Pro-Life

I am anti-abortion, pro-life and truly believe that every life is a life once it's conceived.

I know that voting season is upon us and I'm not trying to tell you how to vote. I am already sick of the numerous political rants, ads and opinions of others that are shoved into my face every time I turn around. That's not what this is about.

This is about life. It's about why I can't wrap my mind around the fact that abortion is legal and even celebrated in so much of our world today. This is about tiny babies being ripped from their mother's wombs, never even given a chance to live, to strive and to contribute to our society. This is about murder - because we are taking into our own hands the life of another and destroying it. There is no way to sugar-coat this.

I know what I'm undoubtedly going to hear and here is my response. You made the decision to have sex, and in most circumstances you made that decision hastily and without thought of being responsible and using some sort of protection. Quit pretending that every mistake you make is 'okay' and that you can just find a way out of it. You did the deed, now own up to it. Murder should not be an option here.

Then there's going to be those of you that go there.

'So what you're saying is that if I get raped in a dark alley and get pregnant, I have to keep the baby?'

No. That's not what I'm saying. But upon scouring the internet for some sort of statistic on the amount of rapes that result in pregnancy, the HIGHEST number I could find is 5%. The most common number I found was less than 1%. So I don't know how many rapes actually result in pregnancy, but to be safe let's say that it's 5%. There is about 207,754 victims of sexual assault each year.

Let's do some math. Assuming that all of these victims of sexual assault were actually forced to have sex (which is not the case) 5% of 207,754 = 10,387. There would be approximately 10,387 pregnancies that resulted from rape in the United States per year.

Hmm...I wonder how many abortions there are in the United States each year?

1,300,000

Let me spell that out for you. One million, three hundred thousand tiny lives ended each year.

The honest fact is that almost all abortions are the result of a woman making a mistake, hopping into bed foolishly and then not wanting to own up to her decision. I will never understand how the term 'pro-choice' is used when they are taking the 'choice' away from someone to live. If we went around saying 'I just don't feel like dealing with you, so I'm just going to kill you instead' to the children that we already have - that would be an issue. But apparently just because they're not here yet, it's okay.

I'm not trying to make a big fuss here. I just get sick of this being the leading argument as to why abortion should be okay. The fact is, abortion is performed mostly for those who are careless, not those who have been raped. Abstinence, safe-sex and adoption should be our option here, not abortion.

P.S. - I used RAINN: The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization and The National Abortion Federation to get these figures.

P.S.S. - Abortions because of medical reasons (birth defects, threat to mother's health) makes up less than 1% of all abortions in the United State - cause I know you're going to hit me with that one too.

Be nice to me, darn it!

Have you ever been walking through a store, been frustrated as all get out and taken it out immediately on the next employee that you see just because well - it's obviously their fault since they were ignorant enough to   cross your path?

For those of you who do not know, I work at Lowe's 20 hours on the weekends. I am not particularly fond of the job, but it isn't awful either and it provides my little family with insurance where as my husband's full-time job does not. We do what we can and gotta in these parts.

Anyway. Nothing, NOTHING, bugs me more than when I end up with a super pissy, totally unappreciative customer who most of the time is angry for reasons outside of anything I could possibly help them with find me, yell at me and make me feel like I'm the sole cause for every misfortune in the entire world. (Yes - it really feels like that, I'm kind of sensitive, okay?)

I just wish sometimes that they would just stop and think about what they're doing. Usually if there's something wrong in the store

-It's not my fault.
-I can't fix it.
-And yelling at me is just going to make it much harder for me to WANT to do what I can to help.

Just sayin'

Now, I'm not sticking up for those people who go to work and seriously deserve to be yelled at. I've yelled. I've yelled and I've been very angry at people who seriously amaze me that they're in a retail environment, treating customers (who are their job security...hello!) like total dog crap. Just this past week I put a lady into her place at Wendy's when she told me that they couldn't add or remove anything from my sandwich. Are you serious? Push the extra button and quit acting like you're doing me a huge favor!!

Anyway, off subject a bit there.

All I'm asking is that the next time you go into the store, if they're out of milk (this happened to me this week too) don't yell at the poor boy stocking paper-towels in the next isle (I didn't yell at anyone though, promise). I'm sure it's not his fault that the truck didn't get there or the cow's got loose and ran off, jumping moons along their way. Just try to be a little nicer, please. I know it would make my life a little-lot easier.

I am thanking you personally, from every retail employee in advance!


P.S. - I won't even go into you men out there who look at me like an idiot when I tell you what I KNOW is true but because I don't have two balls between my legs, you immediately take me as an ignorant throw-in who obviously is working in this department because I don't know a single thing about it. That's another post - but it's coming and you should fear me right about now.

Ground Turkey vs Ground Beef

I will never for the life of me understand why people buy ground beef/chuck. I know that there's a lot of recipes out there that call for ground beef but let me tell you something, with the price of groceries going sky-high and the never-ending concern for our health - you can not go wrong with substituting ground turkey for ground beef. Why's that you ask? Well...

1) Ground turkey is cheaper. Like WAYYY cheaper. I can usually get a pound of ground turkey for around $1.25. I don't buy ground beef (like ever) but the last time I glanced at the price of a pound, I know it was over $3.00. THREE DOLLARS, double the price! I'm sorry, but in my world, that is just too much to spend on something that you're usually going to make into something else.

2) It tastes super similar. Now unless you're making straight-up hamburgers (although there are some awesome turkey burger recipes out there) I really don't think you can taste THAT much of a difference in the two. Most recipes that call for ground beef is usually saturated in other flavors that doesn't really revolve around the beef itself. When I make my meat sauce for spaghetti, I mix a pound of ground turkey with a jar of spaghetti sauce and let it simmer together and it's delicious. The same also goes for things like chili, hamburger helper, tacos, and even meatloaf (my family's favorite).

3) It's usually healthier. This is where reading labels always comes in handy! Turkey is normally lower in calories and fat than what ground beef is. BUT, it can be true that it can be higher, especially if you are buying something as lean as 90/10 or 95/5 ground beef. The thing is, you've really got to check the labels!! What I buy comes frozen in 1 lb increments and is about equal to buying 90/10 ground beef. However, I have seen some ground turkey out there that is actually WAY worse for you than buying a lean ground beef. It's really a difference of whether or not the company who makes it uses more of the breast or more of the darker meats in their ground products.

I cannot tell you the last time that I bought ground beef. To me, it's obvious that the way to go is with turkey, especially when you're on a budget like my family is. I am often confronted with people telling me that it makes them absolutely cringe to think about eating ground turkey instead of beef but I have to tell you - don't  knock it until you try it. The next time you go to make your family dinner, try substituting and then come back and let me know what you thought. Do you use any substitutions for health and cost reasons when you cook?

Balancing Life After Baby

When I was pregnant I had big dreams of the day that I would stay home with baby all day. I would have time to have the house perfectly cleaned, a hot dinner on the table when my husband walked through the door (while looking fabulous of course), finish all those crafts that I now have pinned on Pinterest and still have plenty of time to spare!  I mean, I’d have all day…right?

Almost a year later I look back at that dream and have to laugh at myself a bit. I’m lucky if my house looks clean ten minutes after I clean it and dinner is usually a little-lot on the late side anymore. I may find an hour to myself throughout the week while Henry is napping to do some crafting, blogging, reading, and all the other things that I used to enjoy on an almost daily basis and as far as looking good goes - it may be last on my ‘to do’ list.

If there’s anything I’ve learned about life after baby it’s that the majority of time you have way more on your to-do list than what you have time for! At first I just tried to do it all anyway. I would get up before baby to try and get things done, work through his naps and then stay up after he went to sleep at night as a last ditch effort to finish those last few things that I didn’t get done throughout the day. What did this leave me?

Exhausted to start. But I also felt uncared for and quite honestly - depressed. In the hopes to be this perfect housewife and mother, I had forgotten completely to take care of myself.

It took a complete breakdown one day for me to realize just how crazy it was to expect so much of myself. I had to reprioritize my life. I sat down one day and thought ‘What is it that REALLY matters?’

I came up with something like this:

#1- My son should have a happy, healthy life. This includes his right to freely move around the majority of our house without me constantly worrying that he’s getting into something he shouldn’t be or making a huge mess I’m going to have to clean up over and over. We baby-proofed to the nines. Bring it on, little one!

#2- My husband should come home from work to a stress free home. As in - I won’t nag my husband the minute he walks in the door to both watch the baby so I can get things done and do the things that I know he will eventually get done on his own. Bickering and nagging never makes a marriage fun.

#3- Dinner is important. Even if I get nothing else done all day, I strive to make sure that the three of us can sit down and have dinner together without it being a last ditch effort or a whining fest that someone’s hungry but we don’t know what to fix. It gives us a time to connect and talk and it’s something to look forward to every single evening.

#4- It’s okay to do it tomorrow, especially if it means keeping your sanity in tack. For the longest time I was always telling my friends “I can’t” because I had x, y and z to finish at the house. This left me lonely and frustrated because spending all day everyday keeping house and taking care of a baby will eventually drive you insane if you don’t get out every now and then. If I go out today and leave it until tomorrow, that’s totally okay!

#5- Routine is a must! If I know everyday that my son will take a nap at 10:30 then I know everyday that I’ll be able to accomplish quite a bit or even relax by myself for a good while at that time. It makes scrubbing up oatmeal all over the floor at 8 a.m. much easier if I know I’m going to get a break a little while later. It also makes for a happier baby!

#6- Don’t forget yourself! Right now the laundry needs folded and put away, the dishes need done and I have a to-do list a mile long BUT I enjoy writing so I’m taking a break and writing instead. Momma needs her alone time (and a large glass of wine). Seriously.

#7- Nothing is ever going to be perfect! Who cares if there’s toys strewn all over the room (Don’t mind the mess, the kids are making memories!) or if you have to ‘live off the pile’ for a few days as we call it. Life is what you make it and if you spend every single day stressing about whether or not things are perfect, you’ll drive yourself crazy. Find what is important to YOU! If you keep what is REALLY important at the top of your list, the rest will fall into place.

What kind of things did you find helped with the flow of things after you had a baby?

Let's Just Not

Do you wanna know how to make your life 100% happier than what it is now?

Quit comparing yourself to others.

Seriously.

Quit worrying about whether you're as pretty as so and so.

Quit wondering if your husband is as great as hers. Or your wife is as great as his.

Quit questioning whether or not your parenting is as good as theirs.

Quit asking yourself if your house is as nice as a friends.

...if your kids are as behaved.

...if your hair is as perfect.

...if your car is as shiny.

...if your life is as complete.

The list goes on and on and on and on.

Just be yourself. Do you and you'll find that doing you and being you will make you happier than wishing to be anything more.

Will that be difficult? YES!

I mean, we all struggle with insecurities. (That's what they are, you know that...right?)

Mine?

Well, I wish I could say that I knew I was as poised, pretty and well-mannered.

I wish I could say that I knew that my photos were as stunning...and my writing as well put together.

I wish my house was as beautiful, clean and decorated.

I wish I was as successful as an entrepreneur.

The other things? Eh! I've overcome them already! 

My car? A 2001 Buick...but I LOVE my grannie mobile most of the time. It's been good to me and whether or not I have a brand new, shiny and up to date vehicle with all the bells and whistles is not the least bit important to me.

My clothes? Totally out of date! But they're comfortable, they're cute and they're me. Give me a pair of jeans and a cute shirt and I'm set. There's no way I'm going to walk around wearing today's fashions and be comfortable or FEEL confident. No way, sirree.

My son? PERFECT! Seriously, I don't care if he's throwing a fit in the middle of a crowded restaurant, you'll never catch me looking at the next table of well-mannered kids and wishing he were more like them. ALL kids develop differently, all kids have different personalities and attitudes and I will never compare him to another. He's my baby, my Little Bit and he's perfect for me and to me.

You get the idea! Today I vow to start working on those things that I do struggle with. I vow to take a deep breath and refuse when I catch myself comparing who I am to who someone else is, regardless of the circumstances! Bettering yourself and your life is YOUR responsibility. Who you are and how you turn out in life is all on your shoulders. It's your choice; so quit comparing. If you don't you'll find that there's always going to be something or someone that you're striving to be and you'll never, ever get there.

Christmas: Santa vs Christ

I've had a huge struggle these past few weeks with the thought of teaching Henry in the coming years what Christmas is all about. It's weighed so heavy on my heart and mind that I've decided to reach out to you, my Christian friends, for some advice on how you handled your children at this time of the year when they were growing up.

I want him to know that Christmas is Christ's birthday. I want him to hear the Christmas story every year and know that this is the true reason why we celebrate. I've already decided that each year he will only receive three gifts from Jeremy and I; as Christ received three gifts from the wisemen. I've also decided that I'd like to start the tradition of making cupcakes the night before and singing 'Happy Birthday' to Jesus Christmas morning and allowing my children to each blow out a candle for Him. These are things I am sure of, things Jeremy and I have discussed and agree upon and are excited to start as our own family traditions.

Where I am struggling is how to introduce Santa Claus without taking away and confusing my children with what Christmas is all about. I don't want to take the 'magic' of Santa away from Henry and any future children we may have, but I'm just not sure how to incorporate both into Christmas. One just seems to take away from the other. I hate that. I hate that our country is so wrapped up in things that are so far from the true meaning that I have to seriously worry about how to keep the true meaning of Christmas in my children's hearts without depriving them of what every other child around them is celebrating.

So really I want your opinions. I want to know what you think about it all and how you taught your children growing up what Christmas was truly about while also incorporating Santa into it all. I'll really appreciate any of your input!

Seven Times Seventy Times

So there's this new song out by Chris August and I'd heard bits and pieces of it but hadn't really heard it all or really listened to it until today. I was driving home from the grocery and it came on and I cranked up the radio and listened to the words. I do this a lot, I find that God speaks through His music but just like reading your Bible or listening to a sermon, you have to really listen to hear Him. So I listened and He spoke and before I knew it I was bawling my eyes out. (I do this a lot too, I'm a crier)

This song was my life, growing up and doing it too quickly. There were fights, neglect, abuse, alcohol, drugs, violence. You name it, I saw it and felt it and lived it. But life is not about the situations that you're in but how you take those situations and learn and grow from them. I've been close with others who went through the same things as I did growing up and I have to say, there's a line drawn and some stand on one side and some stand on the other. Those who grew from what they experienced stand on one side, some, like me, have relationships with those who at one time hurt them the most. They've learned to forgive and they've learned how to love. Then there are the others who remain angry and hurt and stuck. They are stuck in what happened to them and the thought of forgiving is an insane thought. They stand pointing fingers, blaming everything in their lives on someone else.

Sure, I still hurt at times. But I never look at those that hurt me in hatred, I don't point fingers and I don't blame them for every issue or problem that arises in my life. I know I couldn't have done that by myself, God is so amazing, so loving, He takes every bit of anger and turns it into forgiveness, understanding and compassion. I owe my life to Him. Without Him, I could be the one standing there, full of anger and hurt and just plain stuck.

::7x70::

I've been living in this house here

Since the day that I was born

These walls have seen me happy

But most of all they've seen me torn

They have heard the screaming matches

That made a family fall apart

They've had a front row seat for the breaking of my heart

Seven times seventy times

I'll do what it takes to make it right

I thought the pain was here to stay

But forgiveness made a way

Seven times seventy times

There's healing in the air tonight

I'm reaching up to pull it down

Gonna wrap it all around

I remember running down the hallway playing hide and seek

I didn't know that I was searching for someone to notice me

I felt alone and undiscovered

And old enough to understand

Just when I'm supposed to be learning to love

You let me down again

Seven times seventy times

I'll do what it takes to make it right

I thought the pain was here to stay

But forgiveness made a way

Seven times seventy times

There's healing in the air tonight

I'm reaching up to pull it down

Gonna wrap it all around

I lost count of the ways you let me down

But no matter how many times you weren't around

I'm alright now…cause God picked up my heart and helped me through

And shined light on the one thing left to do

And that's forgive you, I forgive you

Seven times seventy times

I'll do what it takes to make it right

I thought the pain was here to stay

But forgiveness made a way

Seven times seventy times

There's healing in the air tonight

I'm reaching up to pull it down

Gonna wrap it all around

I've been living in this house here since the day that I was born