Okay, so that title may be a little off, but not by much:)
When you say camping, some people are all about it, like set up a tent, use no electricity, etc. That's not me. And then you have some people who would not set foot on a campsite. That's not me either. I'm somewhere in the middle. Here is my camping style. We take the camper, we have electricity, I take the coffee pot, I love to lay out in the sun, and swim in the river, all the while making sure there aren't any bugs or crawdads near me. Hey, I'm spending the night in the woods, not in my bed, so that IS camping. You may think otherwise. And you're wrong. :) My husband, on the other hand, would sleep in a tent, use only flashlights for light at night, drink his coffee from a percolator, and really rough it in the great outdoors. He's a bit off...hehe!
Let me set the scene: every summer, my fam of 5 plus my mother in law, sister in law, her 2 kids, my husband's aunt and uncle, their grown kids and grand kids, and this year, my husband's uncle and aunt from Illinois go camping for 4 or 5 days at the Buffalo National Park near Yellville, Arkansas. It's roughly 2 hours away. Not so far that its a long drive, but far enough that we are getting away. It is breathtaking there. The bluffs, the trails, the river is so clean. It's just perfect. This year there were 18 people who camped. We reserve campsites side by side that way we are all together. We eat, swim, take walks, sunbathe, eat, play, eat, and did I mention, we eat?That's pretty much it. And it is glorious.
Okay, rewind about one month. I've said it before, so you know by now, I am a list maker. A planner. An organizer. So about a month before we leave, I started a list. Well, my first list of many. I think it was the "things to buy" list. I also started a "things to pack" list. I added a couple of things to that list, and never touched it again until about 2 days before we left. That's where it all went down hill. You just cannot make an accurate list only 2 days before you leave!!!! So long story short, I ended up just jotting things down at the last minute, and you know what that means, you forget things. More on that later. I'll give you a hint, it wasn't the camera this time! I just tried to fit too many things in this summer which has us going around like chickens with our heads cut off. This is the last summer we have together before my oldest starts kindergarten, so we are enjoying every second of it!!
We leave on Saturday night, (when the hubs gets home from work) and arrive at the camp at about 9:30. Not ideal, but we were so excited to get there, we didn't want to wait until Sunday morning to leave. We get the camper and everything set up, and hit the sack. I should also mention, that before we got there, it had rained for about 2 hours. That would set off a chain of events that almost made us pack up and come home :o
The next morning, we got up, made coffee, had breakfast, and then headed for the river. We stayed until lunch time, then went back to the campsite for lunch. It started raining. We had everything out. Chairs, dry towels and clothes on the line. And it rained. And rained. And rained. For THREE straight days. Now, it wasn't an all day and all night, build an ark kind of rain, although, that was considered. It would rain for a while, then quit, only to start up again. On Monday, I was listening to a local radio station, and they said that the last record for rainfall was set in 1964, and it was about an inch. Well guess what, that record was broke that day! It rained 2.6 inches. Ugh. Wet chairs, wet towels, wet clothes, everything was just wet. And it was miserable. We spent a lot of time in the camper. Playing cards, doing crafts (thanks to my mother in law for bringing those). It was just hard. The kids were ready to be out of there!!! And so were the adults!!
On Tuesday, we had planned to having cheeseburgers for dinner, and my husband had just got them on the grill, when, you guessed it, it started raining. Oy. At this point, he just said, "forget it. I'm cooking." So my sister in law, bless her heart, stood out there with an umbrella holding it over the grill while he cooked. I had to stay in the camper with the kids, and set up the table so we could eat in there. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make :) By the time they were done, they were both soaked. Wait, soaked is a huge understatement. I don't even know the word to explain what they were. But the burgers were fabulous! Thanks, babe!
It did rain a little Wednesday, but we were able to enjoy the sunshine most of Wednesday and all day Thursday. We have been camping together like this for the past 9 or 10 years, and this is the first time this has happened. It was nuts!!!
But, we did have a great time, and made memories, and that's what it's all about!! The hubs and I plan on going back in October for our 10 year anniversary, and hopefully the rain will stay away!! And I will remember the pillows this time. Yes, that's right, that's what I forgot. My husband's aunt came to the rescue, and had 4 extra ones for us. I love her. Hey, I definitely wasn't on my A game when it came to planning and packing this time. It won't happen again. I hope. :)
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
My Purpose Driven Life
WARNING: This post is going to talk about God. If that makes you uncomfortable, please just click the X button now. I am not ashamed of my relationship with God, and I have no problem talking about it. So, having said that, here we go! I should apologize in advance if I'm all over the place with this post..I have so many thoughts in my head, so it could bounce around a bit. Still with me? Ha!
Okay, so sometime last year, someone in my Sunday School class asked our teacher (who also happens to be our preacher) and our class if we thought we are to know our "purpose" in life. You know, what God put you on this Earth to do. She said she kind of felt like she needed to be trying to figure out what her purpose was, but was having a hard time with it. We all discussed it, and our preacher said he did feel like we were to know our purpose. At the time, I disagreed, saying that not everyone was destined to figure it out. I certainly hadn't given it any thought. I mean, trying to figure out why God put me on this Earth?? That was about like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Impossible. And even if you did think you figured it out, how do you truly know? Seemed kind of redundant to me. One lady in the class did say something that kind of made sense, she said that maybe my purpose was to be a mom. I agreed at the time, I mean obviously it is, as I have 3 kids! I never really gave it any more thought after that.
Fast forward to earlier this week. One of my friends on Facebook (of all places) posted this, and as I read each one, the feeling got stronger and stronger. I'm really starting to believe I am getting to know my purpose. This is what she posted:
For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better.
For those days. You know the ones.
Repeat after me:
1. I shall not judge my house, my kid's summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest's standards.
2. I shall not measure what I've accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I've tickled into my kids.
3. I shall say yes to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we're building.
4. I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they're already in their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other mothers but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7. I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
8. I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9. I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11. I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12. I shall do my best to admit to my people my unfine moments.
13. I shall say sorry when sorry is necessary.
14. I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children's forgiveness.
15. I shall make space in my grown-up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
17. I shall model kind words to kids and grown-ups alike.
18. I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19. I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they'll all be in college.
... with love from one tired mother to another.
Thank you Emily for sharing this!
I read each one and said "yes, that's me" I went on about my day, still not really, really thinking anything else of it, but as the days went on, God was speaking to me, and telling me that being a mom was my purpose. To love, to nurture, to watch grow, to teach, to guide, to protect, to just "be" with my kids. That is what I am supposed to do! He has entrusted me (and I still question that!!) with these 3 lives that will forever be a part of me.
Okay, so how do I know that this is "my purpose?" I don't. I mean, God could have some other plan totally for my life, but right now, this is where He wants me to be. This is what He wants me to be doing. He gives me the strength, and all the right tools I need for this job. And you know what's kind of strange? Now that I feel like I have kind of figured it out, I find myself being a much better parent. Because this is what God has planned for me to do, I feel like I have to do it 110%. After all, don't we all want to please God by doing His will? Don't we want to do the best we can for Him? We don't have all the answers. I am not called to be an important public figure, or politician, or humanitarian, or ambassador for third world countries. But you know what? My job, the one that God has called me to do, which is be the best mom I can be to the 3 blessings that I have, it is just as important as those I mentioned. See, you don't have to save a life, or win the Nobel Peace Prize to have found your purpose in this life. It doesn't matter if you think what you are doing isn't as important or special or big as what someone else is doing, if God had made this your purpose, all that matters is that you give yourself to that, wholly, and be sure to give God the glory!
Now, don't panic if you haven't a clue what your purpose is..that was me just a few months ago. I had no idea. But right now, I feel like this is what I'm here for. When my kids are all grown up and move out of my house, (it will be a sad, sad day!!) maybe then God will have another plan for me. But I don't even think of that right now. All I need to worry about now is if all the sippy cups are full, diapers are dry, they've been fed, and that they are loved. Check, check, check, and check.
There will be days that I want to pull all my hair out...like when my 5 and 3 year olds are fighting. Or when my 18th month old wants to be held all day, or smears her lunch in her hair...again. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like the Trace Adkins song goes, "You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this..."
Okay, so sometime last year, someone in my Sunday School class asked our teacher (who also happens to be our preacher) and our class if we thought we are to know our "purpose" in life. You know, what God put you on this Earth to do. She said she kind of felt like she needed to be trying to figure out what her purpose was, but was having a hard time with it. We all discussed it, and our preacher said he did feel like we were to know our purpose. At the time, I disagreed, saying that not everyone was destined to figure it out. I certainly hadn't given it any thought. I mean, trying to figure out why God put me on this Earth?? That was about like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Impossible. And even if you did think you figured it out, how do you truly know? Seemed kind of redundant to me. One lady in the class did say something that kind of made sense, she said that maybe my purpose was to be a mom. I agreed at the time, I mean obviously it is, as I have 3 kids! I never really gave it any more thought after that.
Fast forward to earlier this week. One of my friends on Facebook (of all places) posted this, and as I read each one, the feeling got stronger and stronger. I'm really starting to believe I am getting to know my purpose. This is what she posted:
For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better.
For those days. You know the ones.
Repeat after me:
1. I shall not judge my house, my kid's summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest's standards.
2. I shall not measure what I've accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I've tickled into my kids.
3. I shall say yes to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we're building.
4. I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they're already in their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other mothers but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7. I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
8. I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9. I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11. I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12. I shall do my best to admit to my people my unfine moments.
13. I shall say sorry when sorry is necessary.
14. I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children's forgiveness.
15. I shall make space in my grown-up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
17. I shall model kind words to kids and grown-ups alike.
18. I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19. I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they'll all be in college.
... with love from one tired mother to another.
Thank you Emily for sharing this!
I read each one and said "yes, that's me" I went on about my day, still not really, really thinking anything else of it, but as the days went on, God was speaking to me, and telling me that being a mom was my purpose. To love, to nurture, to watch grow, to teach, to guide, to protect, to just "be" with my kids. That is what I am supposed to do! He has entrusted me (and I still question that!!) with these 3 lives that will forever be a part of me.
Okay, so how do I know that this is "my purpose?" I don't. I mean, God could have some other plan totally for my life, but right now, this is where He wants me to be. This is what He wants me to be doing. He gives me the strength, and all the right tools I need for this job. And you know what's kind of strange? Now that I feel like I have kind of figured it out, I find myself being a much better parent. Because this is what God has planned for me to do, I feel like I have to do it 110%. After all, don't we all want to please God by doing His will? Don't we want to do the best we can for Him? We don't have all the answers. I am not called to be an important public figure, or politician, or humanitarian, or ambassador for third world countries. But you know what? My job, the one that God has called me to do, which is be the best mom I can be to the 3 blessings that I have, it is just as important as those I mentioned. See, you don't have to save a life, or win the Nobel Peace Prize to have found your purpose in this life. It doesn't matter if you think what you are doing isn't as important or special or big as what someone else is doing, if God had made this your purpose, all that matters is that you give yourself to that, wholly, and be sure to give God the glory!
Now, don't panic if you haven't a clue what your purpose is..that was me just a few months ago. I had no idea. But right now, I feel like this is what I'm here for. When my kids are all grown up and move out of my house, (it will be a sad, sad day!!) maybe then God will have another plan for me. But I don't even think of that right now. All I need to worry about now is if all the sippy cups are full, diapers are dry, they've been fed, and that they are loved. Check, check, check, and check.
There will be days that I want to pull all my hair out...like when my 5 and 3 year olds are fighting. Or when my 18th month old wants to be held all day, or smears her lunch in her hair...again. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like the Trace Adkins song goes, "You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this..."
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