1st trimester blues

I am sure most of you have heard by now but Matthew, Jack and I are expecting a another little one to arrive next July sometime!  We are very excited!  I am dealing with all the normal emotions and physical ailments that most pregnant mommas go through but seem to have a very hard time getting past it.  I know this is normal but when you are in the midst of unexplained sadness it is hard to justify your way out it by saying that this is all 'normal'.. right?  This pregnancy already seems extra difficult since I have Jack to chase after (he is creeping up on the lovely 2's and I am finding they are not so lovely ) and extra nausea and food aversions (chili, coffee, etc..) that I did not have when I was pregnant with Jack.  My house and business are also suffering since I cannot find the energy to wash a dish or pick up a phone.  God knows I wish I could be cheery and making cookies and crafts and all the things stay at home moms are supposed to do around the holidays.  But all I can do is curl up on the couch during Jack's nap time and sleep through whatever Jane Austen movie calls to me that particular day.  Maybe this will pass soon.

Other than that, our family seems to be doing okay.  Jack makes us laugh and cry at times when we can't quite understand what he is needing.  Tragedy I know...it's not world hunger, it's not a house burned down (which happened to a friend of mine this week), it's not a major sickness (which another friend is also dealing with), and I am thankful and grateful for what we do have and the ease of my daily life.  But these are true feelings, true thoughts, and true struggles.  Please pray with me that I will see past these ticky tacky things and celebrate this season for the freedom and grace that it brings to all of us.

5th Grade

Yup, it started in 5th grade- when all my friends started to "like" the cute little 6th grade boy that wore a bright orange UT sweat outfit almost every.other.day to school. He was a boyfriend to all my friends, before finally when they all went on to older different guys like 8th graders :)- did he notice me......

AND here we are years later- married for almost 7 years with a 5 year old boy- Levi, a almost 3 year old- Jack, and a 6 1/2 month old girl-Heidi.

I (Judith) am 27. A "retired" registered nurse gone mommy, cook, cleaning lady, gardener, accountant, boo-boo kisser, snot wiper, super fast diaper changer, expert tent maker, and the list goes on....


My elementary sweetheart, Donald is 28. He works from home & is uber creative & stays busy with Rush Design Group & his new business SmallBuck.

We still attend the church we grew up in. And have a kid in the school that we met & graduated from. CRAZY!

Our hearts are full of gratitude for the blessings the Lord continues to place in our lives. Even through times when things seem "difficult"- We are so blessed!!!

Super excited about this blog - Hope I can do better co-blogging than I did single blogging..... :)

cleaning...help!

Okay friends..I really need some help.  I seem to lack whatever innate cleaning and organizing skills that most moms/women have.  And before you know it, there are clothes everywhere, dishes everywhere, toys everywhere...and I don't know where to start.  Usually I get overwhelmed and come to the computer...which is what I have done now :). I need someone to come through my house and help me organize and learn to keep these nice and neat.  I feel that I would be much more productive if I could maintain a clean house.  So, with that said, I am asking for help...please give any advice!! Thanks.

Late Night Hobbies + Sleepless Baby = Coffee Necessity

Hello. My name is Michelle Woody. Last night I stayed up till 2 am learning to crochet a beanie. Then I realized I had important emails I never responded to. After responding to emails that remind me why I hated group projects in school, I finally went to bed around 2:40. I turn out the light, take off my glasses, lay my head down and............"waaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!". Awesome. Just awesome. AND, since we are currently trying to get our baby (Violet, more on her later) to sleep through the night and not have night feedings, the crying continued somewhere into the 3 am hour. I stopped looking at the clock. Oh, did I mention we live in a one bedroom apt? Well, we do.

So, now I'm drinking copious amounts of coffee and finally introducing myself on this blog. I've never been a blogger, and actually, always thought they were kinda funny; but I liked the idea of friends sharing a space to give and get ideas, recipes, baby advice...etc. Good one Lori.

A little about me - I'm married to seriously the funniest and most fun person I know. He is handsome, Godly, trustworthy, faithful...the list could go on. I still get excited when his name pops up on my phone. We had our first child, Violet, last March, which makes her 7 months. Can't believe how fast it's going. Having her has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I'm so grateful.

Micah and I lead worship and write music....we're recording some right now. It's what we love.

I also love to cook. I'll share recipes if you want, but don't tell my dad. He's crazy about family secret recipes. I also love to work out. I'll share exercises if you want. Just ask. I also love to read. I share my favorite books if you want. CS Lewis will always be at the top. I also love to make things. This past week, I decided to learn how to knit, crochet, sew, and make felt hair accessories. Thinking I'll make as many Christmas presents as possible this year.

Oh, and most of all, I love Jesus.

My name is Candice Vega. I am the mother of a 25 month old little guy named Ezekiel and the wife of an amazing man, Paris....Yep that is us! We laugh, pray, and have dance-offs...yes I said dance-offs.

Becoming a mom changed everything about my world. I used to wake up early, go to bed on time, go to the bathroom alone, take showers in the mornings and I didn't misplace things! I have learned so many things about myself - things ugly and beautiful- and I can say today that I actually like who I am. What an amazing journey God has put me on.
It's awesome to have a shared place to write our ideas and encourage each other! Let the blogging begin :)

It's only the beginning.

Maybe we should dedicate this blog to my good friend Amber Montgomery because it was directly after her wedding after I had reunited with some old college friends that I felt inspired to create this space for moms.  So Amber, we salute you and thank you for bringing us all together again.

My name is Lori Stokes.  I am a mother of a 19-month old boy who name is Jack and wife to my most wonderful and patient husband Matthew.  These boys, and my dogs, Frederick and Winston (who get in various troubles from time to time) are most of the reason I wake each morning.  And the obvious gap is filled by Jesus Christ, my creator and savior.  Without the resurrection, this life I have wouldn’t be worth living.

It’s always been a struggle of mine to keep up with anything in particular.  Whether that is cleaning, cooking, coupon clipping, exercising, reading, writing..etc. , I seem to have trouble following through on ideas and initial actions.  This struggle has always kept me in a mediocre sort of place in life and well, frankly, I ‘m ready to move past that.  Since I know I cannot go down this road alone I have acquired the minds and computers (indirectly, I’m not stealing anything from anyone ;)…to help create a space where we can all contribute thoughts, ideas, dreams..but most importantly a place where each of us can come to day after day (or week after week) and be inspired, encouraged, and lifted up.  The choices God has given us we know have no effect on our eternal standing but they can make a big difference in our daily lives and the emotional roller coaster that we moms seem to face daily.  So..this is an experiment..it may fail and ultimately it does not matter, but while we have this moment, this breath that we call life, let us choose small joys and victories and celebrate with our friends the gifts of family, of creation and time.

I will let each woman introduce herself with her initial blog.  Please enjoy the recipes, ideas, cleaning tips, etc. that each person has to offer…and if you want, contribute some of your own.