed at all has become a little dance, she probably gets up twice before we threaten to lock her door or take her blanky and then she decides to stay put for the night....or at least that's what she wants you to think. For example, last week we did the bedtime dance and finally got her down, Chad and I made a pallet on the living room floor and put on one of our shows (White Collar, maybe?) about 1/2 hour later I think I hear the stairs creek so I tell Chad to go check, he looks for a while and returns to say that it wasn't her....but I know better...I tell him that it was her but that she heard him coming and like the ninja that she is snuck away to a hiding place to watch him. He laughed. Another hour later (if you are counting that's an hour and a half after bedtime) I look to see a face in the shadows of our unlit hallway crouched down beside our antique secretary. She is silent. She is still. She is SO scary. Chad is floored. "I TOLD YOU!!!" I proclaim- Chad asks Noah where she is been and how long she has been awake. She is silent. (still creepy) I ask, "Noah, did you hide from Daddy when he was looking for you on the stairs earlier?" she nods "Where were you hiding?" she doesn't blink, she doesn't speak, she slowly lifts her hand and extends it to point to our pitch black dining room. BOOM. Creepiest. Kid. EVER. I'm now taking Tylenol PM and Melatonin to try and sleep at night. It's a good thing she is so cute during the day, or I'd be forced to take her back to the store and ask for a refund. Just kidding. xoxo Layne
Lately, however, it's reached new heights. I can't even sleep at night anymore for fear that she is hiding in the shadows of our bedroom, or lurking in the hallway just outside our door waiting for the right moment to attack. Chad is having nightmares about her waking us up every hour or so- but at least he's able to sleep soundly enough to have the nightmares. Putting her to bed at all has become a little dance, she probably gets up twice before we threaten to lock her door or take her blanky and then she decides to stay put for the night....or at least that's what she wants you to think. For example, last week we did the bedtime dance and finally got her down, Chad and I made a pallet on the living room floor and put on one of our shows (White Collar, maybe?) about 1/2 hour later I think I hear the stairs creek so I tell Chad to go check, he looks for a while and returns to say that it wasn't her....but I know better...I tell him that it was her but that she heard him coming and like the ninja that she is snuck away to a hiding place to watch him. He laughed. Another hour later (if you are counting that's an hour and a half after bedtime) I look to see a face in the shadows of our unlit hallway crouched down beside our antique secretary. She is silent. She is still. She is SO scary. Chad is floored. "I TOLD YOU!!!" I proclaim- Chad asks Noah where she is been and how long she has been awake. She is silent. (still creepy) I ask, "Noah, did you hide from Daddy when he was looking for you on the stairs earlier?" she nods "Where were you hiding?" she doesn't blink, she doesn't speak, she slowly lifts her hand and extends it to point to our pitch black dining room. BOOM. Creepiest. Kid. EVER. I'm now taking Tylenol PM and Melatonin to try and sleep at night. It's a good thing she is so cute during the day, or I'd be forced to take her back to the store and ask for a refund. Just kidding. xoxo Layne
 |
| Using our tablet under a blanket. Every horror movie ever made tells me a child under a white blanket is NO GOOD. |
Saturday, January 11, 2014
the special moments of motherhood that you are never prepared for...
I had to go to a neighboring town today to pick up a bed frame from someone selling it on Craigslist. I packed Noah in the car and headed out into a disgusting day of clouds and rain. Noah is still very much into the idea of Christmas. She still demands I sing "Away in a Manger" every night before bed, she still make believes that she is Santa every day and tells me I'm on the naughty list, and she still wants to watch "Mickey Saves Santa" any time she gets the chance. As we are driving down a back road she asks about baby Jesus in the manger. "Where is baby Jesus and his manger?" I tell her that He's not in the manger anymore, that he grew up, and now He's in heaven with Heavenly Father. She replies "What do Mary and Joseph say?" I answer that Mary and Joseph are in Heaven with Him. They are all together. Then she says "Well, how did He get there?" I stop. My mind is racing- I don't want to make up a baby-like watered down story to placate her, but I don't know if she'll understand what I really want her to know- so I just start talking and pray for the Spirit to be in the car with us. When Jesus grew up He had something big to do, and that big thing was that He had to die. He died for you and me and it hurt Him, but He died so that you and daddy and mommy could live with Him forever. It was really hard and He had to leave His mommy, but it was the best and nicest thing anyone has ever done, ever. He did it because He loves us more than anyone ever has. She didn't even blink. "I don't like that story, Mommy." I start cracking up- she is so honest, and I know exactly what she means. I don't like a lot about that story, it's a hard and truthful story to learn, even for adults, but I love my Savior. "Tell me another Jesus story." is what she says next...Ok, when Jesus was a grown-up he traveled all over and taught people about Heavenly Father and he saw lots of sick and sad people and he healed them and made them better with His power from Heavenly Father. "He gave them medicine?" No, he touched them and talked to them and they got better magically, Jesus could make miracles happen. "Tell me another Jesus story! I love them!" she giggles. So next I tell her about the loaves and fish, and some more miracles that our Savior performed, and she was so pleased and happy to learn about Him that I just about died with pride and love. In the pouring rain, with no sun, on our way to a Craiglist house where I could have totally been killed by the Craigslist killer- I had one of the most tender and special conversations I have had in a long time. Being a mom is the best. Ever. xoxo Layne
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
times...they are achanging...
I don't think there was a single minute of 2013 that I didn't feel (and see) blessings from the Lord, the capstone of which was coming to an agreement with my employer that I would spend 2014 working from home. Prepared to be let go, I approached my benevolent boss and laid it on the line: I love this job, but I've been commuting for a year, and I just can't do it anymore. I want to work for you, but I just can't do it from the office. I was extremely flattered and grateful when he said he wanted to make it work. I'm sure there will be some kinks to work out- and it may not last long, but I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to contribute to our household income while dropping the drive and getting more time to be with the hubs and butter bean.
The idea of working from home was really intimidating. I've been doing it part time for a while now, but the other part of time I was in the office so I never got out of the loop. Now I have to worry about keeping communication flowing, not letting anyone down, staying organized and scheduled...so far so good, but still it's a little overwhelming to sort out at first. Even more than the working part scares me the home part scares me even more! All December I wrestled with thoughts of- will hubs expect the house to look like Martha Stewart cleaned it? Because Martha, I aint. Or, will I get sick of being around Noah and start to loose patience with her when she doesn't deserve it? Can I stick to a budget that will accommodate our reduced income, and the online shopping that will taunt me daily? I prayed for guidance and consolation, and talked it out with hubs and by Jan 1 I was more at peace with the new territory that was before me.
One of my personal goals for this year will be to take some of the time that I'm saving by not having to commute and blog a little. About me, about the fam, about how the new work situation is going- anything really. I want to take advantage of how therapeutic sitting here and typing and posting these thoughts and updates into the unknown can be. My current update: the house is disheveled from a week of neglect while we've shared the dreaded norovirus with each other, laundry is caught up because we washed everything in the house, and I've been busy at work planning for January and February. Good but not great! Still, I'm excited for this year. I am sensing good things to come!
xoxo
L
The idea of working from home was really intimidating. I've been doing it part time for a while now, but the other part of time I was in the office so I never got out of the loop. Now I have to worry about keeping communication flowing, not letting anyone down, staying organized and scheduled...so far so good, but still it's a little overwhelming to sort out at first. Even more than the working part scares me the home part scares me even more! All December I wrestled with thoughts of- will hubs expect the house to look like Martha Stewart cleaned it? Because Martha, I aint. Or, will I get sick of being around Noah and start to loose patience with her when she doesn't deserve it? Can I stick to a budget that will accommodate our reduced income, and the online shopping that will taunt me daily? I prayed for guidance and consolation, and talked it out with hubs and by Jan 1 I was more at peace with the new territory that was before me.
One of my personal goals for this year will be to take some of the time that I'm saving by not having to commute and blog a little. About me, about the fam, about how the new work situation is going- anything really. I want to take advantage of how therapeutic sitting here and typing and posting these thoughts and updates into the unknown can be. My current update: the house is disheveled from a week of neglect while we've shared the dreaded norovirus with each other, laundry is caught up because we washed everything in the house, and I've been busy at work planning for January and February. Good but not great! Still, I'm excited for this year. I am sensing good things to come!
xoxo
L
Friday, February 1, 2013
Milestones...
I always knew that time flies when you're having fun, but I wasn't prepared for time moving at warp speed when you have a kid. If I think about it too much I can work myself into a complete meltdown. If the first year felt like a month does each year feel that short? Will it feel like only a few years and she'll be an adult?!?! Ohmigosh- sometimes I really can't handle it. In some ways I would be ok if she stayed a baby forever...always wanting to snuggle me and kiss me and wallow with me. I'm holding on to those special moments hoping they never change. I know I snuggled and wallowed with my mama up until, well, up until she lived in a different state and I had a baby demanding all of my attention, but we still snuggle as often as we can. Noah is getting so grown up so fast. It seems like she learns something new and masters a new skill every single day. I call family and friends as much as I can to update them but sometimes I forget things, or get too busy and I don't get to brag on my little butter-bean as much as I'd like. So, here are some of Noah's current hobbies, skills, and new milestones. She will be 18 months old at the end of the month, so her attitude is VERY much a two year old's, she is WAY too smart for her own good, and for my patience.
Noah is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, at least one episode is watched every day. Minnie, Donald, and Daisy are her favorites. She interacts when they ask her to say things like "Cheers" "Super Cheers" and "Ooooh Tooodles!!!"
She loves to dance. I'm hesitant to admit that she loves rap and hiphop, but it's got the best beats, so what are ya gonna do?!
She sings ALL of the time. The words to songs are still a little above her, but, so far she has mastered "Old MacDonald" and the "Hot Dog" song. She can do the motions for "Popcorn Popping", and will mumble through "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Jesus Loves Me".
She recognizes Jesus in any picture. She will point and say "Cheeeeesussss!"
She eats literally any and everything- although the amount she eats changes day to day. She loves chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and graham crackers which are typical for her age, but she also ADORES broccoli, asparagus, hummus, spinach, lettuce, mushrooms, apples, and greenbeans.
She can point to and identify every member of our family in pictures and on skype which is about 22 people including Great-grandparents, her Godmother, and one honorary Aunt (thats right Aunt Caitrin!).
She can name and make the noise for a dog, cat, duck, horse, bird, frog, sheep, goat, cow, monkey, bunny, bear, and my favorite, elephant.
She can count to 3. It sounds like Tuh, Two, Free.
She can identify the letter "A" and immediately says "apple" afterwards because it was on a worksheet she colored.
She says too many words to count- 50+. Currently her favorite word is "No". Ahhh, no. Can't say I love it so much, but at least makes herself clear, haha.
She is a SASSY PANTS when she wants to be. She will start popping her hand saying "No No No" and proceed to break our rules. I guess she thinks she'll punish herself in order to be able to commit the crime. She'll also break the rules on purpose while saying "Sorry" which sounds like "Saucy". She has been known to throw her cup on the ground and say "Sauuucy, Mommy..."
She can show you her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, hands, fingers, feet, toes, belly button and <blush> boobies. She LOVES being naked.
She runs and climbs and tumbles and jumps and scares us half to death on a minute to minute basis.
Momo is her best friend in the world. She easily loves him more than anyone else. He is the first person she looks for when she wakes up, comes home, or enters a room.
We just got her a big girl potty to test the waters of future potty training. I got the Minnie Mouse potty and SHE LOVES IT. Last night she tee-teed in the potty like a big girl. We're not holding our breath that it will happen a ton right now, but it's great to see that it's not a scary or difficult concept for her.
She's fearless. She likes the big kid slides, and big kid swings, she leaps off of furniture into your arms- sometimes when you don't even know she's coming!!
I love her more than words can say. She is a constant challenge and blessing. She reminds me what is it to have a pure heart and unselfish love. She's the perfect example of why we are told to become like a child in order to know the Lord and receive his blessings. Here are some pictures and a video of her at Monkey Joes! Peace and Love, Layne
Noah is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, at least one episode is watched every day. Minnie, Donald, and Daisy are her favorites. She interacts when they ask her to say things like "Cheers" "Super Cheers" and "Ooooh Tooodles!!!"
She loves to dance. I'm hesitant to admit that she loves rap and hiphop, but it's got the best beats, so what are ya gonna do?!
She sings ALL of the time. The words to songs are still a little above her, but, so far she has mastered "Old MacDonald" and the "Hot Dog" song. She can do the motions for "Popcorn Popping", and will mumble through "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Jesus Loves Me".
She recognizes Jesus in any picture. She will point and say "Cheeeeesussss!"
She eats literally any and everything- although the amount she eats changes day to day. She loves chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and graham crackers which are typical for her age, but she also ADORES broccoli, asparagus, hummus, spinach, lettuce, mushrooms, apples, and greenbeans.
She can point to and identify every member of our family in pictures and on skype which is about 22 people including Great-grandparents, her Godmother, and one honorary Aunt (thats right Aunt Caitrin!).
She can name and make the noise for a dog, cat, duck, horse, bird, frog, sheep, goat, cow, monkey, bunny, bear, and my favorite, elephant.
She can count to 3. It sounds like Tuh, Two, Free.
She can identify the letter "A" and immediately says "apple" afterwards because it was on a worksheet she colored.
She says too many words to count- 50+. Currently her favorite word is "No". Ahhh, no. Can't say I love it so much, but at least makes herself clear, haha.
She is a SASSY PANTS when she wants to be. She will start popping her hand saying "No No No" and proceed to break our rules. I guess she thinks she'll punish herself in order to be able to commit the crime. She'll also break the rules on purpose while saying "Sorry" which sounds like "Saucy". She has been known to throw her cup on the ground and say "Sauuucy, Mommy..."
She can show you her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, hands, fingers, feet, toes, belly button and <blush> boobies. She LOVES being naked.
She runs and climbs and tumbles and jumps and scares us half to death on a minute to minute basis.
Momo is her best friend in the world. She easily loves him more than anyone else. He is the first person she looks for when she wakes up, comes home, or enters a room.
We just got her a big girl potty to test the waters of future potty training. I got the Minnie Mouse potty and SHE LOVES IT. Last night she tee-teed in the potty like a big girl. We're not holding our breath that it will happen a ton right now, but it's great to see that it's not a scary or difficult concept for her.
She's fearless. She likes the big kid slides, and big kid swings, she leaps off of furniture into your arms- sometimes when you don't even know she's coming!!
I love her more than words can say. She is a constant challenge and blessing. She reminds me what is it to have a pure heart and unselfish love. She's the perfect example of why we are told to become like a child in order to know the Lord and receive his blessings. Here are some pictures and a video of her at Monkey Joes! Peace and Love, Layne
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Ah-ha moment...
2013 has been pretty rough on my family so far. We've been hit with a lot of unexpected trials and challenges, more than I ever thought possible in such a short amount of time. I've had a lot of talks lately with close friends, who also have similar stories of great struggles put in their lives in the few weeks we've had this year. I've tried to grin and bear it, with the help of my husband and distractions of work and a beautiful baby I have tried not to dwell on the things that are so easy to get caught up in, but today I felt like I was going to break. Physically and emotionally I am drained, and I feel that spiritually I am very much being challenged by God. I feel extremely humbled and chastened. I feel ashamed and aware. I feel sorrow, but most of all now I feel peace.
I realize that I have been like the Pharisees who Isaiah prophesied would draw near to the Lord with their lips, but who's heart is far from Him, and who worship Him in vain (Matthew 15:7-9). I am often quick to thank my Father in Heaven for my blessings, and trust He will see me through the tough times, but my actions and the despair in my heart reveal me as a hypocrite. I have become all too aware of how I have been failing God and in turn myself, and my family. My words have been saying one thing but my heart has felt another way. I have had selfish desires for these messes I'm surrounded by to go away, I've thought that enduring them patiently would be sufficient enough for the Lord to take my burden away. {Cue another obstacle} I have longed for life to be easy, and taken for granted lessons that could be learned {cue another road block} I have been ignorant to the opportunity that I'm being provided with to strengthen my relationship with the Lord and grow as a Christian wife, and mother...in short I have been ignorant, and unteachable.
I realize that I have been like the Pharisees who Isaiah prophesied would draw near to the Lord with their lips, but who's heart is far from Him, and who worship Him in vain (Matthew 15:7-9). I am often quick to thank my Father in Heaven for my blessings, and trust He will see me through the tough times, but my actions and the despair in my heart reveal me as a hypocrite. I have become all too aware of how I have been failing God and in turn myself, and my family. My words have been saying one thing but my heart has felt another way. I have had selfish desires for these messes I'm surrounded by to go away, I've thought that enduring them patiently would be sufficient enough for the Lord to take my burden away. {Cue another obstacle} I have longed for life to be easy, and taken for granted lessons that could be learned {cue another road block} I have been ignorant to the opportunity that I'm being provided with to strengthen my relationship with the Lord and grow as a Christian wife, and mother...in short I have been ignorant, and unteachable.
Y'all know in cartoons how sometime the hero or heroine will be physically hit with the realization that has been right in front of them the whole time? A slap on the forehead, ah-ha moment? As silly as this sounds, I was in my daughter's room tonight frantically trying to gather some close together while she was otherwise distracted and I bent down to grab a book off of the floor and when I stood up I smacked my head very very hard on the wooden microwave door of her play kitchen. I instantly collapsed onto the ground and shrieked and thought "Why me, Lord?!!!" as I squeezed my eyes together with all my might sobbing in pain and frustration. I cried and cried and gasped for air and felt so defeated. I sat there for several minutes feeling beaten and wounded (both my pride and head), and then it hit me. Not once had I asked "Why me, Lord?" not once had I prayed for a lesson, I had not sought out the Lord's word, I had not asked for guidance, I had not asked to be strengthened. I had taken for granted that God would look after me and help me through the obstacles that January presented, and my heart had been closed off to the lessons from God and promptings of the Spirit. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you and expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart."
I know that the Lord does not intend for us to struggle through this life as he watches on. He wants us to always seek Him, so that he is with us in times of trouble, and when we face adversity, and when we find ourselves in darkness. He wants us to follow the example of the Savior and walk with Him. He does not leave us alone, but we have to seek Him out. We can not worship in vain, or take the gifts and tools He has given us for granted. Jesus said, I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. It is so easy to be faithful when times are good and easy, but it is faith in times of trial that makes us better Christians and people. I have to remember that to be Spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6). I had been relying on God to be with me, but not realizing that I had let him get away from me.
I truly feel that 2013 has amazing things in store for me and my family, and I know that I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me. I hope you don't forget to seek out the Lord every second of every day, all of the time. If you never let Him out of your heart there will be no dark days. I feel renewed and no longer defeated, and I am grateful that I can share this with you. Peace and love, Layne
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Learning, learning, learning, and obedience.
We are at this point with Noah where she is in this phase of full-blown: I'm not a baby anymore and I'm discovering all of these new things that I'm capable of doing, and I'm pushing boundaries, testing limits, and seeing how much can I get away with. The majority of the time this is hilarious, some of the time it's frustrating, often times it is exhausting, but all of the time it is absolutely astonishing at how smart she is and how quickly she is growing. I just wanted to share some of her new quirks with you and some perspective it's given me on motherhood and life...
The most annoying of all of Noah's new habits is definitely that fact that she WILL NOT keep her shoes on in the car, and most of the time she opts to take her socks off, too. This seems minor, but since she's in and out of the car several times a day being toted to and from the babysitter's house to home and running errands with the sitter, shoes get removed and put back on what seems like a bajillion (real word) times a day. Some times it will be one, sometimes both...and a lot of times it takes a ridiculously long time to relocate said removed shoes. My personal favorite is the piercing screams from back seat where she sits frustrated as heck trying to pull off her socks, too. I can't say that I don't get it. I mean, I'm from South Carolina, we do barefoot well. I'm not ashamed to say I've pulled a Britney a time or two...but as a mother who's child is capable of putting her foot in her mouth (and often does) I just don't want her walking around barefoot unless it is in our home or during the summer...
Something else that she's started doing is making use of our ample storage space in the kitchen and den. This is tricky, and is definitely fine tuning our attention to detail. When we were shopping for houses two years ago the ludicrous amount of kitchen cabinets and huge built-ins in the living room where the delicious icing on the cake for us. We seriously have about 30+ cabinets and drawers in our kitchen/family room area. Noah can now open ALL of them. She has also begun to hone her organizational skills by placing things in random cabinets and drawers where she obviously feels they belong. We find hair bows and drum sticks in with the cutting boards, half-full bottles of soy milk in with our grilling supplies, it's crazy. I just know one day we're going to come home to the smell of some food/beverage rotting and have absolutely no idea what it is and where she's stashed it.
Her second favorite thing to open now is the pull-out trash can. Y'all know what I'm talking about, right? Our trash can compartment looks like a cabinet and you pull it out, well Noah loves it. We tell her "yucky" and try and divert her attention to something else, but much to our chagrin we often find her on her tip toes checking out the garbage. Night before last I opened the drawer to throw something away and was greeted by two books (nice ones) a chain of links, and two plastic bowls resting atop the rest of our household trash. Chad was standing there and scolded her "No!" he then directed her attention to her cabinet, (which is one right next to the trash can) that we have given her to use as she pleases. "This is your cabinet," he points and puts all of her things back in it, "This is a no!" he says again sternly pointing to the trash can, and then once again "Noah, this is Noah's cabinet, you can have all of your things in here, and do whatever you want in this cabinet...." Then we left her to herself. Two minutes later Chad walks overs to the sink and beckons for me to come quickly, only to see this...
We agreed we wouldn't scold her, because all she was doing was exactly what her daddy had just told her she could do!
Her favorite thing to open, however is our pantry. I must admit, I'm usually the culprit that doesn't shut it completely allowing her to pry it open with her tiny fingers and start rearranging our shelves and opening the Milkbone box. If we open it to get anything out or put up groceries she is magically inside of it before we can even attempt to do whatever it was we needed to. The kid is ninja fast. Last night Chad put something away and was ushering her out of the pantry and closed the door on her fingers, accidentally. She cried for maybe two minutes until she was distracted by eating the ice I offered her for her fingers. He kind of looked at me frustrated and obviously upset that she had gotten hurt, and I couldn't help but smile. "Could you ever imagine chasing a little person around, scolding her, and doing it over and over again could be this amazing?" I asked him...I just wouldn't want to be spending my time in the evenings doing anything other than watching her discover, and grow. Even the testing of my patience and sometimes the boo-boos, too, are some of the best moments of my life to date. Because, you see, after she misbehaves she usually tries to do something silly, or walks over and offers a giant opened-mouth 14-month-old kiss...when she hurts herself she asks for "mama" and rests her head on my shoulder. It's bliss.
I was reading this morning and I had a revelation. I think my Heavenly Father feels the same way about me, and each of you. He doesn't want us to disobey him....he gets frustrated when we take our shoes off in the car, so to speak. But, he enjoys watching us grow, and learn, and finding out for ourselves what our limits are, and what we can handle versus what we need His help to do. He might chuckle at our attempts along the way, the way I do as I watch my daughter try new things, but He beams with love and compassion for us when we get it right, and when we obey. When we are hurt, and when we have boo-boos, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually we can call out His name and cling to Him like a child, we can seek comfort in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. I am go grateful during this season of Thanksgiving that I have such a great example in the Lord and His son, Jesus of what love means. Peace and much Love, Layne
The most annoying of all of Noah's new habits is definitely that fact that she WILL NOT keep her shoes on in the car, and most of the time she opts to take her socks off, too. This seems minor, but since she's in and out of the car several times a day being toted to and from the babysitter's house to home and running errands with the sitter, shoes get removed and put back on what seems like a bajillion (real word) times a day. Some times it will be one, sometimes both...and a lot of times it takes a ridiculously long time to relocate said removed shoes. My personal favorite is the piercing screams from back seat where she sits frustrated as heck trying to pull off her socks, too. I can't say that I don't get it. I mean, I'm from South Carolina, we do barefoot well. I'm not ashamed to say I've pulled a Britney a time or two...but as a mother who's child is capable of putting her foot in her mouth (and often does) I just don't want her walking around barefoot unless it is in our home or during the summer...
Something else that she's started doing is making use of our ample storage space in the kitchen and den. This is tricky, and is definitely fine tuning our attention to detail. When we were shopping for houses two years ago the ludicrous amount of kitchen cabinets and huge built-ins in the living room where the delicious icing on the cake for us. We seriously have about 30+ cabinets and drawers in our kitchen/family room area. Noah can now open ALL of them. She has also begun to hone her organizational skills by placing things in random cabinets and drawers where she obviously feels they belong. We find hair bows and drum sticks in with the cutting boards, half-full bottles of soy milk in with our grilling supplies, it's crazy. I just know one day we're going to come home to the smell of some food/beverage rotting and have absolutely no idea what it is and where she's stashed it.
Her second favorite thing to open now is the pull-out trash can. Y'all know what I'm talking about, right? Our trash can compartment looks like a cabinet and you pull it out, well Noah loves it. We tell her "yucky" and try and divert her attention to something else, but much to our chagrin we often find her on her tip toes checking out the garbage. Night before last I opened the drawer to throw something away and was greeted by two books (nice ones) a chain of links, and two plastic bowls resting atop the rest of our household trash. Chad was standing there and scolded her "No!" he then directed her attention to her cabinet, (which is one right next to the trash can) that we have given her to use as she pleases. "This is your cabinet," he points and puts all of her things back in it, "This is a no!" he says again sternly pointing to the trash can, and then once again "Noah, this is Noah's cabinet, you can have all of your things in here, and do whatever you want in this cabinet...." Then we left her to herself. Two minutes later Chad walks overs to the sink and beckons for me to come quickly, only to see this...
Her favorite thing to open, however is our pantry. I must admit, I'm usually the culprit that doesn't shut it completely allowing her to pry it open with her tiny fingers and start rearranging our shelves and opening the Milkbone box. If we open it to get anything out or put up groceries she is magically inside of it before we can even attempt to do whatever it was we needed to. The kid is ninja fast. Last night Chad put something away and was ushering her out of the pantry and closed the door on her fingers, accidentally. She cried for maybe two minutes until she was distracted by eating the ice I offered her for her fingers. He kind of looked at me frustrated and obviously upset that she had gotten hurt, and I couldn't help but smile. "Could you ever imagine chasing a little person around, scolding her, and doing it over and over again could be this amazing?" I asked him...I just wouldn't want to be spending my time in the evenings doing anything other than watching her discover, and grow. Even the testing of my patience and sometimes the boo-boos, too, are some of the best moments of my life to date. Because, you see, after she misbehaves she usually tries to do something silly, or walks over and offers a giant opened-mouth 14-month-old kiss...when she hurts herself she asks for "mama" and rests her head on my shoulder. It's bliss.
I was reading this morning and I had a revelation. I think my Heavenly Father feels the same way about me, and each of you. He doesn't want us to disobey him....he gets frustrated when we take our shoes off in the car, so to speak. But, he enjoys watching us grow, and learn, and finding out for ourselves what our limits are, and what we can handle versus what we need His help to do. He might chuckle at our attempts along the way, the way I do as I watch my daughter try new things, but He beams with love and compassion for us when we get it right, and when we obey. When we are hurt, and when we have boo-boos, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually we can call out His name and cling to Him like a child, we can seek comfort in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. I am go grateful during this season of Thanksgiving that I have such a great example in the Lord and His son, Jesus of what love means. Peace and much Love, Layne
Thursday, October 18, 2012
I love you.
I've had a strong feeling lately that I need to focus my time on serving the Lord. I feel very strongly the Spirit calling me to service in a larger capacity than I've ever done before. This feeling, while heavy on my heart, has sent an electric charge to every fiber of my being so that I feel like all of the molecules in my body are shaking in anticipation, as if they are at a starting line of a race waiting for the gun shot to take off and release that current of energy to go and actively serve. It's exciting, and humbling. I can't help but think that I should have this desire, and should be exerting all of my energy to serve the Lord every day, and at all times. Isn't that what we're asked to do? Romans 12:1 says "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service". It seems like a giant request to me. I'm one little woman, in a big world, with loads of other obligations that have much more immediate consequences if I neglect them. On a daily basis I can think of about 10 things that require action and work on my part that literally take up my entire day, how am I supposed to commit all of my time to serving when I don't have any time to spare? These are the thoughts, concerns, and doubts that I have all of the time, but as strongly as I feel this need to serve and as often as I doubt my abilities, I also know three things to be true: 1. I have been called to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength (D&C 4:2). 2. The Lord will not ask me to do anything that is not possible with His help. 3. Even at my best effort, if I can give as much as my little-one woman-body can handle, it will still not even begin to repay Him for what He has done for me.
So I've started to think and pray and learn more about serving the Lord. What I've found has made me realize that while I still feel like I'm being called to something bigger (and hopefully that will become clear to me one day), I'm realizing how many opportunities on any given day I have to be in service, and not have to change my schedule, or exhaust myself any more than I already do. I started studying what the Lord has taught us about service, and in the index (or guide) of my scriptures the very first thing under the word "Service" says "See also: love". Well, that is something I can do. I can love. I can show love for my husband, my daughter, my family, and friends. That is something I can do easily. What the Lord asks of us, however, is to love more, and to love everyone as He loves us. When we love one another we are in the service of our God. I've learned that when we love when it is hard, when it takes work, when it isn't our initial instinct or when it we are faced with someone who appears not to deserve it...that is when the Spirit is strong, that is when God's work is being done and when we are truly giving what has been asked. The Savior said, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:35-45). This week alone I've learned a few lessons in this. For example, this Sunday for whatever reason (I suspect molars) my daughter was a different person. She was horrible. She screamed like she was possessed, she was disobedient, she was for lack of a better word... a nightmare. This continued into Monday when I picked her up from the sitter and she refused to come to me. She screamed when I pried her off of the woman who keeps her, and continued screaming the whole way home. I wanted to punish her for acting this way, I felt like she needed to learn a lesson and know that I would not tolerate that kind of behavior. I felt hurt by her. It is amazing how much a 14 month-old hurt my feelings, she brought me to tears. At home I felt like ignoring her and giving her the cold shoulder, and reasoned with myself that doing so was a technique the experts have said works during tantrums. I was not loving her. As we got home the thought entered my mind that I needed to be patient with her, like the Lord is patient with me. I needed to take a deep breath and be calm and show her that I loved her, and that I would wait until whatever it was that was making her so upset stopped. I could wait, and not ignore her or take my love away from her. I grabbed her flailing, sweaty, red and screaming body hugged her tight, and kissed her and let her know that her mommy was here, and it would be alright. I envisioned how my God probably gets frustrated with me when I disobey and hurt him, and how He is merciful and waits for me to act like the child he knows I can be. I'd love to say that she miraculously stopped be ornery, but she didn't. Eventually, however, she turned back into the little girl I'm used to. Until then, though, my house was filled with love and patience instead of bad feelings, and I know that I was serving in the role of a mother.
Early in the week at work I had another experience of active love. Most of you don't know what I do for a living, but I'm in a profession where I deal with many people everyday who are "customers". It is very normal for me to be faced with mean, angry, and complaining people, and some of these people are like this all of the time. Quite often I'm forced to face them and deal with them over and over again. It's easy to dislike them. It's easy to want to run and hide when I see them, or not give them attention, or put effort towards appeasing them. What I've found is that the majority of the time when I talk to them begrudgingly, or meet with them already resentful of the way that I know they're going to speak and act toward me our interaction ends with both of us feeling negative and being unhappy. But when I love them as God does, when I treat them like a beloved child of God, not only do I tend to get better results, I am in the service of the Lord. "By love serve one another" and "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Galatians 5:13-14) and even though they are acting unattractively, and may say hurtful things or chew my ear off with negativity if I show them kindness and have love in my heart, even if our meeting ends without resolution, I am not left in a bad mood the rest of the day, and hopefully they feel...even the tiniest bit...some peace in their heart.
I'm constantly learning, and I hope growing, too. I feel like I learn a new lesson or skill, and find out something different about myself every day. I still feel like the charge we've been given to serve is a huge one, it's not easy. Some days, I'll probably fail. My Heavenly Father deserves the best. He has asked for all of me, and His grace allows me to give it my best shot. This is just a little of what has been in my heart lately. Thanks for letting me share. Peace and Love, Layne
So I've started to think and pray and learn more about serving the Lord. What I've found has made me realize that while I still feel like I'm being called to something bigger (and hopefully that will become clear to me one day), I'm realizing how many opportunities on any given day I have to be in service, and not have to change my schedule, or exhaust myself any more than I already do. I started studying what the Lord has taught us about service, and in the index (or guide) of my scriptures the very first thing under the word "Service" says "See also: love". Well, that is something I can do. I can love. I can show love for my husband, my daughter, my family, and friends. That is something I can do easily. What the Lord asks of us, however, is to love more, and to love everyone as He loves us. When we love one another we are in the service of our God. I've learned that when we love when it is hard, when it takes work, when it isn't our initial instinct or when it we are faced with someone who appears not to deserve it...that is when the Spirit is strong, that is when God's work is being done and when we are truly giving what has been asked. The Savior said, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:35-45). This week alone I've learned a few lessons in this. For example, this Sunday for whatever reason (I suspect molars) my daughter was a different person. She was horrible. She screamed like she was possessed, she was disobedient, she was for lack of a better word... a nightmare. This continued into Monday when I picked her up from the sitter and she refused to come to me. She screamed when I pried her off of the woman who keeps her, and continued screaming the whole way home. I wanted to punish her for acting this way, I felt like she needed to learn a lesson and know that I would not tolerate that kind of behavior. I felt hurt by her. It is amazing how much a 14 month-old hurt my feelings, she brought me to tears. At home I felt like ignoring her and giving her the cold shoulder, and reasoned with myself that doing so was a technique the experts have said works during tantrums. I was not loving her. As we got home the thought entered my mind that I needed to be patient with her, like the Lord is patient with me. I needed to take a deep breath and be calm and show her that I loved her, and that I would wait until whatever it was that was making her so upset stopped. I could wait, and not ignore her or take my love away from her. I grabbed her flailing, sweaty, red and screaming body hugged her tight, and kissed her and let her know that her mommy was here, and it would be alright. I envisioned how my God probably gets frustrated with me when I disobey and hurt him, and how He is merciful and waits for me to act like the child he knows I can be. I'd love to say that she miraculously stopped be ornery, but she didn't. Eventually, however, she turned back into the little girl I'm used to. Until then, though, my house was filled with love and patience instead of bad feelings, and I know that I was serving in the role of a mother.
Early in the week at work I had another experience of active love. Most of you don't know what I do for a living, but I'm in a profession where I deal with many people everyday who are "customers". It is very normal for me to be faced with mean, angry, and complaining people, and some of these people are like this all of the time. Quite often I'm forced to face them and deal with them over and over again. It's easy to dislike them. It's easy to want to run and hide when I see them, or not give them attention, or put effort towards appeasing them. What I've found is that the majority of the time when I talk to them begrudgingly, or meet with them already resentful of the way that I know they're going to speak and act toward me our interaction ends with both of us feeling negative and being unhappy. But when I love them as God does, when I treat them like a beloved child of God, not only do I tend to get better results, I am in the service of the Lord. "By love serve one another" and "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Galatians 5:13-14) and even though they are acting unattractively, and may say hurtful things or chew my ear off with negativity if I show them kindness and have love in my heart, even if our meeting ends without resolution, I am not left in a bad mood the rest of the day, and hopefully they feel...even the tiniest bit...some peace in their heart.
I'm constantly learning, and I hope growing, too. I feel like I learn a new lesson or skill, and find out something different about myself every day. I still feel like the charge we've been given to serve is a huge one, it's not easy. Some days, I'll probably fail. My Heavenly Father deserves the best. He has asked for all of me, and His grace allows me to give it my best shot. This is just a little of what has been in my heart lately. Thanks for letting me share. Peace and Love, Layne
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Absolutely Disgusting...
I'm a person who's inner workings are totally reflective of my outer condition...or is it the opposite, or vice versa...regardless. I have low self-esteem, a history of depression, PMDD, and come from a long line of crazies (sorry Long/Sanders family, but you know it's true). I'm at my brightest when I'm in a consistent and aggressive work-out routine, eating healthy, prioritizing appropriately, and spiritually fed. I know that a reliable routine and positive health choices allow for most people to achieve a sort of homeostasis in their lives, but for me it is much more than that. When reaching a balance as opposed to having growth I tend to slip quickly into a rut and even faster into a pit until I eventually I reach the point where I feel absolutely disgusting. I feel ugly, I feel nasty, I feel fat and greasy and sleepy and cranky and I tend to act and treat people in a way that is very reflective of how I'm feeling. I can't stick to a diet if I'm not exercising, either. The two go hand in hand for me, and I know that studies upon studies have shown that inactive people tend to not only eat more, but are consuming more unhealthy foods than active people. I know that studies show active people are happier, I know that studies show that spiritually strong (in any faith) people are happier, I know that studies show that choosing healthy food options makes you physically feel better than the alternative...I have read and studied all of these things, I just have to tell you that I am a walking, talking statistic Slap me on a pie chart and put me in a boardroom somewhere, because I hear ya Mr. So and So from the Comission for a Better Onethingoranother- I am so there! I decided today that I need to purge. I need to purge my mind, my heart, and my body. I need to flush out the negativity, the doubt, the crankiness, right along with the toxins and junk in my system from all of the crap I've been eating, and I need to get good with the Lord and start fresh....or as a wise man once said: "recharge my batteries, and shut down the engines, and get myself back to neutral."
Believe it or not, but I'm longing for the drive I had when I was losing my baby weight. I was committed to the "Bringing Sexy Back" program that I instituted for myself, and I was steadily seeing results. Now that I've gained only a pound or two verses having 40+ to lose, I really only feel the difference rather than see it, which is exactly how I rationalize the 3 cookies I'm averaging a day...but after the cookies I feel shame. And nausea. And more shame. I know it sounds preposterous to be worked up over a pound or two, and I know I'm being a bit humorous about it all, but it truly does spread like an infection throughout my daily life and affect way more than what I see in the mirror. I don't have energy to play with my daughter, I blow off a morning run with my dog, I'm too tired to have QT with the hubs and read my scriptures in the evenings, and I totally let the stress of work get me all bajiggetty and feeling not so Christian-like towards those causing said stress.
So look-out y'all cause I'm gearing up for a relaunch. I was inspired by Schmidt's relaunch party on the sitcom New Girl... his party had a theme of "Danger" and while my relaunch party will only be metaphorical, and while you wont be able to hear the sweet playlist going on in my head just know that I'm jamming out to some serious tracks and I'm a lady on a mission. The theme of my relaunch party??? Awesomeness. I'll be getting awesome, eating awesome, working out awesome (thanks to the new Zumba class I'm teaching- message me for the schedule if you're in North Augusta) and spending a whole lot of awesome time with God.
And my relaunch into the world of all that is amazing, spectacular, and (you guessed it) awesome, could not come at a better time...because this weekend is General Conference. For those of you who are not LDS that is the semi-annual broadcast from Salt Lake City that goes out all over the world where we get to hear spiritual messages from the General Authorities of the church. I can't think of a better ground zero for my grand transformation into my best self than hearing from those who I revere as spiritually strong and righteous men and women. I encourage everyone- even if you're not Mormon to tune in to BYUTV or lds.org on Sunday-- it's just one giant feel-good, uplifting event for Christians in general. So on Sunday I'll be checking off "step 1" on my road to Awesomeness, and beginning my week on a great note. Then checking off "steps 2 and 3" with some healthy eating and my new Zumba classes later in the week. So buh-bye absolutely disgustingness....this train is heading to Awesomeville, and it's not stopping until it reaches world domination! Awwww yeaahh! Who's with me?? Peace and Love, Layne
P.S. Here are some pictures of the silliest little girl and I this afternoon when I picked her up from the sitter!
Believe it or not, but I'm longing for the drive I had when I was losing my baby weight. I was committed to the "Bringing Sexy Back" program that I instituted for myself, and I was steadily seeing results. Now that I've gained only a pound or two verses having 40+ to lose, I really only feel the difference rather than see it, which is exactly how I rationalize the 3 cookies I'm averaging a day...but after the cookies I feel shame. And nausea. And more shame. I know it sounds preposterous to be worked up over a pound or two, and I know I'm being a bit humorous about it all, but it truly does spread like an infection throughout my daily life and affect way more than what I see in the mirror. I don't have energy to play with my daughter, I blow off a morning run with my dog, I'm too tired to have QT with the hubs and read my scriptures in the evenings, and I totally let the stress of work get me all bajiggetty and feeling not so Christian-like towards those causing said stress.
So look-out y'all cause I'm gearing up for a relaunch. I was inspired by Schmidt's relaunch party on the sitcom New Girl... his party had a theme of "Danger" and while my relaunch party will only be metaphorical, and while you wont be able to hear the sweet playlist going on in my head just know that I'm jamming out to some serious tracks and I'm a lady on a mission. The theme of my relaunch party??? Awesomeness. I'll be getting awesome, eating awesome, working out awesome (thanks to the new Zumba class I'm teaching- message me for the schedule if you're in North Augusta) and spending a whole lot of awesome time with God.
And my relaunch into the world of all that is amazing, spectacular, and (you guessed it) awesome, could not come at a better time...because this weekend is General Conference. For those of you who are not LDS that is the semi-annual broadcast from Salt Lake City that goes out all over the world where we get to hear spiritual messages from the General Authorities of the church. I can't think of a better ground zero for my grand transformation into my best self than hearing from those who I revere as spiritually strong and righteous men and women. I encourage everyone- even if you're not Mormon to tune in to BYUTV or lds.org on Sunday-- it's just one giant feel-good, uplifting event for Christians in general. So on Sunday I'll be checking off "step 1" on my road to Awesomeness, and beginning my week on a great note. Then checking off "steps 2 and 3" with some healthy eating and my new Zumba classes later in the week. So buh-bye absolutely disgustingness....this train is heading to Awesomeville, and it's not stopping until it reaches world domination! Awwww yeaahh! Who's with me?? Peace and Love, Layne
P.S. Here are some pictures of the silliest little girl and I this afternoon when I picked her up from the sitter!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wise women I know...
My mom recently sent me this chain email for a scripture exchange, that required you to not just send back your favorite scripture verse in return, but be responsible for sending it to 10 other people and making sure they send it to 10 other people, and what starts out as sharing something fun with someone else turns into waaayyy to much responsibility for one email. Regardless, I loved the idea of having other people share their favorite scripture verses with me. I think it's nice to get some verses that maybe didn't stand out to me before, or that I'd never studied, and also I think it's nice to share the ones that are special to you with the people you care about.
So what I did was ask a couple of wise women I know what their favorite verse of scripture was. Some of them couldn't narrow it down to just one, but then again, neither could I. I asked women of all different ages, denominations, marital status, different idiosyncrasies, and passions... I loved the responses I got! I got such comforting, powerful, and compassionate words of scripture to read. I felt my Father's love for me through these words, and knowing each of these women I could definitely see each persons individual personalities in their choices!
My contributors included a mom of two, newly wed, student, grandmother and some great friends. I'm LDS but even though I chose three verses, they are all out of the Bible. Some of the scripture is out of the Bible, some out of the Book of Mormon, some is specific to Catholicism but what's so great is that the commonality is Love. God's love for us, the Savior's love for us, the love between a man and a woman, and woman and child. I'm sharing the King James version because that is what I read, but I encourage you to look each of these up in whatever version of scripture you study and relish it. Let them make your day a little better! I hope you'll enjoy reading these verses either for the first or fiftieth time! I'll start with my favorites and go from there. Peace and Love, Layne
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail. Helaman 5:12
But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. Jacob 3:1
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Proverbs 31:25
Sarah got up so that they could pray together and ask God for his protection. Then Tobias prayed: God of our ancestors, you are worthy of praise. May your name be honored forever and ever by all your creatures in heaven and on earth. You created Adam and gave him his wife Eve to be his helper and support. They became the parents of the whole human race. You said, It is not good for man to live alone. I will make a suitable helper for him. Lord, I have chosen Sarah because it is right, not because I lusted for her. Please be merciful to us and grant that we may grow old together. Tobit :5-7
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30: 20-21
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:11
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:6-7
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Romans 1:12
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. Habakkuk 1:5
Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. Job 8:21
We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
So what I did was ask a couple of wise women I know what their favorite verse of scripture was. Some of them couldn't narrow it down to just one, but then again, neither could I. I asked women of all different ages, denominations, marital status, different idiosyncrasies, and passions... I loved the responses I got! I got such comforting, powerful, and compassionate words of scripture to read. I felt my Father's love for me through these words, and knowing each of these women I could definitely see each persons individual personalities in their choices!
My contributors included a mom of two, newly wed, student, grandmother and some great friends. I'm LDS but even though I chose three verses, they are all out of the Bible. Some of the scripture is out of the Bible, some out of the Book of Mormon, some is specific to Catholicism but what's so great is that the commonality is Love. God's love for us, the Savior's love for us, the love between a man and a woman, and woman and child. I'm sharing the King James version because that is what I read, but I encourage you to look each of these up in whatever version of scripture you study and relish it. Let them make your day a little better! I hope you'll enjoy reading these verses either for the first or fiftieth time! I'll start with my favorites and go from there. Peace and Love, Layne
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail. Helaman 5:12
But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. Jacob 3:1
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Proverbs 31:25
Sarah got up so that they could pray together and ask God for his protection. Then Tobias prayed: God of our ancestors, you are worthy of praise. May your name be honored forever and ever by all your creatures in heaven and on earth. You created Adam and gave him his wife Eve to be his helper and support. They became the parents of the whole human race. You said, It is not good for man to live alone. I will make a suitable helper for him. Lord, I have chosen Sarah because it is right, not because I lusted for her. Please be merciful to us and grant that we may grow old together. Tobit :5-7
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30: 20-21
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:11
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:6-7
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Romans 1:12
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. Habakkuk 1:5
Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. Job 8:21
We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Saturday, September 15, 2012
updates from my kitchen...
If you've known me a while, or have been following my blog from the beginning, then you know that for about a year before I got pregnant with Noah I was a vegetarian. It all started when we moved into an apartment right up the road from a chicken plant....next thing I knew the chicken trucks were stalking me all over the state no matter where I was...there they would be, white feathers flying in the air all around my car. Then I did a little too much research regarding chicken meat and factories, and that was it. No chicken for this lady. Not too long after that it turned into no meat at all....I was insanely healthy during this period of time, and in great shape!! But when I got pregnant with Noah it was like flipping a switch and I instantly needed a bacon cheeseburger... so, whattayagonnado?! During my pregnancy and ever since had Noah, I've been a carnivore again. (I still couldn't bring myself to eat Tyson chicken products,however, they are HORRIBLE regarding steroids and ethical treatment of the animals.)
Well, two weeks ago I was getting my cardio on at the local Gold's gym in the Cardio Cinema room and they had a documentary call Forks over Knives playing..it was all about the benefits of a vegetarian diet. I was sold. I'm an easy sell. Although, I didn't quit eating meat again immediately, I pretty much resolved myself to it right then. {GRAPHIC DETAIL WARNING} Earlier this week I grabbed two hard boiled eggs to eat for a quick breakfast, cracked one open, sprinkled my salt...took a bite and then thought about what it was I was actually biting into, and I almost puked right in the middle of my kitchen....and that was that. No more meat for this chick! I'm not a bleeding heart that thinks it is wrong to eat animals. I actually think that true hunting is a very organic and natural thing. But I do take issue with injecting a bunch of steroids and chemicals into animals to make the pieces of meat swollen and over sized so that they can charge more for it. I take issue with chickens being inhumanely raised and held before they're killed. There is nothing appetizing about a chicken be so full of steroids that it can't even support it's own weight to stand up. Or, having birds (chickens and turkeys) beaks removed so they don't accidentally peck each other to death from being squeezed together and over-packed into such small cages where they don't even have room to move. These things I am bothered by, and these things are not natural to me. It's also very psychological for me, I've learned too much and thought too much about it and I can't eat the meat anymore without having mental images of flesh and muscle tissue running through my brain.
Luckily I have a ton of vegetarian foods and meals handy from a few years back, and I'm loving finding new recipes and foods to experiment with on Pinterest! Here is an awesome recipe I found that was, no lie, pot-licking good!!
 |
| Yummy Pea and Asparagus Risotto This recipe is for Golden Mushroom, Pea and Asparagus Risotto...the recipe is here ...and it's actually vegan, too! I don't like mushrooms so I left them out, but the rest was soooo good, and easy to make! I ate most of it out of the pot before it even made it to a plate! |
 |
| I cooked the right one first, and it made 3 large servings! |
I didn't want to get too fancy with my first try, so I stuck to what I knew I liked and planned on cooking one of the squash to eat with some spaghetti sauce on top. There are a couple of options on how to cook the squash. You are really supposed to puncture it and bake it in the oven in a little bit of water, but I microwaved mine which seemed just as effective. I sliced it longitudinally, removed the pulp, wrapped each half in saran wrap, and put it in a dish and microwaved it for about 13 minutes. Then after it cooled enough to handle I scraped the meat out of it. I poured about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce on it right out of the jar, some salt and pepper and then topped it with a Quorn herb chikin cutlet. The Quorn products are my favorite faux meat options, they seriously taste just like the real thing. I think they're better than Morning Star by miles...in case you were wondering!
 |
| my meal |
While I was cooking all of this Noah was "helping" by going through all of the cabinets that we didn't child-lock her out of, and making a mess.
 |
| my foot is on the paper plate, because I can get into the paper plate cabinet, and they are fun to throw like frisbees... |
As a side note...
She's super talkative these days. Some of her favorite words are:
"Bubba"- this is what she calls Momo, and she exclaims it every time she sees or hears him
"Uh-Oh"- she really just thinks this is fun to say, she doesn't use it appropriately all the time, and often she will purposely do something wrong in order to get the opportunity to say it. Like dropping things on purpose for me to pick up....this is not my favorite game.
"Mama"- Her daddy is definitely the one who gets the most smiles and laughs from her, but when she is tired, or sick, or wants to snuggle she cries out for me...and that melts my heart! I get more quality hugs and nuzzles than anyone else!
"More" and "All Done"- So, we taught her these two so that we could distinguish why she was fussing in her high chair...was she fussing for more food, or because she wanted to get down? Well let me tell you, that 99% of the time she wants more food, and now all we hear, everywhere, very loudly is "MOOOORREEE!!!!"
"Please"- We have begun working on manners words due to the overuse of the demand for "more". I didn't want my little angel in public screaming and demanding MOOOORRRE if there wasn't a "please" following it! What's absolutely precious about this is that she can't make the "pl" sound yet so it's the most heart warming "puuuhhh". In fact, I think the number one phrase in our house these days is "Moooore, puuuhh!" How can you say no to that??
"Paw Paw"- This is my grandfather, her great-grandfather, and by far one of her favorite people. I also think it's fun for her to say!
 |
| Oh hey mom, nope I'm not doing annnyytthhiinng mischievous!! (shout out to Dee Dee for the big bow) |
 |
| in her Gamecock bloomers and bow, requesting the camera from me... |
Anyway, that's what my kitchen is like these days! It's a combination of my vegetarian cooking laboratory and Noah's play room. I can't wait to get her a little kitchen of her own, maybe Santa will bring her one! I'm making sure that she is always eating healthy, too. Most nights she'll share my dinner with me. This Monday she ate asparagus, and Tuesday she had feta cheese and spinach leaves on home made (not by me) wheat bread. She's an awesome eater! Heck, she eats better than her daddy!! If any of you are interested in learning more about a vegetarian diet, and lifestyle I highly suggest Forks over Knives, also I'm always looking to swap good recipes and products! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, Peace and Love, Layne
Monday, September 3, 2012
Noah's First Birthday Party
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| help from Aunt Brandi and Britain on her new transportation courtesy of Uncle Clayton! |
 |
| she ran around the whole party- she was our social butterfly! |
 |
| Have you ever tried to take a family pic with 6 kids under the age of 5 ? |
 |
| a shot of my hanging caterpillar on the back porch! |
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Bad Mood Blues?
Do you ever just feel bogged down by a dark and negative energy? That's how I've felt lately, or was feeling. I've made some changes, said a lot of prayers, and tried to wake up each morning with a positive outlook on life and the mission of my day being to serve the Lord in all I do and say. (that rhymed but it didn't plan it) The world around me is so full of hate, anger, negativity, trash, filth, and sinning. The Bible tells us to be in the world, but not of the world..."And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" Romans 12:2. Y'all, that is really hard to do!! Satan is everywhere. He hides himself in things that are desirable and seem acceptable, he is there in the negativity that you may let take over when your having a bad day, or have a spat with a friend or loved one. Don't let yourself be fooled by his tricks or succumb to his illusions....easier said than done, right?! I admit I can get caught up in gossip, I let my anger get the best of me and say mean things, and I often find myself placing value on the things of this world that are not ultimately not important. Here are some of the changes I've been trying to make in my life to clear that dark cloud to let the light through! Maybe they'll help you, too!
IPOD PURGE!
I had so much trash in my itunes, it wasn't even funny. I put aside that fact that the language and content were inappropriate, even for a married adult, and listened to it anyway. I opted not to pay attention to that feeling that maybe it wasn't the best choice. I was driving one day and having a fit of roadrage, I found myself spewing profanities through my rolled-up windows at another driver (who was a total idiot-just sayin). By some chance I noticed that I had one of my more hard-core rap songs on, and immediately turned it off....I know that what you listen to affects your mood and your actions. I was becoming numb to the audacity and unattractiveness of using those words. So, I got rid of all of my unedited music, and even some of my edit stuff that I felt I didn't need in my head, and downloaded some awesome praise and worship songs, as well as some awesome smile-enducing reggae. I can't begin to describe the monumental difference I feel when I listen to uplifting and positive music all day versus the alternative. Please don't confuse this as me saying all I listen to is Christian Rock now, because that is SO not the case, I can still get down-trust. I am merely saying that I am more conscious of what I'm listening to and putting in my mind!
p.s. Download Matt Redman 10,000 reasons album for $0.99 for an awesome jam!
COOKING
I know this seems a little bizaare, but I realized that I hadn't been cooking as much in the past few months as I normally do. Cooking is super theraputic for me, it is a passion, and something that I consider to be a lot of fun (minus the clean-up). Cooking for my husband and daughter is a way that I can serve the Lord. Cooking for others, and doing for others is being in the service of your fellow man, showing love to them and compassion, all of which are things that the Savior was an example of. It makes me feel good, and I know it makes my husband feel appreciated and cared for when I cook a nice meal for him to eat.
EXERCISING
Taking care of my body, and eating and exercising often is an instant spirit lifter! I'm happy, smiling, maybe sweaty, but ready to take on the world and it's tricks when I've had a good work out. I love Zumba classes, and always have a blast, but sometimes a good solo cardio session is just what I need to clear my head and get my mind and heart right!
This is just something that has been on my mind lately! Thanks for letting me share! What do you to to "let the light" into your life when it's getting funky? I'd love to hear it! Other than cooking and singing and working out, this week I've been gearing up and preparing for Noah's big 1st birthday party! We've got a TON of family and friends coming to town to celebrate with us! Oh, and did I mention we're having our entire yard landscaped this week! Gulp, lets hope Hurricane Isaac doesn't messed it all up with these evening storms we're getting! Y'all have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Peace and Love, Layne
IPOD PURGE!
I had so much trash in my itunes, it wasn't even funny. I put aside that fact that the language and content were inappropriate, even for a married adult, and listened to it anyway. I opted not to pay attention to that feeling that maybe it wasn't the best choice. I was driving one day and having a fit of roadrage, I found myself spewing profanities through my rolled-up windows at another driver (who was a total idiot-just sayin). By some chance I noticed that I had one of my more hard-core rap songs on, and immediately turned it off....I know that what you listen to affects your mood and your actions. I was becoming numb to the audacity and unattractiveness of using those words. So, I got rid of all of my unedited music, and even some of my edit stuff that I felt I didn't need in my head, and downloaded some awesome praise and worship songs, as well as some awesome smile-enducing reggae. I can't begin to describe the monumental difference I feel when I listen to uplifting and positive music all day versus the alternative. Please don't confuse this as me saying all I listen to is Christian Rock now, because that is SO not the case, I can still get down-trust. I am merely saying that I am more conscious of what I'm listening to and putting in my mind!
p.s. Download Matt Redman 10,000 reasons album for $0.99 for an awesome jam!
COOKING
I know this seems a little bizaare, but I realized that I hadn't been cooking as much in the past few months as I normally do. Cooking is super theraputic for me, it is a passion, and something that I consider to be a lot of fun (minus the clean-up). Cooking for my husband and daughter is a way that I can serve the Lord. Cooking for others, and doing for others is being in the service of your fellow man, showing love to them and compassion, all of which are things that the Savior was an example of. It makes me feel good, and I know it makes my husband feel appreciated and cared for when I cook a nice meal for him to eat.
EXERCISING
Taking care of my body, and eating and exercising often is an instant spirit lifter! I'm happy, smiling, maybe sweaty, but ready to take on the world and it's tricks when I've had a good work out. I love Zumba classes, and always have a blast, but sometimes a good solo cardio session is just what I need to clear my head and get my mind and heart right!
This is just something that has been on my mind lately! Thanks for letting me share! What do you to to "let the light" into your life when it's getting funky? I'd love to hear it! Other than cooking and singing and working out, this week I've been gearing up and preparing for Noah's big 1st birthday party! We've got a TON of family and friends coming to town to celebrate with us! Oh, and did I mention we're having our entire yard landscaped this week! Gulp, lets hope Hurricane Isaac doesn't messed it all up with these evening storms we're getting! Y'all have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Peace and Love, Layne
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)