36 things I want my daughters to know

written by http://fansofbeingamom.com/2433/being-a-mom/36-things-i-want-my-daughter-to-always-remember/
Kendall and Kymber,
A mother’s greatest aspiration is to see her children lead happy, rich, fulfilling lives. As I watched my little girl drift off to sleep last night, my mind was filled with all the wishes I hold in my heart for her happiness. If I could, I would giftwrap the world for her. I would create a new world designed to delight her. There is nothing that makes me feel happier or more content than to see joy on my child’s face.
I know that I cannot (and should not) make my daughter’s life perfect. I know that eventually she will venture out into the world on her own. She will have to face her own dragons and learn many things the hard way. I know that most of what I tell her – even the things I might whisper earnestly in the quiet dark of her room while she sleeps – will remain unheard and unheeded for a very long time.

Even so, there are things I want my daughter to always remember. I will tell her these things – today, tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. I will repeat them over and over until they echo so clearly in her head that they might be mistaken for her own thoughts. These are the things that I believe will help her create her happiness – grow it in her own heart instead of ceaselessly searching for it in other people and places and pursuits.

1. You are special.
2. There is no one else exactly like you in the whole world. Cherish your unique self.
3. You deserve love, admiration, honesty, respect, and second chances.
4. You have the right to use your voice – any time, any place, on any topic.
5. You are beautiful.
6. Beauty is as beauty does and while physical beauty is fleeting, a beautiful soul lasts forever.
7. True friends make you laugh and feel good about yourself.
8. True love makes you want to be a better person.
9. Girls can do anything boys can do … and some things boys can’t.
10. Magic is real – you just have to know where to look for it.
11. Taking time for yourself is important – be your own best friend.
12. You can always come home. Always.
13. You can tell me anything.
14. You don’t always have to follow the rules, but …
15. … always follow your heart.
16. You are a creative genius and your creations are your gift to the world. Give them freely and joyfully.
17. There’s no such thing as failure. Learn from every experience.
18. You are loved more than you will know until you have your own child.
19. Anything is possible if you believe.
20. There are few things a hot mug of tea and a good book won’t fix.
21. Go after your passion with a vengeance, but …
22. … remember to slow down and savor the journey along the way.
23. Sometimes it’s okay to eat dessert first.
24. Don’t wait for things to be “perfect” before you do something.
25. Keep your eye on the Big Picture, but revel in the details.
26. Trust yourself. You are smart enough, strong enough, and brave enough.
27. When in doubt, grow something.
28. It’s okay if you don’t know the answers. Sometimes it’s a better place to start from.
29. The Golden Rule is the easiest standard by which to measure any choice.
30. Travel is the best teacher, but always be safe and be wise. The world is a beautiful place, but it is not without its sharp edges.
31. Never compromise your beliefs – not for stature, approval, or anything else.
32. Manners count.
33. Learn to laugh at yourself and life will suddenly seem much easier.
34. It’s okay to be fragile sometimes. Life can be like that.
35. I am always so proud of you.
36. I will always be with you. Even when I’m gone I will be holding you in my heart and wrapping my love around you.

I'm back in the saddle again!!!

I saw this on quite a few of my bloggy friends sites so I decided to see how I ranked too! These are all the states I have visite so far over my lifetime. Man I guess I need to work on those poor Northern states huh?

So I finally stopped moving for just a little bit this morning to look at a few blogs and this is one of the first that I saw....I was so touched that I wanted to share it with y'all too!

You can find it here at http://the-goodwinfamily.blogspot.com/

10 Things I want my children to know

When they are moms and in the season I'm in right now, there are some things that I want them to know...

1. I don't always know what to say
2. I don't always have all the answers
3. I can't fix everything
4. I pray daily and ask God for wisdom, for help in knowing what to say, how to answer you or help you fix life's hurts
5. Sometimes all I have to offer is a prayer and hug
6. I want to teach you to love God with all your heart, mind and soul
7. I want to teach you to run to Him for guidance and strength, that your relationship with Him is more valuable than anything this world can offer you
8. I want you to know you are loved, you are beautiful on the inside and that nothing you can do can ever change my love for you
9.Motherhood is the hardest job on earth and I so often feel ill-equipped for the position of mothering children
10. I thank God everyday that He chose me to be your mom and allows me the privilege of walking this hard road with you. Even when it is a rough mommy week, I am still so unbelievably thankful.

so thankful...
and it's worth every minute, every tear, every challenge and every prayer.

Marriage Monday
Sometimes when two marry, out of enthusiasm we misuse God’s idea of oneness. Instead of “and the two shall become one flesh,” we fall into the trap of thinking “and the two shall become one another’s universe.”


We know friends "sharpen" each other as iron sharpens iron, but also "the pleasantness of a friend

springs from their heartfelt advice" (Prov. 27:9-10), another good reason for married people to have godly friendships. Good friends are those who can provide faithful and loving rebuke when we need the "wounds of a friend" (Prov. 27:5-6). I know I'm a better wife because of the godly girlfriends, single and married, God has placed in my life.

For more check out Julie at






Picture this....I am standing at the bathroom mirror plucking my eyebrows. (Ok you might not want to picture it but that is what I was doing.)
My daughter Kendall came up and asked me what I was doing.
ME: I am plucking my eyebrows
K: WHY?
ME: Well sometimes you have stray hairs that you need to get rid of
K: Oh, ok. What are those things called?
ME: Tweezers.
K: Well don't you know that those girls on Survivor used scissors....don't you think that you should use those?
(Now obviously if you don't watch Survivor this probably doesn't make any sense but last week there were 2 girls that used scissors to cut each other's armpit and leg hair.....heaven help me if I find her with a pair of scissors trying to do the same!!)

God is good

Seriously.

Always.

No matter what the circumstances.

Forever in my mind and heart.

I am wrestling with some personal issues right now (that I am not sure if I will share or not....just that right now they are a bit too fresh in my mind and heart to touch on right now...) Even in my time of doubt, worry, and strife, God is good. Just when my faith is being tested in one aspect of my life, God pops up from another direction to show me his mercy, grace and love.

I was feeling way low this morning when I came to the computer. Pretty beat down and in need of some cheering up. I decided to take advantage of the yearly "free credit score" email that I had received. I knew that our credit was steadily improving and was hoping that it would be in the "good" range.

I was stunned and humbled to find out that it had jumped into the excellent range!

Why am I telling you this? (I know that money is a taboo topic for a lot of people.)

I am telling you this because I believe that God has firmly had his hands all over this.....we began to faithfully tithe a little over a year ago & I am the first to admit that I had my doubts that we were going to survive it. Here I stand before you with so many wonderful blessings that I know God has provided for us.
II Corinthians 9:6-7: (Remember) this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously (that blessings may come to someone) will also reap generously and with blessings.

With that firmly planted in my mind, I am going to trust that God knows what He has in store for us and that I need to step back in faith to let him take us where we need to be.

So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. Isaiah 26: 4

Completing Him Challenge (the end) & Marriage Monday

Today is the last day of www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/ of Completing him challenge. I must say that I am very sad that it is coming to an end. It was nice to have guidance on topics that need worked on in marriage. Not to mention reading some fabulous blogs in the process. I am hoping that we will see more of this from Courtney! Without further ado.....

Was it a good summer for your marriage? Or a hard one? Was it a joyful time with lots of memories? Or was it filled with ups and downs?
I feel that it was a good summer for our marriage. We had a few minor arguments but not like we have in the past. Our communication has been better and we have been taking time to enjoy each other like we once did. It especially has helped to take time for date nights together. (Go figure! Alone time helps!!) I think that we made a lot of memories (mostly joyful) which really makes me happy and I hope Ben too!

All of our marriages go through different seasons. We all have our ups and downs. We have the newlywed season, then the... I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open cause we have a newborn... season, the on the go with the kids and their activities season, the challenging teenage season, the empty nest season and the golden years.
I was reading another blog a few weeks ago that talked about a book called "The Four Seasons of Marriage." I am interested in reading that to see just what season we are in right now!
As you look ahead to the fall, do not lose your focus on building a strong marriage.
With many obligations on our plates, it is very hard to lose focus of our spouse for other people and activities. I have given up some things that I wanted to do so that I can concentrate on Ben. It has been hard but in the end has made me feel closer to being the wife that I am suppose to be.

1. We must continue to remember those dating days and what made us fall in love with our husbands in the first place.
And try new things on those dates because it makes you grow toether!
2.Remember our sacred vows.
3.Remember to ask your husband how you can be praying for him daily.
I need to be more proactive and specific for him
4.Remember to tell your husband how you admire him.
5.Remember to keep your priorities in line.
Amen
6.Remember to follow your husband's lead and vision for your family.
7.Remember to respect your husband.
always
8. Remember to keep kissing him like you mean it!
No matter what season you are in, God longs for you to follow his design for marriage.

This summer, many of you participated in the Marriage Challenge. How did it go? How did it change you and how did it change your marriage?
I think that it gave me the opportunity to focus on topics and I work better when I have a specific goal in mind.
What I do today determines where my marriage will be in the future.
So I need to get up off my butt and work at my marriage like God intended it to be!
Do you know what kind of wife you want to be 30 years from now? What are you doing today to get yourself there? With God's help, I know we can get there!
Visit Julie at
www.comehaveapiece.blogspot.com/

Travel to Europe

Plans for Ben and I.......
we are going to be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this December but due to the holidays and a brand new baby, we are not going to be able to do anything "big" to celebrate it. (Even though just being together is celebration enough!) So we decided to take a trip to Europe in May when we celebrate our renewl of vows. We are going to be flying into Germany. Our top choices of places to go right now are Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Greece. Do ya'll have any must see places, good places to stay, time lines how long we should spend in each country, advice on passports/currency/etc? We would love to hear your opinions and advice! If you can't comment on here please shoot Ben or I an email as we are trying to get it planned early :-) Thanks so much!!