Five things on Friday!

one. flashback friday. I got to looking through my blog the other night and got a little emotional looking at how much my kids have grown. I had always heard old timers say that children grow quickly but sort of brushed that mess off thinking it wouldn't happen to my children. My children wouldn't grow fast, right? Wrong. When asked, I give two pieces of advice for new parents. 1.) Read to and with your children...often. 2.) Don't blink, babies grow up so fast, cherish every moment.

two. my mothers birthday.



If my Mother were still here with me, she would have celebrated her 50th birthday this past Monday. When I told people she would have been 50 their facial expressions were nothing less than pure confusion.

"She is so young", they would say.

Why yes, yes she was.

"She must have had you when she was young",

well, yes - yes she was very young.

Shortly after her diagnosis with Cancer, I received a card in the mail {I had to live with my Dad} from my momma for Easter {that I still have to this day}, her words were {along with some other things} "Each moment is already planned". Such simple words to my little 8 year old mind, yet so bold as I read those same words at 34. I understand that it was no mistake her having me young, it was no mistake for her to leave the world early either.

I also get the question of, "How do you deal with not having your mother?"

Well, some days are worse than others, I'd be lying if I didn't say it doesn't affect me. It surely does. I've had to have counseling and I've talked to my preacher. {Grief is a funny thing, I tell ya.[Said while shaking my head]}

But I remember and cling to this:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”    

which means to me,    

Everything happens for a reason.


& my Momma knows best.............with her words.

Each moment is already planned.

three. recipes. Guys. game changer here. I absolutely love www.uprootkitchen.com; I can find so many healthy recipes there. What drew me in was each month a seasonal produce list is posted to see what is in season. This has helped me so much. Call me silly, but I knew when some veggies were in season, but some...I had no clue. Another recipe source I love {and I also love to keep up with the Shull Family-how fun are they??} is www.mixandmatchmama.com. Shay has her own cookbooks and I just love the variety of recipe ideas she has. When I look at her recipes it gets me motivated to cook! {That's a good thing! This momma can get in a no cooking rut, quick}

Photo courtesy of www.uprootkitchen.com

four. hope floats. Oh, take me back to 1998 please. I just recently watched this movie for the gazillionth time and it never gets old. Harry Connick, Jr makes my heart flutter every. single. time. {sorry, Adam!} Everyone needs a Justin Matisse in their lives. I'd dance with him! :) If you haven't seen it, it would be the perfect Valentine date night movie, just saying!

my favorite quote of all time-

"Dancing is just a conversation between two people, talk to me."-Justin Matisse, Hope Floats



five. valentines day. In honor of upcoming Valentine's day, I have been leaving little love notes for Adam, Kullen & Reagan leading up to the big day. Adam has been getting his at night, hidden is random various places. Kullen has been waking up to his notes each day. {Because notes in his lunchbox are not cool he says} Reagan has been getting her little love notes in her lunch box each day. I was just trying to come up with an inexpensive, cool way to say I love you in honor of the fast approaching holiday. Seriously, wasn't it just Christmas?

{This one was supposed to say Day 6, oops!}

Adam has been getting a kick out of all these little notes!